Born in L.A. on February 25, 1976, Rashida Leah Jones is the younger daughter of jazz icon\/composer\/arranger\/record producer Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton of Mod Squad fame. Rashida was raised in Bel Air and attended the prestigious Buckley School where she was a member of the National Honor Society and voted the \u201cGirl Most Likely to Succeed.\u201d The academic overachiever also received religious training at a Hebrew school en route to Harvard University, and she continues to practice Judaism today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not one to shrink away from controversy, the brainy beauty came to the defense of her father as a teenager when he was criticized by Tupac Shakur in a 1994 interview with Source<\/em> Magazine. During a rant against interracial relationships, the late gangsta\u2019 rapper specifically indicted Quincy Jones for marrying a white woman, adding that his children were \u201call mixed and [expletived] up because they were biracial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although some might question the wisdom of even getting into a pissing fight with a gun-toting, convicted felon who advocated selling crack to kids, Rashida nonetheless summoned up the gumption to confront Tupac, publicly taking him to task for his scathing remarks. His curious response, however, was to woo her big sister, Kidada, and by 1996 the couple was engaged and planning their wedding when \u2019Pac was blown away in an ambush which remains unsolved to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next year, Rashida graduated from Harvard before kick-starting her acting career in the TV miniseries The Last Don. Since then, she\u2019s been a staple on the tube, appearing on such shows as Freaks and Geeks<\/em>, Boston Public<\/em>, Chappelle\u2019s Show<\/em>, and most recently, The Office<\/em>. And her new sitcom, Parks and Recreation<\/em>, where she will co-star opposite SNL alum Amy Poehler, is set to premiere on NBC on April 9th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although twice named to People Magazine\u2019s<\/em> 50 Most Beautiful People in the World list (in 2002 and 2007), Rashida remains grounded, having been romantically linked not only to heartthrob Josh Hartnett, but also to relatively homely-looking guys like Tobey Maguire, SNL\u2019s Seth Meyers, Mark Ronson, and John Krasinski, a fellow cast member on The Office<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, she talks about her new movie, I Love You, Man<\/em>, a romantic comedy where she plays the fianc\u00e9e of a nerdy loner (Paul Rudd) desperate to make a friend (Jason Segel) to serve as best man at their impending wedding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: Hey Rashida, thanks for the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: No problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: What interested you in making I Love You, Man<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: First of all, the script was hilarious, and it was just really nice to find a female character that was dynamic, outspoken, interesting and actually an important part of the plot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: How did you feel about the picture\u2019s bawdy brand of humor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: I\u2019m not easily offended. I have a pretty high tolerance for raunchiness or shock value, so I\u2019m the wrong person to use as a gauge. I just liked the fact that the comedy, for the most part, is definitely based in reality which naturally lends itself to making crazy jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: I\u2019m probably a little more prudish than the average person, because I will admit that at the screening I attended, the rest of the audience was howling from beginning to end, and they even gave it a hearty round of applause at the end. I loved it, too, but I was certainly shocked here and there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: That\u2019s great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: How did you like working with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: They\u2019re both absolutely just the most generous, kind and hilarious people I\u2019ve ever worked with. It was really a treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: I see that your new sitcom, Parks and Recreation, will be premiering soon. Will you continue to appear on The Office?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: It\u2019s not looking that way at the moment, because I\u2019m playing a different character, and those shows are scheduled to come on back-to-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: You\u2019ve got a new movie and a new TV show. Which medium do you prefer to work in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: It\u2019s nice to be able to do both TV and film. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully, I\u2019ll be able to bounce around in both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: I was very impressed by your performance and chemistry with Paul in this film. So, if it\u2019s a big hit, as I suspect, I\u2019d guess this is going to be a real breakout role for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: Thank you. I hope that that\u2019s the case. If not, at the very least, I\u2019m really proud of it. I think it turned out really well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: I know that you also sing. Any plans to pursue that further right now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: Music will always be a part of my life, but career-wise, acting is where my heart is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: I heard that you have a photographic memory. Is that true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: No. I don\u2019t know where that came from. I think my dad might have said that in a moment of pride, adding to the list of things he\u2019s proud about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: Speaking of your father, is there any truth to the rumor that he was the taxi driver for the Fresh Prince of Bel Air?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: No, that\u2019s not true. Who told you that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: My son, who knows every episode inside and out. It sure looks a lot like your Dad in that opening sequence. And his name comes up as executive producer right after the cabbie\u2019s seen on the screen. [http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=F4BQxpXYPk8&feature=related<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: I know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: Incredible! I always thought that I had a piece of inside knowledge that the cab driver was Quincy Jones. But you would know. Do you think the actor even looks like your Dad?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: Kind of. I can\u2019t really remember, but kind of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: I\u2019ve always told people that it\u2019s Quincy Jones, but I guess I\u2019ve been wrong all these years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: I don\u2019t know, maybe I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n KW<\/strong>: Well, it\u2019ll be interesting Googling to get to the bottom of it now. You\u2019ve made People Magazine<\/em>\u2019s 50 Most Beautiful People twice, five years apart, most recently in 2007. How does that feel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n RJ<\/strong>: It feels really nice. Maybe I\u2019m getting better with age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n