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Ellen Jacoby was born on December 26th in Miami, Florida, to Robert Jacoby, a chiropractic physician, and Diane, a housewife and former legal secretary. When Ellen was two, the family relocated to New York City. She attended the Mace Private Professional School, where she studied singing, dancing, and acting, before graduating from Park Ridge High School.
Ellen enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University but left temporarily to work in the clothing industry. She later transferred to Franklin College in Indiana, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. While at Franklin, she was a cheerleader, excelled in archery, participated in the drama club, and was a DJ for the college radio station. In her free time, she sang in local clubs. During summer breaks, she returned to New York to model during the day and sing in clubs at night.
At 21, Ellen moved to Miami Beach to continue modeling and singing. While performing at a Holiday Inn, she suffered a fall that left her paralyzed from the waist down, leading to six months of rehabilitation. During this period, a friend opened a club in the Bahamas and invited her to join. There, Ellen developed a passion for backgammon, becoming a professional player who competed internationally and won over 60 trophies.
Eventually, seeking a new direction, she returned to Miami, where a friend launching a casting company invited her to join. She debated whether to continue with casting or return to professional backgammon but ultimately remained in casting, founding her own company, Ellen Jacoby Casting International.
Ellen Jacoby’s casting credits include major films such as Ali, There's Something About Mary, The Waterboy, Out of Sight, The Truman Show, The Birdcage, True Lies, and Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, among others. She has earned numerous accolades, including the CSA Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Location Casting for Parenthood, and received nominations for The Truman Show and The Birdcage.
In March 1990, Miami Beach Mayor Alex Daoud honored her with the World's Greatest Casting Director award and declared an Ellen Jacoby Day in Miami Beach. Miami Metro Magazine named her Woman of the Millennium for the year 2000. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Casting Society of America and was appointed to the Florida Film Advisory Board by Governor Bush. Ellen has also dedicated time to working with underprivileged children and supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the YWCA.
