Jennifer Morrison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Morrison
Morrison at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Jennifer Marie Morrison (1979-04-12) April 12, 1979 (age 46) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Loyola University Chicago
Occupation	Actress director producer
Years active	1994–present
Partner(s)	Gerardo Celasco (2019–present)
Children	1

Jennifer Marie Morrison (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress and director. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Dr. Allison Cameron in the medical drama House. She also played Emma Swan in the fantasy series Once Upon a Time.

Jennifer has appeared in many other projects. She was Zoey Pierson in the comedy How I Met Your Mother. In the movie Star Trek, she played Winona Kirk. This character was the mother of James T. Kirk. She also starred as Tess Conlon in the sports film Warrior. Jennifer made her first movie as a director with Sun Dogs in 2017.

Early Life and Education

Jennifer Morrison was born in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She is the oldest of three children. Her sister, Julia, is a singer and music therapist. Her brother, Daniel, directs a high school band. Her father, David, was a music teacher. He was named Teacher of the Year in 2003.

Jennifer went to South Middle School. She then graduated from Prospect High School in 1997. Her parents worked at this school. She was a talented clarinet player in the marching band. She also sang in the choir and was a cheerleader. Jennifer attended Loyola University Chicago. She studied Theatre and English there. She graduated in 2000. Before moving to Los Angeles to act, she studied at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out and Early Films (1992–2010)

Morrison at a Fox event in 2008

Jennifer started her career very young. She was a child model. She appeared in ads for stores like JCPenney. She also did commercials for Rice Krispies. In 1992, she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids. She was with basketball star Michael Jordan.

At 14, Jennifer made her first movie. It was the 1994 film Intersection. Later, she played Samantha in Stir of Echoes (1999). Her first main role was in Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000). She also appeared in Grind (2003) and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

In 2004, Jennifer got a big role. She played Dr. Allison Cameron on the show House. She was on the show for six seasons. Her character left in 2009. However, she returned for the final episode in 2012. In 2006, Jennifer starred in Flourish. She also helped produce this independent film. She is also credited as an associate producer for the first season of Glee. She helped bring the idea for the show to the right people.

In 2007, Jennifer was in the computer game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. She played a character named Kirce James. That year, she also appeared in the movie Big Stan. She was in The Murder of Princess Diana, a TV film. In 2009, she was in the movie Star Trek. She played Winona Kirk, James T. Kirk's mother. After House, she acted in the play The Miracle Worker on Broadway.

Once Upon a Time and Other TV Roles (2011–Present)

Morrison at the 2012 People's Choice Awards

In 2010, Jennifer was a guest star on Chase. She then joined the cast of How I Met Your Mother. She played Zoey Pierson. Zoey was a fun architecture student. She became a love interest for the main character, Ted Mosby.

In 2011, Jennifer was in the movie Warrior. She played the wife of Joel Edgerton's character. She tried to keep her family together in the film. In October 2011, Jennifer began her main role in Once Upon a Time. She played Emma Swan. Emma was a bail-bonds collector. She discovered she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

In 2016, Jennifer started her own film company. It is called Apartment 3C Productions. She directed her first movie, Sun Dogs, under this company. Netflix later bought the rights to stream the film worldwide.

In 2017, Jennifer acted in an off-Broadway play. It was called The End of Longing. In May 2017, she announced she would not be a regular on Once Upon a Time anymore. However, she returned for a guest appearance. She also came back for the show's final episode in May 2018.

Jennifer co-starred in Amityville: The Awakening. This film was released in 2017. She also directed Sun Dogs. She continued to guest star in seasons 5 and 6 of This Is Us.

Personal Life

In 2004, Jennifer started dating actor Jesse Spencer. He was her co-star on House. They got engaged in 2006 but ended their engagement in 2007. Jennifer later dated actor Amaury Nolasco from 2009 to 2012.

Since 2019, she has been in a relationship with actor Gerardo Celasco. In 2022, Jennifer began calling Celasco her husband. In June 2024, she shared that she had recently become a mother to a baby girl.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Director Credits

Music Videos

Theatre Performances

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Morrison para niños