Jordana Spiro

Jordana Spiro
Spiro in December 2016
Born (1977-04-12) April 12, 1977 (age 47)
EducationCircle in the Square Theatre
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Columbia University
OccupationActress
Years active1995–present
SpouseMatthew Spitzer
Children1

Jordana Spiro (born April 12, 1977) is an American actress, director, and writer. As an actress, she has starred in numerous films and television series including Netflix's Ozark and TBS comedy television program My Boys.

Her debut feature Night Comes On, which she directed and co-wrote (with Angelica Nwandu) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. She developed the film at the Sundance Institute's Directors, Screenwriters, and Composers Labs, and through a Cinereach development grant. Her short Skin premiered at Sundance and won the Women In Film Productions award. Skin also won the Honorable Mention Award at SXSW, showed at Telluride, Palm Springs, and AFI among others. Spiro earned her MFA in Film from Columbia University in 2015 and received the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Fellowship. She studied drama at the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York and was selected to join the Berlinale Talent Campus in Berlin.

Early life and education

Spiro was born and raised in New York City. She is Jewish.[1] Spiro has a brother and three sisters.[2] She studied at the Circle in the Square Theatre[3][4] School and briefly attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art[5][6] in London. In fall 2009, she began the MFA Program in Filmmaking at Columbia University.[7] She finished the degree in 2015.[8] Spiro currently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.

Career

Spiro's first film role was as Catherine Reece in the 1999 film, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, a direct-to-DVD prequel to the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn.

In 2000 Spiro starred in her first TV series, the USA crime drama The Huntress. Co-star Annette O'Toole and Spiro played mother and daughter bounty hunters, based on the lives of Dottie And Brandi Thorson. The series ran for 28 episodes, concluding in 2001.

Spiro starred in the TBS original comedy series My Boys.[9] She played the role of P.J., a twenty-something "guy's girl", and sports reporter who tries to find romance within her world that is dominated by male friends. The series wrapped its fourth and final season on TBS in 2010.

Spiro also appeared in the 2009 comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard alongside Jeremy Piven, Ed Helms and Rob Riggle, and produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. The Goods was directed by Neal Brennan.[10]

Additional credits include The Year of Getting to Know Us, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance film festival, IFC's Alone with Her, as well as guest appearances on Cold Case,[11] Out of Practice,[12] and CSI: NY.[13]

Spiro was scheduled to star in the planned 2010–11 television series Love Bites, but fell out of the role in June 2010 due to other contractual obligations.[14] Spiro was also cast alongside Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman in the thriller, Trespass.[15] She was a guest star on the Showtime 2011 season of Dexter.[16] For the 2012–13 season, she had the lead role in the Fox-TV medical/crime drama The Mob Doctor.

Recently, Spiro starred as Rachel Garrison in the Netflix crime drama Ozark.[17][18]

In February 2024, Spiro joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Shannah Sykes, an FBI agent on loan to the show's special victims unit squad.[19]

Personal life

She is married to Matthew Spitzer[20] with whom she has a daughter.[21]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter Catherine Reece
2003 Playas Ball Tonya Jenkins
2004 The Greener Grass Heather
2005 Must Love Dogs Sherry
Partner(s) Anne
2006 Alone with Her Jen
Argo Becca Short film
2007 Living & Dying Mary Jane
Resigned Alison Short film
2008 The Year of Getting to Know Us Kim Temple
2009 The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Ivy Selleck
2011 Trespass Petal
2019 To the Stars Francie Deerborne
2021 Fear Street Part One: 1994 Mrs. Lane
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 Nurse Mary Lane
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 The Widow / Mrs. Lane
Small Engine Repair Karen Delgado

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Maybe This Time Chase Episode: "The Other Mother"
1996 Her Last Chance Waitress TV movie
If These Walls Could Talk Alison (segment "1974") TV movie
1997 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Callie Anderson Episode: "Reptile Boy"
1998 Beverly Hills, 90210 Carrie Knox Episode: "Dealer's Choice"
City Guys Zoey Episode: "A Guy and a Goth"
One World Alex 3 episodes
1999 Undressed Merrith 3 episodes
2000–2001 The Huntress Brandi Thorson 28 episodes
2004 Beck and Call Jemma TV movie
2005 CSI: NY Tavia Greenburg Episode: "Tanglewood"
Cold Case Suzanne Episode: "Revolution"
JAG Navy Lt. Catherine Graves 3 episodes
Out of Practice Bianca/Roberta 2 episodes
2006 Kitchen Confidential Alison Episode: "Praise Be Praise"
2006–2010 My Boys P.J. Franklin 49 episodes
2011 Harry's Law Rachael Miller 7 episodes
Dexter Beth Dorsey 2 episodes
Lost and Found Jo TV movie
2012–2013 The Mob Doctor Dr. Grace Devlin 13 episodes
2013–2014 The Good Wife Detective Jenna Villette 4 episodes
2014 Tyrant Dana Episode: "Pilot"
2015–2016 Royal Pains Jen 3 episodes
2015–2016, 2020 Blindspot Sarah Weller 11 episodes
2016 The Wilding Margaret Hayes TV movie
2017–2018, 2022 Ozark Rachel Garrison 24 episodes
2020 Evil Ema Serpagli Episode: "Justice x 2"
2022, 2024 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Delia Hackman / Special Agent Shannah Sykes 6 episodes
TBA The Savant TBA Upcoming miniseries[22]

References

  1. ^ "SI.com – She's all that – Jul 3, 2007". CNN. July 3, 2007. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009.
  2. ^ Jordana Spiro Interview Archived June 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "TV Guide: Jordana Spiro Biography"
  4. ^ "Circle in the Square Theatre School - Acting and Musical Theatre Workshops in NYC". circlesquare.org. Archived from the original on April 23, 1999.
  5. ^ "Royal Academy of Dramatic Art: Alumni Overview" Archived April 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Jordana Spiro is up to bat for Season 2 with 'My Boys'". USA Today.
  7. ^ Kung, Michelle (July 23, 2010). "'My Boys' Star Jordana Spiro on Balancing Work and Film School" (Digital). Wall Street Journal. New York: Almar Latour. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020. I started going to grad school at Columbia University to get my MFA in directing and I spent a lot of time shadowing ['My Boys' showrunner] Betsy Thomas in pre-production and then the editing room.
  8. ^ "Film Alums & Current Student Chosen for Prestigious Artist Academy at Lincoln Center". New York: Columbia University. September 26, 2018. Archived from the original (Digital) on December 24, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2020. Alumni Barbara Cigarroa '18, Ellie Foumbi '17, Jordana Spiro '15, and current student Johnson Cheng were selected as participants for The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Artist Academy, an immersive four-day program that nurtures up-and-coming filmmakers by providing workshops, talks, screenings, and mentorship with industry professionals.
  9. ^ "My Boys on TBS" (Archived February 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine)
  10. ^ "The Goods: Official Website" (Archived June 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine)
  11. ^ "CBS: Cold Case"
  12. ^ "CBS: Out of Practice"
  13. ^ "CBS: CSI: NY"
  14. ^ "Exclusive: Jordana Spiro exits 'Love Bites'". Ausiello Files. June 24, 2010. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  15. ^ Jordana Spiro joins 'Trespass' cast Archived September 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Hollywood Reporter. July 29, 2010
  16. ^ Dexter Exclusive: Jordana Spiro to Rendezvous With (Spoiler)!TVLine. August 29, 2011 Archived October 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Drysdale, Jennifer (August 31, 2018). "Jordana Spiro Talks Pressure-Filled 'Ozark' Season 2 and Directorial Debut (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  18. ^ Hunt, Rachel (March 29, 2022). "'Ozark' Season 4 Part 2 Trailer Major Spoiler Explained and Finally the Return of Rachel". CheatSheet. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  19. ^ White, Jessica (February 22, 2024). "All About SVU's New Agent and Where You've Seen Her Before on the Show". NBC.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Webber, Stephanie (May 31, 2014). "Jordana Spiro of The Mob Doctor Is Pregnant, Expecting First Child With Husband Matthew Spitzer". Us Weekly. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  21. ^ Triballeau, Charlie (September 4, 2018). "France-US-Film-Festival-Deauville". Seattle, WA: Getty Images. Retrieved September 5, 2018. US actress Jordana Spiro poses with her daughter and her husband Matthew Spitzer…
  22. ^ Petski, Denise (April 3, 2024). "'The Savant' Apple Series Rounds Out Cast With 8, Including Jordana Spiro, Michael Mosley, Dagmara Dominczyk". Deadline. Retrieved April 7, 2024.