'Ozark's' Jason Bateman feted as Hasty Pudding Man of Year

Jason Bateman during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Sept. 14, 2015. (Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — "Ozark" actor Jason Bateman is being feted as 2022 Man of the Year by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

Thursday evening's festivities will mark the first time the award has been presented since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.

The "Arrested Development" star also produced and directed "Ozark," a popular Netflix series. He's the 55th recipient of the theater troupe's coveted pudding pot.

The last Man of the Year was Ben Platt in 2020. Past recipients include Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson. The 2022 Woman of the Year, Jennifer Garner, will be honored Saturday.

Bateman, 52, earned a Primetime Emmy for outstanding directing in a drama in 2020 for "Ozark," two SAG awards for acting in "Ozark," and a best actor Golden Globe in 2005 for his portrayal of Michael Bluth in "Arrested Development."

Bateman, whose acting career dates to the early 1980s, has appeared in multiple television shows and starred in several films including the "Horrible Bosses" movies, "Game Night," and "Identity Thief."

At age 18, he became the Directors Guild of America's youngest director for directing three episodes of "Valerie," according to Hasty Pudding Theatricals, which dates to 1844 and calls itself the third oldest theater group in the world.

The Man of the Year Award has been handed out since 1967, and the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1951. The awards recognize people who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.