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Early life and education

Gillian MacLaren Jacobs was born in Pittsburgh on October 19, 1982,¹² the only child of college administrator Martina Magenau and husband, investment banker William Francis Jacobs Jr. (actually the III), son of William Francis Jacobs Jr. and wife Mary Margaret Haskins.³⁴ Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she was raised by her mother in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.⁵ Her maternal family owned a brewery, Erie Brewing Company in Erie, Pennsylvania, where her grandfather John Martin Magenau Jr., married to her grandmother Carol Marie Spiller, was president and CEO until it closed in 1978.⁶⁷⁸

Jacobs began studying acting at the age of four and attended weekend acting classes at the Pittsburgh Playhouse while growing up.⁹ She performed with the Pittsburgh Public Theater, where she was a perennial contender in the Public's Shakespeare Monologue Contest, leading her to be cast as Titania in its production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.¹⁰

After graduating from Mt. Lebanon High School in 2000, she moved to New York City to attend the Juilliard School, where she graduated with a BFA in 2004.¹¹

Career

Jacobs starred in the television series The Book of Daniel. Although she played Kim in the pilot of Traveler, the role was given to Pascale Hutton when ABC acquired the series; the series was canceled after eight episodes. Jacobs subsequently made guest appearances on Fringe and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2006, she starred in an Off-Off-Broadway production of Christopher Denham's cagelove. While overall critical reaction to the play was negative, Jacobs earned praise in several reviews.¹²¹³¹⁴ The New York Times advised readers to "remember the name of Gillian Jacobs, a stunning Juilliard graduate who has the glow of a star in the making".¹⁵

Jacobs has appeared in theatrical productions, such as The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero (2007), A Feminine Ending (2007),¹⁶ and The Little Flower of East Orange (2008).¹⁷ In March 2009, she joined the cast of the NBC single-camera comedy series Community as Britta Perry, a high school dropout who aspires to become a psychologist. Her film work includes Blackbird (2007), Choke (2008), Gardens of the Night (2008), The Box (2009), Revenge for Jolly! (2012), Bad Milo! (2013), Walk of Shame (2014), The Lookalike (2014), Life Partners (2014), Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015), Visions (2015), Don't Think Twice (2016), and Brother Nature (2016).¹⁸ She voiced Sta'abi in the Nickelodeon animated series Monsters vs. Aliens and Atom Eve in the Amazon Prime animated series Invincible. Community was canceled by NBC on May 9, 2014,¹⁹ and later that month, it was reported that Jacobs had landed a recurring role as Mimi-Rose Howard in the fourth season of the HBO series Girls.²⁰

In June 2014, Yahoo! Screen picked up Community for a sixth season.²¹ It was announced on September 16, 2014, that Jacobs was set to star as Mickey in the Netflix original comedy series Love.²²

Jacobs directed the 2015 documentary short The Queen of Code about computer scientist and United States Navy rear admiral Grace Hopper.²³ In 2017, Jacobs co-starred in Janicza Bravo's first full length feature, Lemon, which debuted at Sundance Film Festival.²⁴ In 2018, she directed Curated, a narrative film short, as a part of a series produced by TNT and Refinery29.²⁵

In 2020, Jacobs starred in the comedy-drama film I Used to Go Here.²⁶ She directed the episode "Higher, Further, Faster" for the documentary series Marvel's 616.²⁷

In February 2021, she and co-host Diona Reasonover premiered a STEM-focused podcast, Periodic Talks, on Stitcher Radio.²⁸ In July 2021, she had a supporting role in the Netflix horror films The Fear Street Trilogy as Christine "Ziggy" Berman.

In 2023, she guest starred on two episodes for the television series The Bear.

Personal life

Jacobs does not drink alcohol or take any recreational drugs, a choice she made when she was younger after watching some family members struggle with addiction.²⁹ She revealed that her father was an addict and that she was fearful of becoming the same, a feeling reinforced in her youth by reading the book Go Ask Alice, which follows a teenage girl suffering drug addiction.³⁰

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Stage

Audio

Awards and nominations

External links

• Gillian Jacobs at IMDb
• Gillian Jacobs at the Internet Off-Broadway Database

References

1. "Gillian Jacobs Biography". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/gillian-jacobs/bio/238179/ ↩

2. Lucy Silberman (November 29, 2008). "Gillian Jacobs". interviewmagazine.com. Interview Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023. "On the first day shooting the new film Choke, 25-year-old Gillian Jacobs found herself standing on a stage wearing nothing but underwear and a pair of 5-inch heels as she tried to convince everyone on the set that she was a stripper named Cherry Daiquiri. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/gillian-jacobs ↩

3. "A New Generation". Purple. Spring–Summer 2009. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017. (Scroll down to Jacobs entry.) https://web.archive.org/web/20170208225853/http://purple.fr/magazine/ss-2009-issue-11/a-new-generation/ ↩

4. Randall, Reese (April 2010). "Gillian Jacobs". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013. http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2010/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

5. Randall, Reese (April 2010). "Gillian Jacobs". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013. http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2010/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

6. "John Martin Magenau Jr". Erie Times-News. Erie, Pennsylvania. July 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2013 – via Legacy.com. Martin was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and the Siebel Institute of Brewing, and served as President and CEO of the Erie Brewing Company until its closing in 1978. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/erietimesnews/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=158667705 ↩

7. "Carol Marie Spiller Magenau Obituary". Erie Times-News. Erie, Pennsylvania. December 18, 2006. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2015 – via Legacy.com. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/erietimesnews/obituary.aspx?n=carol-marie-spiller-magenau&pid=20344852 ↩

8. Randall, Reese (April 2010). "Gillian Jacobs". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013. http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2010/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

9. Randall, Reese (April 2010). "Gillian Jacobs". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013. http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2010/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

10. "OnStage". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 1, 2006. /wiki/Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette ↩

11. Randall, Reese (April 2010). "Gillian Jacobs". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013. http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2010/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

12. Les Gutman (May 14, 2006). "cagelove, A CurtainUp Review". Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2008. http://www.curtainup.com/cagelove.html ↩

13. Siegel, Barbara; Siegel, Scott (May 16, 2006). "cagelove, Review on TheaterMania". Archived from the original on September 25, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080925180920/http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/8260 ↩

14. Murray, Matthew. "cagelove Theater Review". Talkin' Broadway. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2008. http://www.talkinbroadway.com/ob/05_15_06.html ↩

15. Zinoman, Jason (May 17, 2006). "In 'Cagelove,' a Triangle (Sort of), Including a Man Offstage (Sort Of)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 8, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/theater/reviews/17cage.html ↩

16. Isherwood, Charles (October 18, 2007). "Torn Between Two Loves: The Oboe and the 'Hot Mess'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/theater/reviews/18femi.html ↩

17. Silberman, Lucy (August 1, 2008). "Gillian Jacobs". Interview. Archived from the original on September 28, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20090928034931/http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/gillian-jacobs ↩

18. "Visions". ´Dread Central. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2014. https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/117681/visions-captured-in-a-trailer-and-image-gallery/ ↩

19. Snierson, Dan (May 9, 2014). "'Community' canceled". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Archived from the original on July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014. http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/05/09/community-cancelled/ ↩

20. Swift, Andy (May 21, 2014). "Girls Exclusive: Community's Gillian Jacobs Nabs Recurring Role In Season 4". TVLine. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014. http://tvline.com/2014/05/21/gillian-jacobs-girls-season-4-cast/ ↩

21. Hibberd, James (June 30, 2014). "'Community' saved! Yahoo orders sixth season". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014. http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/30/community-sixth-season/ ↩

22. Andreeva, Nellie (September 16, 2014). "Netflix Nabs Judd Apatow Comedy Series With 2-Season Order; Paul Rust & Gillian Jacobs To Star, Legendary TV To Produce". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2014. https://deadline.com/2014/09/judd-apatow-comedy-series-netflix-paul-rust-gillian-jacobs-star-829825/ ↩

23. "Signals: The Queen of Code – ESPN News". ESPN Video. January 21, 2015. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150201012810/http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12205119 ↩

24. D'Arcy, David (January 23, 2017). "'Lemon': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021. http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/lemon-review/5114071.article ↩

25. Evans, Greg (September 6, 2018). "TNT, Refinery29 Set Shatterbox Season 2 Launch: Female-Driven Short Film Series Gets Toronto Screening". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2023. https://deadline.com/2018/09/tnt-refinery29-set-shatterbox-season-2-launch-female-driven-short-film-series-gets-toronto-screening-1202458713/ ↩

26. Lee, Ann (September 17, 2020). "'I'm a loner': Gillian Jacobs on the snarky art of playing misfits". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/sep/17/gillian-jacobs-community-interview-girls-love-i-used-to-go-here ↩

27. Taylor, Drew (November 22, 2020). "'Marvel's 616' Directors Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs on Their Unwavering Love of Ms. Marvel". Collider. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021. https://collider.com/alison-brie-gillian-jacobs-interview-marvel-616-disney-plus/ ↩

28. Sarachan, Risa. "Gillian Jacobs And Diona Reasonover Explore STEM Fields On Stitcher Podcast 'Periodic Talks'". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/risasarachan/2021/02/22/gillian-jacobs-and-diona-reasonover-explore-stem-fields-on-stitcher-podcast-ifthen/?sh=640e5f726da9 ↩

29. Lee, Ann (September 17, 2020). "'I'm a loner': Gillian Jacobs on the snarky art of playing misfits". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/sep/17/gillian-jacobs-community-interview-girls-love-i-used-to-go-here ↩

30. Off Camera. Season 6. Episode 25 (92). February 27, 2017. Audience. /wiki/Off_Camera ↩

31. Couch, Aaron (July 21, 2021). "DC's 'Injustice' Sets Cast for Animated Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/injustice-gods-among-us-movie-dc-1234985568/ ↩

32. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

33. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

34. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

35. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

36. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

37. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

38. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

39. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

40. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

41. Staff, Bullet News (October 27, 2021). ""Aquaman: King Of Atlantis" Review: The crazy animated sequel to the DCEU Aquaman saga". Bullet News. Retrieved June 11, 2024. https://bulletnews.net/aquaman-king-of-atlantis-review-the-crazy-animated-sequel-to-the-dceu-aquaman-saga/ ↩

42. "Gillian Jacobs (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 11, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gillian-Jacobs/ ↩

43. @gillian__jacobs (April 22, 2023). "So thrilled to have a tiny part on this season of "Ad..." – via Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CrWGwpzJe1f/ ↩

44. Batman: The Audio Adventures (Podcast Series 2022) - IMDb, archived from the original on November 11, 2021, retrieved January 12, 2023 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15179396/fullcredits ↩

45. "Gillian Jacobs, Author at 99% Invisible". 99% Invisible. Retrieved January 10, 2025. https://99percentinvisible.org/author/gillian-jacobs/ ↩

46. "Mini-Stories: Volume 20". 99% Invisible. January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/610-mini-stories-volume-20/ ↩

47. "The 2010 Method Fest Award Winners (Highlighted) and the Lists of Nominees" Archived July 3, 2019, at the Wayback Machine (2010). Method Fest Independent Film Festival (MethodFest.com). Retrieved July 7, 2019. http://www.methodfest.com/10pages/news.htm ↩

48. Block, Alex Ben (June 5, 2012). "'Community' Leads Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominees." Archived February 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2019. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/community-critics-choice-television-nbc-333077 ↩

49. "TV Guide Magazine Fan Favorites Awards Winners Revealed!" Archived April 2, 2019, at the Wayback Machine (April 10, 2012). TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 17, 2019. https://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-1045829/ ↩