Jessica Harper

Actress, Singer, Songwriter, Author
Los Angeles, CA

Jessica Harper is originally from Chicago, but now lives in Los Angeles. She is married to Tom Rothman and has two daughters, Elizabeth and Nora. Jessica is an actress and has had roles in more than ten feature films. She had co-starring roles in Stardust Memories with Woody Allen, Pennies from Heaven with Steve Martin and My Favorite Year with Peter O'Toole and Minority Report with Tom Cruise. She has also guest-starred in a variety of television series, miniseries, television movies and talk shows. Her theatrical credits are extensive and include roles in various Broadway and off-Broadway productions.

Jessica entered the arena of children's music in 1994 with her debut album A Wonderful Life. This album and her second album, Not a Traditional Christmas, each won a Parent's Choice Gold Award and a National Association of Parenting Publications (N.A.P.P.A.) Silver Award. Her third album, Nora's Room, continued her award-winning trend. The 1996 release was honored with a N.A.P.P.A. Gold Award and the N. A. I.R.D. INDIE Award for Best Children´s Album of the Year. Her latest albums 40 Winks, Rhythm In My Shoes, Inside Out and Hey Picasso were greeted with critical acclaim. Jessica has also written 11 children´s books, including her three latest, Uh-Oh Cleo, Underpants on My Head, and I Barfed on Mrs. Kenly.  In 2010 Jessica published the hilarious The Crabby Cook Cookbook, a collection of humor and recipes for the kitchen-challenged based on her blog.

Jessica and her brother Sam were diagnosed with PXE as children. Jessica's first contact with PXE International was through the website several years ago. The Amsler grid provided in the MemberGram helped her detect changes in her vision. A doctor at University of California in Los Angles suggested she contact Sharon Terry and get involved in the organization. She attended the conference in Oakland in 2002. She was impressed with the drive, commitment and intelligence of Pat and Sharon, so was glad to accept when asked to join the board.

She hopes to support the board and the research agenda of PXE International through fundraising in the Hollywood community. She also looks forward to reaching people with children who have PXE and are not yet acquainted with PXE International and the resources it offers. Jessica has also asked her relatives and friends to support PXE International and the response has been overwhelming - an outpouring of generosity that is breathtaking.
 

Read Jessica's column, "Harper's Corner".

Learn more about Jessica's children's books and music.

Visit Jessica's website.