Rashida Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rashida Jones
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Jones at the 2017 Peabody Awards
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Rashida Leah Jones
February 25, 1976 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB) |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
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Full list |
| Partner(s) | Ezra Koenig (2015–present) |
| Children | 1 |
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Rashida Leah Jones (born February 25, 1976) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Louisa Fenn in Boston Public, Karen Filippelli in The Office, and Ann Perkins in Parks and Recreation. She also played the main character in the comedy series Angie Tribeca.
Beyond acting, Jones has worked as a writer and producer. She helped write the story for the movie Toy Story 4 (2019). In 2018, she released a documentary called Quincy about her father, Quincy Jones. This film won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film in 2019.
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Early Life and Education
Rashida Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother was actress Peggy Lipton, and her father was famous musician and producer Quincy Jones. She has an older sister, Kidada Jones, who is also an actress and model. Rashida also has five half-siblings from her father's other relationships.
Her father has roots from the Tikar people in Cameroon. Her mother was Ashkenazi Jewish, with family from Russia and Latvia. Rashida and her sister were raised in the Reform Judaism faith by their mother.
Jones grew up in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. She loved reading from a young age. Her father once said he would find her reading five books at a time with a flashlight after bedtime. She described herself as a "straight-up nerd" and had a computer with floppy disks and a dial-up modem early on. Rashida also showed musical talent and can play classical piano.
She attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California. There, she was part of the National Honor Society and was voted "Most Likely To Succeed." She also enjoyed theater at Buckley. Her parents divorced when she was 14.
Rashida Jones went to Harvard University. She was involved in many activities, including the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and an a cappella singing group. She first wanted to be a lawyer but changed her mind. Instead, she focused on performing arts. She studied religion and philosophy and graduated in 1997.
Career Highlights
Acting Roles
Jones started her acting career in 1997 in a miniseries called The Last Don. She then appeared in several other projects. In 2000, she got a role as Louisa Fenn on the TV show Boston Public. She was in 26 episodes and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
After Boston Public, she appeared in films like Full Frontal and Little Black Book. She also starred in the British TV series NY-LON.
Jones considered leaving acting to study public policy. However, she was offered a part on The Office. She joined the cast in 2006 as Karen Filippelli. She was a regular in the third season and returned for a few guest appearances later.
In 2009, Jones voiced characters in Robot Chicken. She also co-starred as Zooey Rice in the comedy film I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.
She then took on the role of Ann Perkins in Parks and Recreation, another sitcom on NBC. She played this character from the show's start until midway through its sixth season. She also returned for the final episode.
Jones appeared in the film The Social Network (2010), which is about the founding of Facebook. She played Marylin Delpy, a legal associate helping with the defense of Mark Zuckerberg. In 2012, she starred in Celeste and Jesse Forever, a film she also co-wrote.
From 2016 to 2019, Jones played the main character, Angie Tribeca, in the TBS comedy series Angie Tribeca. In 2019, she voiced Marcy Kappel in the animated film Spies in Disguise. In 2020, she starred in and produced the Netflix sitcom #blackAF. She also voiced Mia in Duncanville and starred in the comedy-drama On the Rocks with Bill Murray.
Writing Projects
Jones has also made a name for herself as a writer. She was a contributing editor for Teen Vogue magazine. She wrote a chapter in her father's biography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones (2001).
She created a comic book series called Frenemy of the State. It's about a socialite who becomes a CIA agent. Before the first issue was even released, Universal Pictures bought the rights to make it into a movie. Jones helped write the screenplay for the film.
In 2009, she sold her first screenplay, a comedy called Celeste and Jesse Forever. She co-wrote it and also starred in the movie, which came out in 2012.
In 2016, Jones co-wrote an episode of the TV series Black Mirror called "Nosedive".
Jones and her writing partner, Will McCormack, worked on the script for Toy Story 4 for Pixar Animation Studios. The film was released in 2019, and they received a "story by" credit.
She also co-wrote the first episode of the Hulu mystery thriller series The Other Black Girl. This show is based on a 2021 novel. Jones is also an executive producer for the series, which premiered in 2023. In 2024, it was announced that Jones is writing a script for an animated Tom and Jerry movie.
Music and Videos
Jones has a musical background. She provided backing vocals for the band Maroon 5 on their albums Songs About Jane and It Won't Be Soon Before Long. She also sang on a Tupac Shakur tribute album in 2000.
She has appeared in several music videos. These include "More Than a Woman" by Aaliyah and "Long Road to Ruin" by the Foo Fighters. In 2013, Jones directed the music video for Sara Bareilles' song "Brave", which was her first time directing a music video.
Online Comedy and Advertising
Jones has been in online comedy series like Funny or Die's Speak Out and Web Therapy with Lisa Kudrow.
She has also been a spokeswoman for various brands. In 2011, she became the face of Dove's Nourishing Oil Care Collection. She has also appeared in commercials for Verizon FiOS, Almay cosmetics, Maison Kitsune, Zenni Optical, Southwest Airlines, and Expedia. In 2022, she was in a Toyota commercial during the Super Bowl LVI.
Podcasting
In November 2020, Jones started a podcast called Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions with Bill Gates. The podcast finished after five episodes in December 2020.
Personal Life
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Rashida Jones was raised Jewish. As an adult, she continues to practice Judaism. She has spoken about her multi-racial identity, saying she identifies with both her Black and Jewish heritage.
In 2003, Jones became engaged to music producer Mark Ronson, but they ended their relationship about a year later.
Since early 2017, Jones has been in a relationship with musician Ezra Koenig. They had a son in August 2018. In 2024, Koenig referred to Jones as his wife.
Awards and Nominations
- 2002: Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Boston Public
- 2011: Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for Celeste and Jesse Forever
- 2012: Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Parks and Recreation
- 2017: Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie for the episode "Nosedive" of Black Mirror
- 2019: Won – Grammy Award for Best Music Film for Quincy
- 2021: Nominated – Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for On the Rocks
See also
In Spanish: Rashida Jones para niños
