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Jenny Mollen

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Jenny Mollen
Mollen in 2005
Born
Jenny Ann Mollen

Other names
  • Jenny Mollen Biggs
  • Jenny Biggs
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • writer
Years active2000–present
Spouse
(m. 2008)
Children2
Websitejennymollen.com

Jenny Ann Biggs (née Mollen) is an American actress and writer. She played Nina Ash on the television series Angel (2003–04). She appeared on the series Viva Laughlin (2007), Crash (2008), and Girls (2014).[1][2] Mollen has published two collections of essays, and has written articles for various publications, including Cosmopolitan and Parents. She has appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list twice with her books I Like You Just The Way I Am (2014) and Live Fast Die Hot (2016).[3]

Early life

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Mollen was born in Phoenix, Arizona.[4] Mollen's father is Jewish and her mother is Christian; she was raised culturally Jewish.[5][6] She has a sister and a half-brother.[7] In the late 1990s, Mollen graduated from Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.[4] She studied theater and graduated from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.[8][9] Mollen briefly attended graduate school to study psychology.[citation needed]

Mollen worked in local theater as a child. She worked at Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, the Idyllwild Arts Academy, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.[10][11]

Career

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Mollen in 2005

In 2005, Mollen announced in an interview about her plans to perform in London in a play she wrote about her dog.[8]

In 2009, Mollen wrote the short film Kidnapping Caitlynn, starring Jason Biggs, Julie Benz, and herself. The film was directed by Katherine Cunningham Eves.

In 2016, Mollen co-starred with her husband Jason Biggs as fictional husband and wife characters in comedy film Amateur Night.[12]

In 2012 and 2013, Mollen wrote a humor column for The Smoking Jacket, a website affiliated with Playboy,[13] as well as an advice column for Playboy.[14]

In January 2013, Mollen signed with St. Martin's Press to write a book of comedic essays, I Like You Just the Way I Am.[15] The book reached #10 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Print & E-Book Nonfiction on its debut in June 2014.[16] On August 4, 2016, it was announced that ABC Digital acquired a single-camera comedy written and starring Mollen based on her NYT Best Seller I Like You Just The Way I Am.[17]

In June 2016, Mollen published a follow-up, Live Fast Die Hot,[18] which also subsequently became New York Times Best Seller at #8 in Humor. In August 2016, it was reported that the film rights had been acquired by Warner Bros. with Anne Hathaway attached to star and Mollen attached to write and executive produce.[19]

Personal life

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Mollen met actor Jason Biggs while filming My Best Friend's Girl and they were engaged by January 2008. On April 23, 2008, the couple eloped and got married in Los Angeles.[20] In July 2008, they had a formal wedding ceremony in Napa Valley.[21] Their son, Sid, was born on February 15, 2014. Their second son, Lazlo, was born on October 2, 2017.[22] After living in Los Angeles for some time, the Biggs family moved to New York City in 2018.[23]

Mollen speaks German fluently.[24]

After the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Mollen signed an open letter by Creative Community for Peace calling for the world to "stand with Israel as it defends itself against a terrorist regime in Gaza that seeks Israel’s destruction."[25] Mollen, alongside her husband Biggs, also signed the "No Hostage Left Behind Letter", demanding the release of all hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the attack.[26] In November 2023, Mollen spoke at a Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces fundraiser that doubled as a Shabbat dinner in Atlanta.[27]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Influence Jessica the Influencer Short film
2003 Searching for Haizmann Grace Robin
2003 What Was That? The Damsel Video short
2003 Billy Makes the Cut Ashley Short film
2004 D.E.B.S. German Deb
2004 The Raven Lenna Short film
2005 Fear Itself Wendy
2006 Ring Around the Rosie Wendy Baldwin Video
2006 Cattle Call Marina Dell
2008 My Best Friend's Girl Colleen, the new girl
2008 An Inconvenient Penguin Dr. Gootentag Video short
2008 Off the Ledge Amber-Elizabeth
2009 Kidnapping Caitlynn Emily; screenplay Short film
2011 L!fe Happens Rita the Receptionist
2011 Crazy, Stupid, Love Lisa
2013 Extracted Abbey
2016 Amateur Night Anne Carter

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 18 Wheels of Justice Susan Curran Episode: "Mr. Invisible"
2001 Strong Medicine Blonde Episode: "Black 'n' Flu"
2003–04 Angel Nina Ash Episodes: "Unleashed", "Smile Time", "Power Play"
2005 Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave Jenny Television film
2006 Medium Lydia Kyne Episode: "Method to His Madness"
2007 Viva Laughlin Geneva's sister Amy Unaired episodes
Episodes: "Need You Tonight", "Bad Moon Rising", "Taking Care of Business", "Fighter"
2008 Crash Tess Nolan / Theresa Nolanski Recurring role, 7 episodes
2009 Chelsea Lately Herself (Round Table) Episode: "Episode dated 28 October 2009"
2010 Law & Order: LA Carly Morris Episode: "Playa Vista"
2011 CSI: NY Detective Angela Sayer Episode: "Life Sentence"
2011 Suits Gabby Stone Episode: "Tricks of the Trade"
2013 Hawaii Five-0 Dakota Hayes Episode: "Pa'ani"
2013 Wilfred Kim Episode: "Sincerity"
2014 Chelsea Lately Herself (Round Table) Episode: "Episode #8.98"
2014 Girls Courtney Episodes: "I Saw You", "Two Plane Rides"
2015 Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise Co-Host 6 episodes
2016–17 Chelsea Herself; also writer 7 episodes
2016 Chelsea Does Herself; writer TV series documentary
Episode: "Chelsea Does Marriage"
2016 Chicago Fire Detective Bianca Holloway Episodes: "What Happened to Courtney", "I Will Be Walking", "The Last One for Mom"
2016 I Like You Just the Way I Am Jenny; producer, writer Episodes: "Drone Attack", "You Were ALMOST Kidnapped", "Teets on a Plane", "Sex with Luke"
2019 The Bachelorette Herself Episodes: "Week 3"

Selected works and publications

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Books

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  • Mollen, Jenny (2014). I Like You Just the Way I Am: Stories About Me and Some Other People. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-4668-3858-1. OCLC 886584103.
  • Mollen, Jenny (2016). Live Fast Die Hot. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-54070-4. OCLC 951807583.

Periodicals

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References

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  1. ^ "Jenny Mollen – Actress". TV Insider. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jenny Mollen". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Jenny Mollen Official Website". Jenny Mollen. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Hawkes, Marilyn (February 1, 2019). "Valley Kids: Jenny Mollen Biggs Author/Actress/Media Personality". Phoenix Magazine. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019.
  5. ^ "On the Run: Dr. Art Mollen is a busy guy". Arizona Jewish Life. October 1, 2012.
  6. ^ Klein, Amy (June 5, 2014). "Jason Biggs Loves Being Mistaken as Jewish". Haaretz.
  7. ^ Mollen, Jenny (July 17, 2017). "Actress and Author Jenny Mollen Opens Up About Her Family's Scary Health Crisis". Marie Claire.
  8. ^ a b "An interview with Jenny Mollen". Return of the Living Dead official website. Archived from the original on April 8, 2005. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  9. ^ Mollen, Jenny (January 24, 2020). "That Time Jenny Mollen and Jason Biggs Tried to Set Boundaries…". Medium. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "Biography of Jenny Mollen". AllAmericanSpeakers.com. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  11. ^ Rao, Naveen (November 3, 2017). "Jenny Mollen Wiki: 5 Facts to Know about Jason Biggs' Wife". Earn The Necklace. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  12. ^ Gifford, Kathie Lee; Kotb, Hoda (July 27, 2016). "Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen team up for new comedy 'Amateur Night'". Today Show.
  13. ^ Mollen, Jenny. "What She Said". The Smoking Jacket. Playboy. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  14. ^ Denninger, Lindsay (August 3, 2015). "Who Is Jenny Mollen? This 'Bachelor In Paradise' After Show Host Is A Super Fan (And A 'New York Times' Best Seller)". Bustle.
  15. ^ Fauskee, Katie (January 14, 2013). "Comedian Jenny Mollen Signs Deal For Chelsea Handler-Like Book (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. ^ "Best Sellers: Combines Print & E-Book Nonfiction". The New York Times. July 6, 2014.
  17. ^ Petski, Denise (August 4, 2016). "ABCd Orders More 'Forever 31', Acquires Jenny Mollen Project & More – TCA". Deadline Hollywood.
  18. ^ Mollen, Jenny (2016). Live Fast Die Hot. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-54070-4. OCLC 951807583.
  19. ^ McNary, Dave (August 30, 2016). "Anne Hathaway Starring in Adaptation of Jenny Mollen's Novel 'Live Fast Die Hot'". Variety.
  20. ^ Finn, Natalie (May 1, 2008). "Jason Biggs' Little Wedding". E! Online. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  21. ^ Lambert, Suzanne Condie (July 16, 2008). "'We Do,' Again". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024.
  22. ^ "Jason Biggs Reveals the One Sweet Thing He Makes His Son Do Every Time They Leave Home". people.com. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  23. ^ Brown, Elizabeth Quinn (May 4, 2018). "Jason Biggs and Wife Jenny Mollen Are Auctioning Off 400 Items from Inside Their Home". Architectural Digest.
  24. ^ Edelman, Amelia (February 3, 2020). "Jason Biggs on The Real Reason His Kids Speak German". SheKnows. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  25. ^ CCFPeace (October 12, 2023). "Israel Under Attack – Open Letter". Creative Community for Peace -. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  26. ^ Culture, Ryan Smith Senior Pop; Reporter, Entertainment (October 24, 2023). "Full List of celebrities demanding release of all Hamas hostages". Newsweek. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  27. ^ Heller, Sasha (November 29, 2023). "Bank/Schoenbaum Turn Out for FIDF Shabbat". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
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