Zoe Lister-Jones (born September 1, 1982) is an American actress and filmmaker who co-starred as Jen Collins Short in the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces from 2015 to 2019. She is also known for her roles in the television shows Delocated (2009–2010), Whitney (2011–2013), and New Girl (2015). Lister-Jones made her directorial debut with the 2017 comedy-drama film Band Aid. In 2020, she wrote and directed the horror film The Craft: Legacy. During the COVID-19 pandemic she co-wrote and co-directed the comedy-drama film How It Ends (2021) with Daryl Wein. In 2023 she produced, wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy series Slip for The Roku Channel, with Dakota Johnson as executive producer under her TeaTime Pictures banner. On December 5, 2023, it was announced that Slip was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards.
Early life and education Lister-Jones was born in Brooklyn, New York City. Her mother is the Canadian-born and New York-based video artist Ardele Lister, and her father is the American photographer and media artist Bill Jones. Her mother was born to a Jewish family, whereas her father converted to Judaism. In 2000, she graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn.Edward R. Murrow High School She graduated with honors from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Lister-Jones performed with a rock band.Guy Richards Smit#Maxi Geil!|Maxi Geil! & Playcolt Her mother was president of a local Conservative egalitarian synagogue that the family attended every Saturday, and she also kept a kosher home.
Career Her debut solo CD was titled Skip the Kiss. Kyle Forester, who composed the score for Breaking Upwards, arranged the music for Skip the Kiss.
Lister-Jones' New York City theater credits include Seminar, The Little Dog Laughed and The New Group's The Accomplices. Her screen credits include the political thriller State of Play, Salt, The Other Guys, The Marconi Bros., Day Zero, as well as quirky independent films such as Armless, Arranged, and Palladio (2005, directed by her father based on the Jonathan Dee novel). On television she has appeared in Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, on HBO's Bored to Death, as Kim on Adult Swim's Delocated, as Lily in the cast of the NBC sitcom Whitney, as Kate in Friends with Better Lives, as Councilwoman Fawn Moscato in New Girl, as Jen in Life in Pieces and as Carolyn Hart in the HBO film Confirmation.
In 2004, Lister-Jones wrote and performed the one-woman, ten-character show Co-dependence is a Four Letter Word at New York City's Performance Space 122 (P.S.122).
In 2007, she appeared in the independent film Arranged.Of Skin and Snoods ." The Brooklyn Rail, December 7, 2007-January 8, 2008.
In 2009, Lister-Jones co-starred, co-produced (with Daryl Wein), and co-wrote (with Peter Duchan and Daryl Wein) the independent feature Breaking Upwards, which explores a young New York couple who, battling codependency, strategize their own break up. The film was shot in New York on a budget of $15,000, and was featured in a New York Times article as an example of sweat equity in the independent-film industry. Lister-Jones also wrote the lyrics and performed many of the tracks of the original motion picture sound track. Breaking Upwards premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2009.
Lister-Jones starred with Sam Rosen in Brady Kiernan's romantic drama Stuck Between Stations (2011) alongside Josh Hartnett and Michael Imperioli. Stuck Between Stations premiered as an official selection of the Viewpoints section at the SVA Theater at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Lister-Jones starred in the independent feature film Lola Versus (2012), her second project co-written with director Daryl Wein. Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures, Lola Versus opened in theaters Summer 2012.When and where to see LOLA VERSUS this summer It stars Greta Gerwig, Zoe Lister-Jones, Bill Pullman, Hamish Linklater, Debra Winger, Joel Kinnaman and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Lola Versus premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival in April 2012.
Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein co-wrote Consumed (2015), their third feature-length collaboration directed by Wein. The political thriller, which focuses on the world of genetically modified organisms, began filming in May 2014 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois with Shatterglass Studios. It stars Lister-Jones, Kunal Nayyar, Taylor Kinney, Victor Garber, Danny Glover, Griffin Dunne, Anthony Edwards, and Beth Grant. Consumed premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 15, 2015.LA Film Festival: Consumed
In 2017, Lister-Jones made her directorial debut with the indie film Band Aid, starring Lister-Jones, Adam Pally, Fred Armisen, Hannah Simone, Colin Hanks, Brooklyn Decker, Majandra Delfino, Jesse Williams, Susie Essman, Ravi Patel, Jamie Chung, Chris D’Elia, Retta, and Jerry O’Connell. The film features original songs with lyrics, written by Lister-Jones, and music, composed by Kyle Forester (Breaking Upwards). In 2020, she wrote and directed Columbia and Blumhouse's The Craft: Legacy, the sequel to the 1996 film The Craft.
In March 2022, it was announced Lister-Jones would write, direct and star in the comedy series Slip for The Roku Channel, with Dakota Johnson set to executive produce under her TeaTime Pictures banner. On December 5, 2023, it was announced that Slip was nominated twice for the 39th Independent Spirit Awards: Best New Scripted Series and Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series.
Lister-Jones co-stars in Pavements, a 2024 American experimental musical biopic concert film directed by Alex Ross Perry. It is a documentary/fiction hybrid film about the American indie band Pavement, incorporating scripted scenes with documentary footage of the band and a musical stage play consisting of songs from their discography. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024 and was released on May 2, 2025.
In January 2025, Lister-Jones was cast in Peacock's The Miniature Wife, along with Sofia Rosinsky, O-T Fagbenle, Sian Clifford and Ronny Chieng. In March 2025, Aasif Mandvi, Rong Fu and Tricia Black joined the cast.
Personal life In 2013, Lister-Jones married her acting, writing and production partner Daryl Wein. In 2021, she announced that they had split after a 17-year-relationship. Lister-Jones described how they had been "in and out of an open relationship."
In 2021, Lister-Jones accused actor Chris Noth of sexually harassing her during the filming of a 2005 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
In February 2024 at the 39th Spirit Awards, Lister-Jones revealed that she considers herself queer and disclosed she is currently dating filmmaker Sammi Cohen.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes1986Zoe's CarZoeVideo short2004Nausea 2Annie BallVideo project2005Anna on the NeckAlessandraShort film2005PalladioMolly HoweArt film2006New BoobsPatricia ColeoShort film2007ArrangedRochel MeshenbergStephanie KirklandShort filmDay ZeroJessica HendricksTurn the RiverKatFive Difficult SituationsCShort film2008LaurenExplicit IllsJenGoybandHani2009Breaking UpwardsZoeAlso writer and producerState of PlayJessy2010ArmlessJennyShadows & LiesRebeccaSaltCIA Security Hub TechTherapistAll Good ThingsPress Conference Reporter2011Stuck Between StationsRebecca2012Lola VersusAliceAlso writer2014Let's Get DigitalSophieShort film2015ConsumedSophie KesslerAlso writer, and producer2016ConfirmationCarolyn HartTelevision film 2017Band Aid AnnaAlso writer, lyricist, director, and producer2020The Craft: Legacy Writer and director2021How It EndsLizaAlso writer and director 2023 A Good Person Simone Beau Is AfraidYoung Mona 2024 PavementsAnne
Television Year Title Role Notes2005Law & Order: Trial by JuryTrisha FordEpisode: "Pattern of Conduct"Law & Order: Criminal IntentMaya SampsonEpisode: "Diamond Dogs"2006KidnappedE.J.Episode: "Sorry, Wrong Number"Law & OrderHannah WelchEpisode: "Public Service Homicide"Jeanie CallucciEpisode: "The Class Goes to a Bar"2008Law & Order: Special Victims UnitFaithEpisode: "Unorthodox"2009WashingtonienneChiaraEpisode: "Pilot"State of RomanceAliceEpisode: "Pilot"Bored to DeathMichelleEpisode: "The Case of the Stolen Skateboard"2009–2010DelocatedKimRecurring role (15 episodes)2010Charlotte ArmitageEpisode: "Bad"2011–2013WhitneyLily DixonMain role, 2 seasons2014Friends with Better LivesKateMain role2015New GirlFawn MoscatoRecurring role (5 episodes)2015–2019Life in PiecesJen ShortMain role 2023SlipMae CannonMain role, writer, director 2025–presentLong Story ShortSusan Schwartz (voice)Guest star 2026 DMVDr. JacobsGuest star Will TrentClaudia Guest star The Miniature Wife Vivienne Main role
Theater
Broadway Year Title Role Venue Notes2006The Little Dog LaughedEllenCort Theatre 2012SeminarKateJohn Golden Theatre
Off Broadway Year Title Role Venue Notes2007The AccomplicesBettyThe New Group2008The Marriage of Bette and BooJoanRoundabout Theater Company2022Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement MusicalAnneSheen Center
One-woman shows Year Title Role Venue Notes2004Codependence Is a Four-Letter WordTen charactersP.S. 122
References
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