Jenna Elfman Biography

Jennifer Mary Elfman (born Jennifer Mary Butala; September 30, 1971) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her role as Dharma on the 1997-2002 American television sitcom Dharma & Greg.

Early life

Elfman was born Jennifer Mary Butala in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of three children, to Sue (Grace) Butala, a homemaker, and Richard Butala, a Hughes Aircraft executive. Her father's younger brother, Elfman's uncle, is Tony Butala, lead singer since 1958 of the American vocal trio The Lettermen. She is of Croatian ancestry on her father's side and was raised Roman Catholic.

Elfman attended high school at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and then attended college at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

Career

Elfman began her professional career as a dancer, appearing in the music videos for Depeche Mode ("Halo" in 1990), Anthrax (1993's song "Black Lodge"), Chris Isaak (1995's "Somebody's Crying") and toured with the rock band ZZ Top on their 1994 tour as a "Legs Girl". After appearing in television commercials, Elfman was cast in the short-lived 1996 American sitcom entitled Townies on ABC . In 1997 Elfman was cast in Dharma & Greg on ABC, as Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery. The show ran for five seasons until its cancellation in 2002.

In 2012, Elfman and her husband Bodhi started their podcast, Kicking and Screaming by Jenna and Bodhi Elfman.

In 2013, Elfman appeared in two NBC comedy series (1600 Penn, and Growing Up Fisher) which were cancelled after a single season.

In 2016, Elfman was cast in the ABC comedy series Imaginary Mary. Like 1600 Penn and Growing Up Fisher, the series was cancelled after its first season.

Personal life

Elfman met her husband, actor Bodhi Elfman, at a Sprite commercial audition in February 1991. They married on February 18, 1995.

On July 23, 2007, Elfman and her husband's first child, a son, Story Elias, was born in Los Angeles. On March 2, 2010, their son, Easton Quinn Monroe, was born.

Scientology

Elfman is a member of the Church of Scientology.

In 2005, Elfman appeared at the Scientology-backed Citizens Commission on Human Rights' "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum grand opening and she and husband Bodhi are listed on the organization's website as members of the board of advisers 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 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 around the world.

On March 27, 2008, Elfman and Charlie Sheen co-hosted the Scientology-affiliated New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project Charity Event at Geisha House in Hollywood.

Fundraising activities

Elfman has participated in a number of fundraising activities, including: donating an hour of her time for auction; donating a print of her lips; participating in a telethon fundraiser; hosting a comedy show; and, asking for charity donations instead of birthday presents.

Elfman has also participated in awareness-raising initiatives including: modelling for a fashion show; reading to schoolchildren as part of the National Education Association Read Across America program; and, hosting a party at her house to raise awareness for a number of causes headed by the Environmental Working Group.

Elfman is on the Board of Directors of the Dizzy Feet Foundation.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Grosse Pointe Blank	Tanya
1998	Dr. Dolittle	Owl	Voice
	Can't Hardly Wait	The Angel	Uncredited
	Krippendorf's Tribe	Prof. Veronica Micelli
1999	EDtv	Shari
	Venus	Venus
2000	'	Lorelei	Voice
	CyberWorld	Phig	Voice
	Keeping the Faith	Anna Riley	Nominated"?Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Comedy/Romance Nominated"?Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2001	Town & Country	Auburn
2003	Looney Tunes: Back in Action	Kate
2004	Clifford's Really Big Movie	Dorothy	Voice
2005	Touched	Angela Martin	Executive producer
	What's Hip, Doc?	Supermodel	Voice
2008	Struck	Pregnant date	Short film
2009	'	Ophelia
	Love Hurts	Darlene
2011	Friends with Benefits	Annie
2014	Big Stone Gap	Miss Iva Lou Wade
2016	Barry	Kathy Baughman

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Murder, She Wrote	Ballet Dancer in background	Uncredited; Episode: "Dance Diabolique"
1994	'	Psychedelic girl	As Jenna Butala; Episode: "George Does A Bad Thing"
1995	'	Lily	Episode: "Bottoms, Up"
1995	Roseanne	Garland	Episode: "The Getaway, Almost"
1996	Townies	Shannon Canotis	Main cast; 15 episodes
1996	Murder One	Angela Scalese	Episode: "Chapter Seventeen"
1996	Almost Perfect	Becky Toll	Episode: "Being Fired Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry"
1996	NYPD Blue	Patty Snow	Episode: "The Nutty Confessor"
1997	'	Jordan	Episode: "Just Friends?"
1997-2002	Dharma & Greg	Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery	Main cast; 119 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy (1999) TV Guide Award for Favorite Actress in a Comedy (1999, 2000) Nominated"?American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication (1999) Nominated"?Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1998, 1999, 2000) Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy (1998, 2000) Nominated"?Satellite Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy (2000, 2001, 2002) Nominated"?TV Guide Award for Favorite Actress in a Comedy (2001)
2002	Obsessed	Ellena Roberts	Television film
2004	Two and a Half Men	Frankie	2 episodes
2006	Courting Alex	Alex Rose	Main cast; 13 episodes
2007	Brothers & Sisters	Lizzie Jones-Baker	Episode: "Game Night"
2008	My Name Is Earl	Kimmi Himmler	Episode: "We've Got Spirit"
2009-2010	Accidentally on Purpose	Billie	Main cast; 18 episodes
2011	Two and a Half Men	Dharma Montgomery	Episode: "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt"
2012	Shameless	Jill	Episode: "Fiona Interrupted"
2012	Damages	Naomi Walling	7 episodes
2012-2013	1600 Penn	Emily Nash Gilchrist	Main cast; 13 episodes
2013	Royal Pains	Lacy	Episode: "Open Invitation"
2014	Growing Up Fisher	Joyce Fisher	Main cast; 13 episodes
2014	So You Think You Can Dance	Herself	Guest judge
2015	The Perfect Stanleys	Ellen	Television film
2017	Imaginary Mary	Alice	Main cast