Rachel Frances Shaw (born ) is an American actress, writer and director. She is best known for playing Bridgette Bird on the Showtime series SMILF, based on the 2015 short film of the same title, which she wrote, directed and starred in. Shaw is also known for playing Mary Jo Cacciatore on the 2010–2011 Spike TV series Blue Mountain State, and her recurring role as Shayla Nico in the first season of the USA Network television series Mr. Robot.

Early life and education Shaw was born in South Boston, and also grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her mother was from South Boston. Shaw's parents divorced when she was four years old. She grew up in a single-mother home with an older half-brother, who owns a bar in Boston.

Shaw attended Michael Driscoll School and Brookline High School. At Michael Driscoll, Shaw played full court streetball at a nearby neighborhood park. Shaw said that basketball was a constant of her childhood, and she incorporated it into the pilot and third episode of SMILF. After receiving a scholarship in her junior year, Shaw transferred to the private school Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, where she graduated in 2000. In 2007, she graduated from Barnard College with a degree in literature.

Career After college, Shaw decided to move to Los Angeles, but discovered she was pregnant. Much of her struggles to work as an actor while being a single mother are the loose inspiration for SMILF. A role in the 2014 ABC ensemble series Mixology was a breakout role, providing Shaw with her first sense of financial stability since giving birth to her son.

In 2009, Shaw first received recognition in the completely improvised Katie Aselton-directed film The Freebie and then as the oddball drunken cheerleader Mary Jo Cacciatore in the 2010 sitcom Blue Mountain State.

In 2013, Shaw appeared in the HBO's TV series starring Stephen Merchant called Hello Ladies. She had roles in the 2013 independent film The Pretty One, which starred Zoe Kazan and Jake Johnson, and the 2014 romantic comedy film Someone Marry Barry. Also in 2014, Shaw appeared in another independent feature, the drama Lullaby, which starred Garrett Hedlund and Amy Adams.

In 2015, Shaw had a recurring role on the first season of the television series Mr. Robot as Shayla Nico, the drug dealing love interest of Elliot Alderson, for seven episodes.

In 2015, she appeared in the ABC Family pilot Tough Cookie as well as on the 2015 Fox TV series Mulaney. In 2016, Shaw reprised her role of Mary Jo Cacciatore from the 2010 series in the movie Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland. Also in 2016, Shaw appeared in the Netflix series Flaked. She was a series regular on the 2016 TV series Good Girls Revolt.

Shaw's 2014 short film SMILF, which she wrote, directed and starred in opposite Thomas Middleditch, won the 2015 Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at Sundance. In 2015, SMILF was picked up by Showtime as a half-hour comedy television show with Shaw as showrunner, writing, directing, starring in, and producing the series. The first season, which was shot on location in South Boston as well as Los Angeles, received generally positive reviews, with her portrayal of single mother Bridgette Bird notable for its realism, insight, and biting humor. "Frankie Shaw, it [SMILF] marks the arrival of an important and original voice." SMILF co-stars Connie Britton and Rosie O'Donnell, and tackles subjects like eating disorders and sexual abuse. Shaw said that the show was a way to discuss and portray the role of women on screen. In November 2017, Showtime renewed SMILF for a second season. In December 2018, it was reported that Shaw and the series had been accused of workplace misconduct. In March 2019, the series was cancelled after two seasons.

In 2016, Shaw returned to the Sundance Film Festival with another short film she wrote and directed, a dark comedy titled Too Legit, which stars Zoë Kravitz, Teresa Palmer, Nate Corddry and Clark Gregg. Too Legit is inspired by a satire of Congressman Todd Akin's controversial 2012 remarks about rape and pregnancy: "It seems to be, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, [rape resulting in pregnancy is] really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down."

In 2017, Shaw had a supporting role as Gail Hurley in the feature film Stronger, which was directed by David Gordon Green, and starred Jake Gyllenhaal as 2013 Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman.

In 2019, it was reported that Shaw is attached to direct an adaption of the Katherine Faw Morris novel Ultraluminous, produced by Steven Soderbergh. In 2020, numerous announcements were made regarding projects Shaw is attached to: she is reported to be writer and executive producer of an HBO series adapting the 1978 Judy Blume novel Wifey, and will direct the first episode; she is reportedly to star in Kill Switch, a film to be directed by Soderbergh; and she is attached to direct an adaption of T Kira Madden's memoir Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls. She is also set to direct a film adaptation of the comic 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank.

Personal life In August 2016, Shaw married writer–producer Zach Strauss.

Shaw has a son, Isaac Love, from a prior relationship with director and actor Mark Webber. Shaw and Webber share joint custody of Isaac.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2005 Night Swimming Amber 2006 Just Like the Son Brenda 2007 One Night Clarice2008 Explicit Ills Michelle Altamont Now Karen Kennedy2009 The Northern Kingdom Shauna Falling Up Gretchen Red Hook Deena 2010 The Freebie Coffee Girl2011 Coffee Snobs Customer Short film The End of Love Evelyn2012 Spoonful Mac Short film Knife Fight Samantha2013 The Pretty One Claudia This Is Where We Live Lainey2014 Lullaby Janice Someone Marry Barry Camille SMILF Bridgette BirdShort film; also writer and director2016 Too Legit Jess Joshy Crystal Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland Mary Jo Cacciatore Dreamland Lizzie Tough Cookie Heidi Short film2017 Stronger Gail Hurley Bad Peter Rachel Short film 2018 Fluidic Emlyn 2019 Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Prosecutor 2021 No Sudden Move Paula Cole 2024 Absolution Daisy 2027 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank Director, writer, and producer

Television Year Title Role Notes 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Marrissa Episode: "Unchained" (season 5, episode 4) 2006 The Bedford Diaries Simone Episode: "I'm Gonna Love College" (season 1, episode 1) 2010–2011 Blue Mountain State Mary Jo Cacciatore Main role (seasons 2–3), 15 episodes2011 Glory Daze Gina Episode: "Hit Me with Your Test Shot" (season 1, episode 9) CSI: NY Kelly Rose Episode: "Brooklyn Til I Die" (season 8, episode 12) 2 Broke Girls Keefer Episode: "And the High Holidays" (season 2, episode 12) 2013 Hello Ladies Nikki Episode: "The Limo" (season 1, episode 2) 2014 Mixology Fabienne Main role2015 Mulaney Julia Episode: "Ruby" (season 1, episode 12) Tough Cookie Heidi Episode: "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1) Mr. Robot Shayla Nico Recurring role (season 1), 7 episodes2016 Flaked Natasha 2 episodes Good Girls Revolt Naomi 8 episodes 2017–2019 SMILF Bridgette Bird Lead role; also creator, director, producer, and writer2018 Homecoming Dara 4 episodes Hollyweed Brookline Mass / Janet Online pilot2019 Drunk History Hedy Lamarr Episode: "Fame" (season 6, episode 11) Robot Chicken Dorothy Gale / Oopsie Starlight Voice role; episode: "Molly Lucero in: Your Friend's Boob"

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2015 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Grand Jury Prize SMILF (short film) Short Film Jury Award for U.S. Fiction 2016 Short Film Grand Jury Prize Too Legit (short film) South by Southwest Film Festival SXSW Grand Jury Award for Narrative Short — American Film Institute Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women — — 2017 Writers Guild of America Showrunner Training Program — — Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy SMILF

References

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