Jodi Balfour (born 29 October 1986) is a South African actress. She won a Canadian Screen Award for her performance as Gladys Witham in the series Bomb Girls (2012–2013). She has since starred as Ellen Waverly Wilson in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind (2019–2023).

Jodi Balfour
Balfour in 2019
Born (1986-10-29) 29 October 1986 (age 38)
Cape Town, South Africa
EducationUniversity of Cape Town
Occupation(s)Film and television actress
Years active2009–present
Known for
Spouse
(m. 2023)

Early life and education

edit

Balfour grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. She was the co-host of the South African youth television series Bling in the early 2000s. She later studied drama at the University of Cape Town[1] and competed in the Miss South Africa 2008 pageant.[2]

Career

edit

Since her graduation in 2009, she has worked as an actor primarily in British and Canadian film and television productions.[2]

She was cast as Gladys Witham in the Canadian television drama series Bomb Girls in 2013.[3] She won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Film or Miniseries at the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards in 2015 for her performance in the series' follow-up television film Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy.[4]

In February 2015, she was cast in the Cinemax series Quarry.[5] From 2019 to 2023, she starred in the Apple TV+ space drama series For All Mankind.

In 2017, Balfour portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in episode eight of The Crown’s second season.[6]

In April 2022, she was cast in the Apple TV+ football sitcom Ted Lasso.[7]

In the 2023 film Freud's Last Session, she portrayed the American psychoanalyst Dorothy Burlingham, the colleague and companion of Anna Freud.[8]

Personal life

edit

Balfour was based in Vancouver, British Columbia, where in addition to her acting she is co-owner of Nelson the Seagull, a coffeehouse and bake shop in the city's Gastown neighborhood.[9]

On 30 June 2021, she announced on Instagram that she identifies as queer, stating that she found it freeing to "finally embrace and explore [her] queerness."[10] On 24 October 2021, Balfour announced on Instagram that she and Abbi Jacobson had been romantically involved for a year.[11] As of June 2024, Jacobson and Balfour are married.[12]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Vampire Michaela
Final Destination 5 Woman
2013 A Ghost Within Hanna / Abby Short
The Husband Claire
Afterparty Karen Also producer
Waterloo Molly Mckenzie Short
2014 Valentines Day Molly Short
2015 Unearthing Fisher Hart
Eadweard Mary
Almost Anything Beans Also executive producer
2019 The Rest of Us Rachel
2023 Freud's Last Session Dorothy Burlingham [13]

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2009 The Philanthropist Concierge Episode: "San Diego"
2010 Congo [de] Johanna Wenz TV film
Tower Prep Emily Wright 2 episodes
2011 The Sinking of the Laconia Sarah Fullwood TV miniseries
R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series Priscilla Episode: "Nightmare Inn"
Supernatural Melissa Episode: "Like a Virgin"
V V Greeter Episode: "Uneasy Lies the Head"
Sanctuary Terry Episode: "Icebreaker"
2012–2013 Primeval: New World Samantha Sedaris 3 episodes
Bomb Girls Gladys Witham Main role
2014 The Best Laid Plans Lindsay Dewar TV miniseries
Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy Gladys Witham TV film
2016 Quarry Joni Conway Main role
2017 Rellik DI Elaine Shepard Main role
The Crown Jackie Kennedy Episode: "Dear Mrs. Kennedy"[14]
2019 True Detective Lori 3 episodes
2019–2023 For All Mankind Ellen Waverly / Wilson Main role (seasons 1–3), guest (season 4)[15]
2023 Ted Lasso Jack Danvers 4 episodes

Awards and nominations

edit
Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2013 Leo Awards Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series[16] Bomb Girls Nominated
2014 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival Best Ensemble (shared with Graham Coffeng, Ali Liebert, Nicholas Carella, Peter Benson, David Milchard, Erica Carroll, Christina Sicoli, and Emma Lahana) Afterparty Won
2015 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series[17] Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy Won

References

edit
  1. ^ "Bomb Girl loves the 'practicality' of her Kia Rio". The Globe and Mail, 31 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Bomb Girls' Jodi Balfour talks dancing, acting like a woman in the 1940s and playing the ukulele" Archived 5 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. ANDPOP, 26 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Bomb Girls: Meg Tilly, Jodi Balfour return for Season 2 on 2 Jan.". Toronto Star, 2 January 2013.
  4. ^ "'Bomb Girls,' 'Vikings' early winners at Canadian Screen Awards". Global News, 1 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Cinemax Orders Drama 'Quarry' to Series". Variety, 2 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Jodi Balfour | Actress, Producer, Writer". IMDb. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  7. ^ Steves, Ashley (18 April 2022). "Jodi Balfour Joins 'Ted Lasso' Season 3". Backstage. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Freud's Last Session (2023) - IMDb". IMDb.
  9. ^ "Guest: Jodi Balfour". George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  10. ^ Callahan, Chrissy (27 October 2021). "'Broad City' star Abbi Jacobson reveals she's been dating Jodi Balfour for 1 year". Today. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  11. ^ Rude, Mey (25 October 2021). "Abbi Jacobson Just Revealed She's Been Dating Jodi Balfour For a Year". Out. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  12. ^ Veitch, Mara (5 June 2024). "Abbi Jacobson and Jodi Balfour 's Wedding Was an Ode to Total, Unscripted Togetherness. Look Inside Their Raucous Brooklyn Festivities". Culture Magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  13. ^ Damante, Becca (8 June 2023). "Jodi Balfour and the Power of Queer Storytelling". The Advocate – via Yahoo! News.
  14. ^ "The Crown Adds Michael C. Hall & Jodi Balfour as Jack & Jackie Kennedy". Deadline, 9 February 2017.
  15. ^ "'For All Mankind' to launch alternate space race on Apple TV+". collectSPACE. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  16. ^ "2013 nominees" (PDF). leoawards.com. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  17. ^ "awards database". academy.ca. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
edit