Rashida Jones

Biography of Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones was born on February 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, California. The daughter of music legend Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton, Rashida grew up in the posh Bel Air and attended the prestigious Buckley School (home to such notable alumni as Alyssa Milano, Matthew Perry and Paris Hilton). She proved to be a model student at an early age, earning high marks in most of her classes and eventually winning the title of Most Likely to Succeed.

Rashida Jones’ musical abilities became evident at an exceedingly early age, as she was winning awards for her piano-playing chops by the time she was just 5 years old. Her father’s stature within the recording industry meant that she grew up around some of music’s biggest names (including no less than Michael Jackson himself), and Rashida was slowly but surely establishing herself as a talented musician in her own right. Rashida Jones’ budding music career was put on hold after her parents split up and she was sent to live with her mother, though it soon become clear that she possessed a similar passion for acting.

rashida jones in freaks and geeks
By the time she entered Harvard University (where she studied religion and philosophy), Rashida Jones discovered that she possessed a real talent for performance and she subsequently spent much of her free time appearing in a variety of school plays. Rashida made her professional debut with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role in the 1997 The Last Don, and followed that up with appearances in a series of independent films (including 1998’s Myth America and 2000’s If These Walls Could Talk 2). Rashida’s short-lived stint on the NBC drama Freaks and Geeks as a bully brought her to the attention of viewers and casting directors alike, and she soon found herself auditioning for increasingly high-profile films and television shows.

rashida jones on boston public

Rashida Jones’ big break came in 2000 when she landed a regular role on the FOX program Boston Public. Cast as nosy assistant Louisa Fenn, Rashida -- along with such cast members as Jeri Ryan, Nicky Katt and Michael Rapaport -- began to establish herself as a bona fide actress and even managed to belt out a number or two during her two-year stint on the series. Though she remained dedicated to her budding acting career, Rashida Jones took time out to dabble in the world of music, lending her vocals to a Tupac Shakur tribute album and even popping up on Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane. After her character was written out of Boston Public, Rashida Jones began making a variety of appearances in movies and television shows with her memorable role in the Brittany Murphy comedy Little Black Book (2004) easily the most high-profile gig of her career up to that point. She followed that up with a recurring role on TNT Network’s series Wanted, and also appeared in a number of doomed pilots that have yet to see the light of day (including one created by former sitcom star Paul Reiser).

rashida jones on the office
Rashida Jones’ television-heavy resume made her an ideal candidate for a new role on the hit NBC sitcom The Office, and in the first episode of the series’ third season she made her first appearance as Karen Filippelli. The character’s pursuit of John Krasinski’s Jim ensured that Rashida was the subject of debate among the show’s fans, and the actress stayed with the show for the entirety of its third season. She shot a pilot for the fall 2007 season entitled Our Thirties, which -- though peppered with familiar faces like Rashida and Rachel Blanchard -- was unfortunately not picked up by ABC.

Other work
As a singer, Jones was a member and music director for Harvard's oldest co-ed a cappella group, The Harvard Opportunes. They performed an arrangement composed by Quincy Jones himself on the 1997 CD, Candy For The Children. She sang backup on the tracks "Tangled" "Secret" and "Not Coming Home" from Maroon 5's hit record, Songs About Jane. She also sang on the track "Kiwi" on their album It Won't Be Soon Before Long. She can be heard singing Madonna's "Dress You Up" in the Gap commercial "Everybody in Vests" directed by Pedro Romhanyi, as well as The O'Jays' "Love Train" in Peter Lindbergh's "Give Stripes" and "Crazy Stripes" commercials again for Gap. Also as a singer, Jones appeared as guest on Tupac Shakur's tribute album The Rose That Grew From Concrete, on the track "Starry Night," which is accompanied by her father' vocals, Mac Mall's rapping, and her half-brother QD3's production. She also sang in some episodes of Boston Public and for charitable events such as the What A Pair Benefit to raise money for breast cancer research. Jones' written work has appeared in Teen Vogue. She also wrote chapter 36 of her father's biography Q: The Autobiography Of Quincy Jones. She has also co-composed the score for Hasty Pudding Theatricals while at Harvard in 1997. Jones has modeled for major clothing labels including Triple 5 Soul and The Gap. She has also appeared in editorials for magazines such as In Style and O Magazine. In the Foo Fighters' music video for "Long Road to Ruin", Jones plays the role of Susan Belfontaine. She is playfully credited as Racinda Jules in the opening credits.

Awards
Jones was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and also contributed to the Grammy Award winning audio version of Q: The Autobiography Of Quincy Jones.

Philanthropic efforts
Jones has worked to promote Peace Games, which teaches children to resolve conflict without violence. She has been a board member since 2004 and holds several annual benefits to raise money for the organization.