 |  | | Full Name: | Jena Malone | | | Birthday: | 11/21/1984 | | | Sign: | Scorpio | | | Eye Color: | Brown Height: 5' 7" | | | Hometown: | Lake Tahoe, Nevada | | | | | Relationship Status: | Jena says she has a boyfriend whom she loves very much. | | | Big Break: | Jessica starred in her first feature film, “Bastard Out of Carolina” (1996) when she was just ten years old. She won a Young Artist Award from the Screen Actors Guild for her powerful performance as a poor girl who suffers horrible abuse. Jena says that her role in that film had a huge impact on her life. | | | Best Known For: | Jena is best known for her independent spirit. She has often chosen to act in serious independent films over movies that were surefire box-office hits. The most costly example of this is her rejection of the role of the President’s daughter in “Air Force One,” starring Hollywood’s greatest draw, Harrison Ford. In an interview she gave on the occasion of the release of “The United States of Leland” (2003), Jena said, “Some of the most incredible experiences I’ve had are with first time directors and writers, people who have actually written scripts and don’t have the regular chains of Hollywood tying them down.” | | | Cool Facts: | At age 15, Jena filed a lawsuit against her mother, Debbie, whom she accused of wasting her film earnings. Although the family was not poor, her mother was spending them into debt, and Jena found herself forced to take roles she did not feel were good for her career. She was granted legal separation in 2000, and her mother was thereafter barred from controlling her finances or her career direction.
Jena says she has only met her father once.
Jena enjoys listening to the blues songs of Nina Simone.
Jena is an atheist, but says she gained valuable perspective on the depth of religious feelings when she was “saved” three times during the course of preparing for her role in “Saved!” (2004).
Jena had a great time off the set of “Saved!” with her co-stars Macaulay Culkin and Mandy Moore. | | | Quick Bio: | Jena was raised by a singer mother on welfare, and was largely home-schooled. She claims that she lived in 27 different places before she reached the age of nine. Jena got the acting bug from her mother, who performed in community theater productions. After her mother’s lesbian roommate was arrested for drug possession, Jena convinced her to move to Los Angeles, where it would be easier for her to find work as an actress. Her first on-camera role was a cameo appearance in the TV series “Chicago Hope.” Jena’s success in Angelica Huston’s “Bastard Out of Carolina” was followed by roles in many other feature films, including “Donny Darko” (2002), “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys” (2002), and “Saved!” (2004). She has appeared in two movies with megastar Jodie Foster, with whom she is often compared, and Jena already has more than 30 screen credits on her resume. In 2003, Jena took photography courses at a California community college. She says that her eventual goal is to become a director. Early in 2006, Jena made her Broadway debut in the play “Doubt,” giving what one important critic described as “an astonishing performance.” | | | Other Notes: | Want to have some fun with Jena Malone? Check out her word search puzzle! | | | |
