Jessica McKenna

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Jessica McKenna
Born
Jessica Ruth McKenna

(1987-04-18) April 18, 1987 (age 34)
Yorba Linda, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNorthwestern University
Occupation
  • Actress
  • comedian
Years active2012–present

Jessica Ruth McKenna[1] (born April 18, 1987) is an American actress and comedian.[2] McKenna trained with The Groundlings and at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, where she regularly performs. McKenna was one of the stars of Fox's Party Over Here, alongside Nicole Byer and Alison Rich, and currently hosts the podcast Off Book: The Improvised Musical on Earwolf.

Early life[]

McKenna was born in Yorba Linda, California.[3][4] She received a Bachelor's Degree in Theater from Northwestern University.[3][4]

Career[]

Theater[]

McKenna began training at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre after college, and became a regular performer in 2012.[5][6] She regularly performs with the musical improv house teams, Magic to Do and Baby Wants Candy.[7] McKenna is also a frequent performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre's long-running improv show, ASSSSCAT.[8][7] McKenna has performed improv comedy at festivals including South by Southwest, SF Sketchfest, Edinburgh Fringe, the Del Close Marathon, Bumbershoot, and Chicago Sketch Fest.[2][4][9][10]

Television, film, and web series[]

In 2014, McKenna was a regular cast member on Fox's improv-based game show, Riot, until its cancellation.[3] In 2016, McKenna starred alongside fellow UCB alum Nicole Byer and Alison Rich in Fox's sketch comedy show, Party Over Here, which was produced by The Lonely Island and Paul Scheer.[11] Party Over Here was cancelled after one season.[12] McKenna has appeared in episodes of Modern Family and The Goldbergs.[3]

McKenna often collaborates with UCB alum Zach Reino. McKenna and Reino have worked together on musical sketches for Funny or Die, BuzzFeed, and Nickelodeon.[3][13] In 2016, McKenna and Reino wrote and starred together in ABC's web series, Serious Music.[14]

McKenna also works as a voice actress. McKenna voices the lead character, Lennon, on Amazon's Little Big Awesome.[3][4] It was originally announced that McKenna would voice the lead character on Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer, however, creator Aaron Springer[15][16] ultimately was cast in that role.

Podcasts[]

Since 2017, McKenna and Reino have hosted the musical comedy podcast Off Book: The Improvised Musical on the Earwolf network.[3][17] McKenna is also a regular guest on the podcast version of Comedy Bang! Bang!, where she is known for characters such as Beth, the Power Wheels-obsessed 8-year-old, and This Is Your Boy Troy.[18] McKenna has also appeared on Improv4Humans, The JV Club, and Hollywood Handbook.[6]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Beta Lauren Short film
2017 Gleep-Glorp & Lasertag Gleep-Glorp Voice
Short film
Lane Woods Finds Love
2018 Song of Back and Neck Dawn

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
2013–2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! Various 3 episodes
2014 The Goldbergs Waiter Episode: "The Age of Darkness"
2015 The Hotwives Mackenzie 2 episodes
Adam Ruins Everything Jess Episode: "Adam Ruins Restaurants"
Filthy Preppy Teen$ Macauley Episode: "The Return of the Prodigal Teens"
2016 Party Over Here Various 10 episodes
American Dad! (voice) Episode: "Gifted Me Liberty"
Legendary Dudas Employee Episode: "King Sam/Karate Kids"
2016–2017 The UCB Show Various 2 episodes
2017 Voltron: Legendary Defender Various voices 2 episodes
2018–2021 Craig of the Creek Handlebarb / Jake (voice) 10 episodes
2018 Little Big Awesome Lennon
Additional Voices		 13 episodes
Modern Family Nurse Tami Episode: "The Escape"
2018–2020 Big City Greens Cyber Knight Leader
Amaryllis
Willow
Additional Voices		 3 episodes
2019–present DC Super Hero Girls Aqualad (voice) 12 episodes
2019 HarmonQuest Flairence Sparrow Episode: "Ad Quod Damnum"
Sunnyside Andromeda Burrff Episode: "Pants Full of Sandwiches"
2020 Space Force Participant #2 Episode: "Proportionate Response"
Trick Moon Trickshot (voice) TV pilot
Star Trek: Lower Decks Ensign Barnes / various voices 5 episodes
2020–present The Mighty Ones Roxy (voice) 10 episodes

Video games[]

Year Title Role
2017 Style Savvy: Styling Star Additional Voices
2020 Fallout 76: Steel Dawn Maximo Leone

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/jessica_ruth_mckenna_born_1987_18075512. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "SXSW Comedy Review: Comedy Bang! Bang!". Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Jessica McKenna". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Jessica McKenna's schedule for SF Sketchfest 2018". Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  5. ^ "Interview: Party Over Here's Jessica McKenna Talks Women in Comedy and Her Sweet New Gig". www.themarysue.com. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Improvising comedy raps with Jessica McKenna". C+ Comedy. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jessica McKenna". ucbcomedy.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  8. ^ "Dispatches from Sketchfest 2018: Volume II - January 31, 2018 - SF Weekly". SF Weekly. 2018-01-31. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  9. ^ "JESSICA MCKENNA - Resume | Omnipop Talent Group". resumes.breakdownexpress.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  10. ^ "Comedy & Conversation". BUMBERSHOOT. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  11. ^ Prudom, Laura (2016-02-04). "Fox Launches Saturday Sketch Comedy Series 'Party Over Here' from Lonely Island". Variety. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  12. ^ "Party Over Here Canceled, Never to Be 'Here' on Fox Again". Vulture. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  13. ^ "Jessica McKenna | Serious Music". ABC. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  14. ^ "Watch Serious Music TV Show - ABC.com". ABC. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  15. ^ "Disney XD Announces 'Billy Dilly' and 'Country Club'". Animation Magazine. 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  16. ^ "Disney XD Orders Pair of Original Animated Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  17. ^ "Off Book: The Improvised Musical podcast on Earwolf". www.earwolf.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  18. ^ "Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast podcast on Earwolf". www.earwolf.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.

External links[]

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