Profile of Rashida Jones on Famous Like Me

Rashida L. Jones (born on February 25, 1976 in Los Angeles, California, USA) is an American actress, writer, model and musician best known for her portrayal of "Edie Miller" on the British televison series NY-LON and "Louisa Fenn" on Boston Public. She has also starred in several motion pictures including Little Black Book, Death Of A Dynasty and Now You Know,

Personal Life

Rashida is the youngest daughter of 3 time Golden Globe nominee Peggy Lipton from her marriage to music legend Quincy Jones. In his autobiography, her father recalled how he would often find 5-year old Rashida under the covers after bedtime with a flashlight reading five books. Around the same age Rashida was already playing classical concerts and winning awards. Her mother told Entertainment Tonight, "She's also a fabulous singer and songwriter, so she has inherited it (from Quincy), there's no question about it. Her dad's teaching her how to orchestrate and arrange too." When Rashida was 10, her parents divorced. Her parents resided within a short distance of one another. Rashida lived with her mother while her older sister lived with their father. Her older brother QD3 is also involved in the music business and has produced hip hop acts such as LL Cool J and Tupac Shakur.

Raised in Bel Air, California, Rashida was educated at the prestigious Buckley School of Los Angeles where she triumphed academically and was voted 'Most Likely To Succeed' by her class. In 1997, she earned a B.A. in religion and philosophy at Harvard University.

During her teen years, Rashida made headlines when she famously responded to scathing and lewd remarks made by hip hop legend Tupac Shakur about her father and her parents mixed marriage. She composed an open letter to Tupac that led him to seek her out and apologize. However, in a comedy of errors, Tupac approached Rashida's sister, mistaking her for Rashida, to say he was sorry. They fell in love and were engaged until his tragic murder.

Though Rashida Jones tends to keep a low profile, she has dated several famous actors including Tobey Maguire and Josh Hartnett. She was engaged to DJ Mark Ronson after he gave her a puzzle that spelled out "Will You Marry Me?" but they split a year after the engagement.

Rashida is a passionate philanthropist and has worked hard to promote one of her favorite programs Peace Games, which teaches children to resolve conflict without the use of violence.

Career

While studying at Harvard Rashida appeared in several school theatre productions. She earned rave reviews and made a name for herself as a 'scene stealer'. What initally started off as a hobby became a full time ambition. In 1998, Rashida began her acting career in earnest, appearing in The Last Don. Rashida appeared in Myth America, East Of A and If These Walls Could Talk II and eventually landed the role of Louisa Fenn on Boston Public, which earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination. Though she only had a minor supporting role in the series, Rashida shone and other opportunities quickly surfaced. Rashida veered away from career choices that would stereotype her as another pretty face and sought out well developed characters, often in independent films as well as on the stage.

A versatile entertainer with incredible range, she played every role from the school bully (Freaks & Geeks) to a defeatist fiancé (Now You Know). A true renaissance artist, Rashida has never limited herself to one genre of expression. She sang back up on Maroon 5's hit record Songs About Jane. Rashida is also an eloquent writer and her work has appeared in Teen Vogue. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and contributed to the Grammy Award winning audio version of Q: The Autobiography Of Quincy Jones.

Rashida has modelled for major clothing labels, among them are Triple 5 Soul and The Gap. She has also appeared in editorials for magazines such as In Style and O Magazine. In 2002, Rashida was chosen as on of People Magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People' as well as one of Harper's Bazaar's 'Best Dressed Women In America'.

She is currently playing special government agent Carmen Merced on the new TNT show Wanted.

Filmography

1. Wanted (2005) - Carmen Merced
2. NY-LON (2004) - Edie Miller
3. Little Black Book (2004) - Dr. Rachel Keyes
4. Death Of A Dynasty (2003) - Layna Hudson
5. Now You Know (2002) - Kerri
6. Full Frontal (2002)
7. Roadside Assistence (2001) - Luci
8. Boston Public (2000-2002) Louisa Fenn
9. If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000) - Feminist
10. East of A (2000) - Emily
11. Myth America (1998)
12. The Last Don (1997) (mini) - Johanna

TV Guest Appearances

1. Stella (2005) - "Karen" in episode: "Pilot" (episode # 1.1)
2. Chappelle's Show (2004) - "Woman in 'Love Contract'" (episode # 2.4)
3. Chappelle's Show (2003) - "Pam" (episode # 1.5)
4. Freaks and Geeks (2000) - "Karen Scarfolli" in episode: "Kim Kelly Is My Friend" (episode # 1.4)

Websites

• Rashida Jones Online - The Unofficial Fansite.
• Wanted - Official site for the show.

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