Jody Jaress

A veteran actress, Jody has become known for her complex character roles. Having played everything from the darkest depths of insanity, to a grounded psychiatrist, a creepy nanny, a tormented nurturing mother, to a ditsy wife. Casting directors seek her out for roles needing multi-layers.

Jody began her entertainment career more than 40 years ago in Michigan. Her ancestors arrived in New York from German and Wales in the1800's and migrated to Southern Illinois where they became teachers, nurses, lawyers, farmers, pastors, lawmen, with a couple of rogues among them. Jody was born in Ottawa, Illinois just prior to her dad joining the Navy Seabees in WWII. Once the war ended the family moved to Ferndale, Michigan just outside of Detroit for many years and then moved out to horse country in Rochester, Michigan. Jody divided her time between competing in Western horse shows, singing, and beginning studies in theatre acting, stage makeup, lighting, sound, set design and directing at the Will-O-Way Apprentice Theatre and Repertory Company in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It became her home away from home. During a two year run in summer stock at Will-O-Way, she had the privilege of performing with the great stage and screen legend, George C. Scott. She received acclaim for her Command Performance requested by Sir Basil Rathbone as "Kate" in Taming Of The Shrew performed at the famed Will-O-Way Playhouse and Apprentice Theatre in Michigan.

After graduating from RHS (Rochester High School) at age seventeen, winning the Miss Rochester Pageant, the Miss Romeo Peach Queen title, and then placing in the Miss Michigan Pageant, Jody went to NYC to make "the rounds" and meet up with Lee Strasberg who welcomed her into his home for lunch and to meet his family. He requested that she come back the following year when she would be old enough to join the Actor's Studio. She moved to California instead after meeting the iconic horror film director, William Castle at a premier back in Detroit. Now in California, her very first film with dialog was The Bigot aka The Hunting Season and recently remastered and distributed by Troma Pictures as Deadly Daphne's Revenge (1987). A side note: thirty some odd years later, Jody was interviewed Answering the Call: An Interview with Jody Jaress (2018) regarding this film directed by Richard Gardner. Her next film was Patrick Swayze's first film, Skatetown U.S.A. (1979).

Over the years, her theatre work awarded her Best Actress and Supporting Actress Awards from the Desert Theatre League in Palm Springs, CA for roles in Veronica's Room (by Ira Levin), Equus (directed by actress Judith Chapman) and Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady; Jody was selected to perform as Mrs. Popov in Chekhov's, The Brute, to honor the Russian Dignitaries visiting Palm Springs.

She since has made a plethora of appearances on stage, film, television and radio. Variety reviewer, Robert Koehler wrote "Jody Jaress - excellent" referring to her supporting lead role as Rhea, in the gritty award winning Indie feature, Chain Link (2008), directed/written/produced by Dylan Reynolds starring Mark Irvingsen, Jim Storm and Lelia Goldoni.

Jody has garnered many wins and nominations in other Independent films: as a wife with Alzheimers in both of these award winning films: Fragile Storm (2015) sharing the lead with Lance Henriksen, directed by Dawn Fields and portraying Bill Hoversten's real life mother using her actual dialog in Mother's Day Memories (2019), directed and edited by Mother's Day Memories (2019); feisty and strong-willed in the award winning two character short written by Jody and Jack Donner (Stigmata, as Tal in Starship Excelsior), So This Is Love (2016) starring both Jack and Jody directed by Gloria Morrison; and also as the dying mother in a small ensemble cast in Duke (2016) with Spice Williams-Crosby directed by Anthony De Longis and produced by Gregory Crosby co-producer and screenwriter of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) directed by Mel Gibson starring Andrew Garfield.

Jody's notoriety as a character actress claims even more diverse roles: creepy mid-wife in the horror film, 2 Bedroom 1 Bath (2014) with Dee Wallace, Michele Hicks written and directed by Stanley Yung; sternly protective maid in Hollywoodland (2006) starring Ben Affleck and Adrien Brody, directed by Allen Coulter; a grandmother turned flesh-eater and evil in the comedy Little Fish, Strange Pond (2009) with Matthew Modine, Zach Galifianakis, directed by Gregory Dark; and a bible toting Christian in Jody's first period film, Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves (2008) starring Ernest Borgnine, Timothy Bottoms and Reggie Lee, directed by Aki Aleong. Jody had previously played a religious fanatic in Why Is The Dog Howlin' Momma, a play loosely based on the poet, Charles Bukowski.

Some of her television guest star and co-star roles include, Days of Our Lives (1965) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) as well as series regulars/leads on a variety of Anime' and Manga projects such as; I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (2001). She has an abundance of television commercials to her name.

As a first time Film Director and Screenwriter, Jody's psychological drama, Traces of Memory (2014) starring Maray Ayres and Sara Ballantine, was chosen to screen at fifteen (15) international film festivals winning eleven (11) awards. Ulli Lommel acquired Jody as script consultant on Absolute Evil - Final Exit (2009) starring David Carradine, David Carradine. Return Of the Sacred is a feature film Jody is writing, partnering with the creator of the concept, private investigator Roger Tolces.

Jody has held many different titles throughout the years especially that of Mother and Grandmother and vegetarian. Add to her hats: psychiatric aide, crisis counselor, spa director, group home counselor, Director of John Robert Powers Models, emcee, lecturer, solderer of computer boards, law secretary, and for a few years, was the primary acting coach of film, television and stage performance at South Coast Actors Studio.

She was awarded the Key to the City of Orange in California in honor of her thirteen (13) years of organizing, emceeing and booking the main stage entertainment at the Orange International Street Fair. She also did the same for the May Festival in Santa Ana, CA. She lends her talents and support toward the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, Aids Healthcare Foundation, One Billion Rising Against Violence, and for Save The Children events.

Jody was awarded the prestigious USO pin for her dedication and years of service performing for the armed forces at various military camp sites and on US Naval ships.

More recently, for her years as a jazz and blues vocalist, inspiring others to follow their passions, she was Honored as a "Jazz and Blues Living Legend" and Inducted into the Living Legend Foundation by the Duke Ellington Society of L.A., NAACP Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and by the City of Los Angeles. Some of the Icons Jody has opened for in Las Vegas, or headlined with in California are, Harry Belafonte, Linda Hopkins, Bili Redd Thedford, Janet Blair, the Ink Spots, Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, Jr, Sheb Wooley, Freda Payne, Mary Wilson, Herb Jeffries and with major musicians/composers/music producers; HB Barnum, Nolan Shaheed, Bradley Young, pianist (Chet Baker), Jon Stuart, percussionist (Lainie Kazan, Tamir Hendelman), Tony Dumas, bass (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock), Quentin Dennard, drums (The Temptations, Freda Payne), Ralph Penland, drummer (Santana, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra), Dori Amarilio, jazz guitarist (Mike Stoller, Charles Jarot) Alan Walker, sax (Temptations, Sugar Ray) and many others. Some California music venues Jody has headlined: Catalina's Jazz Bar & Grill, Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill, Tom Rolla's Gardenia, Upstairs at Vitello's, Jax, and House of Music & Entertainment, Beverly Hills, CA.

Jody has recorded a smooth jazz CD, Whisper Low. She recorded various voices on Jack Donner's spoken word CD, Hearts On Fire, a Jack Donner original dramatic-humoresque script about the human psyches.