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Jessica Szohr
Jessica Szohr 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg
Szohr in 2019
Born (1985-03-31) March 31, 1985 (age 39)
Occupation Actress
Years active 2003–present
Spouse(s)
Brad Richardson
(m. 2024)
Children 1

Jessica Szohr (/ˈzɔːr/; born March 31, 1985) is an American actress. She started her screen career appearing on television shows such as My Wife and Kids (2003), Joan of Arcadia (2004), What About Brian (2007) and CSI: Miami (2007). She gained recognition in 2007 with her breakthrough role as Vanessa Abrams on The CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). She has appeared in feature films including the horror film Piranha 3D (2010), the comedy film I Don't Know How She Does It (2011), the comedy film The Internship (2013) and the comedy film Ted 2 (2015). Her recent television credits include Complications (2015), Kingdom (2015), Twin Peaks (2017) and Shameless (2017–18). Since 2018, she has been a main cast member of the Fox/Hulu science fiction series The Orville, as Talla Keyali.

Early life

Szohr was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. She is of Hungarian and one-quarter African-American descent, and the oldest of five children (Megan, Danielle, Nick and Sadie). She started a cleaning company with a friend, cleaning their teachers' houses.

Szohr started modeling as a child. She appeared in print ads for Kohl's department store. Subsequent modeling gigs followed, including prints for Crate & Barrel, Mountain Dew, Sears, Jockey and JanSport. Szohr graduated from Menomonee Falls High School a semester early and moved to Los Angeles with her mother at the age of 17 to pursue an acting career. She told Seventeen magazine that she "almost moved home like five times." She initially aspired to become an interior designer and had enrolled in Columbia College Chicago, but her agent ultimately convinced her to try pilot season auditions.

Career

Szohr made her debut as an actress in 2003 in an episode of the third season of My Wife and Kids, titled "Not So Hostile Takeover". Her first film was Uncle Nino (2003), playing a minor role as The MC. She appeared in numerous guest roles in teen television series such as That's So Raven, Drake & Josh, What I Like About You, and Joan of Arcadia. She also appeared in three episodes of CSI: Miami as Samantha Barrish.

Jessica Szohr LF cropped
Szohr in 2007

In 2007, she appeared in a major recurring role as Laura for six episodes in the ABC dramedy series What About Brian. Along with Stacy Keibler, she played a neighbor to the leading role, Brian O'Hara (Barry Watson). She also appeared in the music videos for "Best Days" by Matt White and "Over You" by Daughtry, in which she played Sarah.

In the same year, Szohr earned her breakthrough role on the hit CW teen drama series Gossip Girl. She plays Vanessa Abrams. Szohr said of her character: "Vanessa doesn't change for other people. She says what she thinks. ..... The portrayal of Vanessa has drawn criticism from Cecily von Ziegesar, author of the original Gossip Girl novels. ..... In May 2011, it was confirmed Szohr would not be returning for the fifth season. She returned in for a cameo appearance on the series finale, "New York, I Love You XOXO", on December 17, 2012.

Szohr has appeared in small roles in films such as Somebody Help Me, The Reading Room and Fired Up. She signed on to Dimension Films' horror Piranha 3D, in the role of Kelly. The role required her to be underwater; Szohr later told the New York Daily News filming was difficult because she was "not the best swimmer." Filming began in June 2009, and the film was pushed back from its original release date in March to August 2010. She also appeared in a Funny or Die video promoting the film alongside Kelly Brook and others.

Szohr was awarded the Breakthrough Actress in Film award at the 2010 Breakthrough of the Year awards for her work in Piranha 3D.

In April 2010, Szohr joined the cast of the romantic comedy Love, Wedding, Marriage, along with Mandy Moore and Kellan Lutz. The film began principal photography in April 2010 and was filmed in New Orleans. That same year, Szohr was included on People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People in the World" list.

Szohr has a role in the 2012 independent post-apocalyptic sci-fi film Hirokin. Her role as Orange has been described as a "cunning temptress".

Szohr starred in the 2012 indie drama Art Machine as an outlaw hipster and a pyrotechnic artist. In October 2011, she finished filming a horror comedy film in East Lothian, Scotland titled Love Bite with co-star Ed Speleers. In November 2011, Szohr filmed the drama Light Years in Los Angeles.

In 2012, Szohr helped Hayden Panettiere punk Glee actress Dianna Agron.

Szohr appeared in Taylor Swift's 2013 music video for the song "22". In March 2013, she was cast as the female lead in the Fox drama pilot The List, playing FBI agent Natalie Voss. However, it was reported on May 8, 2013, that Fox had passed on the pilot. In November 2013, Szohr was cast as Gretchen in USA Network's medical drama pilot Complications.

In June 2015, Szohr was set as a recurring on the upcoming second season of DirecTV’s MMA drama Kingdom. Szohr will play Laura Melvin, an artist/photographer who has "read everything, been everywhere," and immediately intrigued by Jay (Jonathan Tucker) whom she wants to hire for a photo shoot.

On February 12, 2018, Szohr was cast as a regular for the second season of the science fiction comedy-drama series The Orville, as Talla Keyali.

On January 26, 2022, Szohr launched the podcast XOXO with Jessica Szohr, a walk down memory lane with the cast and crew of Gossip Girl featuring behind-the scenes stories, on-set memories, and more with interviews and occasional episode rewatches.

Personal life

Szohr enjoys snowboarding, hiking, yoga, and football. She describes her hobbies as a result of her being from Wisconsin. She also is a Green Bay Packers fan.

Szohr's partner is former professional ice hockey player Brad Richardson. Szohr gave birth to their daughter on January 11, 2021. The two got engaged in May 2022, and married in August 2024.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Uncle Nino MC, TheThe MC
2007 Somebody Help Me Nicole
2009 Fired Up! Kara
2010 Piranha 3D Kelly Driscoll
2011 Love, Wedding, Marriage Shelby
I Don't Know How She Does It Paula
Tower Heist Sasha Gibbs
2012 Hirokin Orange
Art Machine Cassandra Moon
Love Bite Juliana
2013 Pawn Bonnie
Internship, TheThe Internship Marielena
Brightest Star Lita Markovic
2014 House at the End of the Drive Krista
10 Cent Pistol Chelsea
Two Night Stand Faiza
2015 Club Life Tanya
Ted 2 Allison
2020 Clover Angie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 My Wife and Kids Dee-Jay Episode: "Not So Hostile Takeover"
2004 What I Like About You Liz Episode: "Lunar Eclipse of the Heart"
Drake & Josh Episode: "Two ... and a Baby"
Joan of Arcadia Nikki Episode: "Double Dutch"
2005 That's So Raven Jordache Hilltopper Episode: "The Big Buzz"
Reading Room, TheThe Reading Room Dayva Television film
2007 What About Brian Laura 6 episodes
CSI: Miami Samantha Barrish 3 episodes
2007–2012 Gossip Girl Vanessa Abrams Recurring cast (season 1); main role (seasons 1–4); uncredited (season 6)
2007 Somebody Help Me Nicole Television film
2010 City, TheThe City Herself Episode: "The Belle of Elle"
2012 Punk'd Herself Episode: "Hayden Panettiere"
2013 Men at Work Jenny Episode: "Long Distance Tyler"
2014 Lucky in Love Mira Simon Television film
2015 Complications Gretchen Polk Main role
Kingdom Laura Melvin 5 episodes
CSI: Cyber Carmen Lopez / Blaze / Det. April Castilla Episode: "Gone in 6 Seconds"
2017 Twin Peaks Renee 3 episodes
2017–2018 Shameless Nessa Chabon 11 episodes
2019–present The Orville Talla Keyali Main cast (seasons 2–present)

Music videos

Year Title Artist(s) Role
2007 "Best Days" Matt White
"Over You" Daughtry Sarah
2011 "Sunday" Hurts Eurydice
2013 "22" Taylor Swift Swift's best friend
2014 "Already Home" Great Big World, AA Great Big World
2016 "Where's the Love?" The Black Eyed Peas featuring The World Cameo

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Workstation Result
2011 MTV Movie Award Best Scared-As-S**t Performance Piranha 3D Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jessica Szohr para niños

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