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Jena Malone

Jena Malone

Actor, also producer · Born November 21, 1984 (41) · Sparks, Nevada, USA

Golden Globe nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Jena Malone (born November 21, 1984) is an American actress, musician, and photographer. She made her film debut in Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) and has appeared in films including Ellen Foster (1997), Contact (1997), Stepmom (1998), For Love of the Game (1999), Donnie Darko (2001), Life as a House (2001), Saved! (2004), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Into the Wild (2007), The Ruins (2008), Sucker Punch (2011), The Hunger Games film series (2013–15), The Neon Demon (2016), Nocturnal Animals (2016), and Antebellum (2020). Malone is also an indie pop musician who has released music both under her own name (as "Jena Malone and Her Bloodstains") and as one-half of the duo The Shoe.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 21, 1984 (41)
From
Sparks, Nevada, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
62 on MovieCove · 84 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

What are Jena Malone's films like?

Across their 47 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama26 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
25%
Bonds
23%
Survival
16%
Morality
12%
Society
10%
Power
8%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds14 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief6 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 44 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 10 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 28 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 23 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 31 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 11

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 27

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 17 · Ambiguous 12

Roles they play

29 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 9 of 29 analyzed roles.

Hero
9 of 29
Ally
9 of 29
Herald
4 of 29
Shapeshifter
2 of 29
Mentor
2 of 29
Trickster
1 of 29
Shadow
1 of 29
Threshold guardian
1 of 29
Show the 29 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
30
Melancholic
31
Contemplative
19
Dread
11
Hopeful
14
Other
27

How their films linger

Bittersweet19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous14

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jena Malone's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 41 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jena Malone's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

84 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Pendulum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Actor

  • Sylvia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Sylvia

  • The Boroughs(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Claire Cooper

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • One Battle After Another(2025)

    as Greeting Code (voice)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Heroic Dose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Jena

  • Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1(2024)

    as 'Ellen' Harvey

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Love Lies Bleeding(2024)

    as Beth

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Little Death(2024)

    as Jessica Klein

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire(2023)

    as Harmada

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Consecration(2023)

    as Grace

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Adopting Audrey(2021)

    Executive Producer · as Audrey

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Swallowed(2022)

    as Alice

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Stardust(2020)

    as Angie Bowie

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Lorelei(2020)

    Executive Producer · as Dolores

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Antebellum(2020)

    as Elizabeth

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Too Old to Die Young(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · as Diana

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Public(2018)

    as Myra

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Angelica(2015)

    as Constance

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Bottom of the World(2017)

    as Scarlett

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Lovesong(2016)

    as Mindy

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Nocturnal Animals(2016)

    as Sage Ross

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Goliath(2016)

    Show 8 episodes · as Samantha Margolis

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Neon Demon(2016)

    as Ruby

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Caged Pillows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Ediza

  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2(2015)

    as Johanna Mason

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Rusted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Karen

  • Time Out of Mind(2014)

    as Maggie

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Inherent Vice(2014)

    as Hope Harlingen

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1(2014)

    as Johanna Mason

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Memory 2.0 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Sophie

  • 10 Cent Pistol(2014)

    as Danneel

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire(2013)

    as Johanna Mason

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Center Jenny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Nark Vision1

  • Teenage(2013)

    as American Girl (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Wait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Angela

  • In Our Nature(2012)

    as Andie

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Painted Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Painted Lady

  • Dakota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Dakota

  • Hatfields & McCoys(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · as Nancy McCoy

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • For Ellen(2012)

    as Susan

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Their Houses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Sucker Punch(2011)

    as Rocket

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • David Goldberg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Vida

  • Five Star Day(2010)

    as Sarah Reynolds

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Jake Gyllenhaal Challenges the Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Gretchen Ross (archive footage)

  • Rachel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Rachel

  • The Messenger(2009)

    as Kelly

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Soloist(2009)

    as Cheery Lab Tech

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Ruins(2008)

    as Amy

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Lying(2006)

    as Grace

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Into the Wild(2007)

    as Carine McCandless / Additional Narration (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Go-Getter(2007)

    as Jeoly

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Four Last Songs(2007)

    as Frankie

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Container (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as The Woman / Speaker (voice)

  • Pride & Prejudice(2005)

    as Lydia Bennet

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Ballad of Jack and Rose(2005)

    as Red Berry

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Corn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Associate Producer · as Emily Rasmussen

  • Saved!(2004)

    as Mary Cummings

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Break Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Girl

  • Cold Mountain(2003)

    as Ferry Girl

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hitler: The Rise of Evil(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Geli Raubal

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • The United States of Leland(2003)

    as Becky Pollard

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Badge(2002)

    as Ashley Hardwick

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys(2002)

    as Margie Flynn

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • American Girl(2002)

    Co-Producer · as Rena Grubb

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Life as a House(2001)

    as Alyssa Beck

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Ballad of Lucy Whipple(2001)

    as California Morning "Lucy" Whipple

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Donnie Darko(2001)

    as Gretchen Ross

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cheaters(2000)

    as Jolie Fitch

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • For Love of the Game(1999)

    as Heather

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Book of Stars(1999)

    as Mary McGuire

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Stepmom(1998)

    as Anna Harrison

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Ellen Foster(1997)

    as Ellen Foster

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Lilly Kate Burns

  • Contact(1997)

    as Young Ellie

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Bastard Out of Carolina(1996)

    as Ruth Anne 'Bone' Boatwright

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hidden in America(1996)

    as Willa

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Touched by an Angel(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Casey Peña

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Stacy Morissey

  • Homicide: Life on the Street(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Debbie Straub

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Michelle Landon

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Ellen Foster

  • Buff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Joss

  • The Movers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Kay

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 84 titles, 81 of them dated from 1951 to 2026; peak year 2002.

Biggest box office

Stepmom (1998)

$160M worldwide

Highest rated

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward winNomination
19512026

Peak 2002 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 1 more milestone

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting84 of 84: 80 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndProducing4 of 84: 0 only producing, 4 with another role

84 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · acting1990s12 · acting2000s23 · 23 acting · 2 crew2010s31 · acting2020s14 · 14 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 12% of 43 roles
960106111621

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

1 major award from 5 major nominations, 1997–2015.

WinNomination
  1. 2015
    • Independent Spirit Award, won
  2. 2008
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  3. 1998
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
  4. 1997
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Debut Performance

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jena Malone's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 54; across their 44 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Approval · how many liked their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Midcredits score across 62 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th23
  • 25th to 49th17
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · actor

Little Death (2024)

94th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 43 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jena Malone's work okay for kids?

Across up to 28 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore18 titles12–90 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity28 titles30–69 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity18 titles39–74 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs16 titles31–80 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense17 titles18–86 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Jena Malone work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jena Malone's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bobby Bukowski shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles