Sarah Stouffer (born July 26, 1986) is an American actress best known for her lead role in the independent coming-of-age 2010 film Bloomington,[1] in which she played the undergraduate Jackie Kirk who becomes romantically involved with psychology professor Catherine Stark (Allison McAtee).[2]

Sarah Stouffer
Born
Sarah Stouffer

(1986-07-26) July 26, 1986 (age 38)
OccupationActress
Years active2009–present

Early life

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Stouffer is originally from Vacaville, California,[3] where she performed in musical theatre growing up.[1] She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19, working in a fondue restaurant until her acting career took off.[3]

Education

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Stouffer was home schooled.[1] She studied and performed with the Solano Youth Theatre.[4]

Career

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With largely theatre work under her belt, and no film experience, Stouffer was cast in the lead role of Jackie Kirk in the 2010 film Bloomington, written and directed by Fernanda Cardoso.[5] She later joked that being booked for the role was "beginner's luck". Producer Jason Shumway admitted that he initially had doubts about her playing the role as she looked so young to be dating a lecturer. "It does make it a little more controversial, I think," he added.[5] Bloomington toured the lesbian and gay film festival circuit and Stouffer won the Outstanding Emerging Talent Award in the 2011 FilmOut Programming Awards.[6]

Guest roles on established television series, including Bones[7] and Criminal Minds, followed. She also landed more film roles, including the comedy-horror Chastity Bites [1] and the television movie A Cinderella Christmas. In 2015, she played a recurring role, as Tess Ritter, in the ABC series Switched at Birth.[7] Four years later, she had a lead role in the 2019 short Suicide Date, directed by Doug Hurley, which won Audience Award Overall Fest and Audience Award Fusion Shorts at Dances With Films in Los Angeles.[8]

In 2018, Stouffer began creating her own content and has a series of comedy sketches on Sarah Stouffer's channel on YouTube. Three years later, she co-created the mockumentary-style web series Grey Area with Asaad Salleh, directed by Evan Moore, which is hosted on Last Second Sea's channel on YouTube. Stouffer is a co-writer and producer of Grey Area and plays the part of Kate.[9] In June 2021 she was reunited with Bloomington co-star Allison McAtee who guest starred in two episodes of Grey Area. The pair’s shared scenes made tongue-in-cheek references to Bloomington.[9][10]

In 2021 she wrote, directed and starred in the short What About Us?.

Stouffer also works with video production company Who Shoots Your Films? as a producer and director.[11]

Personal life

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Stouffer lives in Los Angeles with the rapper, actor, writer and director, Asaad Salleh, also known as Emerson Kennedy.[12][11]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Bloomington Jackie Kirk
2012 A Day Away Girl Short
2013 Chastity Bites Britney
Stay in the Car Megan Short
Spanners Phoe
Mourning Glory Jessica (Best Friend 2) Short
2014 Devil Dog Party Girl Short
2016 A Cinderella Christmas Candace Karilla Television movie
2017 Afterburn / Aftershock Stacy Williams
Consent Erin Rodocker Short
2019 Suicide Date Andrea Short
2021 What About Us? Sarah Short

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2009 Slacker PI Amanda Episode: The Race Card
2012 Workaholics Kim Episode: Flashback in a Day
LadyPantz Presents Rain
2013 The New Normal Sienna Episode: Stay at Home Dad
Betas Melissa Pilot
Bones Alison Taylor / Anna Samuels Episode: The Secret in the Siege
2014 Criminal Minds Tabitha Ryerson Episode: Angels
2015 Switched at Birth Tess Ritter Recurring role
2021 NCIS Hanna Devereaux Episode: Misconduct

Other work

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Year Title Role Notes
2021–22 Grey Area Kate Web series

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Morrell, McKenzie (February 14, 2014). "Chastity Bites and so does Valentine's Day: Interview with horror-comedy star Sarah Stouffer". No White Noise. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  2. ^ Jennifer (April 24, 2013). "In the 'Bloomington' Stacks". Reel Librarians. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Skylar V (23 February 2022). LA Year One Sarah Stouffer (interview). Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Sumner-Moore, Sue (July 27, 2010). "Benicia Magazine Interview". Benicia Magazine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Cardoso, Fernanda; Shumway, Jason; Stouffer, Sarah; Feucht, George (contributors); Moore, Saterah (producer) (2010). Making of Bloomington (DVD special feature). Philadelphia: TLA Releasing.
  6. ^ "2011 FilmOut Programming Awards". FilmOut San Diego. 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Morrell, McKenzie (January 27, 2015). "Switched at Birth scoop: Meet Sarah Stouffer, aka, Tess — Bay's twisted new cohort". Booktrib. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "Suicide Date". Film Freeway. 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Moore, Evan (director); Stouffer, Sarah and Salleh, Assad (creators) (June 12, 2021). Old Friends Pt. 1 (web series). Los Angeles: Last Second Sea. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  10. ^ Moore, Evan (director); Stouffer, Sarah and Salleh, Assad (creators) (June 19, 2021). Old Friends Pt. 2 (web series). Los Angeles: Last Second Sea. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "The Team". Who Shoots Your Films. Elm Studios. 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  12. ^ @sarahstouffer (20 June 2021). "Sarah and Allison Live chat about Grey Area". Retrieved 27 February 2022 – via Instagram.
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