Jordan Ladd
Encyclopedia
Jordan Elizabeth Ladd is an American actress. She began taking small film roles before landing her first high-profile role in Never Been Kissed
(1999). Since then, Ladd has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films, including Cabin Fever (2002), Club Dread
(2004), and Death Proof
(2007). She has earned acclaim recently for her lead role in the horror film Grace
(2009).
star Cheryl Ladd
and David Ladd
, a producer and former actor. Her parents divorced in 1980. Her paternal grandfather was actor Alan Ladd
, and her paternal grandmother was Sue Carol
(née
Evelyn Lederer), a Hollywood talent agent and actress. She has a stepsister, Lindsay Russell, an aspiring actress. She attended Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, Texas
for one year before dropping out.
. She began acting in film and television while in school, working with her mother in films such as The Girl Who Came Between Them (1990) and Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back (1993). After graduating high school, she took up acting professionally.
In 1994, she guest appeared in the NBC series Saved by the Bell: The New Class
episode "The Return of Screech", and followed that appearance with a role opposite Alyssa Milano
in the horror-thriller feature Embrace of the Vampire
. She was going to play the role of Amy Blue in the teen drama film The Doom Generation
(1995), until her mother vetoed her playing the role, at last minute. She spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in a variety of independent films, including Inside Out, Nowhere
(for which she gained a wider attention), Stand-ins, and Taking the Plunge. In 1999, she landed her first high-profile role as a popular teenager who tortures Drew Barrymore
's character in the teen comedy Never Been Kissed
, during its filming, Barrymore – who also produced the film – asked Ladd if she would like to appear in her film adaptation of Charlie's Angels
(2000), but turned it down. She was voted one of the "100 Sexiest Women In The World" by Stuff
magazine.
She appeared in The Specials
(2000), a comedy about a group of superheroes on their day off; in the film she played a neurotic named Nightbird. That year, she had the starring role as an actress who vying for an Academy Award in E!
first original film Best Actress. Ladd established herself as an independent film actress, appearing in films such as Boys Life 3
and Darkened Room
. She starred as the lead role in Eli Roth
's 2002 horror film Cabin Fever, which was a moderate success at the box office. In 2004, she won the role of Penelope in the horror film Club Dread
, and starred in the direct-to-video
horror Madhouse
. Ladd appeared opposite Anna Faris
, Ryan Reynolds
, and Justin Long
in the independent romantic comedy Waiting..., which opened in the U.S. on October 7, 2005.
After small role in the film Inland Empire
(2006), she was cast as Shanna in Quentin Tarantino
's segment Death Proof
of the film Grindhouse. She won acclaim for her performance as the character Madeline Matheson in the horror film Grace
. It was screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
. In 2010, she starred as Cynthia in Wishing Well, a made-for-television film about a journalist from New York City who gets sent to a small town in Illinois to report on a legendary wishing well. She also stars in a project entitled First Dates, playing the character Joanna.
Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed is a 1999 comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon, Leelee Sobieski, John C. Reilly, Jessica Alba, Marley Shelton, James Franco , Giuseppe Andrews, Jeremy Jordan and Garry Marshall...
(1999). Since then, Ladd has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films, including Cabin Fever (2002), Club Dread
Club Dread
Club Dread is a 2004 comedy horror film written by the comedy group Broken Lizard, who also created Super Troopers...
(2004), and Death Proof
Death Proof
Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car...
(2007). She has earned acclaim recently for her lead role in the horror film Grace
Grace (film)
Grace is a 2009 film written and directed by Paul Solet. It is based on the 2006 short film with the same title that featured Liza Weil and Brian Austin Green. The short film was used to obtain funding for the feature version....
(2009).
Early life and family
Ladd was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
star Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl Ladd is an American actress, singer and author. Ladd is best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the television series Charlie's Angels, hired amid a swirl of publicity prior to its second season in 1977 to replace the departing Farrah Fawcett-Majors...
and David Ladd
David Ladd
David Ladd is an American producer and former actor.-Personal life:Ladd was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of Alan Ladd and Sue Carol and brother of Alana Ladd...
, a producer and former actor. Her parents divorced in 1980. Her paternal grandfather was actor Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
, and her paternal grandmother was Sue Carol
Sue Carol
Sue Carol was an American actress and talent agent.While at a social function in Los Angeles in 1927, a director offered her a part in a film. She took it and began playing minor parts...
(née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Evelyn Lederer), a Hollywood talent agent and actress. She has a stepsister, Lindsay Russell, an aspiring actress. She attended Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
for one year before dropping out.
Career
At the age of 2, Ladd began appearing in commercials. Her first commercial was for PolaroidPolaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
. She began acting in film and television while in school, working with her mother in films such as The Girl Who Came Between Them (1990) and Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back (1993). After graduating high school, she took up acting professionally.
In 1994, she guest appeared in the NBC series Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise...
episode "The Return of Screech", and followed that appearance with a role opposite Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
in the horror-thriller feature Embrace of the Vampire
Embrace of the Vampire
Embrace of the Vampire is a vampire film famous mostly for Alyssa Milano's frequent nude scenes. It was rated R by the MPAA for strong sexuality, and for violence and language...
. She was going to play the role of Amy Blue in the teen drama film The Doom Generation
The Doom Generation
The Doom Generation is a film by director Gregg Araki. Released in 1995, it stars Rose McGowan, James Duval and Johnathon Schaech as two teenagers and a 21-year-old punk drifter who become involved in a ménage à trois. It is the second of a trilogy of films known as the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy,...
(1995), until her mother vetoed her playing the role, at last minute. She spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in a variety of independent films, including Inside Out, Nowhere
Nowhere (film)
Nowhere is a 1997 film by director and screenwriter Gregg Araki. It stars James Duval and Rachel True as Dark and Mel, a bisexual teen couple who are both sexually promiscuous....
(for which she gained a wider attention), Stand-ins, and Taking the Plunge. In 1999, she landed her first high-profile role as a popular teenager who tortures Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
's character in the teen comedy Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed is a 1999 comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon, Leelee Sobieski, John C. Reilly, Jessica Alba, Marley Shelton, James Franco , Giuseppe Andrews, Jeremy Jordan and Garry Marshall...
, during its filming, Barrymore – who also produced the film – asked Ladd if she would like to appear in her film adaptation of Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
(2000), but turned it down. She was voted one of the "100 Sexiest Women In The World" by Stuff
Stuff (magazine)
Stuff is a men's magazine featuring reviews of consumer electronics, and other articles of interest to a predominantly male audience.- UK edition :...
magazine.
She appeared in The Specials
The Specials (film)
The Specials is a 2000 American comedy film about a group of ordinary superheroes on their day off. According to the film, the Specials are the sixth or seventh most popular group of superheroes in the world...
(2000), a comedy about a group of superheroes on their day off; in the film she played a neurotic named Nightbird. That year, she had the starring role as an actress who vying for an Academy Award in E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
first original film Best Actress. Ladd established herself as an independent film actress, appearing in films such as Boys Life 3
Boys Life 3
Boys Life 3 is a compilation of five short films that deal with coming-out and the trials and tribulations of being gay in America.-See also:* List of American films of 2000* Boys Life* Boys Life 2* Boys Life 4: Four Play* Boys Life 5...
and Darkened Room
Darkened Room
Darkened Room is a short 8-minute film directed by David Lynch. It first appeared on Lynch's website, DavidLynch.com, in 2002. It has subsequently been released on the DVD anthology Dynamic:01....
. She starred as the lead role in Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
's 2002 horror film Cabin Fever, which was a moderate success at the box office. In 2004, she won the role of Penelope in the horror film Club Dread
Club Dread
Club Dread is a 2004 comedy horror film written by the comedy group Broken Lizard, who also created Super Troopers...
, and starred in the direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
horror Madhouse
Madhouse (2004 film)
Madhouse is a 2004 horror film, directed and co-written by William Butler and starring Joshua Leonard. It was released directly to DVD on December 20, 2004 in the United Kingdom and on February 22, 2005 in the United States...
. Ladd appeared opposite Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
, Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
, and Justin Long
Justin Long
Justin Jacob Long is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Galaxy Quest, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard, He's Just Not That into You, Drag Me to Hell, and Youth in Revolt, and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a...
in the independent romantic comedy Waiting..., which opened in the U.S. on October 7, 2005.
After small role in the film Inland Empire
Inland Empire (film)
Inland Empire, sometimes styled as INLAND EMPIRE, is a 2006 mystery film written and directed by David Lynch. It was his first feature-length film since 2001's Mulholland Drive, and shares many similarities with that film. It premiered in Italy at the Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2006...
(2006), she was cast as Shanna in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's segment Death Proof
Death Proof
Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car...
of the film Grindhouse. She won acclaim for her performance as the character Madeline Matheson in the horror film Grace
Grace (film)
Grace is a 2009 film written and directed by Paul Solet. It is based on the 2006 short film with the same title that featured Liza Weil and Brian Austin Green. The short film was used to obtain funding for the feature version....
. It was screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
. In 2010, she starred as Cynthia in Wishing Well, a made-for-television film about a journalist from New York City who gets sent to a small town in Illinois to report on a legendary wishing well. She also stars in a project entitled First Dates, playing the character Joanna.
Personal life
She married her longtime boyfriend, singer-songwriter Conor O'Neill in 2001, whom she met on a blind date. The couple divorced in July 2005.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Embrace of the Vampire Embrace of the Vampire Embrace of the Vampire is a vampire film famous mostly for Alyssa Milano's frequent nude scenes. It was rated R by the MPAA for strong sexuality, and for violence and language... |
Eliza | |
| 1997 | Inside Out | Summer | |
| Nowhere Nowhere (film) Nowhere is a 1997 film by director and screenwriter Gregg Araki. It stars James Duval and Rachel True as Dark and Mel, a bisexual teen couple who are both sexually promiscuous.... |
Alyssa | ||
| Stand-ins | Monica-Bette Davis | ||
| 1999 | Taking the Plunge | ||
| Never Been Kissed Never Been Kissed Never Been Kissed is a 1999 comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon, Leelee Sobieski, John C. Reilly, Jessica Alba, Marley Shelton, James Franco , Giuseppe Andrews, Jeremy Jordan and Garry Marshall... |
Gibby Zerefski | ||
| 2000 | Nightbird/Shelly | ||
| Boys Life 3 Boys Life 3 Boys Life 3 is a compilation of five short films that deal with coming-out and the trials and tribulations of being gay in America.-See also:* List of American films of 2000* Boys Life* Boys Life 2* Boys Life 4: Four Play* Boys Life 5... |
Summer | Short film | |
| 2001 | Puzzled | Skye | |
| 2002 | Crazy Little Thing Crazy Little Thing Crazy Little Thing is a 2002 romantic comedy film written and directed by Matthew Miller. The film stars Chris Eigeman and Jenny McCarthy.- Cast :* Chris Eigeman as Jimmy* Jenny McCarthy as Whitney Ann Barnsley... |
Dana | Also known as The Perfect You |
| Darkened Room Darkened Room Darkened Room is a short 8-minute film directed by David Lynch. It first appeared on Lynch's website, DavidLynch.com, in 2002. It has subsequently been released on the DVD anthology Dynamic:01.... |
Girl 1 | ||
| Cabin Fever | Karen | ||
| 2004 | Club Dread Club Dread Club Dread is a 2004 comedy horror film written by the comedy group Broken Lizard, who also created Super Troopers... |
Penelope | Also known as Broken Lizard's Club Dread |
| Junked | Nikki | ||
| Madhouse Madhouse (2004 film) Madhouse is a 2004 horror film, directed and co-written by William Butler and starring Joshua Leonard. It was released directly to DVD on December 20, 2004 in the United Kingdom and on February 22, 2005 in the United States... |
Sara | Direct-to-video | |
| Dog Gone Love | Arianna | ||
| 2005 | Waiting... | Danielle | |
| 2006 | Inland Empire Inland Empire (film) Inland Empire, sometimes styled as INLAND EMPIRE, is a 2006 mystery film written and directed by David Lynch. It was his first feature-length film since 2001's Mulholland Drive, and shares many similarities with that film. It premiered in Italy at the Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2006... |
Terri | |
| 2007 | Hostel: Part II | Stephanie | |
| Grindhouse | Shanna | Death Proof Death Proof Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car... segment |
|
| 2009 | Grace Grace (film) Grace is a 2009 film written and directed by Paul Solet. It is based on the 2006 short film with the same title that featured Liza Weil and Brian Austin Green. The short film was used to obtain funding for the feature version.... |
Madeline Matheson | |
| 2011 | Wendy | pre-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Waitress | TV movie | |
| 1993 | Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back is a 1993 television film produced and directed by Donald Wrye.- Plot :Ever since Pam Cheney lost her baby during labor, she has been struggling with depression. She is not only supported by her loving, but hard working husband Sean , but also by her friends Ella... |
Waitress | TV movie |
| 1994 | Love Street Love Street "Love Street" is a 1968 song by The Doors which appears on their album Waiting For The Sun. The song was originally a poem written by singer Jim Morrison about the street in Laurel Canyon, California, where he lived with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. Their address was 8021 Rothdell Trail... |
Bordello Player | Episode "Bordello" |
| 1994 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise... |
Debbie | Episode "The Return of Screech" |
| 1997 | Weapons of Mass Distraction Weapons of Mass Distraction Weapons of Mass Distraction is a 1997 film starring Gabriel Byrne, Ben Kingsley, Mimi Rogers, Jeffrey Tambor, and other stars in an ensemble cast, about two media moguls and their fight over ownership of a professional football team... |
Letitia | TV movie |
| 1997 | Total Security | Fiona Richards | Episode "One Wedding and a Funeral" |
| 1998 | Every Mother's Worst Fear Every Mother's Worst Fear Every Mother's Worst Fear is a 1998 made for television movie starring Cheryl Ladd, Jordan Ladd and Ted McGinley. This film is a cautionary tale of cyberspace, kidnapping and the dangers of chat rooms.-Synopsis:... ' |
Martha Hoagland | TV movie |
| 2000 | Best Actress | Amber Lyons | TV movie |
| 2000 | Janet Flanders | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Six Feet Under | Ginnie | Episode "An Open Book" |
| 2005–2007 | Robot Chicken Robot Chicken Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show... |
Various characters | 5 episodes |
| 2007 | It Was One Of Us | Avis Monroe | TV movie |
| 2009 | Wishing Well Wishing Well "Wishing Well" is a song of Sananda Maitreya for the album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, and hit number one on both the Soul Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 on .... |
Cynthia Tamerline | TV movie |