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Jayma Mays

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Jayma Mays
Mays in 2010
Born
Jamia Suzette Mays

(1979-07-16) July 16, 1979 (age 45)[1]
Bristol, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma materRadford University
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2007)​
Children1

Jamia Suzette "Jayma" Mays[2] (born July 16, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for playing Emma Pillsbury in the Fox musical series Glee (2009–2015) and for her starring roles in the films Red Eye (2005), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) and The Smurfs (2011). She is also known for portraying Debbie in the sitcom The Millers (2013–2014) and her recurring role as Charlie Andrews on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes (2006–2010). Mays starred as prosecutor Carol Anne Keane in the NBC sitcom Trial & Error (2017–2018).

Early life and education

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Mays was raised in Grundy, Virginia, the daughter of Susan Paulette (née Norris) and James Edwin Mays, a high school teacher who also worked in the coal mining industry.[2][3] At age 15, she was offered a job working on the local radio station reading the obituaries. After graduating from Grundy High School, she earned an associate degree from Southwest Virginia Community College. Mays then attended Virginia Tech for a year before transferring to Radford University.[2]

Career

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Mays in 2009

In 2004, Mays made her first television appearance on Joey. The following year, she made her feature film debut with a supporting role in Red Eye. Mays' other credits include Six Feet Under, Stacked, How I Met Your Mother, Heroes, Pushing Daisies, The Comeback, Entourage, Ghost Whisperer, and Ugly Betty.

Mays appeared in other movies, such as Bar Starz, Flags of Our Fathers and Blind Guy Driving. She starred in the spoof film Epic Movie and as Amy in Paul Blart: Mall Cop. She was a patient on House in the episode "Sleeping Dogs Lie" in 2006. Mays has played the love interest of a character played by Masi Oka in two different roles: Charlie Andrews on Heroes and Nina in the direct-to-DVD film Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control. She has also been cast as a love interest twice for Glee co-star Matthew Morrison; in an unaired TV show called Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, and as mysophobic guidance counsellor Emma Pillsbury on the Fox show Glee, which premiered on May 19, 2009. She was part of the main cast of Glee for the first three seasons, then was made a guest star in seasons four, five, and six. She has also performed musical numbers on Glee including her solo performance of "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me" from The Rocky Horror Show during the themed episode "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"; which was also the song she had sung for her audition for the role. In March 2010, Mays played Grace Winslow, the female lead in the live-action/animated film adaptation of The Smurfs. She also played the role of Charlotte, Henry Grubstick's ex-girlfriend on Ugly Betty. In August 2014, Mays helped to raise awareness of the disease ALS by participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge.[4] She also appeared in the music video for Switchfoot's single "Awakening".

From 2017 to 2018, Mays starred in the NBC crime anthology comedy Trial & Error as prosecutor Carol Anne Keane. She also appeared in a 2018 episode of Great News as Cat, the girlfriend of Greg, played by Mays's husband Adam Campbell.

In April 2021, it was announced that Mays was cast in Disenchanted, the long-awaited sequel to the 2007 film Enchanted, along with Maya Rudolph and Yvette Nicole Brown.[5]

Personal life

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Mays met her husband Adam Campbell on the set of Epic Movie in 2006. She gave birth to their son in August 2016.[6]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2005 Red Eye Cynthia
2006 Blind Dating Mandy
Flags of Our Fathers Nurse in Hawaii
2007 Smiley Face Actress in Waiting Room
Epic Movie Lucy Pervertski
Bar Starz Tiffany
2008 Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control Nina
Night Hikers Skellen Short film
2009 Paul Blart: Mall Cop Amy Anderson
2011 The Smurfs Grace Winslow
2013 Bananas Narrator Short film
The Smurfs 2 Grace Winslow Nominated – Kids' Choice Awards – Favorite Movie Actress (2014)
2014 Awkward Expressions of Love Liz Short film
Last Weekend Blake Curtis
2015 Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant April Farnekowski
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Amy Blart-Anderson Cameo
2017 American Made Dana Sibota
2020 Little Willy Mrs. Caruthers Short film
Bill & Ted Face the Music Princess Joanna
2022 Disenchanted Ruby

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 Joey Molly Episode: "Joey and the Party"
2005 The Comeback Sales Girl Episode: "Valerie Demands Dignity"
Six Feet Under Donna Episode: "The Rainbow of Her Reasons"
Stacked Brenda Episode: "Nobody Says I Love You"
2005, 2013 How I Met Your Mother Coat Check Girl 2 episodes
2006 If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now Sandra Pilot (unaired)
30 Even Scarier Movie Moments Herself Miniseries
House Hannah Episode: "Sleeping Dogs Lie"
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Daphne Episode: "Pilot"
Entourage Jen Episode: "Sorry, Ari"
2006–2010 Heroes Charlie Andrews Recurring role; 5 episodes
2007 Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office Angela Pilot (unaired)
2007–2008 Ugly Betty Charlie Recurring role; 8 episodes
2007 Ghost Whisperer Jennifer Billings Episode: "The Underneath"
Pushing Daisies Elsita / Elsa Episode: "Pigeon"
2008–2019 Drunk History Annabelle / Abigail Adams / Marjory Stoneman Douglas / Florence Schaffner Recurring role; 4 episodes
2008 Back to You Shelley Ken Episode: "Date Night"
2009–2015 Glee Emma Pillsbury Main role (seasons 1–3); recurring (season 4–6)
Won: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010)
2012–2014 The League Trixie Von Stein Recurring role; 6 episodes
2013 NTSF:SD:SUV:: Clock Episode: "The Great Train Stoppery"
2013–2015 The Millers Debbie Main role; 34 episodes
2014–2015 Getting On Suzi Sasso 4 episodes
2015–2018 The Adventures of Puss in Boots Dulcinea Main role; voice role
2015 Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp Jessica 2 episodes
2017–2018 Trial & Error Carol Anne Keane Main role
2018 Great News Cat Episode: "Catfight"
2021–2022 United States of Al Cindy Season 2

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
2007 "Awakening" Switchfoot

References

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  1. ^ Rose, Mike (July 16, 2022). "Today's famous birthdays list for July 16, 2022 includes celebrity Will Ferrell, Corey Feldman". The Plain Dealer. Associated Press. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Tennis, Joe (March 2, 2009). "Living A Hollywood Dream". Bristol Herald Courier, A! Magazine for the Arts. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  3. ^ Mays' family genealogy site[permanent dead link‍], accessed August 19, 2014.
  4. ^ Benign Ginger (August 20, 2014). "Jayma Mays Ice Bucket". Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2018 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 26, 2021). "Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown & Jayma Mays Joining Disney+'s 'Enchanted' Sequel 'Disenchanted'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "Glee's Jayma Mays Welcomes a Son With Husband Adam Campbell". November 6, 2016. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
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