Jenny Slate

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Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate in Venice, CA
Born Jenny Slate
March 25, 1982 (1982-03-25) (age 29)
Milton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation Actress/Comedienne
Years active 2007–present

Jenny Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress and comedienne best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2009–2010, her recurring role as Stella on the HBO comedy Bored to Death and for her series of Marcel the Shell With Shoes On books and short films.

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[edit] Early life

Slate was born in Milton, Massachusetts to parents Nancy Slate and Ron Slate,[1] a Massachusetts-based poet and author. She has two sisters, Abigail and Stacey,[2] and is Jewish. After graduating from Milton Academy as the valedictorian,[1] she attended Columbia University, where she helped form the improv group Fruit Paunch,[3] and starred in the Varsity Show.[4] Slate graduated from Columbia University in 2004.[2][5]

[edit] Career

Slate performing with Gabe Liedman in 2007

Alongside comedian Gabe Liedman, Slate is half of the comedy duo Gabe & Jenny.[6] Their show with Max Silvestri, Big Terrific, was named best new variety show of 2008 by Time Out New York.[7] She met Liedman in 2000 while attending Columbia University.[8] They describe their relationship as a "nonsexual romance", and Slate says "I like to think of us as kind of like Elaine Benes and George Costanza, but we like each other."[1]

Prior to joining SNL, Slate was best known as a regular commentator on many VH1 talking head commentary programs.[1] In early 2009 Slate had made several appearances on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon recurring sketch 7th Floor West where she played an NBC page, later promoted to Fallon's assistant (also named Jenny),[9] and she also had recurring roles on HBO's Bored to Death (as Stella)[5][10] and on the FOX sitcom Brothers.[5] Slate also starred in the 2009 short film Obvious Child.[11] She made her feature film debut with a supporting role in 2011's Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked.

Throughout 2008 and 2009 Slate regularly performed her one-woman show, Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCBT) in New York City.[12] She also performed the stage show at UCBT's Los Angeles division for a number of weeks in early 2010.

In August 2010, Slate co-wrote and voiced the stop-motion short film "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On", directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp, about a shy, shoe-wearing shell, which garnered unexpected viral success. This led to a follow-up, "Marcel the Shell with Shoes on, Two," video released on November 14, 2011.[13][14]

Slate also wrote a "Marcel" themed children's book that was released on November 1, 2011.[15] Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp are currently working on a second "Marcel" book to be released in 2012.

Slate's first major movie role was as the quirky Zoe in the third Alvin and the Chipmunks film, Chipwrecked, with more films to follow in 2012.

[edit] Saturday Night Live

Slate joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for one season in 2009–2010.[3][9] In her first episode, she accidentally said "fucking" during her debut sketch "Biker Chick Chat," which was heard on the live broadcast, but removed from all future reruns.[16][17] On SNL, she impersonated celebrities such as Olympia Snowe, Lady Gaga, Ashley Olsen (alongside Nasim Pedrad as Mary-Kate Olsen), and Kristen Stewart. Her best known recurring character was Tina-Tina Chaneuse, an infomercial pitchwoman of unspecified Latino heritage who advertises personalized doorbells, car horns and alarm clocks.[18]

Despite having a recurring character, her contract was not renewed for another season and she (along with Will Forte, who, after eight years, was leaving the show for other projects) left the show.[19]

[edit] Personal life

Slate lives in Brooklyn, New York and is engaged to filmmaker Dean Fleischer-Camp,[20] who has directed many of Slate's short films, including "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On".

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Questions For: Jenny Slate". Boston Daily. 27 February 2009. http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/boston_daily/2009/02/27/questions-for-jenny-slate/. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  2. ^ a b Kurtz Ferrari, Kathy (24 September 2009). "Jenny Slate Joins the Cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’". Milton Times. http://www.miltontimes.com/DOTnet-frontJUMPS-JennySlate.html. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  3. ^ a b "Jenny Slate". Saturday Night Live. http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/bios/jenny-slate.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-28. 
  4. ^ Fitzner, Ana (3 May 2002). "Varsity Show Reach Exceeds Its Grasp". Columbia Spectator. http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2002/05/03/varsity-show-reach-exceeds-its-grasp. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  5. ^ a b c "Vulture Interviews New Saturday Night Live Cast Member Jenny Slate". Vulture (New York Magazine). 11 September 2009. http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/09/vulture_interviews_new_saturda.html. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  6. ^ Parker, Billy (10 June 2009). "Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate, Comedians". Gothamist. http://gothamist.com/2009/06/10/gabe_liedman_and_jenny_slate_comedi.php. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  7. ^ Borden, Jane (December 2008). "Comedy: The best (and worst) of 2008". Time Out New York. http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/comedy/69876/comedy-the-best-and-worst-of-2008. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  8. ^ Karakh, Ben (4 May 2007). "Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate, A Night with Gabe and Jenny". Gothamist. http://gothamist.com/2007/05/04/gabe_liedman_an.php. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  9. ^ a b Bryant, Adam (2009-09-09). "Saturday Night Live Adds Two New Cast Members". tvguide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/SNL-New-Cast-1009401.aspx. 
  10. ^ Barrett, Annie (9 November 2009). "'Bored to Death': Jenny Slate, please come back". PopWatch (Entertainment Weekly). http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/09/bored-to-death-jenny-slate-hbo/. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  11. ^ Johnson, Kjerstin (2 October 2009). "New short film is cute, quirky, and candid. And it's about abortion.". Bitch Magazine. http://bitchmagazine.org/post/obvious-child. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  12. ^ "Jenny Slate". Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/performers/3982. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  13. ^ Lyons, Margaret (17 August 2010). "Jenny Slates's 'Marcel the Shell with Shoes On' is fantastic". PopWatch (Entertainment Weekly). http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/17/jenny-slatess-marcel-the-shell-with-shoes-on-is-fantastic/. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  14. ^ Matheson, Whitney (29 August 2010). "Exclusive: 'SNL' star Jenny Slate chats about 'Marcel the Shell'". Pop Candy (USA Today). http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2010/08/exclusive-snl-star-jenny-slate-chats-about-marcel-the-shell/1. Retrieved 30 August 2010. 
  15. ^ Swerdloff, Alexis (2010-11-03). "Jenny Slate Emerges From Her Shell ... As A Shell". Papermag.com. http://www.papermag.com/arts_and_style/2010/11/jenny-slate-emerges-from-her-shellas-a-shell.php. Retrieved 2011-02-24. 
  16. ^ "‘Saturday Night Live’ starts season with F-bomb". Associated Press. 28 September 2009. http://www.pbpulse.com/tv/saturday-night-live/2009/09/28/saturday-night-live-starts-season-with-f-bomb/#more-32270. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  17. ^ Hollowell, Jenny (13 December 2009). "TV Moment of 2009: Jenny Slate Drops the F-Bomb on 'SNL'". TV Squad. http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/12/13/jenny-slate-drops-the-f-bomb-on-snl/. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  18. ^ Anne, Sarah (2010-09-08). "Celebritology 2.0 – Jenny Slate leaves 'Saturday Night Live,' and we ask, what went wrong?". Voices.washingtonpost.com. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/09/jenny_slate_leaves_saturday_ni.html. Retrieved 2011-02-24. 
  19. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2010-09-07). "'Saturday Night Live' Cast Adds Four and Loses One More - NYTimes.com". Artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/saturday-night-live-cast-adds-four-and-loses-one-more/. Retrieved 2011-02-24. 
  20. ^ Killoran, Ellen (2011-05-25). "The Rise and Fall and Rise of Jenny Slate". L Magazine. http://www.thelmagazine.com/gyrobase/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-jenny-slate/Content?oid=2104645&storyPage=1. Retrieved 2011-06-19. 

[edit] External links

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