Jennifer Ponton (born June 27, 1984) is an American actress, screenwriter and producer, best known for portraying Rubi in the AMC series '' Dietland''.
Early life
Ponton is an only child raised in
Bloomsbury, New Jersey
Bloomsbury is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 870,Phillipsburg High School, where she was active in the New Jersey Speech and Debate Forensics League, as well as drama club and musical groups. She is a 2006 graduate of
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Ramapo College of New Jersey (RCNJ) is a public liberal arts college in Mahwah, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. As of the fall 2021 semester, there were a total of 5,732 students enrolled at the college, ...
, where she earned her BA in Theatre.
Career
Ponton began her career in 2010 with a guest role on the episode "
Reaganing
"Reaganing" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 85th overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Todd Holland. It original ...
" on ''
30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', ta ...
'' opposite Kelsey Grammer. She went on to make recurring appearances on '' Law & Order: SVU,
The Heart She Holler
''The Heart, She Holler'' is an American horror comedy television series created by Vernon Chatman and John Lee for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series premiered on November 6, 2011 and ended on December 11, 20 ...
,'' and '' The Slap,'' as well as guest appearances on ''
Boardwalk Empire
''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s ...
'', ''
The Good Wife
''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in ...
'', ''
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' is an American streaming television sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring Ellie Kemper in the title role. It premiered on March 6, 2015, on Netflix and ran for four seasons, ending on January 2 ...
The Blacklist
''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington ( James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily s ...
.'' In 2018 she portrayed body positive activist Rubi on the AMC drama '' Dietland.'' Ponton also starred in the 2016 film ''Love on the Run'' opposite Steve Howey and
Frances Fisher
Frances Louise Fisher (born May 11, 1952) is a British-born American actress. She began her career in theatre and later starred as record executive Suzette 'Red' Saxon in the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Guiding Light'' (1985). In film, she is ...
, and she has narrated Jennifer Weiner's ''The Littlest Bigfoot'' audiobook series. On stage, she originated the role of Dorrie in Halley Feiffer's ''How to Make Friends and then Kill Them'' at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre. She is a member of the Television Academy.
She is a body positivity and fat acceptance activist, having spoken at length about the importance of size inclusion in entertainment. She was also a featured activist and speaker at the 2018 TCF Style Expo and the 2018 CurvyCon.
Ponton is also the co-creator and star of the puppet-led web series ''The Weirdos Next Door.''
Personal life
Ponton and her husband have been residents of the Budd Lake section of
Courier News
The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927.
Notable employees
*John Curley, former pre ...
'', November 17, 2014. Accessed September 4, 2019. "Mount Olive – Budd Lake's Jen Ponton has had a great few years, but she says the best is yet to come."