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Jessica Williams (actress)

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Jessica Williams
Williams in 2025
Born
Jessica Renee Williams

(1989-07-31) July 31, 1989 (age 37)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationCalifornia State University, Long Beach
OccupationsActress and comedian
Years active2006–present

Jessica Renee Williams (born July 31, 1989) is an American actress and comedian. She has appeared as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show (2012–2016, 2024–present), as cohost of the podcast 2 Dope Queens (2016–2019), as Lally Hicks in the Fantastic Beasts film series (2018–2022), as Gaby in Shrinking (2023–present), and as Meadow in Entergalactic (2022).

Early life

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Williams was born on July 31, 1989,[1][better source needed] in Los Angeles County, California.[citation needed] She attended Nathaniel Narbonne High School, where she studied drama.[citation needed] She made her television debut as a series regular on Nickelodeon,[citation needed] in the 2006 series, Just for Kicks.[2] In 2012, at 22 years old, she became The Daily Show's youngest correspondent in its history (to that time).[3][4]

Williams attended California State University, Long Beach.[citation needed]

Career

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Williams made her Daily Show debut on January 11, 2012.[citation needed][5][failed verification] Williams is a frequent performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles.[6] Williams also made appearances on Season 3 of HBO's Girls.[7] She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York[8] and Los Angeles, California.[9] She appeared in the film People Places Things. She cohosted the comedy podcast 2 Dope Queens with Phoebe Robinson. Williams appears in an HBO special spun off from the podcast in February 2018.[10] She appeared on her last regular Daily Show episode on June 30, 2016, but returned for guest appearances on April 22, 2024, October 28, 2024, and July 29, 2025.[11][12] She starred in the 2017 Netflix comedy movie The Incredible Jessica James, as a character described by The Guardian as "a struggling Brooklyn-based playwright navigating the murky waters of modern romance while waiting impatiently for her big break."[13]

Williams appeared in the sequels of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as Lally Hicks, a teacher from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[14] In 2023, Williams was a main cast member in the Apple TV+ show Shrinking.[15] For her performance, she earned two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2011 Crying in Public Coffee Shop Crier Short film
2013 Delivery Man Tanya
2015 People Places Things Kat
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Herself Cameo role
Tap Shoes & Violins Charlie Short film
2017 The Incredible Jessica James Jessica James Also executive producer
2018 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Lally Hicks
2019 Corporate Animals Jess
Booksmart Miss Fine
2020 Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia TBA
2022 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Lally Hicks
2024 Road House Frankie

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Just for Kicks Vida Atwood 13 episodes
2012–2016, 2024, 2025 The Daily Show Herself (correspondent) 143 episodes
2014 Girls Karen 4 episodes
2018–2019 2 Dope Queens Herself 8 episodes
2019 The Twilight Zone Rei Tanaka Episode: "Six Degrees of Freedom"
2021 I Heart Arlo Elena Voice role
Love Life Mia Hines Main role
2022 Entergalactic Meadow Watson Voice role, television film
2023–present Shrinking Dr. Gaby Evans Main role

Podcast

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Year Title Role Notes
2016–2018 2 Dope Queens Herself (cohost) Also co-creator, writer, executive producer

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2023 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Shrinking Nominated [16]
2024 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated [17]
2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated [18]
2025 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated [19]
2026 Pending [20]

References

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  1. ↑ Williams, Jessica Renee [@msjwilly]; (July 31, 2018). "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY ... I'm excited for what 29 is going to bring ..." – via Instagram.
    Williams, Jessica Renee [@msjwilly]; (July 31, 2019). "today is my birthday!!!!! Here I am being 30 ..." Retrieved February 10, 2024 – via Instagram. [independent source needed]
  2. ↑ Gilbert, Matthew (April 7, 2006). "'Just for Kicks' shows girls how to get along". The Boston Globe.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ Del Signore, John (January 19, 2012). "Jon Stewart: SOPA Will Drive Us To Libraries "Like A Common Masturbator"". Gothamist. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012.
  4. ↑ Czajkowski, Elise (February 27, 2014). "Talking to 'Daily Show' Correspondent Jessica Williams". Splitsider. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  5. ↑ Daily Show Staff (January 11, 2012). "Indecision 2012-In the South of Madness". The Daily Show. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2026. [Full relevant content of cited URL:] Aasif Mandvi, Jason Jones and Jessica WIlliams provide full coverage on the electoral horrors...Note, this text is a link title that appears in a left-to-right scroll element under the heading, "Best of John Stewart".
  6. ↑ "Jessica Williams". Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  7. ↑ Williams, Lauren (January–February 2014). "The Daily Show's Jessica Williams on Race, Comedy, and Her Role in "Girls."". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ "FACES: THE DAILY SHOW'S JESSICA WILLIAMS INTERVIEW". Nixon. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  9. ↑ 2 Dope Queens Podcast, Episode 28, A Sex Toy in Every Port
  10. ↑ "'2 Dope Queens' Jessica Williams, Phoebe Robinson on Taking HBO by Storm". Rolling Stone. February 2, 2018. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ Rahman, Ray (June 29, 2016). "Jessica Williams is leaving The Daily Show — exclusive". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  12. ↑ "WATCH: Jessica Williams Returns to The Daily Show". LateNighter. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  13. ↑ Nevins, Jake (July 26, 2017). "The incredible Jessica Williams: 'Great comedy comes from feeling like you've gotten punched up'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Jessica Williams Joins J.K. Rowling to Announce Her Fantastic Beasts Character". Vulture. April 22, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Jessica Williams on becoming the standout star of Apple TV Plus' Shrinking". The A.V. Club. February 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ "75th Primetime Emmy Awards". Emmy Awards. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (January 14, 2024). "Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Bear lead 2024 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Nominations Announced for the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards".
  19. ↑ "Emmy nominations 2025: The full list of nominees - BBC News". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  20. ↑ "2026 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
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