Jessica Szohr Bio
Jessica Szohr (born March 31, 1985) is an American actress best known for her breakout role as Vanessa Abrams on The CW’s teen drama series Gossip Girl. She first gained attention through guest spots on early-2000s television before landing her signature role in 2007, and she has continued to build a career across film, television and digital projects. Over the years, she has balanced mainstream studio features with smaller independent films and a long list of television appearances, including work on Kingdom, The Orville, and Shameless. Today, she is recognized as a versatile performer who has transitioned from teen television to more mature dramatic and comedic roles.
Early Life and Background
Jessica Szohr was born on March 31, 1985, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and grew up in a large, close-knit family as the oldest of five children. Her siblings include Megan, Danielle, Nick, and Sadie. She is of Hungarian and one-quarter African-American descent, a heritage she has spoken about in interviews over the years. As a young girl, she started a small cleaning company with a friend, cleaning their teachers’ houses, an early sign of the work ethic that would later shape her acting career.
Szohr began modeling as a child, appearing in print advertisements for Kohl’s department store. She soon landed additional modeling gigs with major brands including Crate & Barrel, Mountain Dew, Sears, Jockey, and JanSport. These early commercial jobs gave her a comfort in front of the camera that would later translate to her television work. She graduated from Menomonee Falls High School a semester early and relocated to Los Angeles with her mother at the age of 17 to pursue acting seriously.
Path to Acting
Although Szohr originally dreamed of becoming an interior designer and had enrolled at Columbia College Chicago, her agent encouraged her to try pilot season auditions. That decision set her on a new path. She soon made her screen debut in 2003, appearing in an episode of the sitcom My Wife and Kids titled “Not So Hostive Takeover,” and also played a minor role in the 2003 film Uncle Nino. Guest spots on popular teen series quickly followed, including appearances on That’s So Raven, Drake & Josh, What I Like About You, and Joan of Arcadia, as well as a three-episode arc on CSI: Miami as Samantha Barrish.
These early roles helped her build a résumé and develop her on-screen presence. In 2007, she booked a major recurring role as Laura on the ABC dramedy What About Brian, appearing in six episodes alongside Stacy Keibler. The same year, she landed the part that would change her career when she was cast as Vanessa Abrams on The CW’s Gossip Girl, a series adapted from the popular novel series by Cecily von Ziegesar. Originally brought in as a recurring player, Szohr was promoted to series regular after the season one episode “The Blair Bitch Project” aired in April 2008.
Jessica Szohr Career
Early Career (2003–2007)
Jessica Szohr’s earliest professional credits came in 2003, when she appeared on My Wife and Kids and in the film Uncle Nino. Throughout the mid-2000s, she built her résumé with guest roles on teen-oriented television series, including Joan of Arcadia and What I Like About You, and she also appeared in music videos for songs by Matt White and Daughtry. These early appearances allowed her to develop relationships with casting directors and producers in Hollywood.
She rounded out this period with small film roles in projects such as Somebody Help Me, The Reading Room, and Fired Up. By the time she auditioned for Gossip Girl in 2007, she had already accumulated a wide range of on-camera experience. Her promotion to series regular in 2008 cemented her place as a recognizable young actress on one of The CW’s flagship series.
Breakthrough (2007–2012)
Szohr’s defining moment arrived with her casting as Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl, a role that introduced her to a wide global audience. Vanessa, the smart and outspoken best friend of Dan Humphrey, became one of the show’s most discussed characters, and Szohr portrayed her across the series’ run. In May 2011, it was confirmed that she would not return for the fifth season, but she came back for a cameo in the series finale, “New York, I Love You XOXO,” which aired on December 17, 2012.
While working on Gossip Girl, Szohr expanded into film. She signed on to the Dimension Films horror movie Piranha 3D, playing a character named Kelly in a role that required her to spend long stretches underwater, a challenge she later admitted was difficult because she was not a strong swimmer. In April 2010, she joined the cast of the romantic comedy Love, Wedding, Marriage alongside Mandy Moore and Kellan Lutz, with filming taking place in New Orleans. That same year, she was featured on People magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People in the World” list.
Continued Work and Recent Roles (2013–2019)
Following her Gossip Girl run, Szohr continued to take on a wide variety of projects. She appeared in the 2011 comedy I Don’t Know How She Does It, the 2013 comedy The Internship, and the 2015 comedy Ted 2, working alongside major Hollywood stars in each production. In 2013, she appeared in Taylor Swift’s music video for the song “22,” expanding her reach into the music world. She was also cast as the female lead in the Fox drama pilot The List, playing FBI agent Natalie Voss, though Fox ultimately passed on the pilot in May 2013.
On the small screen, she took on the role of Gretchen in USA Network’s medical drama pilot Complications in November 2013. In June 2015, she joined the cast of the DirecTV MMA drama Kingdom for its second season, playing artist and photographer Laura Melvin. In 2017, she appeared in Twin Peaks and in Showtime’s Shameless, the latter of which she joined in a recurring capacity. In February 2018, she was cast as a series regular on the science fiction comedy-drama The Orville, playing Talla Keyali during the show’s second season, which aired on Fox and Hulu.
Notable Works and Milestones
Jessica Szohr’s most iconic work remains her portrayal of Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl, a role that earned her mainstream recognition and a loyal fan base. Her film credits include Piranha 3D, I Don’t Know How She Does It, The Internship, and Ted 2, demonstrating her ability to move between horror, drama, and comedy. In 2022, she launched the podcast XOXO with Jessica Szohr, a retrospective series featuring behind-the-scenes conversations with the cast and crew of Gossip Girl, further cementing her connection to her most famous project.
Jessica Szohr Award Nominations
Jessica Szohr has received industry recognition throughout her career, including a place on People magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People in the World” list in 2010, a notable honor that reflects her public profile during her Gossip Girl years. She has also been included in various features highlighting emerging young talent in Hollywood. While her award nominations are limited in publicly verifiable form, her selection in prominent industry lists has remained a consistent marker of her visibility and fan appeal across television and film.
Jessica Szohr Awards Won
Jessica Szohr was awarded the Breakthrough Actress in Film honor at the 2010 Breakthrough of the Year awards for her performance in the horror film Piranha 3D. The award recognized her rising profile following years of television work and a growing film résumé. It remains one of the most prominent individual honors of her career and helped establish her as a notable new presence in Hollywood at the time.
Jessica Szohr Family
Jessica Szohr is the oldest of five children, with siblings named Megan, Danielle, Nick, and Sadie. She grew up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in a household shaped by her Hungarian and African-American heritage. Her mother supported her early career move by relocating with her to Los Angeles when she was 17 years old to help her pursue acting. Family remains a central part of her life, and she has continued to speak warmly about her Midwestern upbringing.
Personal Life
Outside of acting, Jessica Szohr enjoys snowboarding, hiking, yoga, and football, hobbies she attributes to her Wisconsin roots. She is a well-known fan of the Green Bay Packers. In her personal relationships, she is married to former NHL ice hockey player Brad Richardson, with the couple becoming engaged in May 2022 and marrying in August 2024. They welcomed a daughter on January 11, 2021, expanding their family as Szohr continued her work across film and television.