Living Her Story - Cap'shaw!

The New York Observer (New York, NY)

Author: Rebecca Traister

Date: June 23, 2003

On May 25, 26-year-old Jessica Capshaw--co-star of the ABC drama The Practice--attended her five-year Brown University reunion at the college's campus in Providence, R.I. While she was there, she appeared on a "Where Are They Now?" panel at Alumni Hall, where she and nine other members of her class discussed what they'd done since graduation.

Two of Ms. Capshaw's former classmates who observed the panel told The Transom that, in front of a crowd of about 100, the Practice star spoke about her early struggles in show business, which involved "knocking on doors" looking for work and trying to track down some decent representation.

Ms. Capshaw didn't mention whether any of those doors belonged to her mother, actress KateCapshaw, or her stepfather, director Steven Spielberg.

"There was also something about how she had to take a job serving drinks as a kind of on-set gofer before she got a real acting job," said one of the witnesses. He said that the young performer finally told of her big break: a meeting with television writer and producer David E. Kelley, who cast her as Jamie Stringer on The Practice.

During the panel discussion, which took place just four days after Mr. Kelley fired core Practice cast members Lara Flynn Boyle, Dylan McDermott, Kelli Williams and Lisa Gay Hamilton, Ms. Capshawassured the reunion crowd that she would be returning to her role next season.

The alumni who spoke with The Transom acknowledged that Ms. Capshaw was certainly the most successful panelist on the "Where Are They Now?" program. Indeed, they said they couldn't even remember much about the other panelists.

"One led some sort of African dance troupe, and then I feel like the rest had all been just sort of traveling around the Caribbean or something," said an audience member.

And while her former classmates may have rolled their eyes at Ms. Capshaw's tales of professional uncertainty, it should be noted that her acting resume contains only two gigs on Mr. Spielberg's tab: an internship on Schindler's List and a bit part in Minority Report.