Rashida Jones is a Hollywood icon. She is a multitalented celebrity and a household name. After a range of impressive projects in her career, she continues to do phenomenal work across different movies, TV shows, and animated projects.
Jones won everyone’s hearts with her role as the quirky Ann Perkins in Parks and Recreation. Before that, she appeared in The Office as Jim’s love interest Karen Filippelli. But there’s so much more to the actress than these iconic roles. Here are nine facts you didn’t know about Rashida Jones.
1. Her Parents Are Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones
One of the most interesting facts about her is that she is the daughter of two Hollywood legends. Her mother is the actress Peggy Lipton and her father the music legend and entertainment mogul Quincy Jones. Her younger sister is Kidada Jones, who is also an actress and a model. Talent runs in the family, that’s for sure.
2. She Once Wrote a Letter to Tupac
Jones wrote a fierce letter to Tupac when she was only 17 years old. Because the rapper critiqued her parents’ interracial marriage, young Rashida decided to take matters into her own hands. She openly talked about her opinions about Tupac’s lyrics and expressed her dissatisfaction with his lack of respect toward her family. She said, “Where the hell would you be if Black people like him [Quincy Jones] hadn’t paved the way for you to even have the opportunity to express yourself?” Tupac and the Jones family eventually made amends. Interestingly enough, Tupac even went to date Rashida’s older sister Kidada and was even engaged to her.
3. Rashida Jones Has an Impressive Acting Portfolio
Other than her exciting roles in NBC sitcoms Parks and Recreation and The Office, Jones has a lot more going on for her. She also played the role of Louisa Fenn in the drama series Boston Public. Some other significant projects include Now You Know, Freaks and Geeks, I Love You Man, The Social Network, Web Therapy, and more.
4. She Is an Established and Talented Writer
An interesting fact about Rashida Jones is that he’s not only an actress, but she’s also a talented screenwriter and comic book author. She produced a ton of legendary work with her writing partner Will McCormack. As a matter of fact, they were the creative forces several some legendary projects, including Celeste and Jesse Forever and the worldwide successful animated film Toy Story 4. Jones is very passionate about her writing. She once said, “I felt replaceable as an actress. You walk into a room, and they’ve already decided whether you’ve got the part based on your hair. There are people born to act, but I play parts which are just versions of me. Writing is more of a back-and-forth conversation. That, for me, feels better.”
5. She Was a Backing Vocalist for Maroon 5
Another interesting fact about Rashida Jones is that she has sung the backing vocals for Maroon 5. Jones helped on their first album, Songs for Jane, and is credited on tracks Tangled, Not Coming Home, and Secret. The band has since gone on to become a multi-award winning mainstay in music and entertainment.
6. Rashida Jones Graduated From Harvard University
Jones graduated from Harvard University in 1997 with a degree in religion and philosophy. Even though she initially planned to become a lawyer, she changed her mind after the events of the O.J. Simpson trial. She explained, “The O.J. Simpson trial was disillusioning for me. It was the first time I realized that sometimes privilege can trump justice. I hated the fact that Simpson was in any way representing justice for black people in California. I had wanted to be a lawyer, but after that, I decided to do something else.”
7. Rashida Jones Almost Ditched Acting Before the Office
Interestingly enough, Jones almost quit acting at one point in her career. Just before landing the role of Karen in The Office, Jones almost ditched acting altogether because she wasn’t getting any auditions. Luckily for her fans, The Office and then Parks and Recreation happened, and the rest is history.
8. She Made a Netflix Documentary About Her Father
Rashida Jones directed a Netflix documentary about her father, the legendary Quincy Jones. The movie is called Quincy, and it tells the real-life story of his long career as a talented musician. The documentary even won the Best Music Film Grammy Award.
9. Rashida Jones Is Married to Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig
Jones is happily married to Ezra Koenig, a musician, singer-songwriter, and producer. He is also the lead vocalist and guitarist of Vampire Weekend. The two have a child together named Isaiah Jones Koenig.
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