Jen Ponton

Jennifer Ponton (born June 27, 1984) is an American actress, screenwriter and producer, best known for portraying Rubi in the AMC series Dietland.

Jen Ponton
Born (1984-06-27) June 27, 1984
Bridgewater, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma materRamapo College of New Jersey
Occupation
  • Actress
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active2009–present
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
WebsiteJenPonton.com

Early life

Ponton is an only child raised in Bloomsbury, New Jersey; there she was a 2002 graduate of Phillipsburg High School, where she was active in the New Jersey Speech and Debate Forensics League, as well as drama club and musical groups.[1][2] She is a 2006 graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she earned her BA in Theatre.[3]

Career

Ponton began her career in 2010 with a guest role on the episode "Reaganing"[4] on 30 Rock opposite Kelsey Grammer.[2] She went on to make recurring appearances on Law & Order: SVU, The Heart She Holler, and The Slap, as well as guest appearances on Boardwalk Empire, The Good Wife, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,[5][6] Blue Bloods, Deadbeat and The Blacklist. In 2018 she portrayed body positive activist Rubi on the AMC drama Dietland.[7][8] Ponton also starred in the 2016 film Love on the Run opposite Steve Howey and Frances Fisher, and she has narrated Jennifer Weiner's The Littlest Bigfoot audiobook series.[9] On stage, she originated the role of Dorrie in Halley Feiffer's How to Make Friends and then Kill Them at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre.[10] She is a member of the Television Academy.

She is a body positivity and fat acceptance activist,[11] having spoken at length about the importance of size inclusion in entertainment.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] She was also a featured activist and speaker at the 2018 TCF Style Expo and the 2018 CurvyCon.[20][21]

Ponton is also the co-creator and star of the puppet-led web series The Weirdos Next Door.[22]

Personal life

Ponton and her husband have been residents of the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive Township, New Jersey.[23]

Filmography
Film
Title Year Role Notes
King Kelly 2012 Angela Official selection of 2012 SXSW[24]
Jack & Diane 2012 Stacy Official selection of 2012 Tribeca Film Festival[25]
Free the Nipple 2014 Charlie Distributed by Sundance Selects and IFC[26]
Enchantments 2015 Nancy
Wiener-Dog 2016 Kristy Official selection of 2016 Sundance[27]
Love on the Run 2016 Franny
Split 2016 Maria
Occupy, Texas 2016 Harley
Chuck 2016 PA Official selection of 2016 Tribeca Film Festival[28]
Going in Style 2017 Newlywed Wife
Come on In 2018 Beverly Bitch Pack Best in Show, Bluestocking Film Festival 2018[29]
Television
Title Year Role Channel Notes
Primetime: What Would You Do? 2009 Bride ABC Episode: "Momzilla"
30 Rock 2010 Brenda NBC Episode: "Reaganing" Nominated for an Outstanding Writing Emmy[30]
Law & Order: SVU 2010 Mia NBC Episode: "Gray"
The Heart, She Holler 2011 Grinder Adult Swim 2 episodes
Boardwalk Empire 2012 Student HBO Episode: "You'd Be Surprised"
The Good Wife 2014 Emily Balsam CBS Episode: "We, the Juries"
Believe 2014 Hallway Nurse NBC Episode: Pilot
Blue Bloods 2014 Kasia Mazurski CBS Episode: "Exiles"
The Slap 2015 Janice NBC 3 episodes
Law & Order: SVU 2015 Layla NBC Episode: "Daydream Believer"
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 2016 Debbie Wells Netflix Episode: "Kimmy Meets a Celebrity!"
Deadbeat 2016 Duchess Beatrix Hulu Episode: "The Duchess of Stourbridge"
Orange Is the New Black 2016 Correcticon Check-In Girl Netflix Episode: "We'll Always Have Baltimore"
The Blacklist 2016 Maisy NBC Episode: "Mato"
Dietland 2018 Rubi AMC 3 episodes

References
  1. "Phillipsburg High School grad calls latest role a 'game-changer' for film industry". Dustin Schoof. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  2. Schoof, Dustin. "Bloomsbury native Jen Ponton to appear on NBC's '30 Rock'". lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  3. "Jen Ponton". Success Stories. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  4. 30 Rock episode
  5. Jusino. "Jen Ponton Talks Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". www.themarysue.com. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  6. "Actress Jen Ponton is Tragically Hysterical in 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'". TV.com. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  7. Loeb, Ashley Nguyen, Aviva. "Lily Lines: Nicole Maines to play a transgender superhero on the CW's 'Supergirl'". Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  8. Petski, Denise (2018-03-29). "'Dietland': Campbell Scott, Alanna Ubach, Kelly Hu, 3 More Join Recurring Cast Of AMC Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  9. "Jen Ponton". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  10. "Bloomsbury native and Bergen resident Jen Ponton makes her off-Broadway debut". NJ.com. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  11. "'Dietland' actress Jen Ponton shares why fat women are more than just 'the funny sidekick'". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  12. ""Dietland" Star Jen Ponton on Her New Show, Sizeism, and Why She Wants to Play a Superhero". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  13. "The Sugar Plum Interview: 3 Questions for Jen Ponton". Sarai Walker. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  14. Schumer, Celey (2016-10-07). "Breakout Star Jen Ponton Is Out to Change the Narrative". Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  15. Mazza, Melissa (2017-02-10). "Talking Body Love, Media Sizism and Weirdos With Jen Ponton!". Fattitude. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  16. "What It's Like To Shoot Sex Scenes At A Size 22". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  17. Tonic, Gina. "'Love On The Run' Is A Plus Size Triumph In Film". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  18. "TV star's first sex scene at a size 22 is relatable IRL". Revelist.com. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  19. "Budd Lake actress ready to break out in". Daily Record. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  20. Italie, Leanne (10 September 2018). ""Women Celebrate Size Inclusivity at Alternative Fashion Week"". US News.
  21. "Jen Ponton – TCFSTYLE expo". Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  22. "Puppet web series starring Bloomsbury native to begin its third season". NJ.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  23. Izzo, Michael. "Budd Lake actress ready to break out in Free the Nipple", Courier News, November 17, 2014. Accessed September 4, 2019. "Mount Olive – Budd Lake's Jen Ponton has had a great few years, but she says the best is yet to come."
  24. "Meet the 2012 SXSW Filmmakers #22: Andrew Neel, 'King Kelly'". IndieWire. 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  25. "Jack and Diane: Tribeca Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  26. "'Free The Nipple' Picked Up By Sundance Selects for North American Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  27. Lodge, Guy (2016-01-23). "Sundance Film Review: 'Wiener-Dog'". Variety. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  28. "Chuck | Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  29. "2018 Official Selections". Bluestocking Film Series. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  30. "30 Rock". Television Academy. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
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