Jessica Williams (actress)
{{Short description|American actress (born 1989)}}
{{for|the other comedian with the same birth name|Punkie Johnson}}
{{for|the jazz pianist|Jessica Williams (musician)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jessica Williams
| image = Jessica Williams.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Williams in 2016
| birth_name = Jessica Renee Williams
| othername =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|07|31}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = California State University, Long Beach
| occupation = Actress, comedian
| years_active = 2006–present
| height =
| spouse =
}}
Jessica Renee Williams (born July 31, 1989){{cite Instagram|postid=Bl6n0x0hO8_|last=Williams|first=Jessica Renee|date=July 31, 2018|title=IT'S MY BIRTHDAY ... I'm excited for what 29 is going to bring ...|user=msjwilly}}
{{cite Instagram|postid=B0lY2guAN-0|title=today is my birthday!!!!! Here I am being 30 ...|user=msjwilly|last=Williams|first=Jessica Renee|date=July 31, 2019|access-date=February 10, 2024}} 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
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, and in 2012, she became The Daily Show's youngest correspondent ever at 22 years old.{{cite web |first=Elise |last=Czajkowski |publisher=Splitsider |title=Talking to 'Daily Show' Correspondent Jessica Williams |url=http://splitsider.com/2014/02/talking-to-daily-show-correspondent-jessica-williams/ |date=February 27, 2014 |access-date=December 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202003211/http://splitsider.com/2014/02/talking-to-daily-show-correspondent-jessica-williams/ |archive-date=December 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }} She attended California State University, Long Beach.
Career
Williams made her Daily Show debut on January 11, 2012. Williams is a frequent performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles. Williams also made appearances on Season 3 of HBO's Girls. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York{{cite web|url=http://www.nixon.com/ca/en/happenings/faces-the-daily-shows-jessica-williams-interview-9846.html|title=FACES: THE DAILY SHOW'S JESSICA WILLIAMS INTERVIEW|publisher=Nixon|access-date=December 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231081505/http://www.nixon.com/ca/en/happenings/faces-the-daily-shows-jessica-williams-interview-9846.html|archive-date=December 31, 2014|url-status=dead}} and Los Angeles, California.2 Dope Queens Podcast, Episode 28, A Sex Toy in Every Port 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.{{cite magazine|title='2 Dope Queens' Jessica Williams, Phoebe Robinson on Taking HBO by Storm|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/features/how-2-dope-queens-jessica-williams-phoebe-robinson-got-an-hbo-show-w516234|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=February 2, 2018|access-date=February 6, 2018|archive-date=February 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206190154/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/features/how-2-dope-queens-jessica-williams-phoebe-robinson-got-an-hbo-show-w516234|url-status=dead}} She appeared on her last regular Daily Show episode on June 30, 2016, but returned for a guest appearance on April 22, 2024, and October 28, 2024. {{cite magazine | url=http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/29/jessica-williams-leaving-daily-show | title=Jessica Williams is leaving The Daily Show — exclusive | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=June 29, 2016 | access-date=June 29, 2016 | author=Rahman, Ray}}{{cite web | url=https://latenighter.com/news/watch-jessica-williams-returns-to-the-daily-show/|title=WATCH: Jessica Williams Returns to The Daily Show|date=April 22, 2024|website=LateNighter|language=en-US|access-date=April 23, 2024}} She starred in the 2017 Netflix comedy movie The Incredible Jessica James, as a character described by The Guardian as "a struggling Brooklyn-based playwright navigating the murky waters of modern romance while waiting impatiently for her big break."{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jul/26/jessica-williams-james-netflix-daily-show-interview |title=The incredible Jessica Williams: 'Great comedy comes from feeling like you've gotten punched up' |last=Nevins |first=Jake |date=July 26, 2017 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB |access-date=July 26, 2017}}
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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/jessica-williams-j-k-rowling-reveal-fantastic-beasts-role.html|title=Jessica Williams Joins J.K. Rowling to Announce Her Fantastic Beasts Character|website=Vulture|date=April 22, 2018}} In 2023, Williams was a main cast member in the Apple TV+ show Shrinking.{{Cite web |url= https://www.avclub.com/jessica-williams-interview-shrinking-apple-tv-plus-1850151807 |title= Jessica Williams on becoming the standout star of Apple TV Plus' Shrinking|website= The A.V. Club|date= February 27, 2023}} For her performance, she earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes |
|---|
| 2011
| Crying in Public | Coffee Shop Crier | Short film |
| 2013
| Tanya | |
| rowspan="3" | 2015
| Kat | |
| Hot Tub Time Machine 2
| Herself |
| 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 | |
| rowspan="2" | 2019
| Jess | |
| Booksmart
| Miss Fine | |
| 2020
| Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia | TBA | |
| 2022
| Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | Lally Hicks | |
| 2024
| Frankie | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes |
|---|
| 2006
| Vida Atwood | 13 episodes |
| 2012–2016, 2024
| Herself (correspondent) | 142 episodes |
| 2014
| Girls | Karen | 4 episodes |
| 2018-2019
| Herself | 8 episodes |
| 2019
| Rei Tanaka | Episode: "Six Degrees of Freedom" |
| rowspan="2" | 2021
| Elena | Voice role |
| Love Life
| Mia Hines | Main role |
| 2022
| Meadow Watson | Voice role, television film |
| 2023-present
| Gaby | Main role |
=Podcast=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes |
|---|
| 2016–2018
| Herself (cohost) | Also co-creator, writer, executive producer |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result ! Ref. |
|---|
| 2024
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | rowspan="3" |Shrinking | {{nom}} | {{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/critics-choice-awards-2024-winners-list-8424908 |title=Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Bear lead 2024 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list |last=Brathwaite |first=Lester Fabian |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 14, 2024 |accessdate=January 15, 2024}} |
| 2024
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | {{nom}} |
| 2024
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series]] | {{nom}} |
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{cite web |url=http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/talent/view/16019 |title=Jessica Williams |publisher=Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre |access-date=September 28, 2013 |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331154839/http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/talent/view/16019 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Gilbert |newspaper=The Boston Globe |title='Just for Kicks' shows girls how to get along |url=http://articles.boston.com/2006-04-07/ae/29240220_1_alexa-power-strikers-katija-pevec |date=April 7, 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707094625/http://articles.boston.com/2006-04-07/ae/29240220_1_alexa-power-strikers-katija-pevec |archive-date=July 7, 2012}}
{{cite news |first=John |last=Del Signore |title=Jon Stewart: SOPA Will Drive Us To Libraries "Like A Common Masturbator" |url=http://gothamist.com/2012/01/19/jon_stewart_sopa_will_drive_us_to_t.php |publisher=Gothamist |date=January 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602141706/http://gothamist.com/2012/01/19/jon_stewart_sopa_will_drive_us_to_t.php |archive-date=June 2, 2012 }}
{{cite news |first=Lauren |last=Williams |url=https://www.motherjones.com/media/2013/12/interview-jessica-williams-daily-show-race-comedy-girls |title=The Daily Show's Jessica Williams on Race, Comedy, and Her Role in "Girls." |work=Mother Jones |date=January–February 2014 |access-date=February 13, 2014}}
}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1790970|Jessica Williams}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Jessica}}
Category:20th-century African-American actresses
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century African-American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American comedians
Category:Actresses from Los Angeles
Category:African-American child actresses
Category:African-American female comedians
Category:African-American comedians
Category:American child actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:American people of Cameroonian descent
Category:American women podcasters
Category:American television actresses
Category:American voice actresses
Category:American women comedians
Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni
Category:Comedians from Los Angeles