Feb. 25: Actress and occasional singer, Rashida Jones - "Parks and Recreation"- is 37-years-old today.

Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Bel Air, Rashida Leah Jones is an actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer.

She is best-known for her portrayal of Karen Filippelli on The Office and for her roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network. As of 2009, Jones stars as Ann Perkins in the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation.

Rashida's father is musician Quincy Jones. Her mother is actress Peggy Lipton of Mod Squad fame.

Rashida displayed musical ability at a young age by playing classical concerts and winning awards. Her mother told Entertainment Tonight that Jones is "also a fabulous singer and songwriter, so she has inherited it (from Quincy), there's no question about it. Her dad's teaching her how to orchestrate and arrange too."

As a singer, Jones has provided backing vocals for the band Maroon 5. She appears on the tracks "Tangled," "Secret" and "Not Coming Home" from their debut record, Songs About Jane, and on "Kiwi" from the follow-up album It Won't Be Soon Before Long.

Jones was a guest vocalist on the Tupac Shakur tribute album The Rose That Grew from Concrete, released in 2000. The track, "Starry Night," also featured her father's vocals, Mac Mall's rapping, and her half-brother QD3's production. Jones contributed vocals to songs on The Baxter, The Ten and Reno 911!: Miami soundtracks.

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She also sang in some episodes of Boston Public and for charitable events such as the What A Pair Benefit to raise money for breast cancer research.

After high school, Jones left California to attend Harvard University.At Harvard, Jones belonged to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, Harvard-Radcliffe Opportunes, Black Students Association and the Signet Society.

She was involved in the performing arts, and served as musical director for the Opportunes a cappella group, co-composed the score for the 149th annual Hasty Pudding Theatricals performance, and acted in several plays. She studied Religion and philosophy and graduated in 1997.






Jones made her professional acting debut in The Last Don, a 1997 mini-series based on the novel by Mario Puzo. She then appeared in Myth America, East of A and If These Walls Could Talk 2. In 2000, she guest starred as Karen Scarfolli in an episode of Freaks and Geeks before landing the role of Louisa Fenn on Boston Public.

In films, Rashida had a small role in Full Frontal, directed by Steven Soderbergh, and starred in Now You Know, written and directed by Kevin Smith regular Jeff Anderson. She also starred in short film Roadside Assistance with Adam Brody.

After Jones left Boston Public, she appeared in Death of a Dynasty, and two episodes of Chappelle's Show. In 2004 she played Dr Rachel Keyes in Little Black Book and starred as Edie Miller in British drama series NY-LON. In 2005, Jones played Karen in the Stella pilot on Comedy Central and special government agent Carla Merced in the TNT police drama Wanted.

Jones joined the ensemble cast of The Office in September 2006, playing the role of Karen Filippelli. She appeared regularly during the third season and then returned as a guest star for two episodes in season four and another in season five.

 

In 2009, she co-starred in I Love You, Man, then accepted a role in the TV show, Parks and Recreation. Jones had a small role in the Kevin Smith film Cop Out. She also appeared in The Social Network, which is set at her also mater, Harvard.

In March 2011 she has a starring role in Monogamy, a drama that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2010.

Jones' other 2011 films are Friends with Benefits, The Big Year, The Muppets, and My Idiot Brother - where she plays a lesbian lawyer and the caring, responsible girlfriend of a flaky bisexual played by Zooey Deschanel.
Jones also has a cameo in the Beastie Boys' short film Fight For Your Right Revisited, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Jones created Frenemy of the State, a comic book series about a socialite who is recruited by the CIA. The comics are published by Oni Press and co-written with husband-and-wife writing team Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir.

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