Jessica Parker Kennedy’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

Jessica Parker Kennedy

’s best movies and TV shows demonstrate her growth as an actress over 20 years. Kennedy has been active in the industry, mostly working out of Canada where she is originally from, since 2006. In that time, most of her work is on television where she got her start. Her first role was as an elf in the made-for-TV movie Santa Baby, and her career took off from there.

Kennedy is known for her penchant for appearing in genre projects. She has played a witch, a supervillain, a superhero, and a resistance fighter against extraterrestrials, among other roles. She also, however, has proven herself an adept character actor with supporting roles in romances, dramas, and thrillers. Because of such a versatile acting resume, there is little Kennedy cannot do on screen.

10

Under The Christmas Sky (2023)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Kat Butler

01746912_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Under the Christmas Sky

G

TV Movie

Drama

Romance

Release Date

October 22, 2023

Runtime

84 minutes

Cast

  • Headshot Of Jessica Parker Kennedy

    Jessica Parker Kennedy

    Kat Butler

  • Headshot Of Ryan Paevey

    Ryan Paevey

    David Robinson

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Sydney Sabiston

    Celeste

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Andrew Bushell

    Andy

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Hallmark Channel has a grand tradition of making cozy romances accessible to general audiences. While some might find the tropes employed by Hallmark to be cliché, they work when the story itself is fresh. That’s the case in Under the Christmas Sky.

Jessica Parker Kennedy stars in the TV movie as an astronaut who finds herself grounded after an accident. As her dreams of actually going to space seem to be ending, she begins volunteering at the local planetarium to teach others about space instead. Because it is the holiday season, she is paired with a by-the-books employee to create a Christmas exhibit that is tied to the skies. They are initially like oil and water, as is the case for so many Hallmark romantic pairings, but the storyline is certainly not one the network has done before.

Kennedy is genuine and warm in Under the Christmas Sky. Romantic comedies are not something she works in often, instead appearing in a lot of science fiction and fantasy projects. This particular movie, however, makes a good case for casting her in more of them.

A blended image features characters from Hallmark movie series Picture Perfect Mysteries, Hailey Dean Mysteries, and Mystery 101

Related

As An Unapologetic Hallmark Fan, I’m Heartbroken That Hailey Dean Mysteries & These Other 8 Shows Canceled

Since 2020, Hallmark has canceled Hailey Dean Mysteries and several other series.

Posts

9

Smallville (2008-2010)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Bette Sans Souci AKA Plastique

Smallville Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

Smallville

TV-PG

Romance

Adventure

Drama

ScreenRant logo

8/10

158

9/10

Release Date

2001 – 2011-00-00

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Sam Jones III

    Sam Jones III

  • Headshot Of Annette O'Toole

    Annette O’Toole

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Smallville has been one of the more popular adaptations of the Superman canon because it features Clark Kent (Tom Welling) before he adopts the moniker alongside quite a few DC supervillains and heroes. The series sees Clark grow up on a farm in Kansas and deal with those in his hometown as they are “infected” by meteor fragments. He saves the day on a regular basis, but does not wear the cape and tights associated with the comic book hero.

Jessica Parker Kennedy makes her first appearance in the eighth season of Smallville as a young woman at the center of a bus explosion. It is eventually revealed that she has explosive abilities and she becomes a member of the Injustice Society as well as ending up on the show’s version of the Suicide Squad after she is incarcerated for her crimes.

Kennedy plays Plastique as a young woman who is simply struggling to survive. Many of her bad actions are motivated by her survival instinct, and later, by her need to get revenge on those who hurt her friends. She is guarded, but also quick to anger, and she gets to appear in some fun fight sequences.

Smallville marks one of the earliest instances of Kennedy appearing in a genre television series, and it certainly would not be the last. She has become something of a genre darling on television, proving herself a great character actor in some very different settings.

8

Colony (2017)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Maya

the colony 1

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

Colony

TV-14

Action

Adventure

Drama

Sci-Fi

9/10

Release Date

2016 – 2017

Directors

Juan Jose Campanella, Tim Southam

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Josh Holloway In The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards

    Josh Holloway

  • Headshot Of Sarah Wayne Callies In The NBCUniversal Winter Press Tour 2020

    Sarah Wayne Callies

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Colony was inspired by the idea of a Nazi-occupied France during World War II, though it is definitely not a historical drama. Instead, the series is a science fiction one that sees the world occupied by extraterrestrials who have struck an alliance with powerful people on Earth to help them in their own war elsewhere. It imagines how people can go on living their regular lives when there is a potential outside threat to the entire war looming.

Kennedy only appears in five episodes of the series, but she certainly makes an impression. She gives a glimpse at one way to be a member of the resistance in the series. Kennedy is a young woman who meets one of the teen characters while being held in a prison camp of sorts. While they have a relationship, she is all along secretly planning to blow up a ship.

Kennedy’s Maya uses their relationship as her cover, and while at times the actor plays her as docile, it’s always clear there is something rebellious just under the surface.

7

See For Me (2021)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Kelly

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

See For Me

Not Yet Rated

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

6/10

Release Date

January 7, 2022

Runtime

92 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Skyler Davenport

  • Headshot Of Laura Vandervoort In The 2017 The Humane Society Gala

    Laura Vandervoort

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

It’s Kennedy and Davenport’s commitment to their roles that helps to elevate the familiar story idea.

See For Me is a relatively straightforward thriller that involves a young woman house-sitting a house that is broken into while she is there. What separates the movie, however, is that the woman, played by Skyler Davenport is visually impaired. A degenerative disease sees her take up house-sitting to make money and abandon her dreams of becoming an Olympic skier.

Kennedy appears in the movie as Kelly, a person the young woman connects with over an app that pairs visually impaired individuals with those who can “see for them” with the use of the phone. Kelly is a gamer and very comfortable with seeing the world through a screen, and she helps the other woman fight off the intruders, even after the young woman contemplates working with them for a cut of the money they find.

Kennedy does not get to be in the middle of the action as much of her work is done through a voice over the phone or staring directly into a camera, but she sells her own fear and anxiety for the other person’s safety well. It’s Kennedy and Davenport’s commitment to their roles that helps to elevate the familiar story idea.

6

50/50 (2011)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Jackie

50:50 Movie Poster Showing Joseph Gordon Levitt Shaving His Head standing next to Seth Rogen

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

50/50

R

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

ScreenRant logo

8/10

Release Date

September 30, 2011

Runtime

100 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Joseph Gordon-Levitt In The Hollywood Critics Association's 2023 HCA Film Awards

    Joseph Gordon-Levitt

  • Headshot Of Seth Rogen

    Seth Rogen

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Kennedy does not have a large role in 50/50, but the movie is so good that it deserves to be listed among her best movies and TV shows – especially since it is her theatrical debut after spending years on television. She appears in a minor role as one of the women who goes in and out of the lives of the two friends at the center of the story very quickly. Despite that, the movie is both heartfelt and funny, feeling more true to life than most other movies that explore a similar topic.

50/50 stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as a man who is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. While his friend (Seth Rogan) is there for him, including a memorable head-shaving scene, he also uses the knowledge of his chemotherapy to pick up girls. That eventually leads to an argument between the two, before he realizes just how much care and research has been put into the cancer diagnosis from his friend.

The movie provides an unflinching look at how a cancer diagnosis and treatment can affect someone’s life, but also the lives of those around them.

5

The Secret Circle (2011-2012)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Melissa

03128857_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

the secret circle

TV-14

Drama

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Horror

Supernatural

Release Date

2011 – 2011

Network

The CW

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Ashley Crow

    Jane Blake

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Ben Cotton

    Uncredited

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Joe Lando

    Dawn Chamberlain

  • Headshot Of Natasha Henstridge

    Natasha Henstridge

    Cassie Blake

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Inspired by novels from Vampire Diaries writer LJ Smith, The Secret Circle centered on a coven of tee witches who had inherited their abilities through their family lineage. The series only lasted one season for the CW because it was too expensive for the network with its on-location filming and bevy of visual effects. This was before the network became the go-to for superhero and genre shows like the Arrowverse and The Vampire Diaries and its spin-offs, so the network was likely unsure of how successful it would be.

When The Secret Circle was canceled, it was the third most-watched show on the CW and was nominated for a People’s Choice Award.

Jessica Parker Kennedy plays Circle member Melissa. While most of the rest of the circle members are brash and larger-than-life characters, Melissa is a more subdued character. While the rest of the coven fights, she keeps her opinions to herself and observes everyone’s treatment of one another. She does, however, get a significant emotional arc in the series as the fellow coven member she is dating is possessed, killed, resurrected, targeted by witch hunters, and killed again. Kennedy gets to play a roller coaster of emotions in this underrated role.

It’s a shame The Secret Circle was canceled because the first season set so many storylines in motion for a potential season 2.

4

Camera (2024)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Evelyn Kennedy

01843982_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

Camera

PG

Drama

Release Date

July 23, 2024

Runtime

112 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Beau Bridges

    Beau Bridges

    Eric

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Miguel Matrai

    Oscar

  • Headshot Of Jessica Parker Kennedy

    Jessica Parker Kennedy

    Evelyn

  • Headshot Of Bruce Davison

    Bruce Davison

    Frank Flynn

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Camera is Jessica Parker Kennedy’s best movie so far, since so much more of her career has been on television.

Camera did not see a wide release in theaters, but it did hit the film festival circuit, picking up wins at both the Beverly Hills Film Festival and the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. The movie follows a young boy (Miguel Gabriel) who is non-verbal. He and his widowed mother (Kennedy) move to a small town where most of the economy is built around the fishing industry, and he forges a friendship with an older man (Beau Bridges) after the two bond over an old camera.

This is not the kind of movie that allows Kennedy to sparkle or shine like so many of the other parts she has played. Kennedy has taken on a lot of roles that see her as the optimist, the one always smiling and hyping other characters up. Here, she is a hardworking woman whom life has beaten down who is just doing her best for her and her son. It’s a fantastic performance from the actress who has not had the chance to do roles like this one before.

Camera is Jessica Parker Kennedy’s best movie so far, since so much more of her career has been on television.

3

Percy Jackson And The Olympians (2023-)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Medusa

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

ScreenRant logo

7/10

64

8.8/10

Release Date

December 20, 2023

Showrunner

Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Walker Scobell

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Leah Sava Jeffries

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Even though it’s a brief appearance in Percy’s overall story, Kennedy is a highlight in the first season.

The beloved novel series Percy Jackson and the Olympians brings classic stories of Greek mythology into the modern day. Though the first two books in the series have previously been adapted into movies, the series aims to tell the titular character’s complete story of discovering he is a demigod, more specifically, the son of Poseidon, and his coming into his own power as he saves the world more than once.

Jessica Parker Kennedy appears in just the first season of the show as Medusa, the figure in Greek myth who would turn people to stone who looked her in the eye. Different translations and interpretations of the Medusa story have painted her as a villain who seduced Poseidon, while others have painted her as a victim of Poseidon’s. The series adaptation rides the line between the two and Kennedy does a beautiful job of bringing more nuance to the character.

Kennedy’s version of Medusa is sweet to the demigods who find her home and fierce toward those who would hunt them. She is something of a homemaker who loves cooking and clearly enjoys the company of others, but the stigma of Athena punishing her, giving her snakes for hair, and making her gaze turn others to stone keeps her from having too many visitors. Kennedy plays her as a woman misunderstood who only resorts to using her power against Percy and his friends once they have disrespected and angered her multiple times.

Even though it’s a brief appearance in Percy’s overall story, Kennedy is a highlight in the first season. It certainly makes you wish Medusa could have been a recurring character instead of a quick stop in Percy’s first hero’s journey.

A composite image of Percy and Grover looking on triumphantly in front of Percy, Grover, and Anabeth walking across a barren plane in Percy Jackson

Related

Percy Jackson And The Olympians Season 2: Confirmation, Cast, Story & Everything We Know

Disney+’s take on Percy Jackson and The Olympians already thrilled during its first season, and now it has been renewed for season 2.

Posts

2

2

Black Sails (2014-2017)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Max

Black Sails Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

Black Sails

Adventure

Action

Drama

8.8/10

Release Date

2014 – 2017-00-00

Network

Starz

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Jessica Parker Kennedy

    Jessica Parker Kennedy

  • Headshot of Toby Stephens

    Toby Stephens

Showrunner

Michael Bay

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Black Sails was conceived as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island. The series features several characters inspired by real pirates in the 1700s. As pirates and the British military fight for control of the seas and various ports, the bulk of Kennedy’s story as Max takes place in Nassau.

Max begins the series as a prostitute working in a brothel who dreams of a better life. Born to a slave and her master, Max has always been living on the outside of society looking in, so even when she is in her worst circumstances, kept as a sexual object by a pirate crew to pay off her debts, Max is always scheming. Kennedy plays her as a woman whose wheels are always turning. No matter what she is saying to another character, there always appears to be something else lurking below the surface.

Max rises from prostitute to madame to business owner to the real power behind the government in Nassau by the end of the series, and Kennedy does a masterful job at bringing that arc to life.

1

The Flash (2018-2023)

Jessica Parker Kennedy As Nora West-Allen AKA XS

03122387_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Like

Follow

Followed

The Flash

TV-14

Drama

Action

Sci-Fi

Superhero

ScreenRant logo

4/10

99

8.5/10

Release Date

2014 – 2023-00-00

Network

The CW

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Grant Gustin

    Grant Gustin

    Barry Allen / The Flash

  • Headshot Of Danielle Panabaker In The Hallmark Channel Summer TCA

    Danielle Panabaker

    Khione

Showrunner

Eric Wallace

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The Flash is the second series to be labeled as part of the CW’s universe of DC comic book inspired shows. It became the show that would help to expand the Arrowverse as it crossed over with the flagship series and brought in the idea of super-powered people and alternate universes and timelines.

The bulk of the series follows Barry (Grant Gustin) as he becomes the titular superhero with superspeed abilities. Because that speed can be utilized to travel through time, the show played with a lot of timelines as well, and introduced characters from the future, like Kennedy’s initially mysterious young woman with superspeed as well. She is eventually revealed as Barry and Iris’ (Candice Patton) daughter from the future.

8:52

Arrowverse team Next to Barry from The Flash and Iris

Related

What Could The Flash Season 10 Have Been About?

The Flash ended after nine seasons, but Screen Rant is looking at what season 10 could have looked like if it happened.

Posts

Jessica Parker Kennedy appeared in two sets of episodes in The Flash. While she technically played the same character in both of those, the original version of her character is erased from existence, allowing Kennedy to slightly change how she played Nora when her second batch of episodes began on the show.

Nora is likely the role Kennedy has become best known for in recent years. It’s one of the bubbliest roles she has ever played, building on all of the supporting work she has done as optimistic characters in the past. It also builds on all of the work she has done in genre television and with visual effects, demonstrating that Kennedy has come a long way since the beginning of her career. The Flash marks Jessica Parker Kennedy’s best TV show.

Leave a Comment