Jen Ponton
Jen Ponton | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 27, 1984 Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ramapo College of New Jersey |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Website | JenPonton.com |
Jennifer Ponton (born June 27, 1984) is an American actress, screenwriter and producer, best known for portraying Rubi in the AMC series Dietland.
Early life
Ponton is an only child raised in Bloomsbury, New Jersey; there she was a 2002 graduate of Phillipsburg High School, where she was active in the New Jersey Speech and Debate Forensics League, as well as drama club and musical groups.[1][2] She is a 2006 graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she earned her BA in Theatre.[3]
Career
Ponton began her career in 2010 with a guest role on the episode "Reaganing"[4] on 30 Rock opposite Kelsey Grammer.[2] She went on to make recurring appearances on Law & Order: SVU, The Heart She Holler, and The Slap, as well as guest appearances on Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,[5][6] Blue Bloods, Deadbeat and The Blacklist. In 2018 she portrayed body positive activist Rubi on the AMC drama Dietland.[7][8] Ponton also starred in the 2016 film Love on the Run opposite Steve Howey and Frances Fisher, and she has narrated Jennifer Weiner's The Littlest Bigfoot audiobook series.[9] On stage, she originated the role of Dorrie in Halley Feiffer's How to Make Friends and then Kill Them at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre.[10] She is a member of the Television Academy.
She is a body positivity and fat acceptance activist,[11] having spoken at length about the importance of size inclusion in entertainment.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] She was also a featured activist and speaker at the 2018 TCF Style Expo and the 2018 CurvyCon.[20][21]
Ponton is also the co-creator and star of the puppet-led web series The Weirdos Next Door.[22]
Personal life
Ponton and her husband have been residents of the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive Township, New Jersey.[23]
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Kelly | 2012 | Angela | Official selection of 2012 SXSW[24] |
| Jack & Diane | 2012 | Stacy | Official selection of 2012 Tribeca Film Festival[25] |
| Free the Nipple | 2014 | Charlie | Distributed by Sundance Selects and IFC[26] |
| Enchantments | 2015 | Nancy | |
| Wiener-Dog | 2016 | Kristy | Official selection of 2016 Sundance[27] |
| Love on the Run | 2016 | Franny | |
| Split | 2016 | Maria | |
| Occupy, Texas | 2016 | Harley | |
| Chuck | 2016 | PA | Official selection of 2016 Tribeca Film Festival[28] |
| Going in Style | 2017 | Newlywed Wife | |
| Come on In | 2018 | Beverly | Bitch Pack Best in Show, Bluestocking Film Festival 2018[29] |
| Beckys Through History | 2019 | Becky | |
| Queens of Daytime | 2019 | Sara Jo 'Addy' Adderson | TV movie |
| Pizza Party | 2020 | #1 | |
| She Came to Me | 2023 | Elodie | |
| Love Magick | 2023 | Nancy |
| Title | Year | Role | Channel | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime: What Would You Do? | 2009 | Bride | ABC | Episode: "Momzilla" | |
| 30 Rock | 2010 | Brenda | NBC | Episode: "Reaganing" | Nominated for an Outstanding Writing Emmy[30] |
| Law & Order: SVU | 2010 | Mia | NBC | Episode: "Gray" | |
| The Heart, She Holler | 2011 | Grinder | Adult Swim | 2 episodes | |
| Boardwalk Empire | 2012 | Student | HBO | Episode: "You'd Be Surprised" | |
| The Good Wife | 2014 | Emily Balsam | CBS | Episode: "We, the Juries" | |
| Believe | 2014 | Hallway Nurse | NBC | Episode: Pilot | |
| Blue Bloods | 2014 | Kasia Mazurski | CBS | Episode: "Exiles" | |
| The Slap | 2015 | Janice | NBC | 3 episodes | |
| Law & Order: SVU | 2015 | Layla | NBC | Episode: "Daydream Believer" | |
| Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | 2016 | Debbie Wells | Netflix | Episode: "Kimmy Meets a Celebrity!" | |
| Deadbeat | 2016 | Duchess Beatrix | Hulu | Episode: "The Duchess of Stourbridge" | |
| Orange Is the New Black | 2016 | Correcticon Check-In Girl | Netflix | Episode: "We'll Always Have Baltimore" | |
| The Blacklist | 2016 | Maisy | NBC | Episode: "Mato" | |
| Dietland | 2018 | Rubi | AMC | 3 episodes | |
| Helpsters | 2020 | Cindy Circle | Apple TV+ | Episode: "Scatter/Sid Square" | |
| Scratch This | 2021 | Angelica | Episode: "Ommm My God" | ||
| Dickinson | 2021 | Body Healer | Apple TV+ | Episode: "Forever - Is Composed of Nows" | |
| Three Women | 2023 | Barbara | Starz | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ "Phillipsburg High School grad calls latest role a 'game-changer' for film industry". Dustin Schoof. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ a b Schoof, Dustin. "Bloomsbury native Jen Ponton to appear on NBC's '30 Rock'". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ "Jen Ponton". Success Stories. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ 30 Rock episode
- ^ Jusino. "Jen Ponton Talks Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". www.themarysue.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ "Actress Jen Ponton is Tragically Hysterical in 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'". TV.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ Loeb, Ashley Nguyen, Aviva. "Lily Lines: Nicole Maines to play a transgender superhero on the CW's 'Supergirl'". Retrieved December 28, 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Petski, Denise (March 29, 2018). "'Dietland': Campbell Scott, Alanna Ubach, Kelly Hu, 3 More Join Recurring cast Of AMC Series". Deadline. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ "Jen Ponton". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "Bloomsbury native and Bergen resident Jen Ponton makes her off-Broadway debut". NJ.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ "'Dietland' actress Jen Ponton shares why fat women are more than just 'the funny sidekick'". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ ""Dietland" Star Jen Ponton on Her New Show, Sizeism, and Why She Wants to Play a Superhero". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "The Sugar Plum Interview: 3 Questions for Jen Ponton". Sarai Walker. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Schumer, Celey (October 7, 2016). "Breakout Star Jen Ponton Is Out to Change the Narrative". Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Mazza, Melissa (February 10, 2017). "Talking Body Love, Media Sizism and Weirdos With Jen Ponton!". Fattitude. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "What It's Like To Shoot Sex Scenes At A Size 22". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Tonic, Gina. "'Love On The Run' Is A Plus Size Triumph In Film". Bustle. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "TV star's first sex scene at a size 22 is relatable IRL". Revelist.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ "Budd Lake actress ready to break out in". Daily Record. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ Italie, Leanne (September 10, 2018). ""Women Celebrate Size Inclusivity at Alternative Fashion Week"". US News.
- ^ "Jen Ponton – TCFSTYLE expo". Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ "Puppet web series starring Bloomsbury native to begin its third season". NJ.com. May 5, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Izzo, Michael. "Budd Lake actress ready to break out in Free the Nipple", Courier News, November 17, 2014. Accessed September 4, 2019. "Mount Olive – Budd Lake's Jen Ponton has had a great few years, but she says the best is yet to come."
- ^ "Meet the 2012 SXSW Filmmakers #22: Andrew Neel, 'King Kelly'". IndieWire. March 7, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ "Jack and Diane: Tribeca Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ "'Free The Nipple' Picked Up By Sundance Selects for North American Release". The Hollywood Reporter. September 29, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (January 23, 2016). "Sundance Film Review: 'Wiener-Dog'". Variety. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ "Chuck | Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ "2018 Official Selections". Bluestocking Film Series. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
- ^ "30 Rock". Television Academy. Retrieved January 2, 2019.