An ebullient actress who garnered fame with her role as a buoyant free-spirit on ABC’s popular romantic comedy series “Dharma & Greg” (1997-2002), statuesque blonde actress Jenna Elfman broke through as a stand out member of the cast of the failed sitcom “Townies” (ABC, 1996). A professional dancer who made the switch to acting in the early 1990s, Elfman did extensive commercial work before landing her first series jobs, making guest appearances in the 1995-1996 season on the ABC series “Roseanne”, “NYPD Blue”, “The Monroes” and “Murder One” and the CBS sitcom “Almost Perfect”. A role as a drug counselor in the NBC TV movie “Her Last Chance” came in 1996 as well, before the charismatic actress auspiciously landed a regular role as the boy-crazy Shannon, one of three young working class waitresses in the Molly Ringwald sitcom vehicle “Townies”. Although short-lived, “Townies” proved a big break for Elfman, who impressed ABC executives with her scene-stealing turn and signed her own sitcom deal before the last “Townies” episode aired.
This deal led to the popular ABC series “Dharma & Greg”, a playfully romantic chronicle of an odd couple’s happy marriage. Elfman played Dharma, the impossibly energetic and effervescent daughter of hippies who marries blueblood lawyer Greg (Thomas Gibson) in an act of spontaneity much to the chagrin of his ultra conservative parents. The likable sitcom was highly rated, and Elfman quickly emerged as the show’s comedic crux, with Gibson’s Greg playing handsome straight man. Elfman flourished on the series, and won much praise and publicity for this long-running high profile role.
Happy with her small screen role and its success, Elfman nevertheless sought to expand her career to the arena of film. Her first role came in 1997, with a cameo in the acclaimed John Cusack starrer “Grosse Pointe Blank”. The actress followed up with a starring role as an obnoxious graduate student opposite Richard Dreyfuss in the comedy misfire “Krippendorf’s Tribe” (1998). In the summer of 1998, Elfman had an uncredited cameo in the high school graduation party-set comedy “Can’t Hardly Wait” as a straight-shooting stripper in the guise of an angel who advises a love struck teen (Ethan Embry). That same year, she voiced the owl in the remake of “Dr Dolittle”, starring Eddie Murphy. In 1999, she made her starring feature debut opposite Matthew McConaughey in Ron Howard’s “EDtv”, a look at media frenzy, following a man (McConaughey) who agrees to have his life videotaped for a cable television station. Elfman played Ed’s self-conscious love interest, a UPS worker who is uncomfortable with the constant camera presence. The actress was next featured in the marriage and midlife crisis-themed comedy “Town and Country”, alongside Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton, and appeared in the triangular romance “Keeping the Faith” (both 2000), Edward Norton’s directorial debut which starred Norton and fellow actor-director Ben Stiller as a priest and a rabbi respectively who become rivals for Elfman’s love. Additionally, the actress practiced her craft on stage opposite Miguel Ferrer in the acclaimed “Visions and Lovers”, staged by her acting teacher Milton Katselas.
Elfman displayed a gift for dramatic acting on par with her comedic chops in Lifetime’s “he said-she said” telepic “Obsessed” (2002), playing a seemingly clever and charming woman who insists she had a torrid one-night stand with a prominent doctor (Sam Robards), only to have gradually unveiled facts shed new light on her story. She followed that with a high-profile turn as a Warner Brothers studio exec who makes the grevious error of firing Daffy Duck in the animated/live-action hybrid “Looney Tunes: Back In Action” (2003).
- Also Credited As:
Jennifer Mary Butala
- Born:
on 09/30/71 in Northridge, California
- Job Titles:
Actor, Dancer, Grocery clerk, Jewelry factory worker
Family
- Brother: Rick Butala. older; born in March 1961
- Father: Richard Butala. worked for Hughes Aircraft; married in the 1950s
- Grandmother: Mary Ference Butala. died at age 89 on November 10, 1999 from cancer
- Mother: Susan Butala. married in the 1950s
- Sister: Debbie Butala. older; born in December 1957
- Uncle: Tony Butala. member of the popular 1960s male group The Letterman
Significant Others
- Husband: Bodhi Pine Elfman. born c. 1969; met in 1991; moved in together; he proposed on Valentine’s Day 1992; married c. 1994; nephew of composer Danny Elfman
Education
- Beverly Hills Playhouse, Beverly Hills, California
- California State University, Northridge, Northridge, California
Milestones
- 1991 Appeared as a dancer on the annual Academy Awards telecast
- 1991 Began studying acting with Milton Katselas
- 1991 Met future husband Bodhi Elfman auditioning for a Sprite ad
- 1995 Early TV credit, guest appearance on the ABC drama “The Monroes”
- 1996 TV series debut as regular in the short-lived ABC sitcom “Townies”
- 1996 TV-movie debut in “Her Last Chance” (NBC)
- 1997 Cast opposite Thomas Gibson in the ABC sitcom “Dharma & Greg”
- 1997 Feature film debut in “Grosse Point Blank”
- 1998 Starred opposite Richard Dreyfuss in “Krippendorf’s Tribe”
- 1999 Acted on stage opposite Miguel Ferrer in “Visions and Lovers”, directed by Katselas
- 1999 Co-starred with Matthew McConaughey in “EDtv”, directed by Ron Howard
- 1999 With David Hyde Pierce, served as co-host of the telecast of the Emmy Awards presentation
- 2001 Had featured role in “Town & Country”
- 2004 Guest-starred on two episodes of “Two and a Half Men,” playing a woman who comes between Charlie and Alan
- Began dancing at age five
- Considered becoming a nun as a child
- Danced in music videos, including one for a Depeche Mode song
- Raised in the San Fernando Valley, California
- Studied ballet until age 16; switched to jazz dance
- Toured with the rock band ZZ Top as a “Legs” girl
