Jessica Hecht facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessica Hecht
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Hecht in 2015
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| Born | June 28, 1965 Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Connecticut College New York University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Adam Bernstein (m. 1995)
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| Children | 2 |
Jessica Hecht (born June 28, 1965) is an American actress. She is famous for playing Gretchen Schwartz in the TV show Breaking Bad and Susan Bunch in Friends. She also appeared as Carol Mannheim in The Boys and Karen in Special.
Besides television, Hecht is a well-known stage actress. She has performed in many plays on Broadway in New York City. She has been nominated for the famous Tony Award three times for her acting in the plays A View from the Bridge (2010), Summer, 1976 (2023), and Eureka Day (2025).
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Early Life and School
Jessica Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey. When she was three, her family moved to Bloomfield, Connecticut. Her parents later divorced. Her mother remarried, and Jessica grew up with her sisters, Elizabeth and Andrea, and her brother, Russell.
For her education, Hecht went to Connecticut College for a year and a half. She then moved to the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. In 1987, she graduated with a degree in drama.
Hecht grew up in a family that was culturally Jewish. This means they followed Jewish traditions and values, even if they weren't strictly religious. She has said that she is a Reconstructionist Jew and feels connected to her faith.
Acting Career
Jessica Hecht has had a long and successful career in television, movies, and theater. She is known for playing many different types of characters.
Television Roles
Many people know Hecht from her roles in popular TV shows.
- Friends: She played Susan Bunch in 12 episodes. Susan was the wife of Carol Willick, who was the ex-wife of the main character, Ross Geller.
- Breaking Bad: She played Gretchen Schwartz, the former business partner of the main character, Walter White. She appeared in five episodes.
- Special: For her role as Karen in this Netflix show, she was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2019.
- The Sinner: In 2020, she played the character Sonya Barzel.
She has also appeared in other hit shows like Succession, Dickinson, and The Boys.
Movie Roles
Hecht has also acted in many movies. She played Amy Burns in the comedy Dan in Real Life (2007), starring alongside Steve Carell. Some of her other movies include Sideways (2004), Whatever Works (2009), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019).
Stage and Theater Work
Hecht is a highly respected theater actress. She has performed in many plays, both on and off Broadway. Her work has earned her several nominations for the Tony Award, which is one of the highest honors in American theater.
Her first Tony nomination was in 2010 for the play A View from the Bridge. In 2012, she acted with Jim Parsons in a revival of the play Harvey. She was nominated for a second Tony Award in 2023 for Summer, 1976 and a third in 2025 for Eureka Day.
In 2018, she won an Obie Award for her performance in the play Admissions. Obie Awards celebrate the best work in Off-Broadway shows, which are plays performed in smaller theaters in New York City.
Personal Life
Hecht married director Adam Bernstein in 1995. They have two children, a daughter named Stella and a son named Carlo.
In 2017, she co-founded The Campfire Project. This organization brings theater and plays to people living in refugee camps around the world.
Selected Work
Here are some of Jessica Hecht's most well-known roles.
Movies
- Sideways (2004) as Victoria Cortland
- Dan in Real Life (2007) as Amy Burns
- Whatever Works (2009) as Helena
- J. Edgar (2011) as Emma Goldman
- The Sitter (2011) as Sandy Griffith
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) as Lila Vogel
Television
- Friends (1994–2000) as Susan Bunch
- The Single Guy (1995–1996) as Janeane Percy-Parker
- Breaking Bad (2008–2013) as Gretchen Schwartz
- The Good Wife (2010) as Carla Browning
- Person of Interest (2013–2015) as Beth Bridges
- Red Oaks (2016–2017) as Rebecca Horowitz
- Succession (2019) as Michelle Pantsil
- Special (2019–2021) as Karen Hayes
- The Boys (2020) as Carol Mannheim
- The Sinner (2020–2021) as Sonya Barzel
Theater
- The Last Night of Ballyhoo (1997) as Lala Levy
- Stop Kiss (1998) as Callie
- Julius Caesar (2005) as Portia
- A View from the Bridge (2010) as Beatrice
- Harvey (2012) as Veta Louise Simmons
- King Lear (2014) as Regan
- Fiddler on the Roof (2015) as Golde
- The Price (2017) as Esther Franz
- Summer, 1976 (2023) as Alice
- Eureka Day (2024) as Suzanne
See also
In Spanish: Jessica Hecht para niños
