Jessica Biel
Encyclopedia
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven
. She has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch
, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
, The Illusionist, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
, and The A-Team
, and the British movie Easy Virtue
.
and spiritual healer. Her father, Panikkos Biel, worked for GE
and was also an entrepreneur and business consultant. She is of German, French, English, and Choctaw
ancestry and has a younger brother, Justin, born in 1985. Biel's family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Texas, Connecticut
, and Woodstock, Illinois
, before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado
. While growing up, Biel played soccer and also trained as a gymnast. From 2000 to 2002, she attended Tufts University
.
, The Sound of Music
, and Beauty and the Beast
. Biel auditioned for the a cappella choir the Tufts Amalgamates
, but was not accepted.
At twelve, Biel attended The International Modeling and Talent Association
conference in Los Angeles where she was discovered and signed by a talent agency
. She began modeling for print advertisements, and appeared in commercials for products such as Dulux Paint
and Pringles
.
Biel also played the character Regrettal, a lead role in a low-budget musical short titled It's a Digital World, but the film was never released. At fourteen, after auditioning for several television pilots, Biel was cast as Mary Camden, the oldest daughter in the family drama 7th Heaven
.
Biel landed her first feature film role as Peter Fonda
's granddaughter in the critically acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold
, released in 1997. Her performance earned her a Young Artist Award
. In spring 1998, during a break from filming 7th Heaven, Biel starred in I'll Be Home for Christmas, playing the love interest of Jonathan Taylor Thomas
.
She posed semi-nude for the cover of Gear
magazine. The shoot sparked considerable controversy as Biel was still under eighteen at the time. Producers of 7th Heaven were outraged, and brought legal action against Gear magazine. She later stated that she regrets the Gear shoot but considers it a learning experience.
In 2001, Biel played the love interest of Freddie Prinze, Jr.
in the baseball-themed film Summer Catch
. The next year, she starred as promiscuous
college student Lara in the ensemble film The Rules of Attraction
, an adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis
novel.
. The film met with negative reviews but it was a commercial success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S. In 2003, Biel began work on the third installment of the Blade film series, Blade: Trinity
. Almost immediately after finishing it in 2004, she headed to Australia to shoot the action-thriller Stealth
.
Biel also made a cameo appearance
in the 2004 film Cellular
.
Biel was cast in the role of Ellen Kishmore in the romantic comedy
Elizabethtown
. She then played the title character in the indie
film London
.
Biel's film career blossomed when she played a turn-of-the-century duchess in the period piece
The Illusionist, co-starring Edward Norton
and Paul Giamatti
.
Biel played an Iraq War veteran
in the 2006 film Home of the Brave
, a drama about soldiers struggling to adjust back into society after facing the hardships of war.
In Next, Biel played alongside Nicolas Cage
and Julianne Moore
. She then played in the summer comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
, co-starring Adam Sandler
and Kevin James.
In late 2007, Biel signed on to play a stripper
in Powder Blue
, alongside Forest Whitaker
(who also produced the film), Ray Liotta
and Patrick Swayze
.
At the start of 2008, Biel shot Easy Virtue, an adaptation of the play by Noël Coward
. Like the play, the film is set in the 1920s and Biel plays young widow Larita, who impulsively marries John Whittaker in France and must face her disapproving in-laws on returning to England. The film premiered in September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival
. Critics praised Biel for her performance, with Todd McCarthy of Variety
saying Biel "more than kept up" with veterans Kristin Scott Thomas
and Colin Firth
and praising her "sparkling" performance. The Hollywood Reporter
described her performance as "an irresistible force of nature — a kind, witty, supremely intelligent and beautiful woman who ... is capable of rejoinders that thoroughly undercut her opponent's withering criticism." Biel also performed two songs on the film's soundtrack, "Mad About the Boy
" and "When the Going Gets Tough
".
In 2009, Biel lent her voice to the animated science fiction film Planet 51
.
In April 2008, Biel began working on the political satire Nailed, with Jake Gyllenhaal
. The film centers around a woman who accidentally gets a nail lodged in her head, then travels to Washington D.C. to fight for better health care.
Biel performed the role of "Sarah Brown" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
in a fully staged concert production of Guys and Dolls
during the 2009 season at the Hollywood Bowl
. On the last night, she received a rousing standing ovation from 17,000 people. She subsequently landed a part in Lincoln Center Theater's two-week-long workshop of the musical version
of the Pedro Almodóvar
classic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
, along with Salma Hayek
.
teen Molly Bloom, who was injured in a limousine accident. John Schiffner of Fergus Falls
, Minnesota successfully bid $30,000 to have lunch with Biel. "I promise I'm a cheap date," Biel quipped. Biel and Schiffner lunched at The Palm
restaurant in Denver, Colorado on August 18, 2006.
In early 2007, Jessica co-founded the Make the Difference Network with her father and another business partner, Kent McBride.
In 2010, Biel climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
with members of the United Nation Foundation to raise awareness of the global water crisis. That same year, Biel's humanitarian and charity work (as well as her popularity with young people) earned her a nomination for a Do Something
Award.
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
. She has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch
Summer Catch
Summer Catch is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel, and Matthew Lillard. The story takes place on Cape Cod, but the majority of the film was shot in Southport, North Carolina.-Plot:...
, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...
, The Illusionist, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and...
, and The A-Team
The A-Team (film)
The A-Team is an American action film based on the television series of the same name. It was released in cinemas in the United States on June 11, 2010, by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Stephen J. Cannell and the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony...
, and the British movie Easy Virtue
Easy Virtue
Easy Virtue is a silent film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and loosely based on a play by Noël Coward.-Synopsis:The heroine Larita is married to a drunken brute. After he catches her almost being seduced by the artist who has been painting her picture, he brings suit for divorce on the grounds of...
.
Early life
Jessica Claire Biel was born in Ely, Minnesota. Her mother, Giannoulla (née Conroe), is a homemakerHomemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
and spiritual healer. Her father, Panikkos Biel, worked for GE
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and was also an entrepreneur and business consultant. She is of German, French, English, and Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
ancestry and has a younger brother, Justin, born in 1985. Biel's family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Texas, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and Woodstock, Illinois
Woodstock, Illinois
Woodstock is a far northwest suburb of Chicago in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census. The 2010 Census shows 24,770 residents. It is the county seat of McHenry County...
, before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. While growing up, Biel played soccer and also trained as a gymnast. From 2000 to 2002, she attended Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
.
Early work
Biel initially trained to be a vocalist, and from age nine appeared in several musical productions in her hometown, playing lead roles in productions such as AnnieAnnie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
, The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, and Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
. Biel auditioned for the a cappella choir the Tufts Amalgamates
Amalgamates
The Amalgamates are the premier coed collegiate a cappella group at Tufts University in Medford, MA.With members from all over the United States and the world, the "Mates" have a tradition of musical excellence represented by both the current singers and a network of over 150 alumni worldwide...
, but was not accepted.
At twelve, Biel attended The International Modeling and Talent Association
International Modeling and Talent Association (IMTA)
The International Modeling and Talent Association, or IMTA, is a professional organization of modeling and talent training centers from around the world, who meet biannually for talent and modeling conventions in both New York and Los Angeles....
conference in Los Angeles where she was discovered and signed by a talent agency
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
. She began modeling for print advertisements, and appeared in commercials for products such as Dulux Paint
Dulux
Dulux is an internationally available brand of paint. It is produced by AkzoNobel . The brand name Dulux has been used by both ICI and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints.-History:...
and Pringles
Pringles
Pringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
.
Biel also played the character Regrettal, a lead role in a low-budget musical short titled It's a Digital World, but the film was never released. At fourteen, after auditioning for several television pilots, Biel was cast as Mary Camden, the oldest daughter in the family drama 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
.
1997–2002
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
's granddaughter in the critically acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold
Ulee's Gold
Ulee's Gold is a 1997 film written and directed by Victor Nuñez, and starring Peter Fonda in the title role. Co-stars include Patricia Richardson, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood, Jessica Biel, J. Kenneth Campbell, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, and Vanessa Zima...
, released in 1997. Her performance earned her a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
. In spring 1998, during a break from filming 7th Heaven, Biel starred in I'll Be Home for Christmas, playing the love interest of Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
.
She posed semi-nude for the cover of Gear
Gear (magazine)
Gear was an English language lad's mag published by Bob Guccione, Jr. in the United Kingdom devoted chiefly to revealing pictorials of popular singers, B-movie actresses, and models, along with articles on gadgets, cars, fashion, guy tales of sex, and sports.Gear debuted in September 1998, with...
magazine. The shoot sparked considerable controversy as Biel was still under eighteen at the time. Producers of 7th Heaven were outraged, and brought legal action against Gear magazine. She later stated that she regrets the Gear shoot but considers it a learning experience.
In 2001, Biel played the love interest of Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Freddie James Prinze, Jr. is an American actor. He rose to fame during the late 1990s and early 2000s, after starring in several Hollywood films aimed at teenage audiences, I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer , as well as She's All That , Summer...
in the baseball-themed film Summer Catch
Summer Catch
Summer Catch is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel, and Matthew Lillard. The story takes place on Cape Cod, but the majority of the film was shot in Southport, North Carolina.-Plot:...
. The next year, she starred as promiscuous
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
college student Lara in the ensemble film The Rules of Attraction
The Rules of Attraction (film)
The Rules of Attraction is a 2002 satirical dark comedy film directed by Roger Avary, based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. It stars James van der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Biel, and Kip Pardue.-Plot:...
, an adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis is an American novelist and short story writer. His works have been translated into 27 different languages. He was regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack, which also included Tama Janowitz and Jay McInerney...
novel.
2003–2005
Biel was cast in her first top-billing role in The Texas Chainsaw MassacreThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...
. The film met with negative reviews but it was a commercial success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S. In 2003, Biel began work on the third installment of the Blade film series, Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
. Almost immediately after finishing it in 2004, she headed to Australia to shoot the action-thriller Stealth
Stealth (film)
Stealth is a 2005 American science fiction action film starring Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Sam Shepard. The film was directed by Rob Cohen, director of The Fast and the Furious and xXx....
.
Biel also made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the 2004 film Cellular
Cellular (film)
Cellular is a 2004 thriller film directed by David R. Ellis and starring Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham and William H. Macy. The screenplay was written by Chris Morgan, Larry Cohen and J...
.
Biel was cast in the role of Ellen Kishmore in the romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown (film)
Elizabethtown is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. Alec Baldwin has a small role as a CEO of an athletic shoe company and Susan Sarandon appears as a grieving widow...
. She then played the title character in the indie
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
film London
London (2005 film)
London is a 2006 romantic drama film centering on a Manhattan party. The movie is directed and written by Hunter Richards, his first. It stars Jessica Biel, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, Joy Bryant, and Lina Esco.-Plot:...
.
2006–present
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
The Illusionist, co-starring Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
and Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
.
Biel played an Iraq War veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
in the 2006 film Home of the Brave
Home of the Brave (2006 film)
Home of the Brave is a 2006 drama film following the lives of four Army National Guard soldiers in Iraq and their return to the United States. The film was shot in Morocco and in Spokane, Washington.-Plot:...
, a drama about soldiers struggling to adjust back into society after facing the hardships of war.
In Next, Biel played alongside Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
and Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
. She then played in the summer comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and...
, co-starring Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Kevin James.
In late 2007, Biel signed on to play a stripper
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
in Powder Blue
Powder Blue (film)
Powder Blue is a 2009 drama film with an ensemble cast featuring several interconnected story arcs. It was written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui based on the 1997 novel Ponto de Partida by brazilian medium Chico Xavier, and features Patrick Swayze's last film appearance before his September 2009...
, alongside Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
(who also produced the film), Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
and Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
.
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
. Like the play, the film is set in the 1920s and Biel plays young widow Larita, who impulsively marries John Whittaker in France and must face her disapproving in-laws on returning to England. The film premiered in September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
. Critics praised Biel for her performance, with Todd McCarthy of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
saying Biel "more than kept up" with veterans Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient....
and Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
and praising her "sparkling" performance. The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
described her performance as "an irresistible force of nature — a kind, witty, supremely intelligent and beautiful woman who ... is capable of rejoinders that thoroughly undercut her opponent's withering criticism." Biel also performed two songs on the film's soundtrack, "Mad About the Boy
Mad About the Boy
Dinah Washington's 1952 recording of "Mad about the Boy" is possibly the most widely known version of the song in modern times. The 6/8-time arrangement for voice and jazz orchestra by Quincy Jones omits two verses and was recorded in the singer's native Chicago on the Mercury label.Washington's...
" and "When the Going Gets Tough
When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going" is a popular English language proverb. A song of the same name was recorded by Billy Ocean in 1985 at Battery Studios North London.-Phrase:...
".
In 2009, Biel lent her voice to the animated science fiction film Planet 51
Planet 51
Planet 51 is a 2009 Spanish/British/American animated science fiction/family film directed by Jorge Blanco, written by Joe Stillman, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott, and John Cleese. Produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios and...
.
In April 2008, Biel began working on the political satire Nailed, with Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
. The film centers around a woman who accidentally gets a nail lodged in her head, then travels to Washington D.C. to fight for better health care.
Biel performed the role of "Sarah Brown" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
in a fully staged concert production of Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
during the 2009 season at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
. On the last night, she received a rousing standing ovation from 17,000 people. She subsequently landed a part in Lincoln Center Theater's two-week-long workshop of the musical version
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (musical)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a musical with a book by Jeffrey Lane and music and lyrics by David Yazbek. The musical tells the tale of a group of women in late 20th-century Madrid whose relationships with men lead to a tumultuous 48 hours of love, confusion and passion...
of the Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
classic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a 1988 Spanish black comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Carmen Maura and Antonio Banderas...
, along with Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
.
Charity work
On July 18, 2006, Biel participated in a charity auction to raise medical funds for ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
teen Molly Bloom, who was injured in a limousine accident. John Schiffner of Fergus Falls
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:...
, Minnesota successfully bid $30,000 to have lunch with Biel. "I promise I'm a cheap date," Biel quipped. Biel and Schiffner lunched at The Palm
The Palm (restaurant)
The Palm is an American fine-dining steakhouse that opened in 1926. It is located in New York City at 837 Second Avenue.Since its beginnings, management has opened additional restaurants throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico...
restaurant in Denver, Colorado on August 18, 2006.
In early 2007, Jessica co-founded the Make the Difference Network with her father and another business partner, Kent McBride.
In 2010, Biel climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
with members of the United Nation Foundation to raise awareness of the global water crisis. That same year, Biel's humanitarian and charity work (as well as her popularity with young people) earned her a nomination for a Do Something
Do Something
Do Something is a non-profit organization that motivates young people to take action around social changes through national campaigns and grants for projects that make an impact. The organization's CEO is Nancy Lublin, who founded Dress for Success in 1996.-History:The organization was co-founded...
Award.
Awards
- 1998: Young Artist Award — Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress in Ulee's Gold
- 2005: ShoWest Award Female Star of Tomorrow — 2005 ShoWest Convention
- 2007: Rising-Star Award — Palm Springs International Film Festival 2007 Gala Awards
Rankings
- Ranked No.99 in StuffStuff (magazine)Stuff is a men's magazine featuring reviews of consumer electronics, and other articles of interest to a predominantly male audience.- UK edition :...
magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World" (2002). - Ranked No.98 on VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "100 Hottest Hotties".(2003) - EsquireEsquire (magazine)Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine named her the "Sexiest Woman Alive" in a 2005 six-part series, with each month revealing a different body part and clue to the woman's identity. - Ranked No.1 in Stuff magazine's "100 Sexiest Women" (2007).
- Ranked as No.5 on MaximMaxim (magazine)Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
s Hot 100 for 2007 and No.11 on Maxim's Top 100 for 2009. - Ranked No.7 by AskMen.comAskMen.comAskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
readers in the list "Top 99 Women 2008." - Ranked No.4 by FHM US magazine in their 2009 list of "100 Sexiest Women".
- Actress Jennifer GarnerJennifer GarnerJennifer Anne Affleck , better known as Jennifer Garner, is an American actress and film producer. Garner gained recognition on television for her performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the thriller drama series Alias, which aired on ABC for five seasons from 2001 to 2006...
praised her saying "there's an earthiness and a strength to it" that brings her beauty to another level.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996– 2006 |
7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... |
Mary Camden | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... (Best Leading Actress) – 1998 Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... 2002, 2003 |
| 1997 | Ulee's Gold Ulee's Gold Ulee's Gold is a 1997 film written and directed by Victor Nuñez, and starring Peter Fonda in the title role. Co-stars include Patricia Richardson, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood, Jessica Biel, J. Kenneth Campbell, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, and Vanessa Zima... |
Casey Jackson | Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1998 | I'll Be Home for Christmas | Allie | |
| 2001 | Summer Catch Summer Catch Summer Catch is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Jessica Biel, and Matthew Lillard. The story takes place on Cape Cod, but the majority of the film was shot in Southport, North Carolina.-Plot:... |
Tenley Parrish | |
| 2002 | Lara Holleran | ||
| 2003 | Erin Hardesty | Nominated—MTV Movie Award MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general... for Best Breakthrough Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Breakthrough Performance. In many years, the awards were split into Male and Female categories... Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress |
|
| 2004 | It's a Digital World | Regrettal (voice) | |
| 2004 | Cellular Cellular (film) Cellular is a 2004 thriller film directed by David R. Ellis and starring Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham and William H. Macy. The screenplay was written by Chris Morgan, Larry Cohen and J... |
Chloe | |
| 2004 | Blade: Trinity Blade: Trinity Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films... |
Abigail Whistler | |
| 2005 | Stealth Stealth (film) Stealth is a 2005 American science fiction action film starring Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Sam Shepard. The film was directed by Rob Cohen, director of The Fast and the Furious and xXx.... |
Lieutenant Kara Wade | |
| 2005 | Elizabethtown Elizabethtown (film) Elizabethtown is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. Alec Baldwin has a small role as a CEO of an athletic shoe company and Susan Sarandon appears as a grieving widow... |
Ellen Kishmore | |
| 2005 | London London (2005 film) London is a 2006 romantic drama film centering on a Manhattan party. The movie is directed and written by Hunter Richards, his first. It stars Jessica Biel, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, Joy Bryant, and Lina Esco.-Plot:... |
London | |
| 2005 | Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Brooke (Voice) | Episode: "Brian the Bachelor Brian the Bachelor "Brian the Bachelor" is the seventh episode from the fourth season of Family Guy. It originally broadcast on June 26, 2005 and was written by Mark Hentemann and directed by Dan Povenmire. The episode sees Brian becoming a contestant on The Bachelorette and falling in love with the bachelorette,... " |
| 2006 | Duchess Sophie von Teschen | Newport Beach Film Festival Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Newport Beach, California, that showcases more than 350 films to more than 30,000 attendees annually.... Best Achievement Award |
|
| 2006 | Home of the Brave Home of the Brave (2006 film) Home of the Brave is a 2006 drama film following the lives of four Army National Guard soldiers in Iraq and their return to the United States. The film was shot in Morocco and in Spokane, Washington.-Plot:... |
Vanessa Price | |
| 2007 | Next | Liz Cooper | Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
| 2007 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and... |
Alex McDonough | |
| 2008 | Hole in the Paper Sky | Karen Watkins | Short film, also executive producer |
| 2008 | Easy Virtue | Larita Whittaker | |
| 2009 | Planet 51 Planet 51 Planet 51 is a 2009 Spanish/British/American animated science fiction/family film directed by Jorge Blanco, written by Joe Stillman, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott, and John Cleese. Produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios and... |
Neera (voice) | |
| 2009 | Powder Blue Powder Blue (film) Powder Blue is a 2009 drama film with an ensemble cast featuring several interconnected story arcs. It was written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui based on the 1997 novel Ponto de Partida by brazilian medium Chico Xavier, and features Patrick Swayze's last film appearance before his September 2009... |
Rose-Johnny | |
| 2010 | Valentine's Day Valentine's Day (film) Valentine's Day is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and based on the novel by Michael Connelly. The screenplay and the story was written by Katherine Fugate, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Akiva Goldsman, Rob Reiner, P. J... |
Kara Monahan | Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Hissy Fit Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
| 2010 | Capt. Charisa Sosa | ||
| 2011 | The Tall Man The Tall Man (2011 film) The Tall Man is an upcoming supernatural thriller. Filming took place in Salmo, British Columbia.-Plot:In the town of Cold Rock, there is a local superstition of a mysterious figure known as the Tall Man; a being who takes away children never to be seen again.After Julia 's son is kidnapped by a... |
Julia Denning | |
| 2011 | New Year's Eve New Year's Eve (film) New Year's Eve is an upcoming romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. Like Valentine's Day, Marshall's previous film, it depicts a series of holiday vignettes of the state of several romances.-Cast:... |
Tess | |
| 2012 | Playing the Field Playing the Field (film) Plyaing the Field is an upcoming film directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Gerard Butler, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Jessica Biel and Dennis Quaid.-Plot:... |
Stacie | |
| 2012 | Total Recall Total Recall (2012 film) Total Recall is an upcoming science-fiction action film based on the 1990 film of the same name and the 1966 novelette We Can Remember It for You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick. It is directed by Len Wiseman and written by Mark Bomback, James Vanderbilt and Kurt Wimmer. It was first announced in 2009... |
Melina | |
| 2012 | The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Cindy | Produced by her production company, Iron Ocean Films. |