Jena Malone

Photo of Jena Malone

Biography

Independent film ingénue Jenna Malone began her career at age 12, but avoided the path of preciousness in favor of emotionally challenging roles in often-bleak stories of families in crisis. Her film debut in the gritty memoir of childhood abuse, "Bastard out of Carolina" (Showtime, 1996) immediately earned critical notice and led to a string of acclaimed cable television movies showcasing Malone's remarkably mature performances as resilient …
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Job Title

Actor

Born

November 21, 1984

Career Milestones

Appeared in Michael Jackson's music video "Childhood"

1996

Cast as Beau Bridges' daughter in the Showtime movie, "Hidden in America"

1996

Made screen debut in Anjelica Huston's "Bastard Out of Carolina" (Showtime); earned nominations for an Independent Spirit Award and a SAG Award

1997

Appeared in Goldie Hawn's directorial debut, "Hope" (TNT); nominated for a Golden Globe Award

1997

Played a young Jodie Foster in the Robert Zemeckis film, "Contact"

1998

Played Susan Sarandon's daughter in the family drama, "Stepmom"

1999

Cast as Kelly Preston's daughter in "For Love of the Game"

2001

Acted opposite Mary Stuart Masterson in the drama, "The Book of Stars"

2001

Co-starred as a precocious teenager in "Life as a House"

2001

Starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in "Donnie Darko"; screened at the Sundance Film Festival

2003

Portrayed Geli Raubal in the television movie, "Hitler: The Rise of Evil"

2004

Co-starred with Ryan Gosling and Kevin Spacey in "The United States of Leland"

2004

Starred as a girl attending a Baptist high school who becomes pregnant in "Saved"

2005

Cast as one of five sisters, opposite Keira Knightley in "Pride and Prejudice"

2006

Made her Broadway debut as Sister James in John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt"

2007

Portrayed the sister of Emile Hirsch's Christopher McCandless in Sean Penn's adaptation of the non-fiction book, "Into the Wild"

2008

Co-starred in the horror film "The Ruins," along with Shawn Ashmore and Johnathan Tucker

2011

Co-starred in "Sucker Punch," an action-fantasy film written and directed by Zack Snyder

Awards

1997

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Hope

1997

Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance in Bastard Out of Carolina

1997

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Bastard Out of Carolina

2008

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Into the Wild