Early life

Elfman was born Jennifer Mary Butala in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of three children, to Sue (Grace) Butala, a homemaker, and Richard Butala, a Hughes Aircraft executive. Her father's younger brother, Elfman's uncle, is Tony Butala, lead singer since 1958 of the American vocal trio The Lettermen. She is of Croatian ancestry on her father's side and was raised Roman Catholic.

She started taking classical ballet at the age of five. but by nine, she suffered a serious ankle injury, and at age 12, the tendon came off the bone. She continued to work as a dancer, but eventually decided to shift her focus primarily to acting.

Elfman attended high school at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and then attended college at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

Career

Elfman began her professional career as a dancer, appearing in the music videos for Depeche Mode ("Halo" in 1990), Anthrax (1993's song "Black Lodge"), Chris Isaak (1995's "Somebody's Crying") and toured with the rock band ZZ Top on their 1994 tour as a "Legs Girl". After appearing in television commercials, Elfman was cast in the short-lived 1996 American sitcom entitled Townies on ABC. In 1997 Elfman was cast in Dharma & Greg on ABC, as Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery. The show ran for five seasons until its cancellation in 2002

In 2012, Elfman and her husband Bodhi started their podcast, Kicking and Screaming by Jenna and Bodhi Elfman.

In 2013, Elfman appeared in two comedy series (1600 Penn, and Growing Up Fisher) which were cancelled after a single season.

Personal life

Elfman met her husband, actor Bodhi Elfman, at a Sprite commercial audition in February 1991. They married on February 18, 1995, making director Richard Elfman her father-in-law and composer Danny Elfman her uncle-in-law.

On July 23, 2007, Elfman and her husband's first child, a son, Story Elias, was born in Los Angeles. On September 16, 2009, when Elfman announced she was expecting her second child, she suggested that the pregnancy would help with her role in Accidentally on Purpose. On March 2, 2010, their son, Easton Quinn Monroe, was born.

Elfman is a member of the Church of Scientology.

Scientology-related activities

In 2005, Elfman appeared at the Scientology-backed Citizens Commission on Human Rights' "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum grand opening and she and husband Bodhi are listed on the organization's website as members of the board of advisers from the arts, entertainment and media community.

On May 24, 2006, she was the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Hero Award event in participation with the Scientology-affiliated groups Youth for Human Rights International and Artists for Human Rights (AFHR), an organization formed with the purpose of bringing artists together with the common cause of raising awareness of human rights around the world. The event took place in Washington, D.C. and was attended by members of Congress and the general public. Awards were presented to individuals who through their actions have brought about greater human rights.

On March 27, 2008, Elfman and Charlie Sheen co-hosted the Scientology-affiliated New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project Charity Event at Geisha House in Hollywood.

Philanthropy

In February 2006, Elfman donated an hour of her time to be auctioned to the highest bidder on eBay as part of the "Lunch with a Leader" fundraiser, the proceeds of which benefit the work of Communities in Schools. She also participated in the auction in 2007 and 2008.

Elfman donated her lip print for a limited edition U.S. postage stamp created by Zazzle to celebrate Valentine's Day in both 2007 and 2008. Proceeds for the "Kiss Stamps" went to support the programs of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). In February 2011, she filmed a PSA for HSUS to inspire people to donate to help animals.

As a criminal rehabilitation activist, Elfman has traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for criminal reform. On April 5, 2007, she was presented with the Goodwill Ambassador Award for her work in human rights and criminal rehabilitation at the Women Ambassadors Foundation 12th Annual Conference. On April 9, 2008, she was a guest at the signing of a new bill by U.S. President George W. Bush that aimed to reduce prisoner recidivism, entitled the Second Chance Act of 2007 (H.R. 1593).

In September 2008, Elfman joined the charity: water month-long "September Campaign", asking for donations in lieu of birthday gifts in order to raise money to build freshwater wells in Ethiopia. She ran a second charity: water birthday campaign in September 2011 to aid in funding a drilling rig for wells in Northern Ethiopia.

On January 22, 2010, Elfman donated her time to participate in the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon in Los Angeles, California.

On March 2, 2011, she participated in the National Education Association (NEA) Read Across America program by reading to school children in Compton, California in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday.

Elfman walked the catwalk in The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection 2012 Fashion Show in New York on February 8, 2012 to raise awareness for heart disease. The annual event is headed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

On March 6, 2012, Elfman hosted Laugh For Sight's comedy show at The Improv in Los Angeles to benefit the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.

On April 14, 2012, Elfman hosted an environmentally friendly themed charity event at her home in Los Angeles, California for the purpose of the party's attendees to learn more about the Healthy Child Healthy World "Healthy Child Party" program and Best for Babes, a breastfeeding advocacy organization.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Grosse Pointe Blank	Tanya
1998	Dr. Dolittle	Owl	Voice
1998	Can't Hardly Wait	The Angel	Uncredited
1998	Krippendorf's Tribe	Prof. Veronica Micelli
1999	EDtv	Shari
1999	Venus	Venus
2000	Tangerine Bear, TheThe Tangerine Bear	Lorelei	Voice
2000	CyberWorld	Phig	Voice
2000	Keeping the Faith	Anna Riley	Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Comedy/Romance Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2001	Town & Country	Auburn
2003	Looney Tunes: Back in Action	Kate
2004	Clifford's Really Big Movie	Dorothy	Voice
2005	Touched	Angela Martin	Executive producer
2005	What's Hip, Doc?	Supermodel	Voice
2008	Struck	Pregnant date	Short film
2009	Six Wives of Henry Lefay, TheThe Six Wives of Henry Lefay	Ophelia
2009	Love Hurts	Darlene
2011	Friends with Benefits	Annie
2014	Big Stone Gap	Miss Iva Lou Wade

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Murder, She Wrote	Ballet Dancer in background	Uncredited; Episode: "Dance Diabolique"
1994	George Carlin Show, TheThe George Carlin Show	Psychedelic girl	As Jenna Butala; Episode: "George Does A Bad Thing"
1995	Monroes, TheThe Monroes	Lily	Episode: "Bottoms, Up"
1995	Roseanne	Garland	Episode: "The Getaway, Almost"
1996	Townies	Shannon Canotis	Main cast; 15 episodes
1996	Murder One	Angela Scalese	Episode: "Chapter Seventeen"
1996	Almost Perfect	Becky Toll	Episode: "Being Fired Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry"
1996	NYPD Blue	Patty Snow	Episode: "The Nutty Confessor"
1997	Single Guy, TheThe Single Guy	Jordan	Episode: "Just Friends?"
1997-2002	Dharma & Greg	Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery	Main cast; 119 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy TV Guide Award for Favorite Actress in a Comedy Nominated—American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated—TV Guide Award for Favorite Actress in a Comedy
2002	Obsessed	Ellena Roberts	Television film
2004	Two and a Half Men	Frankie	2 episodes
2006	Courting Alex	Alex Rose	Main cast; 13 episodes
2007	Brothers & Sisters	Lizzie Jones-Baker	Episode: "Game Night"
2008	My Name Is Earl	Kimmi Himmler	Episode: "We've Got Spirit"
2009-10	Accidentally on Purpose	Billie	Main cast; 18 episodes
2011	Two and a Half Men	Dharma Montgomery	Episode: "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt"
2012	Shameless	Jill	Episode: "Fiona Interrupted"
2012	Damages	Naomi Walling	7 episodes
2012-13	1600 Penn	Emily Nash Gilchrist	Main cast; 13 episodes
2013	Royal Pains	Lacy	Episode: "Open Invitation"
2014	Growing Up Fisher	Joyce Fisher	Main cast; 13 episodes
2014	So You Think You Can Dance	Herself	Guest judge
2015	The Perfect Stanleys	Ellen	Television film

Charities

Jenna Elfman supports the following charitable causes: Children, Animals.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]