# Jess McLeod
**Jess McLeod** (born 1997) is a Canadian trans nonbinary actor, writer, and filmmaker from [Victoria, British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/victoria-british-columbia), based in Vancouver. Credited early in their career as Jessica McLeod, they began working as a child actor at age nine and became widely known for playing Janae Matthews in the Peacock teen mystery series *One of Us Is Lying* (2021–2022) and Bernie Simon in the 2023 holiday slasher film *It's a Wonderful Knife*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) • [2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/) In the mid-2020s they moved into directing short films while taking roles in major studio productions.[2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; height 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) |
| Identity | Trans nonbinary actor and filmmaker; uses they/them pronouns; earlier screen credits under the name Jessica McLeod[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) • [3](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/jess-mcleod) |
| Breakout role | Janae Matthews in *One of Us Is Lying*, 16 episodes across 2021–2022[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) |
| Notable films | *The Unforgivable* (2021, Hannah Whelan), *It's a Wonderful Knife* (2023, Bernie Simon), *Normal* (2025, Alex)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) |
| Directing | *DTF?* (2024), *Inside You There Are Two Wolves* (2024), and *She's Nonbinary* (2026), the last executive produced by Bob Odenkirk and Jane Schoenbrun[2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baBvfT4awoI) |
| Television, 2025–2026 | Harper in AMC's Silicon Valley satire *The Audacity*, upgraded to series regular for season 2[5](https://www.tvscholar.com/p/what-is-the-audacitys-jess-mcleod) |
| Awards | 10 wins and 14 nominations listed on IMDb, including a 2018 International Fantasy Film Award for Best Actor and a 2025 Leo Award for screenwriting[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/) |
## Early life and child acting
McLeod was born in 1997 in Victoria, British Columbia, and started acting at nine years old.[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jessica-mcleod/) Their early screen credits came quickly and included the comedy *Scary Movie 4* (2006), *Things We Lost in the Fire* (2007) with Benicio Del Toro, the miniseries *Impact* (2008–09), *Mr. Troop Mom* (2009) as Paulina, the Hallmark film *Christmas in Canaan* (2009), *Eve of Destruction* (2012–13) as Ruby Dameron, and the Syfy film *Stonados* (2013–14).[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jessica-mcleod/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jess_mcleod) As a teenager they also appeared in *The Christmas Consultant* (2012), *Margraue* (2013), and the Sonja Bennett comedy *Preggoland* (2015).[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jessica-mcleod/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jess_mcleod)
One early role pointed toward later work: McLeod has said they took their inspiration for Paulina in *Mr. Troop Mom* from the *Legally Blonde* movies, and five years later they played [Elle Woods](https://www.edgepedia.org/elle-woods) in *Legally Blonde: The Musical!*.[9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/bio/) Outside acting, they won third place in the junior category of a Canadian national poetry contest in 2011 for their poem "A Baby", and competed as a swimmer, qualifying for the Provincial AAA Swimming Championships in 2006 in the girls' under-11 category.[9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/bio/)
## Screen career
McLeod's adult roles built through genre and drama television, including Sasha in the comedy-drama *[You Me Her](https://www.edgepedia.org/you-me-her)* (2018–2019, 12 episodes), Shelley in *[Van Helsing](https://www.edgepedia.org/van-helsing-tv-series)* (2019), Kathleen in *Debris* (2021), and parts in *Death Note* (2017), *Hollow in the Land* (2017), and *The Hollow Child* (2017).[10](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-435287/filmographie/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jess_mcleod) Their breakout came as Janae Matthews, a main role across both seasons of *One of Us Is Lying* (2021–2022), followed by Bernie Simon in *It's a Wonderful Knife* (2023).[2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) They also appeared as Hannah Whelan alongside [Sandra Bullock](https://www.edgepedia.org/sandra-bullock) in *The Unforgivable* (2021).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178)
**2025 and 2026 brought larger productions.** McLeod played Alex in [Ben Wheatley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-wheatley)'s action comedy *Normal*, which stars [Bob Odenkirk](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-odenkirk) and premiered at the 2025 [Toronto International Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-international-film-festival).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) On television they played the tech wiz Harper in eight episodes of the first season of AMC's Silicon Valley satire *The Audacity*, starring Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Sarah Goldberg, and were upgraded to series regular for the second season.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) • [5](https://www.tvscholar.com/p/what-is-the-audacitys-jess-mcleod) Upcoming genre credits place them in two prominent queer independent projects: Tracy in Jane Schoenbrun's *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* (2026), the follow-up to *I Saw the TV Glow*, and Finn in Alice Maio Mackay's sci-fi horror film *Our Effed Up World* (2026).[11](https://www.cinedump.com/interviews/2026/7/17/jess-mcleod) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178)
## Filmmaking
McLeod's debut directorial short, *DTF?* (2024), screened at the Oscar-qualifying Out On Film festival and won Best Director at the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival; McLeod also co-wrote the film with Sam Krochmal.[2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/) A second short, the horror-comedy *Inside You There Are Two Wolves*, followed in 2024.[2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/)
Their third short, the dark comedy *She's Nonbinary* (2026), which McLeod wrote, directed, and starred in as Max, explores modern identity and intimacy and is executive produced by Bob Odenkirk and [Jane Schoenbrun](https://www.edgepedia.org/jane-schoenbrun).[2](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baBvfT4awoI) The film debuted at the Tribeca Festival and was scheduled for Dances with Films and Raindance.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baBvfT4awoI) In interviews McLeod has connected this work to a wider community of queer filmmakers, describing the collaborative ecosystem that has formed around contemporary queer independent cinema.[11](https://www.cinedump.com/interviews/2026/7/17/jess-mcleod)
## Awards
IMDb lists 10 wins and 14 nominations overall for McLeod, though its awards page itemizes 9 wins and 14 nominations.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/) Documented honors include:
- 2018 International Fantasy Film Award (Fantasporto), Best Actor, for *The Hollow Child*.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/)
- 2020 Leo Award, Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series.[12](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jess-mcleod/bio/3060255749/)
- 2023 UBCP/ACTRA Award, Best Short Performance, for *A Little Vacation*, a short McLeod also co-wrote.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/) • [3](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/jess-mcleod)
- 2025 Leo Award, Best Screenwriting in a Short Drama, for *DTF?*, shared with Sam Krochmal.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/)
- 2025 Audience Choice Award for Best Performance at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, for *Akashi*, shared with the film's cast.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/)
Earlier nominations include a 2012 [Young Artist Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-artist-award) and Leo Award nominations in 2013, 2014, and 2017, including a win in 2017 for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture.[12](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jess-mcleod/bio/3060255749/)
## A separate namesake
A different Jess McLeod is a New York-based theater director who spent three years as Resident Director of *Hamilton* in Chicago and directs plays and musicals including the La Jolla Playhouse world premiere *The Family Album* (2026).[13](https://www.jess-mcleod.com/about) The two share a professional name but work in different fields and countries.
## References
1. [Jess McLeod, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178)
2. [Jess McLeod, HeadStark](https://www.headstark.com/persons/jess-mcleod/)
3. [Jess McLeod (born 1997) — actor, VALÉORINE](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/jess-mcleod)
4. [Jess McLeod Interview, Paltrocast with Darren Paltrowitz, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baBvfT4awoI)
5. [What is The Audacity's Jess McLeod watching?, TV Scholar](https://www.tvscholar.com/p/what-is-the-audacitys-jess-mcleod)
6. [Jess McLeod, Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/awards/)
7. [Jessica McLeod, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jessica-mcleod/)
8. [Jess McLeod, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jess_mcleod)
9. [Jess McLeod, Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2004178/bio/)
10. [Jess McLeod (III), Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-435287/filmographie/)
11. [From Camp Miasma to Our Effed Up World: Jess McLeod Is Having a Moment, CineDump](https://www.cinedump.com/interviews/2026/7/17/jess-mcleod)
12. [Jess McLeod Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jess-mcleod/bio/3060255749/)
13. [About, JESS MCLEOD | director](https://www.jess-mcleod.com/about)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames M to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license