Jennifer Westfeldt
Westfeldt in 2009
Born	(1970-02-02)February 2, 1970 (age 56)
Alma mater	Yale University
Occupations	Actress, screenwriter
Years active	1997–present
Partner(s)	Jon Hamm (1997–2015)

Jennifer Westfeldt (born February 2, 1970)^[1][2] is an American actress, director, screenwriter, and producer. She is best known for co-writing, co-producing, and starring in the 2002 indie filmKissing Jessica Stein, for which she received anIndependent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. She is also known for writing, producing, starring in, and making her directorial debut in the indie filmFriends with Kids (2012).^[3]

Westfeldt's television work includes recurring roles onNotes from the Underbelly (2007–2009),Grey's Anatomy (2009),24 (2010), andYounger (2017–2021) as well as guest starring on shows such asGirls, andThis Is Us. Westfeldt made her Broadway debut in 2003 in the revival ofWonderful Town,^[4] earning a nomination for theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Westfeldt is the daughter of Constance, a Jewish^[5] therapist, and Patrick M. Westfeldt Jr., an electrical engineer.^[6][7][8] Her mother later married Michael Perelson, also a therapist. Her older sister is journalist^[9] Amy Westfeldt.^[10] She grew up inGuilford, Connecticut,^[5] and attendedGuilford High School,^[11] later attendedYale University, where she sang as a member of thea cappella groupRedhot & Blue.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Upon graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in Theater Studies, Westfeldt started her career as a New York-based theater actress, starring in dozens of regional and Off-Broadway productions, including the long-running Off-Broadway musicalThe Fantasticks.^[16] In 1997, she was cast as a series regular on the 20th Century Fox/ABC sitcomTwo Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, alongsideRyan Reynolds,Traylor Howard andRichard Ruccolo. In 1997 Westfeldt co-wrote and co-starred withHeather Juergensen in a six-night-engagement^[17] Off-Broadway play based on a series of sketches calledLipschtick: The Story of Two Women Seeking The Perfect Shade, which caught the attention of major Hollywood studios.^[17][18] The play was optioned byInterscope Communications^[18] to be made into a film, but after two years, Interscope's option expired in 1999,^[18] Westfeldt and Juergensen decided to make the film independently.^{[citation needed]}

Kissing Jessica Stein debuted at the LA International Film Festival in 2001, where it won the Audience Award for Best Feature, and a Special Jury Award for Writing and Acting for Westfeldt and Juergensen.^[19] The film was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures in March 2002. Westfeldt received theGolden Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role as Jessica, and an Indie Spirit Nomination for Best First Screenplay. The film won the Audience Favorites Award at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival, Best Feature at the Louisville Jewish Film Festival, and the GLAAD Media Award, and it was included on more than a dozen top ten lists in 2002. Variety wrote, "A fresh take on sex and the single girl, this buoyant, well-crafted romantic comedy blends pitch-perfect performances with deliciously smart writing."^[20] InNewsweek David Ansen said the film "knows what it wants, what its limits are, and delivers its delights accordingly."^[21] In 2014, The Advocate listed the movie as an essential film for LGBTQ+ viewers that "encourages exploration and self-awareness." In 2020, Kveller writer Mara Reinstein looked back on the impact that this "authentic" and "nuanced" movie had, writing, "I can't overstate how muchKissing Jessica Stein pioneered the gay rom-com."^[22]

Westfeldt made her Broadway debut in the fall of 2003 in the critical and commercial hitWonderful Town, starring opposite two-timeTony winnerDonna Murphy and directed by three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall. Westfeldt received a 2004 Tony nomination,^[23] a Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut,^[24] and a Drama League Award for her role as Eileen Sherwood.^[25] Of her Broadway debut, John Simon of New York magazine wrote: "Jennifer Westfeldt leaps onto the Broadway stage in full-fledged acting and singing splendor as the adorable Eileen."^[26] Ben Brantley of the New York Times wrote, "Jennifer Westfeldt makes a charming Broadway debut as Eileen, Ruth's boy-magnet of a sister." "Ms. Westfeldt's delightfully un-self-conscious interpretation suggests a virginal answer to the Vargas pinup girls," he added.^[27]

Westfeldt's next feature,Ira & Abby, marked her first solo screenwriting effort. The film debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2006, where it won the Audience Award for Best Feature.^[28] It was acquired by Magnolia Pictures and released in the fall of 2007 to strong reviews.^[29][30][31] Westfeldt won Best Actress at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen in 2006 for her performance as Abby, whereIra & Abby also took home the Jury Prize for Best Feature. The film won Audience Award for Best Feature at the Boston Jewish Film Festival.^{[citation needed]}

After one season onTwo Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, 20th Century Fox Studios cast Westfeldt as the lead of another series, the short-livedHolding the Baby on Fox. She went on to star in multiple pilots, including the WB'sThe Gene Pool opposite Chris Eigeman;The Untitled Paul Reiser Pilot on F/X; and Steve Levitan'sDante on NBC, opposite Morris Chestnut and Kevin Hart. In 2002, Westfeldt, along with her journalist sister Amy, sold a one-hour newsroom drama pitch to Touchstone/ABC; Westfeldt was attached to star. CalledThe Independent, the series was loosely inspired by her sister's experiences as a career journalist at the Associated Press.^{[citation needed]} In 2006, she was cast as the female lead in ABC'sNotes from the Underbelly, which ran for two seasons. Andrew Johnston wrote in TimeOut: "Jennifer Westfeldt is a total babe, with physical-comedy skills that, if properly honed, could approach Lucille Ball territory. In other words, she was basically born for TV. [Westfeldt] gets to show her serious side, too, and if the series gives her enough exposure to start competing with Hope Davis and Laura Linney for blond-WASP roles,Underbelly will have more than justified its existence."^[32] In 2010, withAlan Ball attached as executive producer, she sold a TV dramedy to HBO with her attached to star about thebird's nest custody agreement in divorce cases.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011, Westfeldt wrote, produced, starred in, and made her directorial debut inFriends with Kids, which was a breakout hit at the 2011Toronto International Film Festival.^[33] Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions obtained the rights to the film, and it was released in 2012. Westfeldt starred oppositeAdam Scott, with a cast includingMaya Rudolph,Kristen Wiig,Chris O'Dowd,Ed Burns,Megan Fox andJon Hamm.Peter Travers of Rolling Stone calledFriends with Kids "an indelibly funny and touching comedy with a real sting in its tail," and deemed Westfeldt "an actress of rare wit and grace, and now a filmmaker with a keen eye for nuance. In front of the camera and behind it, she's the live current that pulls us in and makes us care. Westfeldt is the pulse ofFriends With Kids, presenting us with life in all of its vibrant, messy sprawl."^[34] The film was included on New York Magazine's Top Ten Movies of 2012 list,^[35] as well as NPR's Top 12 of 2012.^[36]

Her varied TV credits include memorable arcs onYounger,Queen America (opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones),Grey's Anatomy,24,Judging Amy, andHack; and guest-starring turns on NBC's hit dramaThis Is Us, HBO'sGirls, andChildrens Hospital, among others.^{[citation needed]} She provided the voice of Kit Luntayne in theMartha Speaks episodes "Cora! Cora! Cora!" and "Cora Encore!" on PBS.^{[citation needed]}

Westfeldt's other stage work includes the world premieres ofScott Z. Burns'The Library at The Public Theater oppositeChloe Grace-Moretz, directed bySteven Soderbergh;^[37]Nell Benjamin’sThe Explorers Club at Manhattan Theater Club, directed by Marc Bruni;^[38]Nicky Silver'sToo Much Sun at The Vineyard Theater oppositeLinda Lavin, directed byMark Brokaw;^[39]Cusi Cram'sA Lifetime Burning at Primary Stages, directed byPam MacKinnon;^[40] Joe Gilford’sFinks oppositeJosh Radnor at The Powerhouse Theater/NYSAF, directed by Charlie Stratton;^[41] Stephen Belber'sThe Power of Duff oppositeGreg Kinnear at The Powerhouse Theater/NYSAF, directed by Peter Dubois;^[42] andAlexandra Gersten-Vassilaros'Big Sky at The Geffen oppositeJon Tenney, directed byJohn Rando.^[43] In 2022 she received glowing reviews from theNew York Times for her performance as Mama inLiba Vaynberg' s playThe Gett.^[44]

Other film roles include the 2016 shortLemon oppositeNoah Bean, which premiered at the 2016Tribeca Film Festival and, in 2017, a supporting role in directorMarielle Heller’sCan You Ever Forgive Me? opposite Melissa McCarthy, which later ended up on the cutting room floor.^[45] In 2017, Westfeldt produced the documentaryCircus Kid, based on Lorenzo Pisoni's life growing up in a circus family, which was bought and distributed by Sundance Now.^[46] In 2022 she wrote several episodes of the Showtime seriesThe First Lady.^[47]

Westfeldt sold to AmazonThe Idea of You, an adapted screenplay based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee starringAnne Hathaway.^[48] The film completed shooting in December 2022 and was released in May 2024. With a self-reported 50 million viewers in the first two weeks it was Amazon MGM’s No. 1 romantic-comedy debut of all time, according to the studio.^[49] She is currently working on a film adaptation^[50] of Amy Poeppel's novelThe Sweet Spot.

Westfeldt was in a long-term relationship with actorJon Hamm from 1997 to 2015.^[51]

Interviews

• Interview on AOL TelevisionArchived July 2, 2007, at theWayback Machine
• New York Magazine Interview, July 2009
• Jennifer Westfeldt steps behind the camera forFriends With Kids, Backstage, February 2012
• Westfeldt interview aboutFriends with Kids, New York Times, March 2012
• Jennifer Westfeldt interview, GQ magazine, March 2012
• Jennifer Westfeldt and Jon Hamm discuss baseball, Vulture, October 2012
• Jennifer Westfeldt discusses fashion, More magazine, February 2013
• Jennifer Westfeldt onThe Library, Vanity Fair, April 2014

Metadata

• Jennifer Westfeldt at theInternet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
• Jennifer Westfeldt at theInternet Broadway Database
• Jennifer Westfeldt atIMDb

• 1970 births
• Living people
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• American film actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• American women film directors
• Jewish American actresses
• Jewish American screenwriters
• American women screenwriters
• Yale University alumni
• American women film producers
• People from the Upper West Side
• Theatre World Award winners
• 21st-century American Jews

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