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Frankie Shaw
Shaw in November 2015
Shaw in 2015
Born 1981 (age 42–43)
Alma mater Barnard College
Occupation
  • Actress
  • screenwriter
  • director
Years active 2005–present
Spouse(s)
Zach Strauss
(m. 2016)
Children 1

Rachel Frances Shaw (born 1981) is an American actress, writer and director. She is best known for playing Bridgette Bird on the Showtime series SMILF, based on the 2015 short film of the same title, which she wrote, directed and starred in. Shaw is also known for playing Mary Jo Cacciatore on the 2010–2011 Spike TV series Blue Mountain State, and her recurring role as Shayla Nico in the first season of the USA Network television series Mr. Robot.

Early life and education

Shaw was born in South Boston, and also grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her mother, an Irish Catholic from South Boston, raised her Jewish. Shaw's parents divorced when she was four years old. She grew up in a single-mother home with an older half-brother, who owns a bar in Boston.

Shaw attended Michael Driscoll School and Brookline High School. At Michael Driscoll, Shaw played full court streetball at a nearby neighborhood park. Shaw said that basketball was a constant of her childhood, and she incorporated it into the pilot and third episode of SMILF. After receiving a scholarship in her junior year, Shaw transferred to the private school Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, where she graduated in 2000. In 2007, she graduated from Barnard College with a degree in literature.

Career

After college, Shaw decided to move to Los Angeles, but discovered she was pregnant. Much of her struggles to work as an actor while being a single mother are the loose inspiration for SMILF. A role in the 2014 ABC's ensemble series Mixology was a breakout role, providing Shaw with her first sense of financial stability since giving birth to her son.

In 2009, Shaw first received recognition in the completely improvised Katie Aselton-directed film The Freebie and then as the oddball drunken cheerleader Mary Jo Cacciatore in the 2010 sitcom Blue Mountain State.

In 2013, Shaw appeared in the HBO's TV series starring Stephen Merchant called Hello Ladies. She had roles in the 2013 independent film The Pretty One, which starred Zoe Kazan and Jake Johnson, and the 2014 romantic comedy film Someone Marry Barry. Also in 2014, Shaw appeared in another independent feature, the drama Lullaby, which starred Garrett Hedlund and Amy Adams.

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In 2015, she appeared in the ABC Family pilot Tough Cookie as well as on the 2015 Fox TV series Mulaney. In 2016, Shaw reprised her role of Mary Jo Cacciatore from the 2010 series in the movie Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland. Also in 2016, Shaw appeared in the Netflix series Flaked. She was a series regular on the 2016 TV series Good Girls Revolt.

Shaw's 2014 short film SMILF, which she wrote, directed and starred in opposite Thomas Middleditch, won the 2015 Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at Sundance. In 2015, SMILF was picked up by Showtime as a half-hour comedy television show with Shaw as showrunner, writing, directing, starring in, and producing the series. The first season, which was shot on location in South Boston as well as Los Angeles, received generally positive reviews, with her portrayal of single mother Bridgette Bird notable for its realism, insight, and biting humor. "Frankie Shaw, it [SMILF] marks the arrival of an important and original voice." ..... Shaw said that the show was a way to discuss and portray the role of women on screen. In November 2017, Showtime renewed SMILF for a second season. In December 2018, it was reported that Shaw and the series had been accused of workplace misconduct. In March 2019, the series was cancelled after two seasons.

In 2016, Shaw returned to the Sundance Film Festival with another short film she wrote and directed, a dark comedy titled Too Legit, which stars Zoë Kravitz, Teresa Palmer, Nate Corddry and Clark Gregg. Too Legit is inspired by a satire of Congressman Todd Akin's controversial 2012 remarks about ... and pregnancy: "It seems to be, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, [... resulting in pregnancy is] really rare. .....

In 2017, Shaw had a supporting role as Gail Hurley in the feature film Stronger, which was directed by David Gordon Green, and starred Jake Gyllenhaal as 2013 Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman.

In 2019, it was reported that Shaw is attached to direct an adaption of the Katherine Faw Morris novel Ultraluminous, produced by Steven Soderbergh. In 2020, numerous announcements were made regarding projects Shaw is attached to: she is reported to be writer and executive producer of an HBO series adapting the 1978 Judy Blume novel Wifey, and will direct the first episode; she is reportedly to star in Kill Switch, a film to be directed by Soderbergh; and she is attached to direct an adaption of the T Kira Madden novel Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls.

Personal life

In August 2016, Shaw married writer–producer Zach Strauss.

Shaw has a son, Isaac Love, from a prior relationship with director and actor Mark Webber. Shaw and Webber share joint custody of Isaac.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Night Swimming Amber
2006 Just Like the Son Brenda
2007 One Night Clarice
2008 Explicit Ills Michelle
2008 Altamont Now Karen Kennedy
2009 The Northern Kingdom Shauna
2009 Falling Up Gretchen
2009 Red Hook Deena
2009 The Freebie Coffee Girl
2011 Coffee Snobs Customer Short
2011 The End of Love Evelyn
2012 Spoonful Mac Short
2012 Knife Fight Samantha
2013 The Pretty One Claudia
2013 This is Where We Live Lainey
2014 Lullaby Janice
2014 Someone Marry Barry Camille
2014 SMILF Bridgette Bird Short film; writer and director
2016 Too Legit Jess Short film; writer and director
2016 Joshy Crystal
2016 Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland Mary Jo Cacciatore
2016 Dreamland Lizzie
2016 Tough Cookie Heidi Short film
2017 Stronger Gail Hurley
2017 Bad Peter Rachel Short film
2018 Fluidic Emlyn Post-production
2019 Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Prosecutor
2021 No Sudden Move Paula Cole

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Marrissa "Unchained" (season 5, episode 4)
2006 The Bedford Diaries Simone "I'm Gonna Love College" (season 1, episode 1)
2011 Glory Daze Gina "Hit Me with Your Test Shot" (season 1, episode 9)
2010–2011 Blue Mountain State Mary Jo Cacciatore Main role (seasons 2–3), 15 episodes
2011 CSI: NY Kelly Rose "Brooklyn Til I Die" (season 8, episode 12)
2011 2 Broke Girls Keefer "And the High Holidays" (season 2, episode 12)
2013 Hello Ladies Nikki "The Limo" (season 1, episode 2)
2014 Mixology Fabienne Main role
2015 Mulaney Julia "Ruby" (season 1, episode 12)
2015 Tough Cookie Heidi "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1)
2015 Mr. Robot Shayla Nico Recurring role (season 1), 7 episodes
2016 Flaked Natasha 2 episodes
2016 Good Girls Revolt Naomi 8 episodes
2017–2019 SMILF Bridgette Bird Lead role; also creator, director, producer, and writer
2018 Homecoming Dara 4 episodes
2018 Hollyweed Brookline Mass / Janet Online pilot
2019 ... History Hedy Lamarr "Fame" (season 6, episode 11)
2019 Robot Chicken Dorothy Gale / Oopsie Starlight Voice role; episode: "Molly Lucero in: Your Friend's ..."

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2015 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Grand Jury Prize SMILF (short film) Nominated
Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction Won
2016 Short Film Grand Jury Prize Too Legit (short film) Nominated
South by Southwest Film Festival SXSW Grand Jury Award for Narrative Short
American Film Institute Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women
2017 Writers Guild of America Showrunner Training Program
Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy SMILF Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Frankie Shaw para niños

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