Jennie Eisenhower
Jennie Elizabeth Eisenhower (born August 15, 1978) is an American actress, director, and realtor [1]. She has performed in theater productions Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, being nominated for seven Barrymore Awards and winning two of them. She has played minor roles in several feature films. She is a great-granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower and granddaughter of Richard Nixon, both presidents of the United States.
Jennie Eisenhower | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | Northwestern University |
Occupation(s) | Actress, director, realtor |
Years active | 2003–present |
Spouses | Anthony Cheslock
(m. 2011; div. 2017)Sara Neville (m. 2020) |
Children | 1 |
Parent(s) | David Eisenhower Julie Nixon Eisenhower |
Relatives | Dwight Eisenhower (great-grandfather) Richard Nixon (grandfather) |
Early life
Eisenhower was born in San Clemente, California,[2] to Julie Nixon Eisenhower and David Eisenhower. Her maternal grandparents were U.S. President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, while her paternal great-grandparents were U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower.[3] She grew up near Philadelphia and graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.[2] She has a brother, Alex Richard Eisenhower (b. 1980), and a sister, Melanie Catherine Eisenhower (b. 1984).[4]
In 1996 Jennie Eisenhower was presented as a debutante to high society at the International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.[5]
Career
Eisenhower has performed in Off-Broadway productions and at regional theaters across the United States. For her performances in Philadelphia she has won two Barrymore Awards: Best Actress in a Musical (2009) for Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits, and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (2004) for The Wild Party.[6] She was also nominated for Barrymore Awards for her work in Show Boat at the Media Theatre (2010), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Theatre Horizon in Norristown (2011), Little Women at Bristol Riverside Theatre (2011), A Grand Night for Singing at the Walnut Street Theatre (2012),[7] Parade at the Arden Theatre (2013), and Bullets Over Broadway (2018).[6]
Other appearances have included Passion at the Arden Theatre Company (2015), Kiss Me, Kate at the Act II Playhouse (2016), and Arsenic and Old Lace (2014), The Humans (2018)[8] and The Best Man (2020) at the Walnut Street Theatre, where she has also directed several productions; Off-Broadway appearances include "Suburb" at York Theatre.[9] In the greater Philadelphia region, Eisenhower directed 1776 in 2016[10] and Falsettos in 2019,[11] among other works.[12]
Eisenhower has appeared in small roles in the films Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Arthur (2011), and The Suspect (2013).[9] She taught theater as an adjunct faculty member at Temple University.[13]
Personal life
Eisenhower narrated the audiobook version of her mother’s 2007 book about her grandmother, Pat Nixon: The Untold Story.[14] In 2011, Eisenhower married Anthony (Tony) Cheslock and they have one child.[13][15] They divorced in 2017.
She is a Democrat and voted for Barack Obama in 2012.[16]
Filmography
- Mona Lisa Smile (2003) – Girl at the Station
- Head Space (2006) – TV Correspondent
- Arthur (2011) – Alexis
- The Suspect (2013) – Instructor
- Dispatches From Elsewhere (2020) – Elsewhereian #2
- Law & Order (2022) – Denise Cohen[17]
References
- About Jennie Eisenhower
- Wilson, Jon. "Historical play's lead adds touch of history", Tampa Bay Times, November 21 2004, accessed December 22, 2021
- Leiby, Richard (February 23, 2005). "Jennie Eisenhower, Making Herself Perfectly Clear". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- Bennett, Kitty. "Where Are They Now? Julie and David Eisenhower", AARP Bulletin, December 22, 2010. p. 2.
- Yazigi, Monique (January 1997). "The Debutante Returns, With Pearls and Plans". New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- "The Barrymore Awards: Jennie Eisenhower". Theatre Philadelphia. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- Jones, Kenneth. "Philly's 2012 Barrymore Awards Nominees Announced; Is This the Final Year of the Barrymores?", Playbill, August 16, 2012, accessed May 1, 2022
- Dunleavy, Tim. "Review: The Humans at the Walnut Street Theatre", DC Metro Theater Arts, January 28, 2018
- "Jennie Eisenhower". Walnut Street Theatre. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- Eger, Henrik. "1776 And All That: Interview with director-choreographer Jennie Eisenhower", Phindie, May 4, 2016
- Von Bergen, Jane M. "On stage at 1812 Productions: Two women in their 50s. Why that’s more radical than it should be." The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 14, 2019
- Buehler, Pati. "BWW Interview: Philly's Own Jennie Eisenhower", BroadwayWorld.com, February 28, 2014, accessed December 20, 2021
- Groome, Clark (October 24, 2013). "Only 3 people in U.S. history share her distinction; Eisenhower/Nixon kin currently starring in local play". The Chestnut Hill Local. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
- "Pat Nixon: The Untold Story". Richard Nixon Foundation. Mar 15, 2018. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved Aug 11, 2023.
- "Inspired by Greek Theater, Jennie Eisenhower Lights up Philadelphia - The National Herald". thenationalherald.com. 2022-08-18. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
- Cooper, Leah Faye (1 October 2012). "Election 2012: All the Presidents' Daughters". Glamour. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- Weyer, Michael (2022-11-18). "Law & Order recap: A military murder pits Price against his boss". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved 2023-02-02.