Jessica Karen Szohr is an American actress. She started her screen career appearing on television shows such as My Wife and Kids, Joan of Arcadia, What About Brian and . She gained recognition in 2007 with her breakthrough role as Vanessa Abrams on The CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl. She has appeared in feature films including the horror film Piranha 3D, the comedy film I Don't Know How She Does It, the comedy film The Internship and the comedy film Ted 2. Her recent television credits include Complications, Kingdom, Twin Peaks and Shameless. In 2018, she joined the cast during the second season of the science fiction series The Orville.
Early life
Szohr was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. She is of Hungarian and African-American ancestry. The oldest of five children, Szohr played soccer, served on the student council, and was part of the cheerleading squad while in school. She started a cleaning company with a friend, cleaning their teachers' houses. Szohr started modeling at age six. Her first national campaign was for Quaker Oats at age ten, and she also appeared in print ads for Kohl's department store. Subsequent modeling gigs followed, including prints for Crate & Barrel, Mountain Dew, Sears, Jockey and JanSport. Szohr graduated from Menomonee Falls High School a semester early and moved to Los Angeles with her mother at the age of 17 to pursue an acting career. She told Seventeen magazine that she "almost moved home like five times." She initially aspired to become an interior designer and had enrolled in Columbia College Chicago, but her agent ultimately convinced her to try pilot season auditions.
Career
Szohr made her debut as an actress in 2003 in an episode of the third season of My Wife and Kids, titled "Not So Hostile Takeover". Her first film was Uncle Nino, playing a minor role as The MC. She appeared in numerous guest teen television series such as That's So Raven, Drake & Josh, What I Like About You, and Joan of Arcadia. She also appeared in three episodes of as Samantha Barrish. In 2007, she appeared in a major recurring role as Laura for six episodes in the ABC dramedy series What About Brian. Along with Stacy Keibler, she played a neighbor to the leading role, Brian O'Hara. She also appeared in the music videos for "Best Days" by Matt White and "Over You" by Daughtry, in which she played Sarah. In the same year,, Szohr earned her breakthrough role on the hit CW teen drama series Gossip Girl. She plays Vanessa Abrams. Szohr said of her character: "Vanessa doesn't change for other people. She says what she thinks. she's just a badass girl from Brooklyn". The portrayal of Vanessa has drawn criticism from Ziegesar. Originally cast as a recurring role, Szohr was promoted to series regular after the season one episode "The Blair Bitch Project" in April 2008. In May 2011, it was confirmed Szohr would not be returning for the fifth season. She returned in for a cameo appearance on the series finale, "New York, I Love You XOXO", on December 17, 2012. Szohr has appeared in small roles in films such as Somebody Help Me, The Reading Room and Fired Up. She signed on to Dimension Films' horror Piranha 3D, in the role of Kelly. The role required her to be underwater; Szohr later told the New York Daily News filming was difficult because she was "not the best swimmer." Filming began in June 2009, and the film was pushed back from its original release date in March to August 2010. She also appeared in a Funny or Die video promoting the film alongside Kelly Brook and others. Szohr was awarded the Breakthrough Actress in Film award at the 2010 Breakthrough of the Year awards for her work in Piranha 3D. In April 2010, Szohr joined the cast of the romantic comedy Love, Wedding, Marriage, along with Mandy Moore and Kellan Lutz. The film began principal photography in April 2010 and was filmed in New Orleans. That same year, Szohr was included on People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People in the World" list. Szohr has a role in the 2012 independent post-apocalypticsci-fi film Hirokin. Her role as Orange has been described as a "cunning temptress". Szohr starred in the 2012 indie drama Art Machine as an outlaw hipster and a pyrotechnic artist. In October 2011, she finished filming a horror comedy film in East Lothian, Scotland titled Love Bite with co-star Ed Speleers. In November 2011, Szohr filmed the drama Light Years in Los Angeles. In 2012, Szohr helped Hayden Panettiere punk Glee actress Dianna Agron. Szohr appeared in Taylor Swift's 2013 music video for the song "22". In March 2013, she was cast as the female lead in the Fox drama pilot The List, playing FBI agent Natalie Voss. However, it was reported on May 8, 2013 that Fox had passed on the pilot. In November 2013, Szohr was cast as Gretchen in USA Network's medical drama pilot Complications. In June 2015, Szohr was set as a recurring on the upcoming second season of DirecTV’s MMA drama Kingdom. Szohr will play Laura Melvin, an artist/photographer who has "read everything, been everywhere," and immediately intrigued by Jay whom she wants to hire for a photo shoot. On February 12, 2018, Szohr was cast as a regular for the second season of the science fiction comedy-drama series The Orville.
Personal life
Szohr enjoys snowboarding, hiking, yoga, and football. She describes her hobbies as a result of her being "from Wisconsin". She also is a Green Bay Packers fan. Szohr describes her real-life fashion as "simple and casual". Speaking to Vogue, she said, "I wouldn't say I'm trendy or follow any particular trends." She has twenty-two tattoos, including her grandparents' anniversary on her left arm and a putto on her foot. She told Parade magazine that, in order to avoid real-life gossip, she does not read blogs. Szohr is a friend of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, Jessica Stam, Nina Dobrev, and Dianna Agron.
