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Rashida Jones

b. February 25, 1976

by JWA Staff
Our work to expand the Encyclopedia is ongoing. We are providing this brief biography for Rashida Jones until we are able to commission a full entry.

Rashida Jones in 2007.

Courtesy of Arnold Gatilao via Wikimedia Commons

Rashida Jones has starred in dozens of films but is best known for her roles on TV shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation. Jones is the child of black musician/producer Quincy Jones and Jewish actress Peggy Lipton (known for her roles on The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks). At Harvard, she initially focused on a law career before switching to drama. After performing in a number of student productions, she graduated in 1997 with a degree in religion and philosophy and immediately landed her first role in the miniseries The Last Don. Jones gained an audience for her recurring roles on Freaks and Geeks in 2000, Boston Public from 2000 to 2002, and The Office from 2006 to 2008. More than two dozen film roles followed, including The Social Network; I Love You, Man; and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. She was a regular cast member of the mockumentary-style sitcom Parks and Recreation from 2009 until its end in 2015. In 2012 she co–wrote and starred in Celeste and Jesse Forever. Jones also co-wrote Toy Story 4 in 2019. Her documentary about her father, Quincy, won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Music Film. An activist and philanthropist, she is a board member of Peace First (teaching children nonviolent conflict resolution), supports various AIDS and cancer charities, and has visited a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. She created a virtual reality movie in 2016 to document her experiences at the refugee camp. 

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Rashida Jones." (Viewed on December 13, 2024) <https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/jones-rashida>.