Jennifer Taylor is an American actress and author best known for her role in Two and a Half Men, where she played Chelsea Melini.
She also had three other appearances on the show as Suzanne, Tina, and Nina. Before starring in the CBS hit show, Taylor starred in a handful of other television series and films, including Miami Sands, Yes,Dear, Charmed, Wild Things, The Waterboy, and Rumor Has It.
Taylor was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on April 19, 1972. When she was ten, her family moved to Coral Springs, Florida.
Jennifer was the only female player in high school on her sophomore football team, but decided not to continue with the sport after completing her junior varsity season.
As a young adult, Taylor competed in pageants and was named third runner-up in the 1995 Miss Florida USA pageant and first runner-up in 1996.
Afterward, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling. She found acting when she was asked to model in a commercial with a speaking part. It was then that she discovered she liked acting.
Acting Career
Taylor faced struggles in Hollywood early on. She had a baby on the way with her husband, electrician Paul Taylor, and the couple shared a modest LA home with a mortgage. Taylor obtained small parts in television shows and movies for eight years, but they faced financial troubles.
After a writers and actors strike and a sinking economy, the Taylors thought they would lose their house. She was ready to give up her dream of becoming an actress and pursue a teaching career.
During this time, Taylor finished the necessary credits to obtain a Bachelor’s in Sociology.
Until this point, Jennifer had starred in an erotic thriller called Wild Things, had a small part in The Waterboy film, and achieved guest roles in television series such as Miami Sands, Diagnosis: Murder, and Yes, Dear.
A few days after welcoming her daughter and just before getting ready to sell their home to move back to Florida, Taylor was asked by her agent to audition for a role in the upcoming series Two and a Half Men.
Two And A Half Men
Taylor had initially tried for a part in a different Chuck Lorre production named Nathan’s Choice, which never aired. However, when Lorre’s new series Two and a Half Men came about, Taylor’s agent suggested her for another role.
In the pilot episode, she was offered the character of Suzanne, who appeared as a romantic interest in a grocery store. In season two, episode eleven, Taylor again had another minor role, this time as one of Charlie’s ex-girlfriends, Tina. In season five episode seven, Taylor reappears in the role of Nina, a girl falling for Charlie.
Finally, in season six, episode eight, Taylor made her debut as Charlie’s girlfriend Chelsea Melini. It would be this character that fans most recognized Taylor for.
Chelsea is a wealthy property owner and investor from a conservative background. Her mother is revealed to be racist and homophobic. At the same time, her Navy veteran father is found to have been in love with another man for many years.
Chelsea and Charlie started as a one-night stand, but their relationship quickly evolves and the two become engaged.
She becomes the first woman he ever professes his love to without encouragement or coercion; however, throughout the thirty-six episodes in which Taylor stars, the relationship sours, and the pair split.
In the series finale, she receives an apology letter and a check from Charlie. Taylor recalls Two and a Half Men as one of the best things that ever happened to her.
After Two And A Half Men, Taylor continued to act in small-budget movies and television shows.
Taylor appeared in four episodes of the show Burn Notice, her longest appearance streak since Two and a Half Men.
Other shows in which she had a one-episode guest role include Shameless, Family Vanished, and The Young and the Restless.
Film roles include A Date to Die For, A Life Lived, and the American Christian film God’s Not Dead.
What is Jennifer Taylor Doing Now?
Taylor is still acting; most recently she’s been appearing in more Lifetime original films, usually, thriller or mystery oriented these days. She’s also making regular appearances starring in the PureFlix original Saving Grace along with Christmas films for the platform.
Through the last few years Jennifer Taylor has tried her hand at writing, moving to work both in front and behind the camera. Currently, she’s written a short film called Unfaithful, which she is also starring in. She says the short is a retelling of the story of Hosea from the Bible. Along with this, she has another starring role upcoming in the independent film Christine’s Wager, playing the main character’s mother.
She has a starring role in an upcoming film titled Saved by Grace, set to be released in late 2022.
You can also find Taylor on the popular personalized celebrity video app Cameo.
Personal Life
Jennifer Taylor remains with her husband, Paul Taylor, who is still an electrician despite rumors of him being a songwriter.
The pair have been married since 1997 and have two children, Samantha and Jake.
Jennifer Taylor regularly gardens and posts her horticultural activities on her Instagram, along with updates about her family, life, and upcoming projects.
Leave a Reply