Jenna Ushkowitz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jenna Ushkowitz
Ushkowitz in 2011
Born	Min Ji (1986-04-28) April 28, 1986 (age 39) Seoul, South Korea
Education	Marymount Manhattan College (BA)
Occupation	Actress singer dancer producer podcaster
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	David Stanley ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	2
Korean name
Hangul	민지
Hanja	閔篪
Revised Romanization	Min Ji
McCune–Reischauer	Min Chi

Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz (born Min Ji on April 28, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and podcast host. She is famous for her roles in Broadway musicals like The King and I and Waitress. Many people also know her as Tina Cohen-Chang from the TV show Glee.

For her work on Glee, she was nominated for a Grammy Award. Jenna has also won two Tony Awards! She won these awards as a producer for the Broadway musical Once on This Island and the play The Inheritance.

Early life and Education

Jenna Ushkowitz was born in Seoul, South Korea. When she was three months old, she was adopted and grew up in East Meadow, New York. Her mother was a secretary who became a housewife. Her father worked in sales for the transportation industry. Jenna also has an older brother named Gregg.

Her family is Catholic. Her adoptive grandfather was Jewish. Jenna went to elementary school at Parkway School. Then she attended Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, a Catholic school in Hicksville, Long Island.

Early Acting Roles

As a young child, Jenna started her acting career in print ads. Her first ad was for a Playskool toy. She then appeared in a Toys R Us TV commercial. She also did commercials for Burger King and Hess toy trucks. When she was 3, 6, and 11, she appeared in three Jell-O commercials with comedian Bill Cosby.

High School and College

During high school, Jenna performed in many musicals. She was in the first high school production of Les Misérables. She also played Penny in Honk!, Inez in The Baker's Wife, and Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods. She also acted in The Laramie Project.

Jenna finished high school in 2004. She then went to Marymount Manhattan College. There, she played Little Red Riding Hood again in Into the Woods. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan in 2007. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre arts. She focused on performance and had a minor in musical theatre.

Career Highlights

Ushkowitz at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010

Jenna Ushkowitz started acting on Sesame Street at age 3. She also appeared on other children's TV shows. Her first time on Broadway was in 1996. She was in the musical The King and I. When she was 13, Jenna sang the American National Anthem. She sang it at a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

Glee and Music

In 2008, Jenna was an understudy for several roles in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. In 2009, she got the role of Tina Cohen-Chang on the TV show Glee. The show's creator, Ryan Murphy, looked for actors who loved being on stage. He spent three months on Broadway to find actors like Jenna.

Jenna's character, Tina, sang many songs on Glee. Some of her solos included "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper and "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion. She also sang "Gangnam Style" by PSY. Critics praised her "True Colors" performance. The Wall Street Journal said she had a "strong crystalline voice". Her version of "True Colors" even appeared on music charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the US.

Ushkowitz, Chris Colfer and Heather Morris during a performance of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" on the tour Glee Live! In Concert! in 2011

In 2010 and 2011, Jenna went on live concert tours with her Glee co-stars. They performed in the United States, Canada, England, and Ireland. In 2011, Jenna had a small part in Lady Gaga's music video for "Marry the Night". She played Lady Gaga's friend.

Jenna's book, Choosing Glee, came out on May 14, 2013. During the fifth season of Glee, her character Tina graduated. Tina was accepted into Brown University.

Later Stage and Production Work

In August 2014, Jenna played Jeannie Ryan in the Hollywood Bowl production of Hair. In December 2015, she was cast as Marie the Nurse in the movie Hello Again. She acted alongside Nolan Gerard Funk and Audra McDonald.

In 2016, Jenna helped start a podcast network called At Will Radio. She hosts a show there called Infinitie Positivities. On her show, she talks about ideas from her book Choosing Glee. She also interviews people who inspire her, like actors, authors, and experts.

Jenna temporarily took over the role of Dawn Williams in the Broadway show Waitress. She performed from July to October 2016. In 2018, she won a Tony Award as a producer for Once on This Island. This musical was named Best Revival of a Musical that year. In 2020, she won another Tony Award. This time, it was as a co-producer for the play The Inheritance, which won Best Play.

Podcasts

In 2019, Jenna and her former Glee co-star Kevin McHale started a podcast called Showmance. They talked about their friendship and time on Glee. In season 2, they started re-watching Glee episodes. They shared behind-the-scenes secrets and personal stories about filming. The podcast took a break in July 2020.

In September 2022, Kevin McHale and Jenna announced a new podcast. It's called And That's What You Really Missed on iHeartRadio. This new podcast is also about Glee. They plan to recap all six seasons of the show.

Activism and Personal Life

Jenna Ushkowitz cares about many causes. In 2014, she teamed up with Samantha Futerman. Samantha was also adopted. They started Kindred: The Foundation for Adoption. This group helps adopted people and their families. It offers services like travel and translation for those who want to reunite.

With this same goal, Jenna was an executive producer for the 2015 documentary Twinsters. This film tells the story of Samantha and Anaïs, who are identical twin sisters separated at birth. The movie was shown at the 2015 South by Southwest festival.

In 2012, Jenna and Glee co-star Kevin McHale supported the NOH8 Campaign. This campaign worked to support same-sex marriages. Jenna has also worked with groups like NYCLASS and Oceana. She supports protecting the ocean. In 2015, she visited the Channel Islands with Oceana. She wanted to raise awareness about overfishing. She also works to help sea lions in California.

Family Life

In August 2020, Jenna Ushkowitz announced she was engaged to David Stanley. They got married on July 24, 2021. Her friend and Glee co-star Kevin McHale was her "man of honor" at the wedding.

On January 26, 2022, Jenna shared on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. In June 2022, she gave birth to their daughter, Emma. On June 28, 2024, Jenna announced they were expecting their second child. In November 2024, she gave birth to their son, Graham.

Stage Performances

As Actress

As Producer

Filmography

Television Roles

As actress

As herself

Film Roles

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jenna Ushkowitz para niños