Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis Headshot

Singer • Songwriter • Actress

Birth Name: Jennifer Diane Lewis

Birth Date: January 8, 1976

Age: 48 years old

Birth Place: Las Vegas, Nevada

Jenny Lewis first found fame as a child star in "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989) and "The Wizard" (1989) before forging an acclaimed music career as a member of indie outfit Rilo Kiley and highly collaborative solo artist. Born in Las Vegas, NV in 1976 to a singer mother and harmonicist father, Jenny Lewis appeared in numerous commercials as a youngster and after making her acting debut in the pilot episode of "Baby Makes Five" (ABC, 1983), was cast as Lucille Ball's granddaughter Becky in another short-lived sitcom, "Life with Lucy" (ABC, 1986).

Lewis went on to guest on prime-time hits "The Golden Girls" (NBC, 1985-1992) and "Growing Pains" (ABC, 1985-1992), appear in multiple TV movies and play a matchmaking baseball fan in big screen comedy "Trading Hearts" (1988). But her best remembered performances came opposite Fred Savage in gaming cult classic "The Wizard" (1989) and as Shelley Long's daughter Hannah in summer camp comedy "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989). Lewis continued to act into her early twenties, landing the recurring roles of Neala in legal drama "Shannon's Deal" (NBC, 1990-91) and Katie Monahan in cross-cultural sitcom "Brooklyn Bridge" (CBS, 1991-93), appearing alongside a young Angelina Jolie in coming-of-age "Foxfire" (1996), Ryan Phillippe in indie drama "Little Boy Blue" (1997) and Reese Witherspoon in social satire "Pleasantville" (1998), and starring in the belatedly released black-and-white diner dramedy "Don's Plum" (2001).

The latter was soundtracked by singer/guitarist Blake Sennett, who alongside drummer Dave Rock and bassist Pierre de Reeder would later join frontwoman Lewis in the indie-folk outfit Rilo Kiley. The group went on to enjoy cult success with 2001 debut Take Offs and Landing, 2002 sophomore effort The Execution of All Things and 2004 follow-up More Adventurous, eventually reaching the US Top 40 in 2007 with their swansong Under the Blacklight. By this point Lewis had already teamed up with the Watson Twins to record 2006 solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, and following Rilo Kiley's split continued to explore other musical avenues. She embraced the sounds of Americana on 2008's Acid Tongue, joined forces with then-boyfriend Johnathan Rice under the guise of Jenny and Johnny on 2010's I'm Having Fun Now and co-composed the scores for indie dramas "Very Good Girls" (2013) and "Song One" (2014).

After reaching the US Top 10 for the first time with the adult-oriented rock of 2014's The Voyager, Lewis teamed up with The Like's Tennessee Thomas and Au Revoir Simone's Erika Forster to form supergroup Nice as F***, who released their eponymous debut album in 2016. Featuring contributions from Beck, Ryan Adams and Ringo Starr, Lewis' fourth solo effort, On the Line, arrived in 2019.

Credits

Paying for It

Casting
Movie
2024

6 Music Artist in Residence

Self
Show
2020

Artists for Peace and Justice, Jackson Browne, Jonathan Wilson, Jenny Lewis & Sanba Zao: Lapé, Lanmou

Music Performer
Show
2020

Jenny Lewis: Red Bull & Hennessy

Music Performer
Show
2019

Best of 2019 So Far

Music Performer
Show
2019

Jenny Lewis: Rabbit Hole

Music Performer
Show
2019

A Very Murray ChristmasStream

Music Performer
Movie
2015
68%

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Music Performer
Talk
2015

Hangout Music Fest 2015

Music Performer
Show
2015

The Late Late Show With James Corden

Music Performer
Talk
2015

q

Music Performer
Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Music Performer
Talk
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Music Performer
Talk
2014

Jenny Lewis: She's Not Me

Music Performer
Show
2014

Jenny Lewis: Just One of the Guys

Music Performer
Show
2014

Song One

Original Music
Movie
2014

Very Good Girls

Original Music
Movie
2013

Comedy Bang! Bang!Stream

Guest Star
Series
2012

CBS This Morning: Saturday

Music Performer
Show
2012

ConanStream

Actor
Talk
2010

Gossip GirlStream

Guest Star
Series
2007
84%

American DadStream

Guest Voice
Amy
Series
2005

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

Music Performer
Talk
2005

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Music Performer
Talk
2003

Don's Plum

Actor
Sara
Movie
2001

Once and Again

Guest Star
Series
1999

Get Real

Guest Star
Series
1999
67%

Little Boy Blue

Actor
Traci Connor
Movie
1997

Sweet Temptation

Actor
Jade Larson
Movie
1996

Foxfire

Actor
Rita Faldes
Movie
1996

Talk to Me

Actor
Kelly Reilly
Movie
1996

Runaway Daughters

Actor
Laura Cahn
Movie
1994

Late Night With Conan O'Brien

Music Performer
Talk
1993

Late Show With David Letterman

Music Performer
Talk
1993

Brooklyn Bridge

Actor
Katie Monahan
Show
1991

Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story

Actor
Ellie
Movie
1991

Runaway Father

Actor
Marcia
Movie
1991

Daddy

Actor
Melissa Watson
Movie
1991

Shannon's Deal

Actor
Neala Shannon
Show
1990

BaywatchStream

Guest Star
Alex
Series
1989

Free Spirit

Guest Star
Show
1989

Troop Beverly Hills

Actor
Hannah Nefler
Movie
1989

Shannon's Deal

Actor
Neala Shannon
Movie
1989

The Wizard

Actor
Haley
Movie
1989

L'Enfant génial

Actor
Movie
1989

RoseanneStream

Guest Star
Series
1988
76%

Trading Hearts

Actor
Yvonne Rhonda Nottingham
Movie
1988

A Friendship in Vienna

Actor
Inge Dournenvald
Movie
1988

The Charmings

Guest Star
Show
1987

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Actor
Evangeline 'Little Eva' St. Claire
Movie
1987

The Twilight Zone

Actor
Series
1985

Growing PainsStream

Guest Star
Series
1985

The Golden GirlsStream

Guest Star
Daisy
Series
1985

Mr. Belvedere

Guest Star
Series
1985

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Leslie Walden
Series
1984

Austin City Limits

Music Performer
Series
1976

News aboutJenny Lewis