Jenna Elfman

Infobox actor


name = Jenna Elfman
caption =
birthname = Jennifer Mary Butala
birthdate = birth date and age|1971|9|30
location = Los Angeles, CA, U.S.
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername =
yearsactive = 1990 - Present
spouse = Bodhi Elfman
children = Story Elias Elfman
website = http://www.jennaelfman.com/
goldenglobeawards = Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy
1999 "Dharma & Greg"

Jenna Elfman (born September 30, 1971) is an American television and film actress.

Biography

Early life

Elfman was born Jennifer Mary Butala in Los Angeles, California, to Sue Grace, a homemaker, and Richard Wayne Butala, a Hughes Aircraft executive of Croatian descent. She attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts as a dance major and graduated in 1989. Her uncle is Tony Butala of The Lettermen. She studied with acting teacher Milton Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse before beginning her television career.

Career

Elfman began as a professional dancer, making an appearance in UK electronic group "Depeche Mode"'s promotional video for their 1990 song "Halo". She also toured as a dancer with the group ZZ Top. She made a switch to acting in the early 1990s, appearing in the 1993 music video "Black Lodge" by heavy metal band Anthrax.

Television

Elfman did extensive commercial work before landing her first series jobs, making guest appearances in the 1995–1996 season on the ABC series "Roseanne", "NYPD Blue", "The Monroes", and "Murder One", and the CBS sitcom "Almost Perfect". A role as a drug counselor in the NBC made-for-TV movie "Her Last Chance" came in 1996 as well, before she landed a regular role as the boy-crazy Shannon, one of three young working class waitresses in the Molly Ringwald sitcom vehicle "Townies". Although short-lived, "Townies" proved a big break for Elfman, who impressed ABC executives with her scene-stealing turn and signed her own sitcom deal before the last "Townies" episode aired.

This deal led to Elfman's starring role in the sitcom "Dharma & Greg", which ran on ABC from 1997 to 2002. She won a Golden Globe Award for this role, and was nominated twice for an Emmy Award. In 1999, she co-hosted the Emmy Awards presentation with David Hyde Pierce.

In November 2005, CBS announced that the Elfman vehicle, "Courting Alex" would be a midseason replacement, premiering in January 2006. It was announced in May that the show did not get picked up, and was thus cancelled. However, CBS immediately inked a new development deal with Elfman to create a comedy vehicle, as reported in "The Hollywood Reporter" on June 2, 2006.

Jenna's other television appearances include guest starring roles in two episodes of "Two and a Half Men" in 2004 and one episode of " Brothers and Sisters" in 2007.

Jenna will guest star on the fourth season premiere of "My Name Is Earl" as a cheer team leader.cite web|url= http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=a73fd9da-b7da-41df-bb71-60aeb2d952c0|title= Exclusive! Jenna Elfman Hooks Up With "Earl"|accessdate=2008-06-05 |publisher=E! Online - Watch with Kristin|date=2008-06-05]

Film

In 1999, Elfman appeared alongside Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in "EDtv" directed by Ron Howard. She then played the role of Anna Riley in the 2000 comedy "Keeping the Faith", which marked Edward Norton's directorial debut. In 2004, Elfman produced and starred in a feature film called "Touched".

Elfman's other film credits include "Krippendorf's Tribe", "", and "Town & Country".

She is in a yet to be released film with Tim Allen entitled "The Six Wives of Henry Lefay". [imdb title|1074214|title=The Six Wives of Henry Lefay]

Personal life

Elfman met her husband, actor Bodhi Elfman, at a Sprite commercial audition in February 1991. They married in 1995, making director Richard Elfman her father-in-law and noted composer Danny Elfman her uncle-in-law.

In 2005, she appeared at the Church of Scientology-affiliated Citizens Commission on Human Rights' controversial "" [cite web | title=New L.A. Museum Targets Psychiatry as an "Industry of Death" | publisher=CCHR International | url=http://www.cchr.com/index.cfm/12434 | date=2005-12-17 | accessdate=2007-03-18] museum grand opening and is described on the organization's website as a supporter. [cite web | title=An Anatomy of Today's Terrorism; PsychAssault.com CCHR's Latest Website | publisher=CCHR International | url=http://www.cchr.org/index.cfm/9027/5847 | date=2001-10-01 | accessdate=2007-03-18]

In May 2006, Elfman visited her high school alma mater to urge students to set career goals and encourage them to persist in their chosen professions. [cite web | title=Jenna Revisits Her High School | publisher=Edie Films Inc. | url=http://www.jennaelfman.com/club/events_calendar.php date=2006-05-22 | accessdate=2007-03-18]

In January 2007, Elfman and her husband announced they were expecting their first child. [ [http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=25dbce97-7f25-401e-b427-3505b4c7825f E! News - Jenna Expecting a Baby Elfman - Jenna Elfman ] ] On July 23, 2007, the couple welcomed son, Story Elias, in Los Angeles, weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces. [ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20048814,00.html "Jenna Elfman Welcomes a Baby Boy."] People.com.]

Philanthropy

In February 2006, Elfman donated an hour of her time to be auctioned off to the highest bidder on eBay as part of the "Lunch With A Leader" fundraiser, the proceeds of which benefit the work of Communities In Schools. [ [http://www5.sys-con.com/read/182104.htm Grammy Award-Winning Singers Alicia Keys and Patti LaBelle, Actress Jenna Elfman Top the List of Entertainers to Participate in Online Celebrity Auction ] ] She participated in the auction in both 2007 [ [http://www.jennaelfman.com/club/events_calendar.php date=2007-02-06 Your Chance to have lunch with Jenna in person! ] ] and 2008 [ [http://www.lunchwithaleader.com/categories.asp Communities in Schools Lunch With a Leader - Jenna Elfman ] ] as well.

On May 24, 2006, she was the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Hero Award event in participation with the Scientology-affiliated groups Youth for Human Rights International and Artists for Human Rights (AFHR), an organization formed with the purpose of bringing artists together with the common cause of raising awareness of human rights around the world. The event took place in Washington, D.C. and was attended by members of Congress and the general public. Awards were presented to individuals who through their actions have brought about greater human rights. [ [http://artistsforhumanrights.org/test/heroaward06.htm The Human Rights Hero Awards 2006 - Washington, D.C. ] ]

Elfman donated her lip print for a limited edition U.S. postage stamp created by Zazzle to celebrate Valentine's Day in both 2007 [ [http://www.shoppingblog.com/cgi-bin/sblog.pl?sblog=128071 Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel and Other Celebs Offer Kiss Stamps for Charity - January 28, 2007 ] ] and 2008. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS108586+14-Jan-2008+PRN20080114 Seal It With a Kiss This Valentine's Day Using Zazzle Custom Stamps, Reuters - Jan 14, 2008 ] ] Proceeds for the "Kiss Stamps" went to support the programs of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

On March 27, 2008, she and Charlie Sheen co-hosted the "New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project" Charity Event at Geisha House in Hollywood, California. [ [http://www.jennaelfman.com/club/events_calendar.php "Jenna hosts NY Rescue Workers Detoxification Project Charity Event".] 27 March 2008.]

As a criminal rehabilitation activist, Elfman has traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby for criminal reform. On April 5, 2007, she was awarded with the Goodwill Ambassador Award for her work in human rights and criminal rehabilitation at the Women Ambassadors Foundation 12th Annual Conference. [ [http://www.washdiplomat.com/DPouch/2007/May/050207lifestyle.html Women Ambassadors at Howard ] ] On April 9, 2008, she was a guest [ [http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/04/09/bush_signs_prisoners_second_chance_act/1434/ Bush signs prisoners' Second Chance act ] ] at the signing of a new bill by U.S. President George W. Bush that aims to reduce prisoner recidivism, entitled the Second Chance Act of 2007 (USBill|110|H.R.|1593). [ [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080409-2.html President Bush Signs H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007 ] ]

Filmography

References

External links

* [http://www.jennaelfman.com/ Jenna Elfman's official site]
*imdb name|id=0001184|name=Jenna Elfman
*tvtome person|id=1298|name=Jenna Elfman

Persondata
NAME= Elfman, Jenna
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Butala, Jennifer Mary
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH= 1971-9-30
PLACE OF BIRTH= Los Angeles, CA, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=