Jessica Cauffiel

Jessica Cauffiel
Cauffiel in February 2009
Born	(1976-03-30) March 30, 1976 (age 48) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Other names	Kada
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer
Years active	1998–2010, 2021–present

Jessica Cauffiel (born March 30, 1976) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Margot in Legally Blonde (2001) & Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) and Tori in White Chicks (2004) and her roles in the slasher films Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000), Valentine (2001) and The World's Fastest Indian (2005).^[1]

Cauffiel was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Deborah Cauffiel, a social worker, and Lowell Cauffiel, a true crime author, screenwriter, and television documentary producer.^[2] She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre and Vocal Jazz from the University of Michigan School of Music. During her studies, she performed with several bands, including Jazodity and Tribe of Zoe, and sang on a cruise ship as well as in jazz and blues clubs.^{[citation needed]}

Cauffiel began her career in New York, where she appeared in various Off-Broadway and regional theater productions. Her credits include 1001 Nights, City of Angels, Antigone, Assassins, Cowboy Mouth, Cabaret, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Company, Baby, Music Man, Shoppers Carried by Escalators, and Grand Hotel.^[1]

Cauffiel made her film debut in the 1999 remake of The Out-of-Towners and her television debut on Law & Order. That same year, she appeared as Kit on the sitcom Frasier. In 2000, she starred in the comedy Road Trip and Urban Legends: Final Cut. She played a lead role in the 2001 film Valentine. The same year, she was featured in Maxim magazine and its online Girls of Maxim gallery.^{[citation needed]} She co-starred in the independent romantic comedy You Stupid Man.^[3] Cauffiel later appeared in Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, and the 2004 comedy White Chicks.

She appeared in featured roles in Stuck on You and Guess Who. In 2005, she co-starred in the Burt Munro biopic The World's Fastest Indian. She then had a supporting role in the 2006 film adaptation of Carl Hiaasen's novel Hoot, playing both a young actress and the elderly pancake maker Mother Paula. From 2006 to 2007, she had a recurring role on the NBC series My Name Is Earl.^[4]

Following a nearly two-year break from acting, Cauffiel was cast as Amy Clayton, a former Olympic figure skater who agrees to coach a teenage girl, in the Hallmark Channel television film Ice Dreams.^[5] In 2009, Cauffiel produced and starred in the comedic film short Bed Ridden.^[6] The film was written and produced by her father, with proceeds from the film donated to The Clare Foundation to support drug and alcohol recovery programs.^[7]

Cauffiel is a trained singer with experience in Western classical, musical theatre, jazz, pop, blues, and Eastern devotional vocal styles. She also plays piano, guitar, and percussion. On March 10, 2004, she performed live in Dharamshala, India, for the 14th Dalai Lama and approximately 20,000 monks and visitors from around the world to mark the Tibetan Uprising Day. For this performance, she was accompanied by Bollywood percussionist and composer Sivamani. Additionally, Cauffiel contributed to the album Shanti by Snatam Kaur and Grateful Ganesh by Guruganesh Singh Khalsa.^[8]

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