Jenna Mattison

Last updated
Jenna Mattison
Jenna Mattison.png
Born
Jenna Mattison Mirza

India
Occupations
  • Actress
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active1995present
Notable workFish Without a Bicycle
The Sound
Spouse
(m. 2013)

Jenna Mattison, born Jenna Mattison Mirza is an American actress, screenwriter, producer, and director.

Contents

Early life

Mattison was born in India, with her family moving to Chicago when she was 7 years old. From an early age, she became self conscious about her ethnicity, growing up in a mostly white neighborhood. She cited her name as one of the reasons she struggled to land acting roles in her early career, and opted to change her stage name to Jenna Mattison. [1]

Early career

Mattison moved to Hollywood in the late 90's, and would her dye her hair while avoiding any sort of natural tan in order to look white-passing. [1] Some of Mattison's early roles included bit parts in Married... with Children, Party of Five and Melrose Place .

While working at The Laugh Factory as a cocktail waitress, Mattison began working on a screenplay, which she viewed catharsis while dealing with an unhappy relationship at the time. After a chance encounter with a Hollywood producer, Mattison's script was greenlit, and the romantic comedy Fish Without a Bicycle was released and published as her first independent film, with Mattison as the lead writer, co-producer, and star of the film. Fish Without a Bicycle premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. [1] [2] Mattison also wrote and produced the 2012 crime drama For the Love of Money, inspired by the real-life story of an Israeli gangster. [3]

Career

Mattison made her directorial debut with the psychological horror film, The Sound , released by MGM Orion and Samuel Goldwyn in 2017. [4] [5] [6] Critics noted lead Rose McGowan's performance, as well as Mattison's focus on atmospheric direction. [7] [8]

In 2021, Mattison was attached as a screenwriter for a film adaptation of Sophie Kinsella's novel Remember Me? [9]

In 2022, Mattison was hired to adapt a New York Times Bestselling novel by James Patterson. [10] In 2024, she adapted Dying to Be Me, New York Times Bestselling memoir by Anita Moorjani, for the screen. [11] In 2025, she adapted Decorum at the Deathbed, a novella by Bird Box author Josh Malerman. [10]

Filmography

Actress

YearTitleRole
1995 Married... with Children Woman In Red
1997 The Single Guy Superwoman
2000 Party of Five Jennifer
2001 The Fighting Fitzgeralds Winnie (pilot)
2001 Alex in Wonder Summer
2003Fish Without a BicycleJulianna Mercer
2005The Third WishMaggie Malone
2006Naked RunMrs. Liverton
2007Death Walks the StreetsAnnie
2008365 DaysJane

Producer

YearTitleRole
2003Fish Without a BicycleCo-Producer
2005The Third WishProducer
2008365 DaysExecutive Producer
2011For The Love of MoneyProducer
2017 The Sound Producer

Writer

YearTitle
2003Fish Without a Bicycle
2005The Third Wish
2011For the Love of Money
2017 The Sound

Director

YearTitle
2017 The Sound

Personal life

Mattison married actor Richard Gunn in 2013. The two currently live in Los Angeles, California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "How I Faked My Race to Make It in Hollywood". Talkhouse. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  2. "New York Times Review by Anita Gate of Fish Without a Bicycle". The New York Times. October 22, 2004.
  3. Genzlinger, Neil (2012-06-07). "Once a Criminal, Hard to Turn Back". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  4. Wyche2017-07-26T17:17:00+01:00, Elbert. "Orion Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films board 'The Sound'". Screen.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "Exclusive: Rose McGowan Teases the Most 'Intense' Scenes From Creepy New Thriller, 'The Sound'". Entertainment Tonight. 29 September 2017.
  6. "Rose McGowan investigates the paranormal in spooky 'The Sound' exclusive clip". EW.com.
  7. Anderson, John (28 September 2017). "'The Sound' Review: Audible Horror". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  8. "Jenna Mattison Pictures and Photos - Getty Images". www.gettyimages.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  9. Vlessing, Etan (2022-02-11). "'Confessions of a Shopaholic' Author Sophie Kinsella's Novel 'Remember Me?' Getting Movie Treatment (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  10. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (2025-04-21). "Jenna Mattison Adapting Josh Malerman's 'Decorum At The Deathbed' For 'Bird Box' Scribe's Spin A Black Yarn". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  11. Grobar, Matt (2024-06-11). "Jenna Mirza Mattison Adapting Anita Moorjani's Cancer Memoir 'Dying To Be Me' For Wonderstreet". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-07-22.