Jessica Harmon

Jessica Harmon
PerformerRDM
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Portrays:	"Easy" Esrin
Date of Birth:	December 27, 1985
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month! ,
Age:	40
Nationality:	CAN
Related Media
		@ BW Media
Official Site
IMDb profile

Jessica Harmon (born December 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress and director who portrayed Ensign "Easy" Esrin in the Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy webisodes. She is best known for her recurring roles as FBI Agent Dale Bozzio in iZombie (2015–2019) and Niylah in The 100 (2016–2020), where she also transitioned into directing. Her film work includes prominent roles in the slasher film Black Christmas (2006) and the science fiction horror film Hollow Man 2 (2006).

Early Life and Family

Jessica Harmon was born on December 27, 1985, in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. She comes from a prominent entertainment family in Vancouver. Her father, Allan Harmon, is a director who worked as first assistant director on Andromeda and Poltergeist: The Legacy, and later transitioned to directing. Her mother, Cynde Harmon, is a producer with credits including the family-oriented television pilot Wolf Canyon (2009).

Jessica is the older sister of actor Richard Harmon, who portrayed Tad "Heracles" Thorean on Caprica and is best known for his role as John Murphy in The 100. The siblings notably co-starred in The 100, where they shared multiple scenes together throughout the series' run from 2016 to 2020.

Career

Early Work (1997–2005)

Harmon began her acting career in 1997 with an appearance in The Outer Limits, one of her earliest professional roles. Among her earliest roles, she appeared as a Juvenile Inmate in The New Addams Family, a remake of the classic series. During this period, she built up television credits with appearances in series including The Days, Killer Instinct, Kyle XY, Life As We Know It, Pasadena, and Whistler.

Her early film work included a role in the family comedy Agent Cody Banks (2003), which helped establish her in the Vancouver film production scene.

Harmon expressed her love for Vancouver as a filming location and place of residence. In 2009, she stated:

I lived in LA for about 3 years and I moved back to Vancouver 2 years ago. I have been back to LA a few times for premieres and work but I really love living in Vancouver. I don't know if I would ever live in LA again.

Horror Genre Breakthrough (2006)

Harmon gained significant recognition in 2006 with two prominent horror film roles. She portrayed Megan Helms in the slasher film Black Christmas, a remake of the 1974 cult classic. The film was shot in February and March 2006 in Vancouver with a predominantly female cast including Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Lacey Chabert. Reflecting on the experience, Harmon noted:

That is a lot of women to have on one film set. It definitely created an interesting dynamic... I think I spent the most time with Michelle [Trachtenberg]. Every morning we would have to get prosthetics done for 4 hours and then spend pretty much the whole day dead. She was incredibly funny.

That same year, she appeared as Heather Dalton in the science fiction horror sequel Hollow Man 2. She later added to her horror credentials with a role as Jill Eikland in Dead Rising: Endgame (2016), an action horror film. Additionally, she played a featured role in John Tucker Must Die (2006).

During the mid-2000s, Harmon appeared multiple times on the popular CW series Supernatural, including guest performances that showcased her range in genre television.

Battlestar Galactica and Wolf Canyon (2008–2010)

In 2008–2009, Harmon portrayed Ensign "Easy" Esrin in the Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy webisode series, her first role in the Battlestar Galactica franchise. This web series bridged the gap between the fourth season mid-season break of the Re-imagined Series.

Harmon achieved a significant career milestone in 2010 when she won a Leo Award for Best Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series for her role in the television pilot Wolf Canyon. The pilot, produced by her mother Cynde Harmon and directed by her father Allan Harmon, swept the Leo Awards ceremony, winning in all five categories for which it was nominated, including Best Program, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture Editing. In the project, Harmon worked alongside actor Kevin Sorbo, known for his iconic role as Hercules in the 1990s television series.

In a 2009 interview discussing her Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy work, Harmon reflected on her favorite aspect of filming the webisodes:

My favorite part though would have to be when I got to use the gun. That was the most fun and the most difficult.

At the time, she noted that she was filming the webisodes using crew members from the Battlestar Galactica movie while the main series had already wrapped production.

Television Career Expansion (2011–2015)

Harmon continued building her television career throughout the early 2010s with guest appearances and recurring roles in various series. Her work during this period included roles in Arrow (2013), Proof (2015), and other productions that showcased her versatility across genres.

She also appeared in the drama film If I Had Wings (2013), which became one of her more prominent film credits during this period.

iZombie and The 100 (2015–2020)

Harmon's career reached new heights when she was cast in recurring roles on two CW series that would define her work for the next five years. In 2015, she joined the cast of iZombie as FBI Agent Dale Bozzio. She appeared in 32 episodes across the show's run from 2015 to 2019. By the time she joined iZombie, the role represented her first consistent multi-season character that extended over several years.

Reflecting on her experience with iZombie in January 2016, Harmon praised the production:

There isn't enough good things I can say about that show... they're just the nicest crew and the nicest cast you could ever ask for... It's all love all the time, everyone's accepted, even the smallest characters that come into play, the whole cast is just so welcoming. I owe iZombie so much right now, I owe so much of my career to them at this point.

She was particularly surprised by her success on The CW network, noting:

I was never able to book like one CW show, I did a few episodes of Supernatural back in the day but other than that I don't think I ever fit the CW mold and now that I'm 30, I never thought that I would. I mean, I thought I would be too old for the network, and then all of a sudden all the CW love and I can't tell you how wonderful it is.

Shortly after joining iZombie, Harmon was cast as Niylah, a resilient Grounder trader and ally to the protagonists, in The 100. She joined the series as a recurring character in Season 3 (2016) and continued through the show's conclusion in 2020, appearing in 32 episodes. The role was particularly significant as it reunited her with her brother Richard Harmon, who portrayed John Murphy, one of the series' main characters.

Harmon auditioned for The 100 three or four times over the show's first three seasons before finally being cast as Niylah. In a January 2016 interview, she recalled the audition process:

Eventually, this season when Niylah came up, I remember getting the audition over the summer and it was a lot of Grounder dialect. I thought, 'What the hell is this language and how can I memorize it by tomorrow?' I sat there and did it... I think they always wanted me to be a part of it because of my connection with Richard.

Harmon credited director Dean White as a strong advocate for her casting, noting that he would tell her brother after each audition:

One of these days we'll get her on the show.

In describing Niylah's character, Harmon explained her as essentially a devoted supporter of Clarke Griffin:

In my mind she's always been a big– it's funny the kind of response from the fans because Niylah herself is kind of a fangirl of Clarke... she's really just such a fan of Clarke because of what Clarke did to redeem and get revenge for her. Losing her mother to the mountain... Niylah is just this beautiful little flower in the woods that comes out and is there when you need her kind of thing.

She further elaborated on Niylah's loyalty:

I think genuinely it started with the fact that Clarke (in Niylah's mind) kind of got some retribution over the fact Niylah's mother was killed at the mountain... Clarke got it for her. So, of course there is going to be a dedication and devotion to someone else when they kind of give you a piece of your life back.

Harmon's portrayal of Niylah contributed to The 100's exploration of LGBTQ representation in science fiction television. Niylah, an openly gay character, served as a romantic interest for protagonist Clarke Griffin and maintained friendships with other characters, including Octavia Blake. In a 2018 interview at Dragon Con, Harmon discussed the importance of inclusive representation and praised the show's approach to portraying sexuality without making it a point of conflict:

One thing I really, really love, probably the most about The 100 is I do think personally that it's very inclusive... And I think they try and I love that it's not 'this person's gay and this person's bi'. It's never spoken about because it just is. You love who you love and you have sex with who you have sex with... It would be nice to live in that sort of dystopian society.

Harmon's work on both series provided her with consistent visibility on The CW network during its peak years of genre programming, and she maintained close friendships with her co-stars from both shows, particularly from iZombie where she remained connected to cast members including David Anders long after the series concluded.

Additional work during this period included guest appearances in V Wars (2019) as Jessica Swann, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco (2018) as Lydia Nolan, and various television movies.

Transition to Directing (2020–Present)

While continuing her acting career, Harmon made a significant transition into directing. Her directorial debut came with The 100 Season 7, Episode 15, titled "A Sort of Homecoming," which aired on September 16, 2020. The episode was written by Sean Crouch and featured the main cast dealing with the aftermath of a major character death.

Following her directing debut, Harmon pivoted her career focus significantly toward directing, particularly in the television movie space. Her directorial credits include:

• The Angel Tree (2020)
• Fixing Up Christmas (2021), in which she also acted
• A Christmas to Savour (2021)
• Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez (2022)
• Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Something New (2023)
• Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Lesson in Murder
• Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Death at the Diner
• Tipline Mysteries: Dial 1 for Murder
• Additional films including Joyeux Noel, Dream Moms, A Paris Proposal, Fit for Christmas, Game, Set, Love, My Mom Made Me Do It, Rip in Time, A Christmas Star, Serving Up the Holidays, The Vows We Keep, and My Best Friend's Bouquet

Since transitioning to directing, Harmon has significantly reduced her acting work, focusing primarily on behind-the-camera roles.

Personal Life

Harmon married American actor Lenny Jacobson on June 22, 2019. Jacobson, born and raised in Holyoke, Massachusetts, moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career and has appeared in productions including Nurse Jackie, Peacemaker, For All Mankind, and Narcos: Mexico. Upon announcing their marriage, Jacobson posted on social media:

Holy shit!! I'm married! I have no words right now except I've never been happier in my life and @jessicanoelleharmon is my wife.

Harmon is known for maintaining privacy regarding her personal life and does not frequently discuss personal matters in media appearances. She is active on social media platforms including Instagram (@jessicanoelleharmon) and Twitter/X (@harmon_jess), where she maintains connections with fans and industry colleagues.

References

External Links

• Official site
• Jessica Harmon at the Internet Movie Database