Abbi Jacobson Biography

Abbi Jacobson (born February 1, 1984) is an American comedian, writer, actress and illustrator. She is known for co-creating and co-starring in the Comedy Central series Broad City with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the same name.

Early life

Jacobson is the daughter of Susan Komm, an artist, and Alan Jacobson, a graphic designer. She is Jewish. She was raised in Wayne, Pennsylvania, where she attended Valley Forge Middle School and Conestoga High School. She studied fine arts and video production at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she studied stand-up comedy for one year with poet Jeremy Sigler with a brief period of studying acting at Emerson College.

She moved to New York City after graduating from MICA in 2006; she began taking classes with the Atlantic Theater Company and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, where she met Ilana Glazer.

Career

Broad City

From 2009 to 2011, Jacobson and Glazer wrote and performed in a web series titled Broad City, which focused on their lives in New York. The series was nominated for an ECNY Award for Best Web Series. It was well received by critics and developed a cult following. At the Upright Citizens Brigade, Jacobson and Glazer adapted the series into a live show that they performed in, called Broad City Live.

In 2011, cable network FX, working with Amy Poehler as the producer, purchased a script commitment for the series from Glazer and Jacobson. However, the network did not approve the script and decided not to proceed with development. Glazer and Jacobson then approached Comedy Central, who agreed to purchase the script from FX and order a pilot.

Broad City made its broadcast television premiere in January 2014 and was received with positive reviews and strong ratings, becoming Comedy Central's highest-rated first season since 2012 among the younger demographics, including adults 18-34, with an average of 1.2 million viewers.

The show has received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. Review aggregation website Metacritic noted season 1 received "generally favorable reviews," giving it a score of 75 out of 100, based on reviews from 14 critics. Karen Valby from Entertainment Weekly described the show as a "deeply weird, weirdly sweet, and completely hilarious comedy." The Wall Street Journal referred to the show as "Sneak Attack Feminism." Critic Megan Angelo quotes Abbi Jacobson, main star of Comedy Central's Broad City: "If you watch one of our episodes, there"?s not a big message, but if you watch all of them, I think, they"?re empowering to women."? The A.V. Club critic Caroline Framke wrote that Broad City was "worth watching" despite its "well-trod premise," and that the series is "remarkably self-possessed, even in its first episode."

Season one of the show received a 96% "Certified Fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews from 23 critics, with the site's consensus stating, "From its talented producers to its clever writing and superb leads, Broad City boasts an uncommonly fine pedigree." The A.V. Club named Broad City the second best TV show of 2014 for its first season.

In February 2014, Comedy Central renewed the show for a second season. Season two received positive reviews, with Metacritic giving it a score of 89 out of 100, based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim." Rotten Tomatoes gave the second season a rating of 100%, based on reviews from 11 critics, with the site's consensus: "Led by two of the funniest women on TV, Broad City uses its stars' vibrant chemistry to lend an element of authenticity to the show's chaotic yet enlightening brand of comedy."

In January 2015, the series was then renewed for a third season, which premiered on February 17, 2016. In January 2016, the series was renewed for a fourth and a fifth season.

Other work

In 2011, Jacobson wrote and performed in a solo show called Welcome to Camp, which ran in New York and Los Angeles.

She has also worked as an illustrator, and published two coloring books with Chronicle Books in 2013, Color This Book: New York City and Color This Book: San Francisco. Jacobson illustrated a book titled Carry This Book set to be released in October 2016, by Viking Press.

In December 2015, Jacobson was cast in the film Person to Person, opposite Michael Cera and Phillip Baker Hall, written and directed by Dustin Guy Defa. Jacobson is also set to star in The Lego Ninjago Movie, set to be released on September 22, 2017.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	Revelation 13	Danielle
2011	Special Things to Do	Mary	Short film
2011	Upload	Elaine	Short film
2014	High and Dry	Studio Mate	Short film
2016	Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising	Jessica Baiers
2017	Person to Person		In post-production
2017	The Lego Ninjago Movie	Nya (voice)	Filming
2017	6 Balloons	Katie	In post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2010	Vag Magazine	Moon Cup	Episode: "Feminist Sweepstakes"
2010-2011	Broad City	Abbi Abrams	Web series; 15 episodes
2012	Jest Originals	Reenactment Amanda	Episode: "I Didn't Know I Was Gilbert Gottfried"
2012	Moms V. Pros		4 episodes
2013	CollegeHumor		Episode: "Jake and Amir/All-Nighter: Jake and Amir's Dream"
2014-present	Broad City	Abbi Abrams	30 episodes; also creator
2015	Lucas Bros. Moving Co.	Sister Sister (voice)	Episode: "Sister Sister Sister"
2015	Inside Amy Schumer	Herself	Episode: "80s Ladies"
2015	The Untitled Web Series That Morgan Evans Is Doing for MTV	Blanche	1 episode
2016	BoJack Horseman	Emily (voice)	4 episodes