Jessica Hecht

Last updated

Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht for Make it Fair, smiling.jpg
Hecht in 2015
Born (1965-06-28) June 28, 1965 (age 58)
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Education Connecticut College
New York University (BFA)
Occupation
  • Actress
Years active1990–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1995)​
Children2

Jessica Hecht (born June 28, 1965) [1] is an American actress and singer known for her roles as Gretchen Schwartz on Breaking Bad , Susan Bunch on Friends , Carol on The Boys , and Karen on Special. She is also known for her expansive work on Broadway, earning Tony Award nominations for her roles in A View from the Bridge (2010) and Summer, 1976 (2023).

Contents

Early life and education

Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey. When she was three, she moved with her parents and sister to Bloomfield, Connecticut. After her parents divorced, her mother married psychiatrist Howard Iger, and they raised Jessica and her sisters Elizabeth and Andrea, and her brother, Russell. Hecht attended Connecticut College for a year and a half before graduating from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 1987 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama. [2] [3]

Hecht was raised in a culturally Jewish family, with a secular socialist father, but nonetheless expressed interest in religion and had a Bat Mitzvah. [4] [5] She has stated that she is Reconstructionist Jewish and "fairly spiritual". [6]

Career

Hecht has appeared in numerous television series, including Dickinson , Bored to Death , Red Oaks , Jessica Jones , The Loudest Voice , and Succession . In 2020 she played Sonya Barzel on The Sinner, and was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Series in 2019 for her role as Karen in the Netflix series Special . [7] She is known for her roles as Gretchen Schwartz on Breaking Bad (5 episodes) and Susan Bunch, the wife of Ross Geller's ex-wife Carol Willick, on Friends (12 episodes). [8] She was also a featured cast member in the Jonathan Silverman sitcom The Single Guy . [2] [9]

Hecht had the supporting role of Amy Burns in the comedy drama Dan in Real Life (2007), with Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche. She also appeared in Whatever Works , Sideways , and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood .

At the 2010 Tony Awards, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, for her role in A View from the Bridge . In 2012, she performed on Broadway with Jim Parsons in Harvey . [10] In 2016, she played Golde in the 2015 Bartlett Sher-directed revival of Fiddler on the Roof at the Broadway Theatre, and was in The Price with Mark Ruffalo, in 2017. At the 2018 Obie Awards for Off-Broadway productions, she won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for her performance in Admissions at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. [11] At the 2023 Tony Awards, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, for her role in Summer, 1976 . [12]

In 2017, she and producer Jenny Gersten founded The Campfire Project, a theatre based wellness project that creates plays in refugee camps. [13]

Personal life

Hecht has been married to director Adam Bernstein since August 1995. [2] The couple has two children together, Stella and Carlo, who were both teenagers as of 2013. [4] [5]

Theatre roles

YearTitleRoleVenue
1990 Othello Bianca Classic Stage Company
1997PlungeVal Nyquist Playwrights Horizons
The Last Night of Ballyhoo Lala Levy Helen Hayes Theatre
1998 Stop Kiss Callie The Public Theater
The Most Fabulous Story Ever ToldMabel Williamstown Theatre Festival
1999Lobster AliceAlice Horowitz Playwrights Horizons
2002The Fourth SisterWiera Vineyard Theater
2003 Flesh and Blood Susan New York Theatre Workshop
2004 After the Fall Louise American Airlines Theater
2006The House in TownAmy Hammer Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater
2005 Julius Caesar Portia / Ensemble Belasco Theater
2007Howard KatzJess Laura Pels Theater
2009 Brighton Beach Memoirs Blanche Morton Nederlander Theater
The Torch-Bearers Mrs. Ritter Williamstown Theatre Festival
2010 A View from the Bridge Beatrice Cort Theater
2011 Three Sisters Olga Prozorov Classic Stage Company
2012 Harvey Veta Louise Simmons Studio 54
2013 The Assembled Parties Julie Bascov Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
2014Stage KissShe Playwrights Horizons
King Lear Regan Delacorte Theater
2015 Fiddler on the Roof Golde Broadway Theater
2017 The Price Esther Franz American Airlines Theater
2018AdmissionsSherri Rosen-Mason Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater
2022 The Orchard Lyubov Ranevskaya Baryshnikov Arts Center
2023Letters From Max Sarah Ruhl Signature Theatre Company
Summer, 1976 Alice Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995Joe's Rotten WorldAnnie
1995 Kicking and Screaming Airline ticket saleswoman
1998 Anarchy TV Natalie
1999JumpCarol
2004 Saving Face Randi
Sideways Victoria Cortland
The Forgotten Eliot
2005At LastLaura
2006RabbitsWifeShort film
2007 Starting Out in the Evening Sandra Bennett
Dan in Real Life Amy Burns
2008 Quid Pro Quo Edie
Calling It QuitsCynthia
2009 The Winning Season Stacey
ReunionBeth
Whatever Works Helena
2010 Helena from the Wedding Lynn
Fair Game Sue
My Soul to Take May Hellerman
2011 J. Edgar Emma Goldman
The Sitter Sandy Griffith
2012The ArmMrs. BearmushShort film
The Magic of Belle Isle Karen Loop
The ComposerPiccolo PlayerShort film
Good SisterHelene ShusterShort film
2013 Northern Borders Liz Kittredge
Space CadetLinda Agnello
The English Teacher Principal Trudie Slocum
2014Le RefugeGemmaShort film
The Sisterhood of Night Sue Parris
2015 Anesthesia Jill
2018 Write When You Get Work Ellen Hazard
Banana Split Susan
2019 The Sunlit Night Mirela
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Lila Vogel
2020The Atlantic City StoryJane

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 Lois & Clark Female StafferEpisode: "Madame Ex"
Seinfeld LindsayEpisodes: "The Couch", "The Gymnast"
Party of Five AmandaEpisode: "Something Out of Nothing"
1994–2000 Friends Susan Bunch 12 episodes
1995 The Wayans Bros. Agent JohnsonEpisode: "First Class"
The Heidi Chronicles ChloeTelevision film
AphrodisiaRachel's FriendEpisode: "Dominatrix"
1995–1996 The Single Guy Janeane Percy-ParkerMain role; 22 episodes
1996 Harvey Miss Ruth KellyTelevision film
The Christmas Tree Sister MaryTelevision film
Intimate BetrayalKatieTelevision film
1997 Promised Land MarieEpisode: "Independence Day"
Early Edition AbbyEpisode: "A Bris Is Just a Bris"
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Miss KreutzerEpisode: "Uncivilized"
Homicide: Life on the Street Sister Mary CatherineEpisode: "Forgive Us Our Trespasses"
2001 What About Joan? Betsy MorganMain role; 13 episodes
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Meredith BreenEpisode: "Undaunted Mettle"
2004 Century City Rose KrellEpisode: "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Lose"
The Jury Mrs. SheridanEpisode: "Three Boys and a Gun"
2005 ER Stephanie Lowenstein2 episodes
2006 3 lbs Rebecca EllisEpisode: "Heart Stopping"
2008 Eleventh Hour Mrs. Beatrice BrownEpisode: "Cardiac"
2008–2013 Breaking Bad Gretchen Schwartz 5 episodes
2009 Law & Order Miriam JohnsonEpisode: "Chattel"
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice Stephanie MortonTelevision film
U.S. AttorneyDr. Amy WebberUnaired pilot
2010 The Good Wife Carla BrowningEpisode: "Infamy"
Medium Judy BennetteEpisode: "The Match Game"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Carly BeckEpisode: "Cold Blooded"
Bored to Death Dr. Donna Kenwood3 episodes
2011 Nurse Jackie MimiEpisode: "Enough Rope"
Spring/FallUnknownUnaired pilot
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jillian WebsterEpisode: "Vanity's Bonfire"
2013 Elementary Patricia EnnisEpisode: "The Deductionist"
2013–2015 Person of Interest Beth Bridges / Psychiatrist3 episodes
2014 Manhattan Miriam RubinsEpisode: "The Second Coming"
2015 Limitless Ubient WorkerEpisode: "Side Effects May Include..."
Jessica Jones Audrey EastmanEpisode: "AKA 99 Friends"
2016 The Interestings Lois JacobsonTelevision film
Falling Water Miranda2 episodes
2016–2017 Red Oaks Rebecca Horowitz10 episodes
2017 Madam Secretary Julia MacDonaldEpisode: "Persona Non Grata"
Blindspot Dr. Margaret PalmerEpisode: "Fix My Present Havoc"
The TapSophie ButlerUnaired pilot
2018 High Maintenance LaurieEpisode: "Ghost"
Quantico Elizabeth NuttingEpisode: "The Blood of Romeo"
2019 The Loudest Voice Nancy Erika Smith2 episodes
Succession Michelle Pantsil2 episodes
The Affair CarolinaEpisode: "505"
2019–2021 Dickinson Aunt Lavinia4 episodes
Special Karen HayesMain role; 16 episodes
2020 Little America ProfessorEpisode: "The Cowboy"
High Fidelity Rob's MomEpisode: "Fun Rob"
The Boys Carol Mannheim5 episodes
2020–2021 The Sinner Sonya BarzelMain role; 13 episodes
2021 Younger Susan AbbottEpisode: "Fallout"
Hudson FallsLaura WalshEpisode #1
10 DaysCheryl MilesMain role
2022 Super Pumped Amy Gurley2+ episodes
2022-2024 Tokyo Vice Jake’s Mother / Willa Adelstein6 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995Terror T.R.A.X.: Track of the VampireWendolyn
The Dark Eye Unknown

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References

  1. ↑ "Almanac: Today's Birthdays". Dubuque Telegraph-Herald. June 28, 2023. p. A3. ProQuest   2830448618. Actor Kathy Bates is 75. Actor Alice Krige is 69. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway is 63. Jazz singer Tierney Sutton is 60. Actor Jessica Hecht is 58. Rock musician Saul Davies (James) is 58. Actor Mary Stuart Masterson is 57. Actor John Cusack is 57. See also:
    • "ALMANAC: [ALL EDITIONS]". Newsday. June 28, 1998. ProQuest   279065090. Kathy Bates, 50, Jessica Hecht ("Friends"), 33, Mary Stuart Masterson, 32, John Cusack, 32
  2. 1 2 3 Keveney, Bill (January 17, 1996). "A Single Goes Double" . Hartford Courant . Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  3. ↑ Lefkowitz, David (January 18, 2000). "Playbill On-Line's Brief Encounter with Jessica Hecht". Playbill . Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Elkin, Michael (January 14, 2010). "'Bridge' Works". The Jewish Exponent . Archived from the original on June 14, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Schleier, Curt (April 16, 2013). "Jessica Hecht Talks Broadway vs. Hollywood". The Jewish Daily Forward . Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Jessica Hecht on Broadway's 'The Assembled Parties'" . The Wall Street Journal . April 17, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  7. ↑ Schaffstall, Katherine (August 30, 2019). "Emmys: 46 of This Year's First-Time Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Jessica Hecht Buys Flat in Landmark Building" . The New York Times . May 20, 2010. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  9. ↑ Kolson, Ann (September 28, 1997). "Up & Coming: Jessica Hecht; Working All the Time Is Her Idea of Fun" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  10. ↑ Isherwood, Charles (June 14, 2012). "Hope Is a Thing With Long, Fuzzy Ears" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  11. ↑ "2018 Obies Winners and Performances". obieawards.com (Press release). American Theatre Wing. May 19, 2018. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent (May 2, 2023). "Tony Award Nominations 2023: 'Some Like It Hot' Dominates, Followed by '& Juliet,' 'Shucked,' 'New York, New York'". Variety . Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  13. ↑ "The Campfire Project". campfire-project.org. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
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