Jessica Hecht (born June 28, 1965) is an American actress known for her roles as Gretchen Schwartz on Breaking Bad, Susan Bunch on Friends, Carol Mannheim on The Boys, and Karen on Special, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She is also known for her work on Broadway, earning Tony Award nominations for her roles in A View from the Bridge (2010), Summer, 1976 (2023), and Eureka Day (2025).
Early life and education Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey. When she was three, she moved with her parents and sister to Bloomfield, Connecticut. After her parents divorced, her mother married psychiatrist Howard Iger, and they raised Jessica and her sisters Elizabeth and Andrea, and her brother, Russell. Hecht attended Connecticut College for a year and a half before graduating from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 1987 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama.
Hecht was raised in a culturally Jewish family, with a secular socialist father, but nonetheless expressed interest in religion and had a bat mitzvah. She has stated that she is Reconstructionist Jewish and "fairly spiritual".
Career Hecht has appeared in numerous television series, including Dickinson, Bored to Death, Red Oaks, Jessica Jones, The Loudest Voice, and Succession. In 2020 she played Sonya Barzel on The Sinner, and was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Series in 2019 for her role as Karen in the Netflix series Special. She is known for her roles as Gretchen Schwartz on Breaking Bad (5 episodes) and Susan Bunch, the wife of Ross Geller's ex-wife Carol Willick, on Friends (12 episodes). She was also a featured cast member in the Jonathan Silverman sitcom The Single Guy.
Hecht had the supporting role of Amy Burns in the comedy drama film Dan in Real Life (2007), with Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche. She also appeared in Whatever Works, Sideways, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
At the 2010 Tony Awards, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, for her role in A View from the Bridge. In 2012, she performed on Broadway with Jim Parsons in Harvey. In 2016, she played Golde in the 2015 Bartlett Sher-directed revival of Fiddler on the Roof at the Broadway Theatre, and was in The Price with Mark Ruffalo, in 2017. At the 2018 Obie Awards for Off-Broadway productions, she won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for her performance in Admissions at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. At the 2023 Tony Awards, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in Summer, 1976. At the 2025 Tony Awards, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Eureka Day.
In 2017, she and producer Jenny Gersten founded The Campfire Project, a theatre-based wellness project that creates plays in refugee camps.
Personal life Hecht has been married to director Adam Bernstein since August 1995. They have two children together, Stella and Carlo, who were both teenagers as of 2013.
Acting credits
Film Year Title Role Notes1995Joe's Rotten WorldAnnie1995Kicking and ScreamingAirline ticket saleswoman1998Anarchy TVNatalie1999JumpCarol2004Saving FaceRandiSidewaysVictoria CortlandEliot2005At LastLaura2006RabbitsWifeShort film2007Starting Out in the EveningSandra BennettDan in Real LifeAmy Burns2008Quid Pro QuoEdieCalling It QuitsCynthia2009StaceyReunionBethWhatever WorksHelena2010Helena from the WeddingLynnFair GameSueMy Soul to TakeMay Hellerman2011J. EdgarEmma GoldmanSandy Griffith2012Mrs. BearmushShort filmKaren LoopPiccolo PlayerShort filmGood SisterHelene ShusterShort film2013Northern BordersLiz KittredgeSpace CadetLinda AgnelloPrincipal Trudie Slocum2014Le RefugeGemmaShort filmSue Parris2015AnesthesiaJill2018Write When You Get WorkEllen HazardBanana SplitSusan2019The Sunlit NightMirelaA Beautiful Day in the NeighborhoodLila Vogel2020The Atlantic City StoryJane2025Eleanor the GreatLisa MorgensteinThe HomeSylvia2026PrimetimePatty Patterson
Television Year Title Role Notes1994Lois & ClarkFemale StafferEpisode: "Madame Ex"SeinfeldLindsayEpisodes: "The Couch", "The Gymnast"Party of FiveAmandaEpisode: "Something Out of Nothing"1994–2000FriendsSusan Bunch12 episodes1995Agent JohnsonEpisode: "First Class"ChloeTelevision filmAphrodisiaRachel's FriendEpisode: "Dominatrix"1995–1996Janeane Percy-ParkerMain role; 22 episodes1996HarveyMiss Ruth KellyTelevision filmSister MaryTelevision filmIntimate BetrayalKatieTelevision film1997Promised LandMarieEpisode: "Independence Day"Early EditionAbbyEpisode: "A Bris Is Just a Bris"1999Law & Order: Special Victims UnitMiss KreutzerEpisode: "Uncivilized"Homicide: Life on the StreetSister Mary CatherineEpisode: "Forgive Us Our Trespasses"2001What About Joan?Betsy MorganMain role; 13 episodes2003Law & Order: Criminal IntentMeredith BreenEpisode: "Undaunted Mettle"2004Century CityRose KrellEpisode: "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Lose"Mrs. SheridanEpisode: "Three Boys and a Gun"2005ERStephanie Lowenstein2 episodes20063 lbsRebecca EllisEpisode: "Heart Stopping"2008Eleventh HourMrs. Beatrice BrownEpisode: "Cardiac"2008–2013Breaking BadGretchen Schwartz5 episodes2009Law & OrderMiriam JohnsonEpisode: "Chattel"Jesse Stone: Thin IceStephanie MortonTelevision filmU.S. AttorneyDr. Amy WebberUnaired pilot2010Carla BrowningEpisode: "Infamy"MediumJudy BennetteEpisode: "The Match Game"CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCarly BeckEpisode: "Cold Blooded"Bored to DeathDr. Donna Kenwood3 episodes2011Nurse JackieMimiEpisode: "Enough Rope"Spring/FallUnknownUnaired pilot2012Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJillian WebsterEpisode: "Vanity's Bonfire"2013ElementaryPatricia EnnisEpisode: "The Deductionist"2013–2015Person of InterestBeth Bridges / Psychiatrist3 episodes2014ManhattanMiriam RubinsEpisode: "The Second Coming"2015LimitlessUbient WorkerEpisode: "Side Effects May Include..."Jessica JonesAudrey EastmanEpisode: "AKA 99 Friends"2016The InterestingsLois JacobsonTelevision filmFalling WaterMiranda2 episodes2016–2017Red OaksRebecca Horowitz10 episodes2017Madam SecretaryJulia MacDonaldEpisode: "Persona Non Grata"BlindspotDr. Margaret PalmerEpisode: "Fix My Present Havoc"The TapSophie ButlerUnaired pilot2018High MaintenanceLaurieEpisode: "Ghost"QuanticoElizabeth NuttingEpisode: "The Blood of Romeo"2019The Loudest VoiceNancy Erika Smith2 episodesSuccessionMichelle Pantsil2 episodesThe AffairCarolinaEpisode: "505"2019–2021DickinsonAunt Lavinia4 episodesSpecialKaren HayesMain role; 16 episodes2020Little AmericaProfessorEpisode: "The Cowboy"High FidelityRob's MomEpisode: "Fun Rob"The BoysCarol Mannheim5 episodes2020–2021The SinnerSonya BarzelMain role; 12 episodes2021YoungerSusan AbbottEpisode: "Fallout"Hudson FallsLaura WalshEpisode #1.110 DaysCheryl MilesMain role2022Super PumpedAmy Gurley3 episodes2022–2024Tokyo ViceWilla Adelstein6 episodes2026American ClassicPolly5 episodes
Stage Year Title Role Venue 1990 OthelloBiancaClassic Stage Company, Off-Broadway 1997 PlungeVal NyquistPlaywrights Horizons, Off-Broadway The Last Night of Ballyhoo Lala LevyHelen Hayes Theatre, Broadway1998 Stop KissCallieThe Public Theater, Off-Broadway The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told MabelWilliamstown Theatre Festival 1999 Lobster AliceAlice HorowitzPlaywrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 2000 Light Up the Sky Irene LivingstonWilliamstown Theatre Festival2002 The Fourth SisterWieraVineyard Theater, Off-Broadway Flesh and BloodSusanNew York Theatre Workshop, Off-Broadway 2004 After the FallLouiseRoundabout Theatre Company, Broadway 2006 The House in TownAmy HammerLincoln Center Theater, Off-Broadway2005 Julius CaesarPortia Belasco Theater, Broadway Top GirlsMarleneWilliamstown Theatre Festival2007 Howard KatzJessRoundabout Theatre Company, Off-Broadway Blithe SpiritRuth CondomineWilliamstown Theatre Festival The Autumn GardenNina DeneryWilliamstown Theatre Festival 2008 Three SistersOlga ProzorovWilliamstown Theatre Festival 2009 Make MeConnieAtlantic Theater Company, Off-Broadway The Torch-BearersMrs. RitterWilliamstown Theatre Festival Brighton Beach MemoirsBlanche MortonNederlander Theater, Broadway 2010 A View from the BridgeBeatriceCort Theater, Broadway Our TownMrs. WebbWilliamstown Theatre Festival2011 Three SistersOlga ProzorovClassic Stage Company, Off-Broadway A Streetcar Named DesireBlanche DuBoisWilliamstown Theatre Festival 2012 HarveyVeta Louise SimmonsRoundabout Theatre Company, Broadway 2013 The Assembled PartiesJulie BascovManhattan Theatre Club, Broadway 2014 Stage Kiss ShePlaywrights Horizons, Off-Broadway King LearReganThe Public Theater, Off-Broadway2015 Legacy Suzanne KindWilliamstown Theatre Festival Fiddler on the Roof GoldeBroadway Theatre (53rd Street), Broadway2017 The Price Esther FranzRoundabout Theatre Company, Broadway The Clean House VirginiaWilliamstown Theatre Festival2018 Admissions Sherri Rosen-MasonLincoln Center Theater, Off-Broadway The Closet Patricia PennebarryWilliamstown Theatre Festival 2022 The Orchard Lyubov Ranevskaya Baryshnikov Arts Center, Off-Broadway 2023 Letters From Max Sarah Ruhl Signature Theatre Company, Off-BroadwaySummer, 1976AliceManhattan Theatre Club, Broadway 2024Eureka DaySuzanneManhattan Theatre Club, Broadway 2025 A Mother Jess/Pelagea/Pearl Baryshnikov Arts Center, Off-Broadway 2026Dog Day AfternoonColleenAugust Wilson Theatre, Broadway
Video games Year Title Role Notes1995Terror T.R.A.X.: Track of the VampireWendolynThe Dark EyeUnknown
Audiobook narration Year Title Author Notes2010Full Dark, No StarsStephen King2011The DovekeepersAlice Hoffman2023Summer, 1976David Auburn
Awards and nominations
Year Associations Category Project Result 2010 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play A View from the Bridge Drama League Award Distinguished Performance 2013 Harvey 2014 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Play Stage Kiss 2018 Admissions Obie Award Distinguished Performance 2019 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series Special 2023 Tony Award Best Actress in a Play Summer, 1976 2025 Best Featured Actress in a Play Eureka Day Dorian Award Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play Dog Day Afternoon Culwell-Block, Logan The Lost Boys Leads 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations; Read the Full List Playbill, April 21, 2026Dorian Award Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play
References
External links