Best known for her role as Alyson Hannigan’s sister in “American Wedding” (2003), the third installment in the “American Pie” comedy film series, pouty-lipped head-turner January Jones became almost as famous for her choice of notable beaus, as for her choice in movie roles. The 5’ 7” beauty was born, fittingly, on Jan. 5, 1978 in Sioux Falls, SD. However, her parents came up with the name after reading a Jacqueline Susann book called Once is Not Enough, featuring a character named January Wayne. While attending Roosevelt High School, Jones spent her pre-modeling, pre-Hollywood time toiling away at a local Dairy Queen.
At age 18, she moved to New York City and made her first mark as a stunning model for hip suburban clothier Abercrombie & Fitch. After making the requisite move to Los Angeles, Jones made her acting debut with a small role in the independent film “All the Rage” (1999), starring Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin. Jones followed this with a guest appearance in the Fox TV pilot, “Get Real” (1999). Two years later, she had her biggest break to date when she landed a role in her first major motion picture, the teen-oriented thriller “Glass House” (2001), starring Leelee Sobieski.
Like all young and beautiful starlets on the cusp of fame, Jones quickly became a fixture on the young Hollywood scene. Her blonde beauty attracted a variety of male admirers, including a relatively unknown pre-Demi stud named Ashton Kutcher. The couple, who reportedly met in 1998 at an Abercrombie & Fitch shoot, dated for three years – until Kutcher became enchanted with the older actress Demi Moore. Jones moved on to funnyman extraordinaire Jim Carey and “American Wedding” co-star Sean William Scott before meeting and falling for pop-classical singer and favorite “Oprah” guest, Josh Groban in 2003.
Jones continued to hone her acting chops, landing roles in a variety of high-profile projects: as a bank robber in the Bruce Willis-Billy Bob Thorton crime comedy “Bandits” (2001); as a memorable lesbian sexpot with temperament issues in the Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson hit comedy, “Anger Management” (2003); and as an British tourist in the hit romantic comedy, "Love Actually" (2003). At the same time, Jones was featured as #82 in Maxim magazine's "Hot 100 of 2002" supplement. Next up was the star-making role of Cadence Flaherty, the beautiful sister and maid of honor to the not-so-blushing bride, Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) as well as the love interest of the obnoxious hound, Stiffler (Sean William Scott) in “American Wedding” (2003). While the film tanked, Jones had received her first major coverage for a role that she had won from literally thousands of on-the-brink ingenues.
Looking for further challenges, Jones learned to 50's swing dance for her role in “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (2004), the critically maligned sequel to the 1987 dance classic. She journeyed back to the small screen, appearing in the recurring role of Marissa Wells on the Showtime comedy series, "Huff" in 2004. The actress continued to expand her range as a dramatic actress by portraying Barry Pepper’s repressed wife in Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones’ directorial debut, “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” (2005). The prestigious film – a first for Jones – won Best Screenplay and Best Actor awards at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
