Jennifer Esposito Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 6 in |
Weight | 56 kg |
Date of Birth | April 11, 1973 |
Zodiac Sign | Aries |
Eye Color | Hazel |
Jennifer Esposito is an American actress who is best known for portraying roles such as Special Agent Alexandra Quinn in NCIS, CIA Deputy Director Susan Raynor in The Boys, Nancy in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Andrea Belladonna in Samantha Who?, and Calista Raines in Mistresses. She has also appeared in a variety of other TV shows and films such as The Affair, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Taxi Brooklyn, Blue Bloods, Rescue Me, The Sunshine Boys, She’s Funny That Way, Mob Town, Breakin’ All the Rules, Dracula 2000, No Looking Back, and many more.
Born Name
Jennifer Esposito
Nick Name
Jennifer
Sun Sign
Aries
Born Place
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Residence
New York City, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Jennifer studied at Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island, New York. She learned acting by enrolling in Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York.
Occupation
Actress, Author, Baker, Businesswoman, Health Advocate
Family
- Father – Robert Esposito (Music Producer and Computer Consultant)
- Mother – Phyllis Esposito (Interior Decorator, Actress)
- Siblings – Suzanne Ruffo (Older Sister)
- Others – Lauren Elizabeth Ruffo (Niece) (Marketing Executive at Ralph Lauren)
Manager
- Carissa Stewart, GSA Entertainment
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
- Adam Cooper and Marcy Morris (Attorneys)
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 6 in or 167.5 cm
Weight
56 kg or 123.5 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
- Dean Winters – Jennifer possibly dated actor, Dean Winters in the beginning of her career.
- Benjamin Bratt (1996–1997) – The actress dated fellow actor Benjamin for 8 months.
- Nick Chinlund (1997) – The actress was reported to be in a relationship with actor Zareh Nicholas Chinlund aka Nick in 1997. She met him on the sets of her first movie, A Brother’s Kiss in which Nick was cast in the lead role.
- Cameron Mathison (1999–2000) – Jennifer dated Cameron Mathison while he was working as a soap opera actor for All My Children. Their relationship ended after one year of dating.
- Jonny Lee Miller (2000) – Jennifer and Jonny met on the sets of Dracula 2000 and connected while Jonny was still recovering from the intense media publicity generated by his divorce from Angelina Jolie after an 18-month marriage in 1999. However, the brief relationship probably did not work out because of Jonny’s preference to stay in London.
- Chris Schupp (2001) – In 2001, Jennifer started dating a man based in New York named Chris. Details about his professional and personal background are not available.
- Tony Daly (2004–2005) – For 2 years, Jennifer was frequently spotted at most high profile red carpet events hand in hand with Los Angeles based nightclub owner and restaurateur, Tony Daly. His born name is Anthony Francis Daly III who also has minor acting and stunt work experience.
- Bradley Cooper (2005–2007) – It is speculated that details about the 2-year relationship between Bradley and Jennifer are shared in the actress’s memoir titled, Jennifer’s Way published in 2014. Jennifer revealed in her book that she accepted a date with actor Cooper because finding genuine love in the city of Los Angeles was a perpetual struggle. Relationship with him fluctuated between good and bad times, but the bad times caused her a lot of misery. Jennifer got engaged to Bradley Cooper in October 2006 and the couple got married on December 30, 2006. After 4 months of marriage, the actress filed for divorce in May 2007 which was finalized in November 2007. Bradley Cooper also refused to comment on his brief first marriage. In an interview in 2011, he defined it as “…just something that happened” and the reason behind its end as “It just wasn’t right.”
- Mark Philippoussis (2009–2010) – Jennifer got engaged to retired Australian Tennis player, Mark Philippoussis in the summer of 2009. However, the couple reportedly reached an impasse in their relationship when they could not agree upon the city of residence as a couple. Their disagreements uncovered several problems in their relationship that drove them towards a break-up in August 2010.
- Louis Dowler (2012–2016) – The actress announced her engagement to British Burberry model, Louis Dowler in May 2014 after dating him for more than 2 years who was also a co-investor in her bakery business. The couple got married in November 2014 and catered the food at their wedding with their own bakery business. In March 2016, Jennifer filed for divorce claiming “cruel and inhuman treatment”. Before being associated with Jennifer, Louis Dowler was in the news for dating Kate Winslet.
- Jesper Vesterstroem (2017-Present) – In 2017, Jennifer implied she might be dating a new man by frequently posting pictures with Jesper Vesterstroem on her Instagram. The actress was also accompanied by him to the 2017 Metropolitan Opera Opening Night where they were clicked together on the red carpet. Jesper is a Danish athlete based in New York City who works as an elite professional windsurfer and as an editorial fashion model. The couple tied the knot in 2020.
Race / Ethnicity
White
She has Neapolitan – Italian American ancestry.
Hair Color
Dark Brown (Natural)
She frequently colors her hair in different shades of blonde/brunette.
Eye Color
Hazel
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Long, slender face with a square jawline
- Small brown mole on right upper lip
- Gets dimples in her cheeks upon smiling
Brand Endorsements
She has been seen in print ads for –
- Bongo Fashion Clothing (1999)
- Chevy Malibu automobile (2007)
Part of TV commercials for Swiffer household cleaning products (2004).
She was possibly a part of Badgley Mischka ad campaign in 2007.
Promoted Éclair Naturals body care products in association with her bakery brand in 2016.
Religion
Christianity
Best Known For
- The main role of Special Agent Alexandra “Alex” Quinn in season 14 of NCIS.
- Cast as Detective Jackie Curatola in season 1 to 3 of Blue Bloods (2010–2012).
- Played the part of Andrea Belladonna in Samantha Who? (2007–2009).
First Film
Her debut theatrical film was the role of Lucy in A Brother’s Kiss (1997).
First TV Show
Jennifer made her TV show debut by playing Connie Soleito in the daily soap opera called The City (1995–1997) which ran for two seasons.
Personal Trainer
- While struggling for a break as an actress, Jennifer Esposito supported herself financially by working as an aerobics instructor in Manhattan, New York.
- Her knowledge of exercise and diet kept her lean throughout her career but a part of her body always felt off. She frequently suffered abdominal pain, anxiety, exhaustion and sinus infections.
- To deal with the supposed inexplicable physical discomfort, the actress always carried Gingerale, Xanax, Pepto Bismal and Imodium with her to keep her body calm.
- She lost 7 pounds in the movie Crash (2004) for which she followed the Atkins diet that felt invigorating to her. She had no idea that the absence of gluten was the main reason why that diet worked for her.
- While working on the sets of Samantha Who? Jennifer’s tooth fell out again due to a reason unknown to her. Since, she was already losing a lot of hair and her eyelashes, losing a tooth felt like a freak accident.
- The actress got herself admitted to a psychological ward, not knowing what to do. A range of tests conducted by a new doctor finally uncovered in 2009 that the actress was suffering from one of the worst cases of Celiac diseases – an autoimmune disorder triggered by the presence of gluten in the small intestine.
- To cope with this found condition, Jennifer switched to grain free flours in her diets such as quinoa, sweet potato, sorghum, almond and plantain flour.
- Whenever she dines out in a restaurant where the absence of gluten is not assured, she orders a salad without any dressing.
- For exercise, Jennifer prefers a Pilates or a Yoga class and lifts weights in a gym.
- She also likes to run and tries to make time for 30 minutes of cardio every day.
Jennifer Esposito Favorite Things
- Snack – Sweet potato with some maple syrup, turmeric, sea salt and cinnamon
- Vegetable – Cauliflower
- Kitchen Appliance – Easy Bake Oven
- Restaurants in New York – The Little Beet Table, Senza Gluten, ABC Kitchen
- Beverage – Any juice from Juice Press
- Dish – Lobster, Portobello Celery oil in ABC Kitchen
- Spa – Aire in Tribeca, New York
- Handbag Brand – Chanel
- Cosmetic Brand – Éclair Naturals, Caudalie
- Hair Care Brand – Alterna
Source – The Chalkboard Mag, Tory Burch, Galavante, Ciao Bella Magazine
Jennifer Esposito Facts
- She has Fearless 12–28–15 tattooed on the inside of her right wrist.
- Even though she comes from an Italian family, Jennifer claimed that nobody in her family has the stereotypical Italian traits of talking loudly or consuming pasta on a daily basis.
- Jennifer had 2 dogs named Frankie Beans and Mr. Goose. Frankie Beans passed away in 2016.
- She is an avid cook who can prepare her own meals anywhere even when she is traveling.
- In 2013, Jennifer established the first gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free bakery in East Village, Manhattan called Jennifer’s Way. The NYC place closed after Jennifer’s investors pulled out.
- Her memoir Jennifer’s Way (2014) was a New York Times bestseller.
- The actress published a cookbook called Butter & Sugar: Back to Basics (2010) and Jennifer’s Way Kitchen: Easy Allergen-Free, Anti-Inflammatory Recipes for a Delicious Life (2017).
- Jennifer parted ways with Blue Bloods in 2012 because the CBS network did not take her Celiac disease seriously and considered her demand for a reduced schedule as a ploy to get a salary hike.
- The amount of money Jennifer makes per day in her bakery is equivalent to what she made in 20 minutes as an actress but she stated that she loves her job as a baker a lot more than acting.
- For more updates on Jennifer’s bakery business and health / beauty tips by her, visit her blog @ www.livingfreejennifer.com.
Featured Image by David of Earth (NY) / Flickr / CC BY-2.0