Jana Lee Hamblin

Jana Lee Hamblin, a native of Portland, established her career in the entertainment industry through diverse roles in film, television, and theatre. Her early television career included appearances on notable productions such as ‘The West Wing’ (1999-2002) as Reporter Bobbi across 12 episodes, ‘ER’ (1998) as Cheryl Leary, and ‘Family Law’ (2002) as a Doctor. She later expanded her television work to include roles in ‘Lincoln Heights’ (2007) and ‘Leverage’ (2011). In film, Hamblin appeared in ‘Imaginary Crimes’ (1994), an uncredited role as a Woman in bar, and later in ‘Extraordinary Measures’ (2010), alongside Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. These early engagements provided a foundation for her subsequent work in acting and directing.

Throughout her career, Hamblin has taken on a variety of roles. She was a recurring cast member on IFC’s ‘Portlandia’ (2012–2017), appearing as a Co-Worker across eight episodes. Her film credits during this period include ‘I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore’ (2017) with Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey, and ‘Seaside’ (2018) with Ariana Debose. She also featured in television series such as ‘Grimm’ (2015), ‘Z Nation’ (2015), ‘Sneaky Pete’ (2019), ‘SEAL Team’ (2019), ‘Jane the Virgin’ (2018-2019), and ‘Ballers’ (2018). In recent years, she has appeared in ‘The Terminal List’ (2022) and ‘Sugar’ (2024).

Beyond acting, Hamblin has developed her skills as a director and acting coach. She directed four episodes of the TV series ‘Random Acts’ (2013) and also directed ‘I Wanna Be Jeff Newman’ (2022). She is the founder of Act Now Studio in Portland, Oregon, where she has instructed aspiring actors for over ten years. Additionally, she holds a teaching position at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. Her theatre work includes performing as Morgan Fairchild in ‘Trevor’ and Emily in Beirut Wedding’s production of ‘Reborning’.