Jessica Williams (actress)
Jessica Williams | |
---|---|
![]() Williams in 2016 | |
Born | Jessica Renee Williams July 31, 1989 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | California State University, Long Beach |
Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian |
Years active | 2006–present |
Jessica Renee Williams (born July 31, 1989)[1] is an American actress and comedian. She has appeared as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, as cohost of the podcast 2 Dope Queens, as Lally Hicks in the Fantastic Beasts film series, as Gaby in Shrinking, and as Meadow in Entergalactic.
Early life
[edit]Williams was born in Los Angeles County, California. She attended Nathaniel Narbonne High School where she studied drama. She made her television debut as a series regular on the Nickelodeon series Just for Kicks in 2006,[2] and in 2012, she became The Daily Show's youngest correspondent ever at 22 years old.[3][4] She attended California State University, Long Beach.
Career
[edit]Williams made her Daily Show debut on January 11, 2012.[5] Williams is a frequent performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles.[6] Williams also made appearances on Season 3 of HBO's Girls.[7] She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York[8] and Los Angeles, California.[9] She appeared in the film People Places Things. She cohosted the comedy podcast 2 Dope Queens with Phoebe Robinson. Williams appears in an HBO special spun off from the podcast in February 2018.[10] She appeared on her last regular Daily Show episode on June 30, 2016, but returned for a guest appearance on April 22, 2024.[11][12] She starred in the 2017 Netflix comedy movie The Incredible Jessica James, in which she portrays a character whom The Guardian described as "a struggling Brooklyn-based playwright navigating the murky waters of modern romance while waiting impatiently for her big break."[13]
Williams appeared in the sequels of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as Lally Hicks, a teacher from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[14] In 2023, Williams had a starring role in the Apple TV+ show Shrinking.[15] For her performance, she earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nomination.
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Crying in Public | Coffee Shop Crier | Short film |
2013 | Delivery Man | Tanya | |
2015 | People Places Things | Kat | |
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 | Herself | Cameo role | |
Tap Shoes & Violins | Charlie | Short film | |
2017 | The Incredible Jessica James | Jessica James | Also executive producer |
2018 | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | Lally Hicks | |
2019 | Corporate Animals | Jess | |
Booksmart | Miss Fine | ||
2020 | Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia | TBA | |
2022 | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | Lally Hicks | |
2024 | Road House | Frankie |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Just for Kicks | Vida Atwood | 13 episodes |
2012–2016, 2024 | The Daily Show | Herself (correspondent) | 142 episodes |
2014 | Girls | Karen | 4 episodes |
2018-2019 | 2 Dope Queens | Herself | 8 episodes |
2019 | The Twilight Zone | Rei Tanaka | Episode: "Six Degrees of Freedom" |
2021 | I Heart Arlo | Elena | Voice role |
Love Life | Mia Hines | Main role | |
2022 | Entergalactic | Meadow Watson | Voice role, television film |
2023-present | Shrinking | Gaby | Main role |
Podcast
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016–2018 | 2 Dope Queens | Herself (cohost) | Also co-creator, writer, executive producer |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Critics' Choice Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Shrinking | Nominated | [16] |
2024 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [17] |
References
[edit]- ^ Williams, Jessica Renee [@msjwilly] (July 31, 2018). "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY ... I'm excited for what 29 is going to bring ..." – via Instagram.
Williams, Jessica Renee [@msjwilly] (July 31, 2019). "today is my birthday!!!!! Here I am being 30 ..." Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Instagram. - ^ Gilbert, Matthew (April 7, 2006). "'Just for Kicks' shows girls how to get along". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
- ^ Del Signore, John (January 19, 2012). "Jon Stewart: SOPA Will Drive Us To Libraries "Like A Common Masturbator"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012.
- ^ Czajkowski, Elise (February 27, 2014). "Talking to 'Daily Show' Correspondent Jessica Williams". Splitsider. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
- ^ "Indecision 2012 - In the South of Madness". The Daily Show. January 11, 2012.
- ^ "Jessica Williams". Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
- ^ Williams, Lauren (January–February 2014). "The Daily Show's Jessica Williams on Race, Comedy, and Her Role in "Girls."". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^ "FACES: THE DAILY SHOW'S JESSICA WILLIAMS INTERVIEW". Nixon. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
- ^ 2 Dope Queens Podcast, Episode 28, A Sex Toy in Every Port
- ^ "'2 Dope Queens' Jessica Williams, Phoebe Robinson on Taking HBO by Storm". Rolling Stone. February 2, 2018. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Rahman, Ray (June 29, 2016). "Jessica Williams is leaving The Daily Show — exclusive". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ "WATCH: Jessica Williams Returns to The Daily Show". LateNighter. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ Nevins, Jake (July 26, 2017). "The incredible Jessica Williams: 'Great comedy comes from feeling like you've gotten punched up'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ^ "Jessica Williams Joins J.K. Rowling to Announce Her Fantastic Beasts Character". Vulture. April 22, 2018.
- ^ "Jessica Williams on becoming the standout star of Apple TV Plus' Shrinking". The A.V. Club. February 27, 2023.
- ^ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (January 14, 2024). "Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Bear lead 2024 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "75th Primetime Emmy Awards". Emmy Awards. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
External links
[edit]- 1989 births
- Living people
- 20th-century African-American actresses
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century African-American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- 21st-century American comedians
- Actresses from Los Angeles
- African-American child actresses
- African-American female comedians
- American child actresses
- American film actresses
- American people of Cameroonian descent
- American podcasters
- American television actresses
- American voice actresses
- American women comedians
- American women podcasters
- Bamileke people
- California State University, Long Beach alumni
- Comedians from Los Angeles
- Narbonne High School alumni
- Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers