Jemima Kirke (born April 26, 1985) is a British-born American artist and actress best known for her role as Jessa Johansson on the television series Girls.[1] She made her feature-length debut in the independent film Tiny Furniture, although her film debut was in the indie short film Smile for the Camera.


Personal life

Born in London, Kirke was raised in New York City. She is the daughter of Simon Kirke, the former drummer of the rock bands Bad Company and Free.

Her mother is Lorraine (née Dellal) Kirke, the owner of Geminola, a vintage boutique in New York City that supplied a number of outfits for the television series Sex and the City. Her character Jessa wore a wedding dress from Geminola in the season finale of the first season of Girls. Jemima was featured, along with her two sisters Lola and Domino in a fashion piece in Teen Vogue. They wore clothing from Geminola.

Kirke's maternal grandfather, Jack Dellal, was a British businessman of Iraqi Jewish descent, and Kirke's maternal grandmother was Israeli. Kirke has two sisters, Lola and Domino Kirke, who are both involved in the music business.

Kirke is close friends with Lena Dunham, who created Tiny Furniture and Girls. They became friends while attending Saint Ann's School in New York City.In an interview with Esquire, Kirke discussed how the characters she portrays in both were inspired somewhat by her personality.

Kirke resides in Brooklyn and East Hampton with her husband, Michael Mosberg, a lawyer. They have two children: daughter Rafaella Israel (born 2010) and son Memphis Kirke (born 2012).

Career

Artist

Kirke majored in art as a student and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. In late 2011, she held an exhibition titled "A Brief History" through Skylight Projects.

Acting

Although Kirke considers herself an artist first, she fell into acting through acting jobs she did for a number of her friends. Dunham asked Kirke to take on a supporting role in her debut film Tiny Furniture. Despite the project being profitable, Kirke didn't receive any payment.

Filmography

In 2011, Kirke was in the music video Wring it out for the group Rival Schools. Both this music video and Smile for the Camera were directed by her friend Jordan Galland.
Year Title Role Notes
2005 Smile for the Camera Twin Singer (voice) Short film
2010 Tiny Furniture Charlotte Nominated — Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2012–present Girls Jessa Johansson Television series