Jessica Radloff of Oxygen’s ‘Campus Ladies’ Emerges From Geek to Chic

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:59:38 -0700

While in my hometown of St. Louis this weekend for my 10-year high school reunion, I spoke with high school alum Jessica Radloff and separately Brian Slaten about being discovered in Hollywood.

Jessica Radloff.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Radloff
After graduating with a triple major in journalism, media arts and theater from the University of Arizona, she moved to Los Angeles. Her first IMDb credit lists seven episodes on Oxygen’s “Campus Ladies”.

Radloff played the role of Marni in the show’s first season in 2006, which aired 10 episodes. While 10 episodes are on the docket for 2007, Radloff said the show is “on hiatus” due to the WGA strike.

Jessica Radloff (center).
Photo courtesy of Jessica Radloff
She also mentioned having seven agents and one manager. In addition, Radloff has a literary agent for a book she’s currently working on about dating.

She has climbed the ladder by working at the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Young and the Restless,” various NBC and ABC affiliates along with Carsey-Werner (the creative team behind “The Cosby Show,” “Roseanne” and “That 70s Show”).

Radloff’s first scene from the pilot of “Campus Ladies” was seen on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”. She also mentioned being named one of top hottest singles of 2007 in St. Louis Magazine.

Jessica Radloff with Emmy Award-winning actor
Jeremy Piven. Piven was raised in Chicago.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Radloff
In a May 2, 2007 article, St. Louis Post-Dispatch television critic Gail Pennington wrote on Radloff:

Actors often talk about wanting to perform from the moment they grabbed the lead in the first-grade pageant. In high school, they were president of the drama club and starred in every play.

In response, Radloff said in the interview: “You know those kids? That was not me. Not me at all.”

Jessica Radloff with Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld”.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Radloff
Instead, she recalls in the story spending her time not in any kind of acting spotlight but at the kitchen table studying. Radloff was a self-described shy bookworm who didn’t even want a bat mitzvah.

A “Campus Ladies” billboard.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Radloff
As we reminisced about high school and found silly how important popularity was then, she has emerged from a geek to chic and has evolved from “Ugly Betty” with wildly curly hair and big glasses.

As for high school, she describes her favorite memory of Parkway Central as “getting out of there. High school doesn’t define you.” Her IMDb profile is here. Her professional site is here.

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Jessica Radloff with Chicago native Sean Hayes of “Will & Grace”.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Radloff
Brian Slaten, on the other hand, was a character in the small 2005 film “Leverage” along with the small 2007 film “Pose Down”.

After being cast as a character in an episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Slaten was cast as an officer in the larger 2008 film “The List”.

Brian Slaten.
Photo credit: IMDb
From first-time director Marcel Langenegger, “The List” stars Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Maggie Q and Natasha Henstridge. The film is scheduled to release on April 25, 2008.

Slaten attended the University of Wyoming for theater. It’s interesting (but not surprising) to note that it took Radloff and Slaten four or five years following college to post their first professional acting credit.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com