About
Jessica Lia Berry is a Philadelphia-born actress, writer, and solo performer known for blending dark comedy with raw, emotionally honest storytelling.
Jessica’s work is driven by character, complexity, and the humor found in life’s most uncomfortable moments. Her voice is bold and authentic, using comedy to draw audiences into deeper territory. Whether performing her own material or stepping into someone else’s, she is drawn to complex, fully realized characters and stories that explore what it means to be human.
Background
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Jessica trained at the Wilma Theater, where her foundation in text, ensemble work, and emotional rigor took shape early.
She later studied Theatre at Fordham University, completing her degree in three years while competing as a Division I track athlete—a dual discipline that continues to inform her work ethic and physical presence.
Her first television role came early, appearing on CBS’s Hack. After graduating, she spent time living in Spain before eventually settling in Los Angeles.
Jessica’s solo work sits at the center of her artistic practice.
Her one-woman show I’m Just Not That Girl premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2023 and later returned in an expanded form as I’m Still Not That Girl.
The piece follows a woman unraveling after a cross-country move, a sudden breakup, and a series of increasingly bad decisions. What begins as a personal reckoning opens into a broader meditation on identity, reinvention, and the stories women are expected to outgrow.
The reimagined version has appeared at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2025 and United Solo NYC 2025, winning Best Festival Debut.
The project is currently being developed as a television series.
Press
Features
