Jenni Tooley

Are you a fan that wants to become a patron? You can support my work and get insider access here!

Jenni Tooley is a filmmaker, actor, producer, and writer. In 1990, she began her professional acting career as an ensemble member at Dallas’ Undermain Theatre, where she performed in more than a dozen productions. Jenni also created, produced and acted in site specific performance art pieces that took place in parking lots, bars, diners, rooftops, and creeks around Dallas. She was received Dallas Observer’s “Best Actress” award, was a Leon Rabin Award Nominee and received a Dallas Critics’ Forum Award.  

Jenni is perhaps best known for her work as Annie, Ethan Hawke’s second wife, in Richard Linklater’s award-winning Boyhood. Additional film and television credits include Walker Texas Ranger, Wishbone, Arlington Road, and Wes Anderson’s first feature, Bottle Rocket. In 2007, she wrote, directed, produced and edited a short film called The Safety of Others which she shot in Dallas. The film premiered at South By Southwest, toured 12 cities in the US, Canada, and Great Britain, and won WorldFest Houston’s “Best Comedy Short.” She has also served as a unit production manager and producer for numerous short films and a feature shot in New Jersey called Montclair, which won Cinema City’s “Best Produced Screenplay.”  

Jenni’s most recent project is STUCK, an independent feature film. Jenni served as screenwriter, producer, and director and has a lead role in the film. STUCK was funded through crowd-funding campaigns and grassroots efforts. With a $250,000 budget and 250 backers, cast and crew, STUCK was produced in late 2016/early 2017. The film is 99.5% Dallas cast and crewed and was shot on location in the cities of Dallas, Richardson, and Arlington. It is slated for completion and festival release in August, 2018.  

Jenni has also had two poems and two short stories published, won an award for an experimental photographic work at University of Texas at Dallas, won an award from Austin Pet’s Alive for a photo that was used in their marketing, knits and sells Mantra scarves, is known at Austin venues for some serious blues dancing, and enjoys making artist’s books.  

Jenni’s full film/TV resume can be found on IMDB.