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Jessica Stroup
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Jessica Stroup (born October 23, 1986[1][2]) is an American actress, best known for her role as Silver on 90210 (2008–2013), Max Hardy on The Following (2014–2015) and Joy Meachum on Iron Fist (2017–2018), which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). She is regarded as a scream queen for starring in the horror films Vampire Bats (2005), Left in Darkness (2006), The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007), Prom Night (2008) and Homecoming (2009).
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Stroup was born in Anderson, South Carolina, the daughter of Judith and Don Stroup, a senior vice president at MUFG Union Bank.[3] She spent her childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. She graduated from Providence High School in 2004.[4] Stroup received a full scholarship to attend the University of Georgia, but declined in order to pursue an acting career.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Stroup's first acting role was a guest appearance on a 2005 episode of Unfabulous. Stroup has since appeared in a number of other TV shows, such as Grey's Anatomy, October Road, and True Blood. In 2007, Stroup appeared in 4 episodes of Reaper, in which she played the protagonist's ex-girlfriend. She appeared in a number of small independent movie productions, such as Left in Darkness, Pray for Morning, Vampire Bats.
In March 2007, Stroup starred as the female lead in The Hills Have Eyes 2. Stroup played the role of a US Army National Guard soldier named Amber who fights for survival with her peers against a group of mutant people. The film was a fast-forward sequel to The Hills Have Eyes, a remake of the 1977 movie of the same name. Despite negative reviews from critics the film went on to gross over $67 million worldwide. That same year Stroup had a supporting role in This Christmas.
In April 2008, Stroup was cast as a series regular on 90210, a reboot of the Golden Globe Award-nominated series Beverly Hills, 90210. Stroup played the role of high school student Erin Silver, the younger sister of David Silver and Kelly Taylor from Beverly Hills, 90210. The pilot premiered on September 2, 2008, to a high 4.65 million viewers despite mixed reviews from critics. In 2010 Stroup was awarded the "Sparkling Performance" award at the Young Hollywood Awards.
Also in April 2008, Stroup played the role of Claire in the film remake Prom Night. In December 2007, MTV.com announced that Stroup was cast in another horror film titled Homecoming, which follows a young woman being kidnapped by her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. Despite the film completing production in February 2008, it was not released until July 2009 for a limited release in selected cinemas.[5] In 2008, Stroup played Rachel in the ensemble film The Informers.
In 2011, Stroup guest-appeared on Family Guy, in which she voiced a number of characters in two episodes. Stroup reunited with Seth MacFarlane in his directorial debut Ted, in which she played Tracy, a work friend of Lori (played by Mila Kunis).
On August 20, 2013, it was announced that Stroup would join The Following in season 2 as a series regular. Her character, Max, is "the niece of Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon). She’s an NYPD cop, currently working in the Intel Division. Max reconnects with Ryan and she becomes a valuable ally."[6]
In March 2017, she joined the cast of Iron Fist as Joy Meachum.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Stroup currently lives in Los Angeles, California.[8] Stroup married businessman Neil Hutchinson on September 17, 2022.[9]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Vampire Bats | Eden | Television film |
| 2006 | Pray for Morning | Ashley | |
| Left in Darkness | Justine | Direct-to-video | |
| School for Scoundrels | Eli's wife | ||
| Broken | Sara | ||
| 2007 | The Hills Have Eyes 2 | Amber "Barbie" Johnson | |
| This Christmas | Sandi Whitfield | ||
| Structure H Telepathic | Allie | Short film | |
| 2008 | Prom Night | Claire Davis | |
| The Informers | Rachel | ||
| 2009 | Homecoming | Elizabeth Mitchum | |
| 2012 | Ted | Tracy | |
| 2016 | Jack Reacher: Never Go Back | Lt. Sullivan |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Unfabulous | Fredericka | Episode: "The Road Trip" |
| 2006 | Southern Comfort | Lindy | Unsold Fox pilot |
| Girlfriends | Riley | Episode: "Oh, Hell Yes: The Seminar" | |
| Zoey 101 | Girl | Episode: "Lola Likes Chase" | |
| 2007 | Grey's Anatomy | Jillian "Jilly" Miller | Episode: "Great Expectations" |
| 2007–2008 | Reaper | Cady Hansen | 4 episodes |
| 2007 | October Road | Taylor | Episode: "Once Around the Block" |
| 2008–2013 | 90210 | Erin Silver | Main cast; 114 episodes |
| 2008 | True Blood | Sorority girl Kelly | Episode: "Strange Love" |
| 2011 | Family Guy | Crowd member (voice) Denise (voice) |
2 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | The Following | Max Hardy | Main cast; 28 episodes |
| 2017 | You're the Worst | Young Faye | 2 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Iron Fist | Joy Meachum | Main cast; 23 episodes |
| 2019 | Heart of Life | Alexandra Reid | TV movie |
References
[edit]- ^ "UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024". United Press International. October 23, 2024.
- ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 20-26". Associated Press. October 15, 2024.
- ^ Aarthun, Sarah (2008-09-08). "From Q.C. to '90210' | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper". Charlotte Observer. charlotteobserver.com. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ Aarthun, Sarah. "From Q.C. to '90210'". Charlotte Observer. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ Matt Mitovich (17 July 2009). "90210's Jessica Stroup Braves One Hell of a Homecoming". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Hibberd, James (August 20, 2013). "'The Following' casts '90210' star as series regular – EXCLUSIVE".
- ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (18 April 2016). "'90210' Alum Jessica Stroup, Tom Pelphrey Join Netflix's 'Marvel's Iron Fist' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
- ^ "Jessica Stroup Biography", TVGuide.com, retrieved 2011-03-04
- ^ Siwak, Miranda (2022-09-18). "Brittany Snow Parties at Jessica Stroup's Wedding Amid Tyler Stanaland Split". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
External links
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Jessica Stroup
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Family and childhood
Jessica Leigh Stroup was born on October 23, 1986, in Anderson, South Carolina.[11] She is the daughter of Judy Stroup and Don Stroup, the latter of whom spent 31 years working at Wachovia Bank.[12] Originally from Gaffney, South Carolina, the family relocated frequently across the Carolinas due to Don's banking career, resulting in Stroup attending ten different schools during her early years.[12] She has an older brother, Dave Stroup.[13] Details on family dynamics are limited in public records. This contrasted with her eventual Hollywood path and offered a stable, non-industry foundation during her formative years in the American South. From a young age, Stroup showed interest in performing arts through informal activities at home. Her mother recalled that, as a child, she would stand on the hearth and stage little plays with friends while singing.[14] At school, she auditioned for theatrical productions, though without landing roles, and engaged in extracurriculars like volleyball, serving as a starter on Providence High School's 2002 4A state championship team after the family settled in Charlotte, North Carolina.[12] These early experiences in local school and community settings, while sparse in specifics, highlighted her budding creative inclinations before her teenage shift toward modeling as a stepping stone to acting.Education and relocation
Born in Anderson, South Carolina, Stroup relocated with her family to Charlotte, North Carolina, during her early teenage years due to frequent moves across the Carolinas prompted by her father's banking career.[12] There, she attended Providence High School, graduating in 2004.[14] In her senior year of high school, at age 17, Stroup was awarded a full academic scholarship to the University of Georgia.[4] However, driven by her passion for performing, she declined the offer to focus on an acting career instead.[2] Following her graduation, Stroup moved to Los Angeles in 2004 at age 17.[4] Upon arrival, she enrolled in acting classes and quickly secured initial modeling opportunities to help sustain herself financially.[4] This relocation signified the beginning of her independent adulthood, as she navigated the demands of auditions and self-reliance in a new city far from her family support network.[15]Career
Early acting roles
Jessica Stroup entered the entertainment industry through modeling at the age of 15 while living in Charlotte, North Carolina. She signed with Evolution Talent Agency, a local firm that facilitated her early work in print advertisements and commercials. This experience ignited her interest in acting, leading her to pursue opportunities beyond modeling. After relocating to Los Angeles at 17, Stroup transitioned to on-screen roles, debuting in 2005 with a guest appearance as Fredericka in the Nickelodeon series Unfabulous. That same year, she appeared in the TV horror film Vampire Bats as Eden, a college student targeted by mutated bats. In 2006, she continued building her resume with supporting parts in low-budget horror productions, including Left in Darkness as a young woman navigating the afterlife and an uncredited role in the comedy School for Scoundrels. Stroup's early film breakthrough arrived in 2007 with the horror sequel The Hills Have Eyes 2, where she portrayed Private First Class Amber "Barbie" Johnson, a member of a National Guard trainee squad ambushed by a mutant family in the New Mexico desert. The role marked her prominent entry into the horror genre and showcased her amid a cast including Michael McMillian and Daniella Alonso. Additional television guest spots that year, such as Taylor in October Road and Cady Hanson in Reaper, further established her presence in episodic programming.Television breakthrough
Stroup achieved her television breakthrough with the role of Erin Silver in The CW's reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210, titled 90210, where she was cast in 2008 as a series regular.[16] In the series, she portrayed the complex half-sister to legacy characters Kelly and David Silver, navigating intricate family dynamics, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder that led to manic episodes and medication struggles, and turbulent romantic relationships across high school and college years.[17] Her performance spanned 114 episodes from 2008 to 2013, earning her widespread recognition and a dedicated fanbase for embodying the character's emotional depth and vulnerability. Building toward this prominence, Stroup had appeared in guest roles on series such as True Blood in 2008 as a sorority girl.[1] Following the conclusion of 90210, she transitioned to a more intense dramatic role as Max Hardy in Fox's thriller The Following, joining as a series regular in 2014 for its second and third seasons.[18] Stroup played the resilient niece of lead FBI agent Ryan Hardy, depicted as a tough NYPD detective in the Intelligence Division who becomes deeply involved in the hunt for serial killer Joe Carroll, demonstrating her ability to handle high-stakes action and psychological tension.[19][20] Stroup further expanded her range in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the recurring role of Joy Meachum in Netflix's Iron Fist, cast in 2016 and appearing across its two seasons from 2017 to 2018.[21] As the shrewd daughter of Harold Meachum and co-chief legal officer at Rand Enterprises, her character engaged in corporate power struggles, betrayals, and escalating action sequences amid the series' blend of martial arts and intrigue, marking her entry into superhero television and solidifying her versatility beyond teen drama. She also appeared in supporting roles on FX's You're the Worst (2016) and ABC's Station 19 (2018).Film work and later projects
Stroup's entry into feature films came with a prominent supporting role in the 2008 remake of Prom Night, a horror thriller directed by Nelson McCormick, where she portrayed Claire, a friend of the protagonist caught in a deadly prom night pursuit by a vengeful killer.[22] This role, released the same year as her television debut on 90210, significantly increased her visibility in the industry, marking her as an emerging scream queen in the horror genre. The film, produced by Screen Gems, grossed over $20 million domestically and highlighted Stroup's ability to convey vulnerability amid escalating tension. Following Prom Night, Stroup appeared in several independent and genre-driven projects, including the 2009 thriller Homecoming, in which she played Elizabeth Mitchum, a college student entangled in a web of psychological suspense and betrayal.[23] She also took on comedic territory with a supporting part as Tracy in Seth MacFarlane's Ted (2012), a raunchy buddy comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, where her character navigates a tumultuous relationship involving an anthropomorphic teddy bear. These roles, alongside earlier horror credits like The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007) as PFC Amber Johnson, underscored her versatility within low-to-mid-budget films, often emphasizing survival and relational dynamics in high-stakes scenarios.[24] In 2016, Stroup expanded into action territory with a key supporting role as Lieutenant Veronica Sullivan in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, directed by Edward Zwick, opposite Tom Cruise's titular investigator; her character serves as military counsel amid a conspiracy-laden plot involving wrongful accusations and international intrigue.[25] The Paramount Pictures release earned praise for its taut pacing and grossed approximately $162 million worldwide, providing Stroup exposure in a major studio franchise. That same year, she starred in the short drama Youth as Alice, exploring themes of aging and identity in a speculative near-future setting. Stroup's film output diminished after 2018, with her most recent credited role in the 2019 independent drama Heart of Life as Alexandra Reid, a character grappling with personal loss and redemption in a story of familial reconciliation. No major feature films followed through 2025, indicating a career hiatus or shift toward selective opportunities, possibly influenced by her established television presence.[3] Overall, Stroup's filmography comprises over ten credits, predominantly in horror and action genres, positioning cinema as a secondary facet to her more prominent small-screen work.[5]Personal life
Relationships and marriage
Stroup has kept her romantic life largely private, with few details emerging about her relationships prior to her marriage. She began a long-term relationship with businessman and tech entrepreneur Neil Hutchinson after meeting him at a Charity Water gala in New York City in 2012.[26] After approximately seven years together, Hutchinson proposed to Stroup on the roof of their home in Marrakech, Morocco. The couple wed on September 17, 2022, in an intimate destination ceremony at the Amanjena resort in Marrakech.[26] The event embraced an organic, dreamlike aesthetic, featuring thousands of flowers, over 40,000 candles, a short vows exchange, and a reception held in an olive grove beneath twinkling lights; close friends, including actress Brittany Snow, attended the celebration.[26][27] As of 2025, Stroup and Hutchinson have no children and share a home in Los Angeles, California. Stroup has consistently emphasized her preference for privacy in matters of the heart, refraining from public commentary on her marriage amid sporadic unverified rumors on gossip sites.[28]Residence and hobbies
Jessica Stroup has resided in Los Angeles, California, since relocating there in 2005 to launch her acting career.[15] She maintains a low-profile lifestyle in the city, prioritizing privacy away from the spotlight. Following her marriage to businessman Neil Hutchinson in Marrakech, Morocco, in September 2022, Stroup shares her Los Angeles home with her husband, embracing a balanced domestic routine. Stroup adopted her dog, Willow, around 2011, and the two have formed a close bond over the years. In a March 2021 episode of the podcast Unconditional Love Stories, she described Willow as her "partner-in-crime" and a vital source of joy, especially during periods of career transition, emphasizing the dog's role in her daily life as a devoted pet parent. Among her personal interests, Stroup enjoys travel, exemplified by her intimate wedding celebration in Morocco, where she and Hutchinson exchanged vows after his proposal in the same location.[26] She also incorporates fitness into her routine, as noted in earlier profiles highlighting her active lifestyle.[29] Stroup demonstrates support for animal welfare through discussions on pet parenting and advocacy for shelter animals, though her public philanthropy remains limited without involvement in major organized causes as of 2025.Filmography
Film roles
Jessica Stroup has appeared in ten feature films throughout her career as of 2025.[1] The following is a chronological list of her film roles:- Pray for Morning (2006, horror): Ashley[30]
- Left in Darkness (2006, horror): Justine[31]
- School for Scoundrels (2006, comedy): Eli's Wife[32]
- The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007, horror): Amber[33]
- Prom Night (2008, horror): Claire[34]
- The Informers (2008, drama): Rachel[35]
- Homecoming (2009, thriller): Elizabeth Mitchum[36]
- Ted (2012, comedy): Tracy[37]
- Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016, action): Lt. Sullivan[38]
- And the Winner Isn't (2017, documentary): Self[39]
Television roles
Stroup has amassed over 20 television credits throughout her career, with a focus on series regular roles in prominent dramas alongside numerous guest appearances in episodic series.[1] The following is a chronological list of her television roles:- Unfabulous (2005, Nickelodeon): Fredericka (guest, 1 episode).[40]
- Zoey 101 (2006, Nickelodeon): Girl (guest, 1 episode).[41]
- Grey's Anatomy (2007, ABC): Jillian Miller (guest, 1 episode).[42]
- Girlfriends (2007, UPN/CW): Riley (guest, 1 episode).[43]
- Reaper (2007, The CW): Cady Hanson (recurring, 4 episodes).[44]
- October Road (2008, ABC): Taylor (guest, 1 episode).[45]
- True Blood (2008, HBO): Sorority Girl (guest, 1 episode).[3]
- 90210 (2008–2013, The CW): Erin Silver (main/series regular, 114 episodes).[46]
- You're the Worst (2017, FX): Young Faye (guest, 2 episodes).[47]
- The Following (2014–2015, Fox): Max Hardy (main/series regular, 28 episodes).[1]
- Iron Fist (2017–2018, Netflix): Joy Meachum (main/series regular, 23 episodes).[48]
- Heart of Life (2019, TV movie): Alexandra Reid (lead role).[49]