Multi-Hyphenate Jennifer Westfeldt Signs With Verve

By Matt Donnelly

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Multi-hyphenate indie star Jennifer Westfeldt has signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.

The firm —  which counts clients like “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow, up-and-comer Madelyn Deutch and “Hidden Figures” screenwriter Allison Schroeder — has signed Westfeldt as a writer, director, and producer. She’ll remain with Innovative Artists for representation as an actress.

Westfeldt is eyeing significant feature projects where she can flex in numerous categories at the same time — like 2011’s “Friends With Kids” (her directorial debut), which she wrote, produced and starred in alongside Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd and Jon Hamm. Prior to that, she wrote and starred in the acclaimed drama “Ira & Abby” with Chris Messina.

Westfeldt’s breakout role came in the 2001 film “Kissing Jessica Stein,” in the indie canon thanks to its landmark representation of gay female sexuality. Adapted from a sketch by Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, both women were nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best first screenplay for the project.

She can currently be seen on the Facebook original series “Queen America,” lead by Catherine Zeta Jones, and as a recurring character on TV Land’s “Younger” alongside Sutton Foster.

Westfeldt is also repped by Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.