Jenna Elfman
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Mary "Jenna" Elfman (née Butala; born September 30, 1971) is an American television and film actress. She is known for her role as Dharma on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...

and as Billie on the short-lived CBS sitcom Accidentally on Purpose
Accidentally on Purpose (TV series)
Accidentally on Purpose is an American television situation comedy series starring Jenna Elfman. It first aired on CBS during the 2009–10 season. and was produced by the CBS in-house production arm. The show is based on the book of the same name by Mary F...

.

Early life

Elfman was born Jennifer Mary Butala in Los Angeles, the daughter of Sue (née Grace), a homemaker, and Richard Wayne Butala, a Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...

 executive. She is of Croatian ancestry on her father's sideElfman, Jenna. (November 21, 2003). "Elfman happily shows her 'Looney' side", Interviewed by Angela Dawson, Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...

. Retrieved on April 23, 2010. Jenna Elfman says of her maiden name (Butala) origin, "It's Croatian. My great-grandparents are from Croatia. My dad visited Croatia and I'd love to go too someday. He met some relatives who have survived some really incredible, traumatic experiences. He was just so blown away by their stamina – their spiritual stamina – to keep going and to survive and create that life no matter what ... It's really commendable."
and was raised Roman Catholic.

Career

Jenna appeared as a dancer in the music video for "Halo", a song by Depeche Mode that was included on the band's 1990 video album Strange Too
Strange Too
Strange Too - Another Violation by Anton Corbijn is the third music video compilation by Depeche Mode, featuring more videos directed by Anton Corbijn, released in 1990....

. She also appeared in the video for Chris Isaak's 1995 single "Somebody's Crying
Somebody's Crying
"Somebody's Crying" is a song by musician Chris Isaak from his fifth album, Forever Blue. The song was released as the album's first single in May 1995. It also appears on his 2006 Best of Chris Isaak compilation. A live version is included on Isaak's 2008 Live in Australia album.-Inspiration and...

".

The short-lived 1996 sitcom Townies
Townies
Townies is an American situation comedy that aired on ABC from September to December 1996. Created by Matthew Carlson, the series stars Molly Ringwald, Jenna Elfman and Lauren Graham.-Synopsis:...

didn't catch on with viewers but did impress critics, particularly the performances of Elfman and co-star Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...

. The next year, Elfman started a five-year run as Dharma in Dharma and Greg. Elfman guest starred in two episodes of Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...

in 2004 and one episode of Brothers and Sisters in 2007. She made a guest appearance in the sixth episode of season four of My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...

as a cheer team leader.

Elfman starred in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 comedy Accidentally on Purpose
Accidentally on Purpose (TV series)
Accidentally on Purpose is an American television situation comedy series starring Jenna Elfman. It first aired on CBS during the 2009–10 season. and was produced by the CBS in-house production arm. The show is based on the book of the same name by Mary F...

. The show was canceled after a single (2009–2010) season.

She appeared in a supporting role in a feature film, Friends with Benefits
Friends With Benefits (Film)
Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The film features an ensemble cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenberg, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins, Emma Stone and Patricia Clarkson...

, starring Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...

 and Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...

, released in 2011. Also in 2011, she returned to Two and a Half Men in Season 9 as a guest star, this time reprising her "Dharma" character together with former co-star Thomas Gibson
Thomas Gibson
Thomas Ellis Gibson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Daniel Nyland in the Medical drama series Chicago Hope, as Greg Montgomery in the comedy series Dharma & Greg, and as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner in the highly-popular CBS drama, Criminal...

 ("Greg").

Personal life

Elfman met her husband, actor Bodhi Elfman
Bodhi Elfman
Bodhi Elfman , also known as Bodhi Pine Elfman, is an American actor.-Career:Elfman has had film roles in Mercury Rising, Collateral, Godzilla and Armageddon, and smaller parts in The Mod Squad, Keeping the Faith and Gone in 60 Seconds.Elfman starred in the UPN television series Freedom, alongside...

, at a Sprite
Sprite (soft drink)
Sprite is a transparent, lemon-lime flavored , caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States in 1961. This was Coke's response to the popularity of 7 Up, which had begun as "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" in 1929...

 commercial audition in February 1991. They married on February 18, 1995, making director Richard Elfman
Richard Elfman
Richard "Rick" Elfman, , is an American film actor, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and magazine publisher.-Family:...

 her father-in-law and noted composer Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...

 her uncle-in-law.

On July 23, 2007, Elfman and her husband's first child, a son, Story Elias, was born in Los Angeles. On September 16, 2009, when Elfman announced she was expecting her second child, she suggested that the pregnancy would help with her role in Accidentally on Purpose
Accidentally on Purpose (TV series)
Accidentally on Purpose is an American television situation comedy series starring Jenna Elfman. It first aired on CBS during the 2009–10 season. and was produced by the CBS in-house production arm. The show is based on the book of the same name by Mary F...

. On March 2, 2010, their son Easton Quinn Monroe was born.

Elfman visited her high school alma mater, the Los Angeles High School for the Arts (LACHSA) in May 2006 to urge students to set career goals and encourage them to persist in their chosen professions.

Scientology

In 2005 she appeared at the Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...

-owned Citizens Commission on Human Rights
Citizens Commission on Human Rights
The Citizens Commission on Human Rights is an advocacy group established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. The group promotes several video campaigns which support views against psychiatry...

' Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death is a museum in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, as well as several touring exhibitions. It is owned and operated by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights , an anti-psychiatry organization founded by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz...

 museum grand opening and she and husband Bodhi are listed on the organization's website as members of the board of advisors from the arts, entertainment and media community.

On May 24, 2006, she was the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Hero Award event in participation with the Scientology-affiliated groups Youth for Human Rights International
Youth for Human Rights International
Youth for Human Rights International is a non-profit organization based at 1954 Hillhurst Ave. # 416 in Los Angeles, California. Founded and largely staffed and financed by Scientologists, its stated mission is "To teach youth around the globe about human rights, thus helping them to become...

 and Artists for Human Rights (AFHR), an organization formed with the purpose of bringing artists together with the common cause of raising awareness of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 around the world. The event took place in Washington, D.C., and was attended by members of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 and the general public. Awards were presented to individuals who through their actions have brought about greater human rights.

On March 27, 2008, she and Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....

 co-hosted the Scientology-affiliated New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project Charity Event at Geisha House in Hollywood, California.

Philanthropy

In February 2006, Elfman donated an hour of her time to be auctioned to the highest bidder on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...

 as part of the "Lunch With A Leader" fundraiser, the proceeds of which benefit the work of Communities In Schools. She participated in the auction in both 2007 and 2008 as well.

Elfman donated her lip print for a limited edition U.S. postage stamp created by Zazzle
Zazzle
Zazzle is an online retailer that allows users to upload images and create their own merchandise , or buy merchandise created by other users, as well as use images from participating companies...

 to celebrate Valentine's Day in both 2007 and 2008. Proceeds for the "Kiss Stamps" went to support the programs of The Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....

 (HSUS). In February 2011, Jenna filmed a PSA for The Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....

 to inspire people to donate to help animals.

As a criminal rehabilitation activist, Elfman has traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for criminal reform. On April 5, 2007, she was presented with the Goodwill Ambassador Award for her work in human rights and criminal rehabilitation at the Women Ambassadors Foundation 12th Annual Conference. On April 9, 2008, she was a guest at the signing of a new bill by U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 that aimed to reduce prisoner recidivism
Recidivism
Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior...

, entitled the Second Chance Act of 2007
Second Chance Act of 2007
-Purpose:The Second Chance Act serves to reform the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.The purpose of the Second Chance Act is to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and assist states and communities to address the growing population of inmates returning to communities...

 .

In September 2008, Elfman joined the Charity Water month-long "September Campaign," asking for donations in lieu of birthday gifts in order to raise money to build freshwater wells in Ethiopia.

On March 2, 2011, Jenna participated in the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...

 (NEA) Read Across America program by reading to school children in Compton, California in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Grosse Pointe Blank
Grosse Pointe Blank
Grosse Pointe Blank is a 1997 American Black comedy film, directed by George Armitage, and starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver.In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Grosse Pointe Blank the 21st greatest comedy film of all time. The film's soundtrack features mainly independent music hits...

Tanya
1998 Dr. Dolittle
Dr. Dolittle (film)
Dr. Dolittle is a 1998 American family comedy film starring Eddie Murphy as a doctor who discovers that he has the ability to talk to animals...

Owl Voice
1998 Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait
Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...

The Angel Uncredited
1998 Krippendorf's Tribe
Krippendorf's Tribe
Krippendorf's Tribe is a 1998 film adaptation of Frank Parkin's novel of the same name, directed by Todd Holland. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss as the eponymous professor, along with Jenna Elfman, Natasha Lyonne, and Lily Tomlin.-Plot:...

Prof. Veronica Micelli
1999 EDtv
EdTV
EDtv is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the Quebec film Louis 19, le roi des ondes , it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Landau, Rob Reiner, Sally Kirkland, Elizabeth Hurley, Clint Howard, and Dennis Hopper.The...

Shari
1999 Venus Venus
2000 Lorelei Voice
2000 Cyberworld
Cyberworld
CyberWorld is a 2000 3-D comedy film shown in IMAX. Several segments originally filmed in 2-D animation are showcased as converted to 3-D format.-Segments:* The "Homer³" segment from The Simpsons, episode "Treehouse of Horror VI"...

Phig Voice
2000 Keeping the Faith
Keeping the Faith
Keeping the Faith is a 2000 American romantic comedy film, written by Stuart Blumberg and directed by Edward Norton. This film was released by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Triple Threat Talent on April 14, 2000....

Anna Riley
2001 Town & Country
Town & Country (film)
Town & Country is a 2001 film starring Goldie Hawn, Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton and Garry Shandling and directed by Peter Chelsom. It is a romantic comedy in which Beatty plays New York City architect Porter Stoddard, with Keaton as his wife and Hawn and Shandling as their best friends. It holds...

Auburn
2003 Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...

Kate
2004 Clifford's Really Big Movie
Clifford's Really Big Movie
Clifford's Really Big Movie is a 2004 American animated film based on the series of children's books drawn and written by Norman Bridwell. This film was directed by Robert C. Ramirez, produced by Scholastic Entertainment in association with Big Red Dog Productions, and originally released to...

Dorothy Voice
2005 Touched Angela Martin Executive producer
2005 What's Hip, Doc? Supermodel Voice
2008 Struck Pregnant date Short film
2009 Ophelia
2009 Love Hurts
Love Hurts (2009 film)
Love Hurts is a 2009 romantic comedy film with Richard E. Grant, Carrie-Anne Moss, Johnny Pacar, Jenna Elfman, Janeane Garofalo, and Camryn Manheim. It was written and directed by Barra Grant.-Synopsis:...

Darlene
2011 Friends with Benefits
Friends With Benefits (Film)
Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The film features an ensemble cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenberg, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins, Emma Stone and Patricia Clarkson...

Annie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...

Ballet Dancer in background 1 episode
1994 Psychedelic girl 1 episode
1995 Lily 1 episode
1995 Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...

Garland 1 episode
1996 Townies
Townies
Townies is an American situation comedy that aired on ABC from September to December 1996. Created by Matthew Carlson, the series stars Molly Ringwald, Jenna Elfman and Lauren Graham.-Synopsis:...

Shannon Canotis 15 episodes, 5 unaired
1996 Murder One
Murder One (TV series)
Murder One is an American legal drama series that first aired on the ABC network in the United States in 1995. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.-Premise:...

Angela Scalese 1 episode
1996 Almost Perfect
Almost Perfect
Almost Perfect is an American situation comedy that aired on the CBS television network from 1995 to 1996.-Synopsis:Almost Perfect starred Nancy Travis as Kim Cooper, a television writer on the hit show Blue Justice who had just been promoted to executive producer, and Kevin Kilner as her...

Becky Toll 1 episode
1997 Jordan 1 episode
1997–2002 Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...

Dharma Finklestein Montgomery 119 episodes
2002 Obsessed Ellena Roberts Television movie
2004 Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...

Frankie 2 episodes
2006 Courting Alex
Courting Alex
Courting Alex is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from January 23, 2006 to March 29, 2006, and was a vehicle for Jenna Elfman of Dharma & Greg fame....

Alex Rose 13 episodes, producer
2007 Brothers & Sisters Lizzie Jones-Baker 1 episode
2008 My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...

Kimmi Himmler 1 episode
2009–10 Accidentally on Purpose
Accidentally on Purpose (TV series)
Accidentally on Purpose is an American television situation comedy series starring Jenna Elfman. It first aired on CBS during the 2009–10 season. and was produced by the CBS in-house production arm. The show is based on the book of the same name by Mary F...

Billie 18 episodes
2011 Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...

Dharma Montgomery Episode: "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt
Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt
"Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt" is the ninth season premiere of the comedy series Two and a Half Men and the first appearance of Ashton Kutcher as Walden Schmidt, "an internet billionaire with a broken heart". It is the 178th episode of the show, and the first episode without former lead...

"
2012 Damages
Damages (TV series)
Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...

TBA Recurring role

External links

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