Jennifer Siebel Biography

Jennifer Lynn Siebel (born June 19, 1974) is an American documentary filmmaker, actress and the wife of former San Francisco Mayor and current Lieutenant Governor of California Gavin Newsom. She is the director, writer and producer of the film Miss Representation, which premiered in the documentary competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film examines how the media have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power.

Life and career

Siebel was born in San Francisco, to Kenneth F. Siebel, Jr., an investment manager (second cousin to software entrepreneur Thomas Siebel), and his wife, Judy (Fritzer) Siebel, co-founder of the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. Siebel grew up in the Marin County community of Ross, California. Siebel is the oldest of four sisters. Siebel attended Ross Grammar School and The Branson School. During high school, she played varsity basketball, soccer, and tennis. She later graduated with honors from Stanford University, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in 1996 and Master of Business Administration in 2001. Her studies focused on conservation policy and Third World development. At Stanford, she was recruited to play on the women's soccer team. While pursuing her MBA, Siebel also studied at the American Conservatory Theater, where she completed a certificate program. After completing her education, Siebel traveled to Africa, Latin America, and Europe on assignments with Conservation International, a global environmental coalition. Siebel worked in rain forest communities with a focus on helping indigenous populations and creating business enterprise opportunities for women. In 2002, Siebel moved to Hollywood, where she concentrated on building her acting career. Siebel earned many roles in television, film, and theater. Siebel has appeared on many television shows, including Mad Men, Strong Medicine, and Numb3rs.

Siebel and Newsom met on a blind date set up by mutual friend Kathy Wilsey at the Artists Ball at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in October 2006. The couple announced their engagement in January 2008. Siebel and Newsom wed in July of the same year at her parents' ranch in Stevensville, Montana. It was Siebel's first marriage and Newsom's second. In September 2009, she gave birth to a daughter, Montana Tessa Siebel Newsom. Siebel gave birth to a son, Hunter Siebel Newsom, on June 12, 2011. In 2011, Siebel and her family moved from San Francisco to Ross, where she grew up.

Filmmaking

Miss Representation, Siebel's directorial debut, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. The film went on to screen at numerous other festivals, including the San Francisco International Film Festival, Athena Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Palo Alto International Film Festival.

The film interweaves stories from teenage girls with interviews from the likes of Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Dr. Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Dr. Jackson Katz, Dr. Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem discussing the media and its message regarding women.

On February 10, 2011, Oprah Winfrey announced that she had acquired the film for her OWN Documentary Film Club, with plans of broadcasting it in the near future.

Filmography

• Waiting for Anna (2002)
• Something's Gotta Give (2003)
• American Daylight (2004)
• Blonde (2004)
• Zen Noir (2004)
• Rent (2005)
• Raw Footage (2005)
• Safe (2006)
• In the Valley of Elah (2007)
• Bone Dry (2007)
• The Trouble with Romance (2007)
• The Butler's in Love (2008)
• April Fool's Day (2008)
• The Gold Lunch (2008)
• The Nanny Express (2008)
• Down for Life (2009)
• Sleeping with the Lion (2010)
• Tales of an Ancient Empire (2010)
• Miss Representation (2011)

Series

• Presidio Med (2002)
• She Spies (2002)
• Strong Medicine (2003)
• The Proud Family (2003)
• Cracking Up (2004)
• Numb3rs (2005)
• Life (2007"2008)
• Mad Men (2008)
• Trauma (2009)

Theatre

• Beauty at Globe Playhouse
• Cheaters at Globe Playhouse
• Sex & Work at The Lillian Theater
• Sisters at Court Theater
• Six Degrees of Separation at The San Francisco Playhouse
• Spotlight at St. Monica's
• The Twin Sister at Santa Monica Playhouse