Jessica Biel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Biel
|
|
|---|---|
Biel at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
|
|
| Born |
Jessica Claire Biel
March 3, 1982 Ely, Minnesota, U.S.
|
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Jessica Claire Timberlake (born Jessica Claire Biel on March 3, 1982) is an American actress. She started her career as a singer in musical plays. Later, she became well-known for her role as Mary Camden in the family TV show 7th Heaven, which ran from 1996 to 2007.
In 1997, Jessica won a Young Artist Award for her part in the movie Ulee's Gold. She also gained a lot of attention for playing Erin Hardesty in the horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). Jessica has appeared in many other movies, including Blade: Trinity (2004), Stealth (2005), The Illusionist (2006), and The A-Team (2010).
In 2017, Jessica Biel was both an executive producer and the main star of the TV series The Sinner. For her work on this show, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for best actress.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jessica Claire Biel was born on March 3, 1982, in Ely, Minnesota. Her mother, Kimberly, was a homemaker, and her father, Jonathan, worked as a business consultant. Jessica's family moved around a lot when she was a child. They lived in places like Texas, Connecticut, and Woodstock, Illinois, before settling in Boulder, Colorado.
When she was growing up, Jessica enjoyed playing soccer and was a skilled gymnast. After high school, she attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, from 2000 to 2002.
Career Highlights
Starting Out in Acting (1991–2002)
Jessica Biel first trained to be a singer. When she was nine, she performed in several musical plays in her hometown. She played lead roles in shows like The Sound of Music and Beauty and the Beast. At age 11, she joined a competition in Los Angeles where she found an agent and a manager. She started modeling for ads and appeared in commercials for products like Dulux Paint and Pringles.
Her first movie role was in the musical film It's a Digital World. At 14, Jessica was chosen to play Mary Camden in the TV drama 7th Heaven. Mary was the oldest daughter in the family on the show.
In 1997, Jessica got her first big movie role in the drama Ulee's Gold, playing Peter Fonda's granddaughter. Her performance earned her a Young Artist Award. In 1998, she also starred in I'll Be Home for Christmas. In 2001, she appeared in the baseball movie Summer Catch. In 2002, she played a college student named Lara in the movie The Rules of Attraction. This movie became very popular over time.
Becoming a Star (2003–2012)
Jessica Biel got her first main role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003. Even though the movie received mixed reviews, it was a big success at the box office. In 2003, she also started working on Blade: Trinity, the third movie in the Blade series. This movie also did very well, earning $150 million worldwide.
After that, she filmed the action movie Stealth in Australia. Jessica also appeared in the movies Cellular (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), and the independent film London.
In 2006, Jessica played a duchess in the historical film The Illusionist. Her acting in this movie was highly praised by critics. She also played an Iraq War veteran in the 2006 film Home of the Brave, which was about soldiers returning home. In 2007, she starred with Nicolas Cage in Next and appeared in the comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry with Adam Sandler.
In 2008, Jessica filmed Easy Virtue, a movie based on a play. She played a young widow named Larita. Critics really liked her performance in this film. Jessica also sang two songs for the movie's soundtrack. In 2009, she lent her voice to the animated science fiction movie Planet 51. She also performed in a concert production of Guys and Dolls at the Hollywood Bowl.
In 2010, Jessica was part of the large cast in the movie Valentine's Day and played Capt. Charisa Sosa in The A-Team. In 2011, she appeared in New Year's Eve. In 2012, Jessica starred in the remake of the science fiction movie Total Recall. She also played actress Vera Miles in the movie Hitchcock and appeared in Playing for Keeps.
Producing and Independent Films (2013–Present)
In 2013, Jessica Biel starred in the thriller film Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes. She also worked on the movie Accidental Love, which was released in 2015.
In 2015, Jessica starred in the independent drama Bleeding Heart. She played a yoga instructor named May who meets her biological sister for the first time. Critics praised Jessica's performance in this film.
In 2016, Jessica co-starred in the thriller A Kind of Murder. She also voiced the character Vix in the animated movie Spark. Jessica appeared in and produced the drama The Book of Love, which was released in 2017.
On August 2, 2017, Jessica's TV series The Sinner premiered. She was both an executive producer and the main actress, playing Cora Tannetti. She explained that she started producing so she could create interesting and challenging roles for herself.
In 2022, Jessica starred in and was an executive producer for the true-crime miniseries Candy on Hulu. As of July 2025, Jessica is set to lead a new science fiction thriller called Ursa Major. It was also announced in May 2025 that she is one of the executive producers for a new 7th Heaven reboot.
Personal Life
Jessica Biel started dating singer Justin Timberlake in January 2007. They got engaged in December 2011 and were married on October 19, 2012, in Italy. The couple has two sons.
Charitable Work and Businesses
Jessica Biel has been involved in many charity efforts. In 2006, she participated in an auction to raise money for a teenager who was injured. In 2007, she helped start the Make the Difference Network with her father.
In 2010, Jessica climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with members of the United Nations Foundation. She did this to help raise awareness about the worldwide water crisis. That same year, she was nominated for a Do Something Award. Jessica has also worked with WomanCare Global to create educational content for girls about health.
In 2021, Jessica teamed up with other entrepreneurs to launch Kinderfarms, a health and wellness brand for families.
Film and Television Roles
Film
- 1994: It's a Digital World as Regrettal
- 1997: Ulee's Gold as Casey Jackson
- 1998: I'll Be Home for Christmas as Allie Henderson
- 2001: Summer Catch as Tenley Parrish
- 2002: The Rules of Attraction as Lara Holleran
- 2003: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as Erin Hardesty
- 2004: Cellular as Chloe
- 2004: Blade: Trinity as Abigail Whistler
- 2005: Stealth as Lt. Kara Wade
- 2005: London as London
- 2005: Elizabethtown as Ellen Kishmore
- 2006: The Illusionist as Duchess Sophie von Teschen
- 2006: Home of the Brave as Vanessa Price
- 2007: Next as Liz Cooper
- 2007: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry as Alex McDonough
- 2008: Hole in the Paper Sky as Karen Watkins (also executive producer)
- 2008: Easy Virtue as Larita Whittaker
- 2009: Powder Blue as Rose-Johnny
- 2009: Planet 51 as Neera (voice)
- 2010: Valentine's Day as Kara Monahan
- 2010: The A-Team as Capt. Charisa Sosa
- 2011: New Year's Eve as Tess Byrne
- 2012: The Tall Man as Julia Denning
- 2012: Total Recall as Melina
- 2012: Hitchcock as Vera Miles
- 2012: Playing for Keeps as Stacie Dryer
- 2013: The Truth About Emanuel as Linda
- 2015: Accidental Love as Alice Eckle
- 2015: Bleeding Heart as May
- 2016: The Book of Love as Penny Herschel (also producer)
- 2016: A Kind of Murder as Clara Stackhouse
- 2016: Spark as Vix (voice)
- 2017: Shock and Awe as Lisa
- Upcoming: Matchbox
- Upcoming: Ursa Major as Charlie
Television
- 1996–2003 & 2006: 7th Heaven as Mary Camden (136 episodes)
- 2004: Johnny Bravo as Herself (voice)
- 2005 & 2013: Family Guy as Brooke Roberts (voice)
- 2009: Saturday Night Live as Jessica Rabbit
- 2014: New Girl as Kat
- 2016–2018: BoJack Horseman as Herself (voice)
- 2017: The Sinner as Cora Tannetti (Main role, Season 1; also Producer, 2017–2021)
- 2019: Limetown as Lia Haddock (Main role)
- 2021: Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? as Herself (voice)
- 2021–2023: Cruel Summer (Executive producer)
- 2022: Candy as Candy Montgomery (Also executive producer)
- 2025: The Better Sister as Chloe (Also executive producer)
Awards and Recognition
Jessica Biel has received several awards and nominations throughout her career.
- In 1998, she won a Young Artist Award for her role in Ulee's Gold.
- In 2005, she was named "Female Star of Tomorrow" at the ShoWest Convention.
- In 2006, she won an award at the Newport Beach Film Festival for her acting in The Illusionist.
- In 2007, she received the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
- In 2009, she won "Best Actress" at the Sannio FilmFest for Easy Virtue.
- In 2013, she won an award for "Best Acting Ensemble" at the Ashland Independent Film Festival for The Truth About Emanuel.
- In 2015, she received the Inspiration Award at the GLSEN Respect Awards.
- For her work on The Sinner in 2018, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress.
See also
In Spanish: Jessica Biel para niños
