Jennifer Elise Cox

Jennifer Elise Cox
Born (1969-11-29) November 29, 1969
New York City, New York, US
Occupation Actress
Years active 1995present
Spouse(s) Lee Brownstein

Jennifer Elise Cox (born November 29, 1969) is an American actress best known for her satirical portrayal of Jan Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie.

Life and career

Cox was born in New York City, New York. There she played in two operas, Don Giovanni and Madam Butterfly.[1][2] After graduating from a performing arts high school Cox moved to Los Angeles with her mother, Kate.[3] She attended the California Institute of the Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting. While getting into acting, Cox scooped ice cream at Ben & Jerry's, and made money by playing cards when she was struggling.[4]

In 1995 Cox won over the role she became widely known for, middle-child Jan Brady in the film The Brady Bunch Movie, a pastiche role she originated off-Broadway in The Real Live Brady Bunch. Speaking of the cast, "We instantly bonded," said Cox. "We instantly thought of each other as family, as The Brady Bunch."[5] The film opened at #1 at the box office with $14,827,066 and grossed $46,576,136, in the U.S. and Canada and $7,500,000 overseas making a total gross of $54,076,136 worldwide. Although the film received a mixed reception, Cox's performance was praised.[6] Patrick Phillips from Pop Culture Tonight called her performance "excellent, yet underrated".[7] While a reviewer from The Motion Pictures stated "Cox pulls off all of [The] nuttiness perfectly. She is without a doubt the best part of the movie."[8] A week after the Brady bunch movie's opening she had a guest spot on The George Wendt Show.[9] The same year she reprised her role as Jan Brady for the TV series Wings, and portrayed Shannon, a student at the women's studies program, on the TV series Murphy Brown.

In 1996 Cox costarred alongside Michael Gross and Hilary Swank In the horror film Sometimes They Come Back... Again, reprised her role of Jan Brady in the Brady Bunch sequel A Very Brady Sequel, and guest starred on an episode of The Parent 'Hood.

In 1998 she had a recurring role as social outcast Felice on the sitcom Clueless, and reprised her role of Jan Brady on the TV series Moesha. That year she also had small bits in the films Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Can't Hardly Wait.

In 1999 she signed on to star alongside Jean Smart in Tiara Tango, later retitled Forever Fabulous.[10] The film went through a troubled history while being made, as actresses Cathy Moriarty and Suzanne Pleshette both had parts before quitting due to massive rewrites of the script. The film struggled with money and due to budget constraints, an entire scene had to be eliminated and rewritten. Cox stated she didn't even receive a salary for recording the film's voice-over narration.[11] The film premiered at the 1999 Austin Film Festival.[12] Cox also had a small role in the film EdTV.

In 2000 she guest starred on an episode of Sex and the City, and on an episode of Will & Grace. It took several takes just for Will & Grace star Debra Messing to get past the first line of Cox's character Nurse Pitman. Messing would later tell US Weekly this was because she couldn't "look at her without seeing Jan Brady."[13][14][15]

Cox then became a main cast member on Hype, an American sketch comedy television series on The WB,[16] However, due to low ratings the show was canceled. The next year it was announced Cox would reunite with The Brady Bunch Movie co-star and friend Alanna Ubach, in Life After Donna Dell. Described as a dark, campy, 1950's musical, it was written by Ubach herself. However, the film was later scrapped.[10]

In 2005, she appeared on three episodes of Six Feet Under, two episodes of Twins, and one episode of The Comeback.

In August 2006 she began playing the recurring role of receptionist Tiffany Riley Clarke on Lovespring International. However, the show was cancelled months later.[17] Soon after she was cast as Amy Anderson, a recurring role on the improvised American comedy series 10 Items or Less. She would go on to play the character till 2009, when this show was cancelled.[18]

In 2009 she made five appearances on the Lifetime original sitcom Rita Rocks. She was in talks to play the character more for the next season, however Lifetime canceled the series.[19] The next year she played a small role in the film The Back-Up Plan.[20]

In 2011 she had roles on multiple films, Balls to the Wall, Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury, Eating Out: The Open Weekend, A Holiday Engagement and Spooky Buddies. She also had a recurring role on Pretty the Series, and she joined the cast of Web Therapy as the recurring role of Gina Spinks. She would play Gina until August 11, 2015, when Showtime cancelled the series after four seasons.[21]

In 2013, she made three guest appearances as Gina on Web Therapy, the Web series on which Web Therapy is based.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Brady Bunch Movie, TheThe Brady Bunch Movie Jan Brady
1996 Sometimes They Come Back... Again Jules Martin
1996 Very Brady Sequel, AA Very Brady Sequel Jan Brady
1999 Forever Fabulous Corinne Daly
2000 Dropping Out Mellissa
2001 Hitclown Clown Short film
2003 Testosterone Sharon
2004 Straight-Jacket Betty Bright
2005 Rainbow's End Boss Short film
2005 Hard Pill Tanya
2006 Enigma with a Stigma, TheThe Enigma with a Stigma Theresa Herman
2007 Cook-Off! Cassandra Dougherty
2009 Jesus People: The Movie Trinity Celeste
2010 Evil Shrink Molly Short film
2010 The Back-up Plan Sales assistant
2011 Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury Rita
2011 Spooky Buddies Mrs. Carroll
2011 Eating Out: The Open Weekend Hotel Clerk
2012 Love or Whatever Kelsey
2012 Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups Blue Bright
2013 Playdate Fran
2013 Platypus the Musical Patti Johnson Short film
2013 Out West Prissy Alcott

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 George Wendt Show, TheThe George Wendt Show Ashley Episode: "Prom Night: The Return"
1995 Wings Jan Brady Episode: "A House to Die For"
1995 Murphy Brown Shannon Episode: "The Feminine Critique"
1996 Parent 'Hood, TheThe Parent 'Hood Chris Episode: "Labor Daze"
1996 Weekend in the Country, AA Weekend in the Country Arista Farrell Television film
1997 Clueless Feliec Lasser 2 episodes
1998 Moesha Jan Brady Episode: "Hello, What's This?"
1999 Sagamore Shelly Television film
2000 Will & Grace Nurse Pittman Episode: "The Hospital Show"
2000–2001 Hype Various 16 episodes
2003 Gavin Crawford Show, TheThe Gavin Crawford Show Tandy Episode: "1.21"
2003 Greetings from Tucson Gabby Episode: "The Breakup"
2003 Rock Me, Baby Kate Episode: "Pilot"
2004 Wanda Does It Jen Episode: "Wanda Does Repo"
2005 My Wife and Kids Nancy Episode: "Silence Is Golden"
2005 Six Feet Under Mary 3 episodes
2005 Comeback, TheThe Comeback Miss Hollywood Episode: "Valerie Relaxes in Palm Springs"
2005 Twins Cara Episode: "Sister's Keeper"
2005 Todd's Coma Trina Television film
2006 Twins Cara Episode: "Blast from the Past"
2006 New Adventures of Old Christine, TheThe New Adventures of Old Christine Natalie Episode: "A Long Day's Journey Into Stan"
2006 CSI: NY Melanie Stefano Episode: "Run Silent, Run Deep"
2006 Lovespring International Tiffany Riley Clark 13 episodes
2006 Nip/Tuck Annie McNamara (2026) Episode: "Conor McNamara, 2026"
2006–2008 10 Items or Less Amy Anderson 13 episodes
2007 Mind of Mencia Chelsea Clinton Episode: "Sensitivity Training"
2008 Pushing Daisies Elise Hofer Episode: "Robbing Hood"
2009 Privileged Jennifer Episode: "All About Betrayal"
2009 Rita Rocks' Miss Ricker 5 episodes
2009 Eastwick Karen Episode: "Magic Snow and Creepy Gene"
2010 Svetlana Krystal 2 episodes
2010 Pair of Kings Lady of the Cave Episode: "Kings of Legend: Part Two"
2010–2011 Pretty Lucy Devonshire 5 episodes
2011 Holiday Engagement Connie Television film
2011–2015 Web Therapy Gina Spinks 21 episodes
2012 In Plain Sight Beth Wilcox / Beth Webb Episode: "Four Marshals and a Baby"
2013 Client List, TheThe Client List Olivia Episode: "I Ain't Broke But I'm Badly Bent"
2013 2 Broke Girls Miss Trudy Episode: "And the Window of Opportunity"
2015 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Lizzie Episode: "The Gang Beats Boggs"
2016 Idiotsitter Tanzy Russell 10 Episodes

References

  1. "Jennifer Elise Cox Biography". Fandango.
  2. "See the kids from 'The Brady Bunch Movie' Then and now". The Fw. January 15, 2012.
  3. Beth Pinkser (March 10, 1995). "Channeling Jan in the new 'Brady Bunch' movie". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0185078/trivia?ref_=m_nm_dyk_trv
  5. "FLASHBACK: 'The Brady Bunch Movie' Turns 20! On Set With the Grooviest Cast of '94". Entertainment Weekly. February 17, 2015.
  6. "Actor's Dialogue: Jennifer Elise Cox and Alanna Ubach". Backstage. In which Cox pulled off a great Jan Brady
  7. "We're celebrating THE BRADY BUNCH with actress Jennifer Elise Cox ("The Brady Bunch Movie") & the executive producer ("The Brady Bunch") Lloyd Schwartz". Pop Culture Tonight. August 23, 2015.
  8. Lindsey (October 8, 3013). "Classics Of The Corn: The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)". The Motion Pictures. "Cox pulls off all of that nuttiness perfectly. She is without a doubt the best part of the movie. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. Beth Pinkser (March 10, 1995). "Channeling Jan in the new 'Brady Bunch' movie". Entertainment Weekly.
  10. 1 2 "Actor's Dialogue: Jennifer Elise Cox and Alanna Ubach". Backstage.
  11. title=Internet Movie Database
  12. Internet Movie Database
  13. "'Sex and The City': Guest Stars Of Season 3". Access Hollywood. May 30, 2008.
  14. ""Will & Grace" - The Hospital Show (2000)". imdb.
  15. "Jennifer Elise Cox - Will and Grace - Nurse Pittman Outtake". Youtube.
  16. "WB buys into ‘Hype,’ orders pilot". Variety, January 16, 2000.
  17. Renewals and cancellations for basic cable series - TV Squad
  18. "TV Q&A with Rob Owen". Post-Gazette.com. November 13, 2009. Archived from the original on November 16, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  19. Lifetime Cancels "Rita Rocks", Entertainment Weekly, January 11, 2010
  20. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212436/
  21. http://deadline.com/2015/08/lisa-kudrows-web-therapy-cancelled-showtime-4-seasons-1201497293/
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