Jane Levy

Jane Colburn Levy ( ; born ) is an American actress. After attending the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, she debuted as the original Mandy Milkovich on the Showtime comedy-drama '' Shameless'' (2011). Levy left ''Shameless'' following its first season to portray the lead of the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory'' from 2011 to 2014. Transitioning to film, Levy collaborated with director Fede Álvarez as the lead of the horror films ''Evil Dead'' (2013) and '' Don't Breathe'' (2016). She returned to television with series regular roles on the Hulu comedy-drama '' There's... Johnny!'' (2017) and horror fantasy '' Castle Rock'' (2018), in addition to headlining the Netflix thriller miniseries '' What/If'' (2019). From 2020 to 2021, Levy portrayed the title character of the NBC musical comedy-drama '' Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist'', for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.

Early life

Jane Colburn Levy was born on December 29, 1989 in Los Angeles, California, the second child of Mary (née Tilbury) an artist and florist, and Lester Levy, a musician turned mediator. Her father is Jewish, and her mother is of English, Scottish, and Irish descent. She has one elder brother, Simon. When Levy was an infant, her family relocated from Los Angeles to northern California, settling in San Anselmo, where she was raised. She attended Sir Francis Drake High School, where she was on the hip hop dancing team and was captain of the soccer team; she began playing soccer at age five.

Levy attended Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, for one year, where she played on the Division III varsity women's soccer team. After experiencing significant depression during her first year of studies, Levy chose to drop out of Goucher College and instead opted to study acting. She subsequently transferred to the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City, where she graduated from the Conservatory.

Career

2010–2015

Levy moved to Los Angeles after two years in New York City. She played the recurring character Mandy Milkovich, her first TV role, during the first season of the Showtime comedy-drama '' Shameless'' in early 2011. In March 2011, she landed the first lead role of her career on the sitcom ''Suburgatory'', with Jeremy Sisto and Cheryl Hines, resulting in Emma Greenwell replacing Levy in her ''Shameless'' role for season 2 onward. On May 9, 2014, ''Suburgatory'' was canceled by ABC after three seasons.

Levy was named by both ''TV Guide'' and TheInsider.com as one of the breakout stars of 2011, and was included on the top eleven list of funniest women compiled by AOL. ''Forbes'' named her as one of the handful of entertainment stars on their list of 30 under 30 who are "reinventing the world" (a list of the brightest stars of the future). Noting that ''Suburgatory'' was "one of the big hits of the new Vseason" and that Levy would be seen in two upcoming films, ''Forbes'' called her "one to watch".

Levy appeared in two films in 2012: '' Fun Size,'' the first feature from ''Gossip Girl'' creator Josh Schwartz, and '' Nobody Walks'' directed by Ry Russo-Young and written by Lena Dunham. Levy later starred in the 2013 remake of the horror classic ''The Evil Dead'', as the drug-dependent Mia, replacing Lily Collins, who had originally been cast. The following year, she starred in two independent films, '' About Alex'' and '' Bang Bang Baby''. In 2015, Levy co-starred opposite Rene Russo and Oliver Platt in '' Frank and Cindy''.

2016–present

In 2016, Levy teamed up again with ''Evil Dead'' director Fede Álvarez, starring in horror film '' Don't Breathe'', which tells the story of three friends breaking into the house of a wealthy blind man. A sleeper hit, ''Don't Breathe'' received critical acclaim and grossed over $156 million. That same year, she starred with Lucas Till in ''Monster Trucks'', Paramount Animation's first live-action/CGI film, directed by ''Ice Age'' Chris Wedge.

In 2017, Levy appeared as Dez in ''I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore'' directed by Macon Blair, and as Elizabeth in an episode of Showtime series ''Twin Peaks.'' In November 2017, Levy starred in Hulu's '' There's...Johnny!'' as Joy Greenfield, the female lead. That year, Levy also co-starred with Glenn Close in the Amazon pilot ''Sea Oak'', written by George Saunders and directed by Hiro Murai.

In 2018, Levy appeared in Sony Crackle's zombie comedy '' Office Uprising'', and starred as Jackie Torrance, niece of Stephen King's Jack Torrance, in Hulu's critically acclaimed '' Castle Rock'', also inspired by King's work. Levy starred in Mike Kelley's Netflix thriller miniseries '' What/If'' alongside Renée Zellweger and Blake Jenner. She appeared in James Franco's romantic drama ''The Pretenders'' as Catherine, the female lead. From 2020 to 2021, she starred as the titular character in '' Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist'' from NBC, which ran for two seasons.

Personal life

On March 3, 2011, Levy married actor Jaime Freitas. According to court documents, the couple separated on October 31, 2011. In April 2013, Levy filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

Levy is currently in a relationship with actor Thomas McDonell. In June 2024, the couple revealed that they are expecting their first child.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Jane
1989 births
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Los Angeles
Actresses from the San Francisco Bay Area
American film actresses
American people of English descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Scottish descent
American television actresses
Goucher College alumni
Jewish American actresses
Living people
People from San Anselmo, California
21st-century American Jews
Archie Williams High School alumni