Jessie Nelson

Last updated

Jessie Nelson
NationalityAmerican
Education University of California Santa Cruz
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer, actress
Spouse Bryan Gordon
Children Molly Gordon

Jessie Nelson is an American film producer, director, actress and writer.

Contents

Career

Nelson began her career acting with the theater group Mabou Mines at the Public Theater in New York and she went on to perform in Shakespeare In The Park.

Nelson began her directing career with the award-winning short film To the Moon, Alice (1990), which she also wrote. The film starred Chris Cooper [1] [2] and was part of a television program for Showtime titled The Showtime 30-Minute Movie. [3]

Her first feature film was Corrina, Corrina (1994) which she wrote, directed, and produced. It starred Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. The film was suggested by her life. [4] [5] She went on to write, direct, and produce I Am Sam (2001) starring Sean Penn. [6]

She received the first Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild for I Am Sam in 2002. [7]

Her most recent film is Love the Coopers (2015), starring a large ensemble cast, including Diane Keaton, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin.

She co-wrote Stepmom (1998) and The Story of Us (1999), and co-wrote and produced Because I Said So and Fred Claus , the latter of which is based on a bedtime story she would tell her daughter. In 2014 she produced Danny Collins which starred Al Pacino and Annette Bening.

She wrote the Broadway musical adaptation of the movie Waitress with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, directed by Diane Paulus, which premiered on Broadway in April 2016. [8] She also co-directed and co-produced the live film recording of the musical's 2021 remounting, which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023. [9] She co-wrote and directed the musical Alice by Heart with Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, which opened Off-Broadway in February 2019. [10]

Nelson co-authored the 2011 children's book Labracadabra (Penguin, 2011, ISBN   0670012513) with Karen Leigh Hopkins.

Personal life

She is married to director Bryan Gordon. They have a daughter, actress Molly Gordon (b. 1995). [11] [12]

She is Jewish. [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1991To the Moon, AliceYesYesNoShort film
1994 Corrina, Corrina YesYesYes Directorial feature debut
1998 Stepmom NoYesNo
1999 The Story of Us NoYesYes
2001 I Am Sam YesYesYes
2007 Because I Said So NoYesYes
Fred Claus NoStoryYes
2015 Danny Collins NoNoYes
Love the Coopers YesNoYes
2023 Waitress YesYesYesLive film recording of her and Sara Bareilles' stage musical
Acting roles
YearTitleRole
1988 Tucker: The Man and His Dream Woman on Steps
1993 So I Married an Axe Murderer Ralph
1999 The Story of Us Realtor

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive
Producer		Notes
1987 Daniel and the Towers NoYesNoTelevision film
1996 Chicago Hope NoStoryNoEpisode: ''Women on the Verge''
2005 Earth to America NoYesNoTelevision special
2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm YesNoNoEpisode: ''Namaste''
2020 Little Voice YesYesYes9 episodes (directed 5 episodes)
Acting roles
YearTitleRoleNotes
1993The SwitchElizabeth GarlandTelevision film
1994Hoggs' HeavenPoetTelevision short film
1997ERBite Victim's MotherEpisode: ''Ambush''

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References

  1. ↑ To the Moon Alice tcm.com, retrieved May 20, 2019
  2. ↑ James, Caryn (October 2, 1991). "Review/Film; 2 Views of the Homeless, One Aggressive, One Gentle". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331.
  3. ↑ Tucker, Ken. The Showtime 30-Minute Movie ew.com, August 17, 1990
  4. ↑ Dutka, Elaine. "The Making of 'Corrina' a Real Labor of Love : Movies: It took Jessie Nelson nine years to get the film made. Its story is taken from her life." Los Angeles Times, September 10, 1994
  5. ↑ Corrina, Corrina tcm.com, retrieved May 20, 2019
  6. ↑ I Am Sam tcm.com, retrieved May 20, 2019
  7. ↑ Goodridge, Sam. " 'I Am Sam' producers win Stanley Kramer PGA prize" screendaily.com, January 31, 2002
  8. ↑ Waitress Playbill (vault), retrieved May 20, 2019
  9. ↑ "Waitress Live Stage Film Starring Sara Bareilles Will Play 2023 Tribeca Film Festival | Playbill".
  10. ↑ Rizzo, Frank. "Off Broadway Review: 'Alice by Heart'" Variety, February 26, 2019
  11. ↑ Cormier, Ryan (October 30, 2009). "'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' Delaware-style". DelawareOnline.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  12. ↑ Nordstrom, Leigh (March 21, 2019). "Molly Gordon, Hollywood's New Comedic Darling". WWD. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  13. ↑ Handler, Rachel (March 26, 2021). "Molly Gordon Didn't Mean to Steal That Scene". Vulture. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
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