Biography
Jessica Cauffiel is recognized for her standout performances in films like Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, White Chicks, Hoot, Stuck On You, The World's Fastest Indian, Road Trip, and Valentine. She has also appeared in well-known TV series such as The Drew Carey Show, My Name Is Earl, and Frasier. After taking time off to focus on motherhood, she returns to the screen reprising her role as Margot, Elle Woods' best friend, in the third Legally Blonde film.
A native of Michigan, Jessica was born and raised in Detroit before moving during her teens to Chelsea, Michigan—the hometown of Jiffy Mix and Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theater—where her passion for performing grew under the guidance of inspiring teachers. She competed in acting "Forensics," winning statewide storytelling and singing competitions. Jessica attended Interlochen School for the Arts and graduated from the University of Michigan School of Music's prestigious Musical Theatre Department conservatory program. She was part of a 20-person class alongside Tony Award-winning Broadway star Gavin Creel. Jessica holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and minored in Vocal Jazz, Vocal Performance, and Journalism. Beyond starring in musicals like Flaemmchen in Grand Hotel (directed by original Broadway musical director Ben Whitely) and playing Amy alongside Creel in a tour of Sondheim's Company, she was also the lead singer of the popular eight-piece acid jazz band Jazodity, performing as Lady J and earning the title of Virginia Slims' "Dueling Diva" of Detroit.
Jessica relocated to New York, where she appeared in over a dozen national commercials for brands including Sony, Maybelline, Ford, Midol, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Conseco, CDNow, and Secret. She also worked on voiceovers, photo campaigns, and starred in Robert Lopez's first musical, 1001 Nights. After a casting director saw her performance, she quickly landed a role on the Wall Street set of The Out of Towners, acting as the daughter of her comedic heroes Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin and working alongside John Cleese. Shortly thereafter, she declined a touring role in RENT to guest star as Niles' girlfriend on the iconic sitcom Frasier and star in a pilot by the show's writer Steve Levitan, alongside Tony Shalhoub and Neil Patrick Harris. She soon secured additional film roles and moved to Los Angeles.
Off-camera, Jessica is a successful writer who has developed and sold shows with her father, bestselling author Lowell Cauffiel, and Legally Blonde co-star Alanna Ubach. After making her producing debut with the acclaimed short film Bed Ridden—directed by Academy Award nominee Jonathan Heap and featuring Alan Tudyk, Joel David Moore, herself, and SNL's Garrett Morris—she produced and wrote the feature documentary The Original Mind, about visionary painter, poet, and artist Nicholas Kirsten Honshin. As producer, writer, and assistant editor, she also led the eight-year production of Master, an epic documentary chronicling the extraordinary life of 83-year-old Chinese Qi Gong and Kung Fu grandmaster Zhou Ting Jue. Jessica freelances as a writer for various publications, websites, creative businesses, artists, designers, and non-profits. She teaches a History of Comedy class for children, is working on a memoir, and is teaching her daughter to play piano—with jazz hands.
