Lisa Jakub | |
Birth Date: | 27 December 1978 |
Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Alma Mater: | University of Virginia |
Years Active: | 1985–2001 (actress) 2013–present (writer) |
Lisa Jakub (born December 27, 1978) is a Canadian writer, yoga teacher, and former actress.[1] She is best known for her roles as Lydia Hillard in the comedy-drama film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and as Alicia Casse in Independence Day (1996).[2]
Jakub was born on December 27, 1978, in Toronto, Ontario. She is of Slovak (father) and Welsh and Scottish (mother) descent. She attended multiple schools in her early life, including Hillfield Strathallan College.[3]
Jakub graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Sociology in 2010.[4]
Jakub's first role was as Katis' Granddaughter in the 1985 film Eleni. She appeared in comedy-drama film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) alongside Mara Wilson, Sally Field, Matthew Lawrence, and Robin Williams.[5] When Jakub received the part of Lydia in Mrs. Doubtfire, her high school expelled her for accruing too many absences. Robin Williams wrote a letter to Jakub's high school, pleading with them to re-admit Jakub but this was unsuccessful.[6]
She played Sandra in Matinee (1993), appeared in A Pig's Tale (1994) and Independence Day (1996), The Beautician and the Beast (1997), and played the "inspiration" for Princess Leia in the short film George Lucas in Love (1999). She starred in Picture Perfect (1995), and portrayed a bordello worker in the American Old West in Painted Angels (1997).
Jakub retired from acting in 2001 at the age of 22,[7] and soon moved to Virginia. In 2005, she married Jeremy Jones, a longtime friend and former theatre manager.[8] [9] Jakub stated she has no plans to return to acting.[10]
Jakub later became a writer, authoring two non-fiction books: You Look Like That Girl (2015) and Not Just Me (2017). She also contributes to online blogs.[11]
Jakub is a qualified Kripalu yoga teacher.[12] She has openly discussed her battles with anxiety, depression and panic attacks, which she has suffered from since her teenage years and credits her yoga practice in helping her overcome her battles.[13] In 2021, Lisa launched a new website, BlueMala, which she described as the resource that she wished she had when she was in her darkest moments. The website contains her articles on mental wellness along with her yoga and meditation videos.[14]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Eleni | Katis' Granddaughter | ||
1991 | Rambling Rose | Doll | ||
1993 | Matinee | Sandra | ||
1993 | Mrs. Doubtfire | Lydia "Lydie" Hillard | ||
1994 | Tiffany | Video | ||
1996 | Independence Day | Alicia Casse | ||
1997 | Katrina Pochenko | |||
1998 | Painted Angels | Georgie | ||
1999 | Myra Naidell | |||
1999 | George Lucas in Love | Marion | Short film | |
2000 | Double Frame | Tara |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Katie | TV film | ||
1986 | Kay O'Brien | Allison Villaneuva | Episode: "Taking the Heat" | |
1986 | Christmas Eve | Little Girl | TV film | |
1987 | Kristen | Episode: "A Cup of Time" | ||
1988 | Once Upon a Giant | Little Red Riding Hood | TV film | |
1988 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Missy | Episode: "Kandinsky's Vault" | |
1988 | Emergency Room | Angie Sertoli | Episode: "All Hallows Eve" | |
1989 | Lisa Cranston | Episode: "Street of Shadows" | ||
1989 | Janine Carlson | Episode: "The Playhouse" | ||
1989 | Glory! Glory! | TV film | ||
1989 | Holly Henderson | TV film | ||
1990 | War of the Worlds | Julie | Episode: "The Pied Piper" | |
1990 | Night Court | Barbie | Episode: "My Three Dads" | |
1991 | Carrie Willis | TV film | ||
1991 | Alexandra Pollard | TV film | ||
1993 | Bride of Violence 2 | Anna | TV film | |
1994 | Amanda Spencer | TV film | ||
1994 | Due South | Christina Nichols | Episodes: "Chicago Holiday: Parts 1 & 2" | |
1995 | Fight for Justice: The Nancy Conn Story | Leisa Conn | TV film | |
1995 | Picture Perfect | J.J. Thomas | TV film | |
1996 | Bermuda Triangle | Annie | TV film | |
1996 | Reckoning | Shelley Maitland | TV film | |
1997 | Newton: A Tale of Two Isaacs | Clara Storey | TV film | |
1997 | On the Edge of Innocence | Ally Winthrop | TV film | |
1998 | Dream House | Jenny Thornton | TV film | |
1999 | Mentors | Joan of Arc | Episode: "Raising the Siege" | |
1999 | Jack & Jill | Meg | Episode: "Pseudos, Sex and Sidebars" | |
2000 | Isabel | TV film |