Jennifer Sarah "Jenny" Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress, stand-up comic, voice artist, and author best known for her breakout role as Donna Stern in Obvious Child, as well as being the co-creator of the Marcel the Shell With Shoes On short films and children's book series. She is also known for her season as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2009 to 2010, for her recurring roles on House of Lies, Parks and Recreation, Bob's Burgers, and Kroll Show, and for her first feature film role as Zoe in Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. She currently co-stars as Jess in the FX series Married.
Early life
Slate was born Jennifer Sarah Slate in Milton, Massachusetts on March 25, 1982 to Ron Slate, a Massachusetts-based poet and author, and Nancy (née Gilson), a ceramicist. She is the middle child of three sisters named Abigail and Stacey. She was raised in a Jewish family. One of her grandmothers, whose family was from Russia and Turkey, was born in Cuba and raised in France.
After graduating from Milton Academy as the valedictorian, she attended Columbia University as a literature major, where she helped form the improv group Fruit Paunch starred in the Varsity Show, and met Gabe Liedman. Slate graduated from Columbia University in 2004.
Career
Alongside Gabe Liedman, Slate is half of the comedy duo Gabe & Jenny. Their live stand-up shows with Max Silvestri titled Big Terrific was named best new variety show of 2008 by Time Out New York.
In 2000, Slate first met Liedman while attending Columbia University. They describe their relationship as a "nonsexual romance" and Slate says, "I like to think of us as kind of like Elaine Benes and George Costanza, but we like each other." Throughout 2008 and 2009, Slate regularly performed her one-woman show titled Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCBT) in New York City.
She was best known as a regular commentator on many VH1 "talking head" commentary programs. In early 2009, she had made several appearances on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon recurring sketch "7th Floor West," where she acted out the role of an NBC page, also named Jenny, who was later promoted to Fallon's assistant. She also had a recurring role in Bored to Death and starred in Obvious Child. Slate has made guest appearances on television programs, such as Bob's Burgers, Girls, The Whitest Kids U' Know, Important Things with Demetri Martin, and Raising Hope.
Slate joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for 1 season from 2009â€"2010. In her first episode, she accidentally said "f**king" during her debut sketch "Biker Chick Chat," which was heard on the live broadcast, but removed from subsequent reruns. During her brief time on the series, she impersonated celebrities (such as Hoda Kotb) and became known for Tina-Tina Chaneuse, an infomercial pitchwoman of unspecified Latino heritage who advertises personalized doorbells, car horns, and alarm clocks. Slate's contract was not renewed for another season and thus, she left the series.
In August 2010, she co-wrote and voiced Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, which garnered viral success. This led to Marcel the Shell with Shoes on, Two. Slate also wrote a "Marcel"-themed children's book that was released on November 1, 2011. Her first major film role was as Zoe in Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked; more films followed in 2012, including the voice of Ted's mother in The Lorax. Currently, Slate appears as Liz B. in the recurring "PubLIZity" sketches in Kroll Show.
In September 2012, it was announced that Slate had been hired to write the script for a reboot of the Looney Tunes franchise for Warner Bros. The film was described as being a "live action / CGI hybrid". Her first appearance in Parks and Recreation was in the 2013 episode "Bailout," in which she portrayed Mona-Lisa Saperstein. On July 23, 2013, she appeared in Drunk History, retelling the history of Coca-Cola.
Since 2014, Slate has co-starred with Judy Greer and Nat Faxon in the FX series Married.
Personal life
In September 2012, Slate married filmmaker Dean Fleischer-Camp, who Slate collaborates with on the Marcel the Shell With Shoes On books and short films. She previously lived in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn for many years before moving to Los Angeles, her current residence, in February 2012.
In an interview with MTV News in June 2014, when asked if she is a feminist, Slate stated, "Am I a feminist? Fuck yeah, I'm a feminist! I think that unfortunately, people who are maybe threatened by feminism think that it's about setting your bra on fire and being aggressive, and I think that's really wrong and really dangerous."
Filmography
Television
References
External links
- Jenny Slate at the Internet Movie Database
- Jenny Slate on Twitter
- Gabe and Jenny on Myspace
- Gabe and Jenny on Vimeo
