Jane Levy is an American actress from California who is mostly known for playing Tessa Altman in Suburgatory, an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 2011 to May 2014.
It was confirmed that Jane Levy left Shameless to focus on playing the lead role of Tessa Altman in ABC’s Suburgatory.
In her words in a 2012 interview with Backstage, Levy said that she’d been enthused to land the part in Suburgatory, saying, “I try not to get attached to stuff; I try to move on. But this was the first one I went out for and it was exciting… When I found out it was actually going to happen, I went crazy.”
Apart from the sitcom created by Emily Kapnek, she is also known for other TV roles, including Joy Greenfield in There’s… Johnny!, Diane “Jackie” Torrance in Castle Rock, Lisa Donovan in What/If, Zoey Clarke in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and Mandy Milkovich in Shameless.
She was seen in only five episodes of Shameless in 2011 but her performance was so impactful that people continue to wonder why she left the Showtime comedy-drama series.
Although Levy has found more success as a TV actress, she has been seen in a handful of popular big-screen projects like Evil Dead, Bang Bang Baby, Monster Trucks, Office Uprising, and The Pretenders.
The latter is a 2018 drama film directed by James Franco. Levy has become famous amongst moviegoers all over the globe, so much that facts about her life outside her career are considered to be newsworthy.
5 Things You Should Know About Jane Levy
1. The 34 Year Old Actress Was Born and Raised in California, United States
An American of mixed Scottish, Irish, and English ethnicity, Jane Levy was born on the 29th of December 1989 and as you would easily find, her place of birth was in Los Angeles, California. Although she was born in Los Angeles, Levy spent most of her childhood in San Anselmo, also in California. There, she attended Sir Francis High School and was an active student who captained the female soccer team of the school.
It is said that she was also a member of the school’s dancing troupe and performed in a play titled Annie and The Wizard of Oz. So, the actress has always had a thing for performing arts. She probably inherited it from her father, Lester Levy, who is a mediator and singer/performer according to some sources. Her mother Mary Tilbury is an artist and florist.
After Jane graduated from high school, she decided to further her education at a private liberal arts college in Towson, Baltimore, Maryland – Goucher College. But then, she spent only a semester there and left for New York to join Adler Studio of Acting.
2. Jane Levy Began Her Acting Career With The Role of Mandy Milkovich on Shameless
Levy has been active in the movie industry since 2011 when she debuted as Mandy Milkovich in Shameless, a Showtime television series developed by John Wells. Starring alongside Emma Kenney, Enny Rossum, and Steve Howey, she portrayed the character in a total of five episodes of the comedy-drama show.
Although her stay on the show was brief, from January 2011 to April 2021, it gained her much exposure to land more roles. It was also in 2011 that the actress began playing Tessa Altman in the ABC television sitcom, Suburgatory, which aired from September 2011 to May 2014. She also didn’t waste much time before she made her big-screen debut.
This happened in 2012 when she played Caroline in Nobody Walks, an independent drama film directed by Ry Russo-Young. The same year, she played April Martin-Danzinger-Ross in Fun Size, an American teen comedy film that Josh Schwartz directed.
Since then, she has been seen in other films like Bang Bang Baby, Don’t Breath, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, and Evil Dead. Her other notable TV roles include Twin Perks, There’s…Johnny!, Kroll Show, and Castle Rock.
3. The Actress Was Once Married to an Actor Named Jaime Freitas
The Shameless actress has kept much of her love life away from the spotlight but it is no secret that she is a divorcee. For many years, she dated Jaime Freitas, a Portuguese actor known for his work on Peixe Doce em Água Salgada (2005), Aqui Estou Eu (2006), and Gypsy (2013).
Having been together for quite a long time, they decided to take the relationship to the next phase; so they got married in a private ceremony on the 3rd of March 2011. But as fate would have it, they fell apart and separated in October of the same year they got married. This went on for the next 18 months that followed and ultimately led to their divorce. It was Jane that filed for divorce in April 2013, citing irreconcilable differences.
4. She Has Been In a Relationship With Thomas McDonell Since 2011
Jane Levy began dating Thomas McDonell in 2011, the same year she separated from her former husband, Jamie Freitas. More than being an actor, Thomas is also a musician, photographer, and artist. The circumstances surrounding the beginning of their relationship aren’t known but they probably fell in love on the set of Fun Size or Suburgatory as they were both cast members of the movie and TV series.
They have largely kept their relationship away from the prying eyes of the public but from what the actress has shared over the years, one can conclude that they are very happy with each other. Levy once expressed that her relationship with McDonell feels more like a marriage compared to her marriage with Jamie Freitas. Reports have it that Jane and Thomas live together in Los Angeles.
5. Jane Levy’s Net Worth Is Currently Estimated at $3 Million and She Is 1.56m Tall (5 Feet 1½ Inches)
The American actress has red hair and grey eyes that complement her physique and charming personality. Although the average American woman is taller than her, her 1.56m height is perfect for her weight which she maintains around 55kg (121 lbs), and her body measures 34-26-35 inches.
For someone who has been making a living as a professional actress since 2011, it is not hard to see how Jane Levy became a multi-millionaire. What she has made from each of the roles she has played may not be known, but it has never been a secret that acting is the prime source of her wealth, currently estimated at $3 million.
Jane Levy Left Shameless To Take on The Lead Role of Tessa Altman In Suburgatory
As stated earlier, the Los Angeles native began her acting career with the role of Mandy Milkovich, the daughter of William H. Macy’s character on Shameless. Although it was a minor role, she became a fan favorite with many people looking forward to seeing more of her.
But then, she only got to portray the character in five 2011 episodes of the show: “Nana Gallagher Had an Affair”, “It’s Time to Kill the Turtle”, “Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father”, “Three Boys”, and “Aunt Ginger”.
American-born English actress Emma Greenwell would later take up playing Mandy Milkovich as a major role and it left people wondering why Jane Levy left the show.
Following a number of speculations, it was revealed that Levy left Shameless to focus on playing the lead role of Tessa Altman in ABC’s Suburgatory. It is said that she wanted to keep both roles but conflicting filming schedules made it impossible for her to do so. She had to choose and she went with the lead role.
