Jenny Slate
Jenny Slate
Jenny Sarah Slateis an American comedian, actress, voice artist and author best known for her role as Donna Stern in Obvious Child, as well as being the co-creator of the Marcel the Shell with Shoes On short films and children's book series. She is also known for her season as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2009 to 2010 and for her appearances in shows such as House of Lies, Married, Parks and Recreation, Bob's Burgers, Hello Ladies,...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTV Actress
Date of Birth25 March 1982
CityMilton, MA
CountryUnited States of America
I really like working. I can't think of a job I didn't like.
TV can be fairly rigid. I've done enough Network TV to know that it's fun but if I have to go somewhere every day maybe it's not the most satisfying [job].
I learned that I was able to focus. I've always thought of myself as somebody who is like either it's there or it isn't there. I really worked at this, and I focused, and I was able to replace self-doubt with focus. That was something new for me to say self-doubt is there, but it does not need to be in the front row. You can ask it to take a back seat and replace that front row seat with focus.
A lot of times what's satisfying to me in comedy is when a woman successfully does self-care.
Not often is there as much of a vulnerable side as there is a funny side.
When I'm on stage, and when I'm comfortable or uncomfortable, I have sort of a knee-jerk reaction to try to make people laugh. It's my version of a handshake to show that I want to make a connection and to show what I'm truly like. It's kind of my statement like, "This is what I'm really like. I'd like you to love me."
I always just wanted to be a movie actress, like Lily Tomlin or Ruth Gordon. I just imagined myself being in a movie, wearing stylish women's clothing the way I saw Amy Irving wearing it.
I want to keep growing and I want to be an actress for as long as I can.
I'd like to be in a female version of The Fugitive. Something where I don't have to be ripped up like an action star, but be a normal, healthy lady who is framed and on the run. I'd have to run from explosions and punch people in the face but not rappel down a building.
I'd like to do a little bit of everything. I think the only thing I can't do is a British accent, so that's out. No Shakespeare for me. Unless it's like one of those modern-day remakes.
I think the main thing that affected my comedy was that my dad slept in a nightgown for most of my childhood. And it was just very funny every single night and made me realize that laughter is fun and nightgowns are cool.
If you make a careless choice, you can really ruin things and it can take awhile for them to repair.
The thing that bubbles up the most when I'm around other people is that I feel a joy of being alive. But I also am a very sensitive person and have many heavier feelings. It can be tiresome after a while to only do comedy, especially after you grow as a person. It starts to feel like you're playing an older version of yourself.
I think the reason I like making movies sometimes more than doing TV is that you have one task, you only have a certain amount of time to do it, and then it is done. And I really like focusing in that way.