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Jessi Klein

Jessi Klein (born August 17, 1975) is an American comedian, writer, and television producer. She graduated from and began her career writing for shows including and The Kroll Show. Klein gained prominence as head writer and executive producer for on , for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2015 and a . Her work extends to voicing the character Jessi Glaser in the Netflix animated series , producing episodes of Dead to Me and Transparent, and authoring the New York Times bestselling essay collections You'll Grow Out of It (2016) and I'll Show Myself Out (2022), which explore themes of womanhood through personal anecdotes and humor.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Upbringing

Jessi Klein was born on August 17, 1975, in . Klein grew up in the (also known as ) neighborhood of as the middle child in a culturally Jewish household. Her parents, both employed by the city government, emphasized arts and culture in the home, though no family members pursued careers in entertainment. As a child, Klein described herself as shy yet inwardly convinced of her own humor. Entering , she faced pronounced from physical traits including , braces requiring rubber bands and , and late bodily development, which isolated her socially and fueled an obsession with comedy as a coping mechanism. She regularly watched films on public television, episodes of , and stand-up specials, honing an early appreciation for comedic performance amid limited romantic or peer experiences.

Academic Background

Jessi Klein received a degree from in . She majored in during her undergraduate studies there. No records indicate pursuit of postgraduate academic degrees or further formal education beyond her bachelor's.

Professional Career

Early Development Roles

Klein entered the television industry shortly after graduating from , securing a temporary position in Comedy Central's department during the late 1990s, coinciding with the network's expansion in animated and programming such as . Her initial temp assignment was in , but she quickly shifted to tasks, assisting in scouting and project evaluation amid the channel's push for original content. Advancing within the network, Klein rose to director of development, a role in which she played a key part in fostering emerging comedy projects. She contributed to the development of , which debuted on January 22, 2003, and featured Dave Chappelle's satirical sketches that drew over 3 million viewers per episode in its first season; the series ran for two seasons before concluding in 2006 due to production disputes. Klein also helped shepherd , a surreal series starring , , and , which premiered on June 28, 2005, and aired 10 episodes before cancellation amid mixed ratings. In these capacities, Klein focused on identifying comedic talent and packaging pilots, bridging administrative oversight with creative input during Comedy Central's formative years in unscripted and alternative humor formats. These roles honed her skills in program acquisition and talent relations, preceding her transition to on-camera stand-up and staff writing positions.

Television Writing and Production

Klein began her television career in development roles at , contributing to the creation of series such as (2003–2006) and (2005). She also held production positions on (1999–2000). From 2013 to 2016, Klein served as head writer and executive producer for on , overseeing the writing for all three seasons of the series starring . Her work on the show earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Series in 2014 and a in 2015. Subsequently, Klein contributed as a and on Transparent (2014–2019), an series created by . She wrote and produced episodes of Dead to Me (2019–2022) for , a dark comedy starring and . Klein has been a consulting producer and writer on the Netflix animated series since 2017, voicing the character Jessi Glaser, a teenage girl navigating . In 2022, she acted as and for on Showtime, a series inspired by Vanessa Bayer's experiences at . Earlier, she worked as an executive story editor on I Just Want My Pants Back (2012) for .

Recent Projects and Deals

In June 2024, Klein signed a two-year overall deal with to develop new television projects across genres, leveraging her experience in writing and production. Klein served as and executive producer for the Showtime comedy series (2022), which she co-developed with star and focused on a young woman's fabricated illness narrative within a network; the series was canceled after its single season in June 2023. She continues as a producer on Netflix's animated series (2017–2025), voicing the character Jessi Glaser and contributing to its exploration of ; the eighth and final season premiered on May 23, 2025, marking Netflix's longest-running scripted original series.

Literary and Comedy Works

Books and Essays

Klein's debut book, You'll Grow Out of It, a collection of essays on themes of , , and maturation, was published by on June 7, 2016. The work drew from her personal anecdotes, including reflections on , dating, and societal expectations for women, and achieved New York Times bestseller status. In 2022, Klein released her second essay collection, I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood, published by . The book examines the realities of , marital dynamics, and aging, with essays addressing topics such as birthday party logistics and postpartum experiences, and also reached the bestseller list. Prior to her books, Klein contributed essays to magazines including and .

Stand-Up and Other Performances

Jessi Klein's stand-up career features a prominent half-hour special on , which aired on March 4, 2011. In the performance, Klein addressed personal and relational topics, including protocols for disclosing sexually transmitted diseases prior to , the practical challenges of administering spankings, and cultural tied to women's chocolate consumption. Notable routines from the special encompass bits on pre-sex disclosures framed around avoiding before marriage and critiques of patronizing comments men direct at women. Beyond the special, Klein has contributed to live comedy events and storytelling platforms. She co-performed in Refinery29's RIOT Live event on July 17, 2016, alongside , showcasing her comedic material in a hosted format. Klein has also participated in narrative performances for , drawing on her experiences as a writer-performer to deliver personal anecdotes. In March 2024, she appeared in the Big Mouth Live lineup at the Greek Theatre, joining castmates including and for a stage adaptation of the ' content. Klein's live stand-up engagements remain selective, often integrated with her writing career rather than extensive touring. Early in her professional development, she co-hosted a weekly live comedy show in , honing her on-stage presence alongside television panel appearances on programs like VH1's . By 2025, reports indicated she was testing a new hour of material at venues such as Governors Comedy Club and benefit shows, including Pride-related events during the summer.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Klein married Michael Engleman on November 23, 2014. The couple has one son, Asher, born around 2017. Klein has described pursuing motherhood later in life after fertility testing at age 39 revealed limited natural options, leading her to undergo treatments while married. She has noted that the arrival of a newborn acts as a significant stressor on marital dynamics, exacerbating tensions through and the demands of early .

Perspectives on Motherhood and Midlife

In her 2022 essay collection I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood, Jessi Klein explores the profound disruptions of early parenthood and aging, framing motherhood as an inward "" akin to Campbell's monomyth, involving a "profound dream state" in the first three postpartum months of isolation and somnambulance, followed by trials of "unimaginable torment" such as and daily caregiving demands requiring "superhuman deeds," and culminating in a "return" marked by "impossible delight," as when her son Asher first expressed happiness at 17 months. Klein, who gave birth to Asher at age 39 after challenges, describes the experience as obliterating her prior —"There's just no way to comprehend how completely your old identity vanishes"—reducing her mental capacity from a "decent three-bed, two-bath " to a "tenement studio" and necessitating the discard of former habits like brunch lines or scrolling, which she now views as performative excesses incompatible with maternal priorities. Klein emphasizes the cultural taboo against admitting motherhood's hardships, arguing that one of its "biggest" unspoken realities is entertaining "second thoughts" or even momentary hatred of , as in her of primal frustration while cajoling Asher to eat, feeling tempted to "walk into the ocean and not return." She contrasts this with societal expectations of unalloyed joy, recounting unglamorous early moments like physical recovery from bleeding and pain, or using Xanax amid anxieties while projecting calm for her , and advocates sharing these "hard truths" to counter idealized narratives. Despite the strains, including relational "bombs" from exhaustion, Klein cherishes motherhood's "superpower" of a "no Fs-left-to-give" mindset, fostering indifference to —such as no longer aspiring to be "the prettiest woman in the room" or fixating on figures like —and enabling unapologetic focus on essentials like childcare logistics. Intersecting with midlife, Klein's essays address aging's physical tolls, like self-doubt over "deflating" vitality while ordering balloons for Asher's first birthday, and rejects pressures to combat them, instead embracing humor as a tool for navigating emotional shifts and cultural myths around or domesticity. She portrays midlife motherhood—entered later in life—as liberating in its "quiet courage" through persistent presence amid trials, transforming perceived crises into sources of resilience and connection, though she initially resisted writing on the topic, delaying essays until compelled by its inescapability.

Reception and Legacy

Awards and Achievements

Klein served as head writer and executive producer for , earning a Peabody Award in 2015 for the series' third season, recognized for its satirical sketches addressing gender dynamics and social issues. For the same program, she received a Primetime Emmy Award in 2015 for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series, one of two total Primetime Emmy wins in her career alongside multiple nominations. Additional Emmy nominations include Outstanding Comedy Series in 2020 for Dead to Me, where she was an , as well as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series and other categories tied to Inside Amy Schumer in 2016. Her essay collection You'll Grow Out of It achieved Times bestseller status in 2016, marking a key literary milestone amid her television successes.

Critical Assessments and Criticisms

Klein's essays in You'll Grow Out of It (2016) have drawn criticism for embodying a privileged viewpoint that overlooks socioeconomic barriers faced by less affluent women. Reviewer Sarah Frantz, in a detailed , highlighted instances where Klein's anecdotes, such as disputes during vacations, came across as "judgmental and indulgent," alienating readers with examples disconnected from everyday realities for working-class individuals. Similarly, the collection's feminist themes were faulted for prioritizing affluent, urban experiences, with Frantz noting a recurring "bad taste" from scenarios assuming access to high-end resources like elective medical procedures or elite travel. As head writer and executive producer for , Klein encountered backlash for her handling of controversies surrounding Amy Schumer's racially charged remarks, including jokes perceived as mocking Asian accents and . In a 2016 discussion on W. Kamau Bell's Kamau Right Now!, Klein acknowledged Schumer's comments as containing "blind spots" but described them merely as "racially charged" while defending the comedian's intentions, a stance critics like D'Vera Cohen argued amounted to insufficient and implicit endorsement of insensitivity. This response fueled accusations of , particularly given Klein's influential role in shaping the show's content, though Schumer herself later addressed similar critiques without directly implicating Klein. Klein's 2016 New York Times advocating epidurals during was critiqued for advancing a one-size-fits-all approach rooted in personal , ignoring disparities in healthcare access for low-income or rural women. Activist Katey Zeh contended that Klein's dismissal of "natural" birth advocacy failed to account for contexts where pain relief options are unavailable or unaffordable, framing the piece as reflective of elite assumptions rather than universal applicability. Such assessments underscore broader reservations about Klein's work extending feminist insights from an insulated lens, though these remain minority views amid predominant acclaim in literary and circles.

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