Jen Richards is an American writer, actress, producer, and activist.
Richards was born in Mississippi and resides in North Carolina.[1] She graduated from Shimer College with a BA in Philosophy, and studied at Oxford University.[2]
In 2015, she appeared as a supporting cast member of Caitlyn Jenner's reality show I Am Cait. In 2016, she co-starred, co-directed, co-wrote and co-produced the web series Her Story, which was nominated for an Emmy Award.[3][4] Richards also co-produced the series More Than T and wrote the Trans 102 series.[5]
Richards joined the cast of the television series Nashville in 2017.[1] She became the first openly transgender person to appear on a CMT show, playing the first transgender character to appear on that network.[6] Richards also appeared in the 2017 film Easy Living.[7]
In June 2017, Richards wrote and appeared in a video open letter, presented by ScreenCrush and GLAAD, featuring trans actors asking for better representation in film and television.[8][9]
In August 2018, HBO announced a series pickup of Tom Perrotta's Mrs. Fletcher, a half-hour comedy based on Perrotta's 2017 novel of the same name; Richards is cast as Margo Fairchild, a transgender community college writing teacher, as a series regular.[10]
Richards is bisexual and transgender.[11] In August 2020, she announced her engagement to Rebekah Cheyne, a professor from Arizona State University.[12][13]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | I Am Cait | Self | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Her Story | Violet | Main role, also writer and producer. Nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series |
| 2016–2017 | Nashville | Allyson Del Lago | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Doubt | McKayla | Episode: "Clean Burn" |
| 2017–2022 | Better Things | Jaia | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Take My Wife | Naomi | Episode 2.1 |
| 2018–2020 | Blindspot | Sabrina Larren | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Anna Madrigal | 2 episodes |
| Mrs. Fletcher | Margo Fairchild | 7 episodes | |
| 2021 | Clarice | Julia Lawson | 3 episodes |
| 2023-2025 | Mayfair Witches | Josephine "Jojo" Mayfair | 6 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Easy Living | Danny | |
| 2020 | Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen | Self | Documentary film |
| Gossamer Folds | Diana | ||
| 2022 | Framing Agnes | Barbara | Documentary film |
| MK Ultra | Laura Stanley |
