Jackie van Beek (born 10 May 1976) is a New Zealand film and television director, writer and actress.
Early life Van Beek was born and raised in Wellington and attended Onslow College. She studied contemporary dance at the Wellington Performing Arts Centre, then completed a linguistics degree at Victoria University of Wellington, graduating in 1998. Throughout her studies she wrote and produced plays in Wellington theatres and schools.
Career In 1999 van Beek moved to Auckland and worked on theatre productions, and she spent a year at Ohio Northern University as the writer-in-residence. In 2006 van Beek moved to Australia and began making short films. Her first feature film was The Inland Road, which was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival, followed by her second feature film, The Breaker Upperers.
Van Beek has won a number of filmmaking awards, including SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year in 2013, as well as acting awards. In 2014 she won Best Supporting Actress at the New Zealand Film Awards for her performance in What We Do in the Shadows.
She is co-creator, with Jesse Griffin and Jonny Brugh, of the award-winning 2019 TV sitcom about teachers in a secondary school, called Educators. She also stars in the show. In 2024, she co-created the Australian adaptation of The Office with Julie De Fina.
Personal life Van Beek is married to comedian Jesse Griffin. They got engaged a month after they met in 2006. They have three children.
She is a cousin of writer Kathryn van Beek.
Filmography
Plays +YearTitleRoleNotesThe Swimming LessonsWriterThe MayflyWriterSpace MigrantWriter2005My Brother and I are Porn StarsCo-writer, lead actress
Films +YearTitleRoleNotes2007Eagle vs SharkBurger StaffActress2008One Shoe Short2009Just Like The OthersCo-producer2011Little Red Riding HoodProducerGo the DogsDirector, producer, writerIn Safe HandsDirector, writer, lead actress 2014UphillDirector, writer, actressWhat We Do in the ShadowsJackie2017The Inland RoadDirector, writer2018The Breaker UpperersJenWriter, co-director, actress2022Nude TuesdayLauraWriter, actress2024AudreyRonnie LipsickActress
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes2001Love MusselActress2007Rude AwakeningsActress2013-2015Best BitsPanellist2014CoverbandStaceyActressShort PoppiesElisaActress2015-2018Funny GirlsActress2016-2017800 WordsGloria2018Wellington ParanormalDirector2019What We Do in the ShadowsDirector2019-2025EducatorsRobynAlso co-creator of the TVNZ+ (formerly TVNZ OnDemand) series, which is largely improvised2024The OfficeCo-creator, director, writer and executive producerBased on the British series of the same name2025Taskmaster NZSelfSeason 6
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