Jaclyn "Jackie" Tohn (born August 24, 1980) is an American actress and musician from Oceanside, New York who was a contestant in Season 8 of American Idol. She is best known for her portrayal of actress and wrestler Melanie "Melrose" Rosen in the hit Netflix series GLOW.
Background[]
Born and raised in Oceanide, New York, to physical-education Alan and Bella Tohn, Tohn has been singing and acting since childhood.
Career[]
Tohn has been acting professionally since approximately age nine, but her first major role came in The Nanny at age twelve. Jackie attended Camp Lokanda in Glen Spey, New York. She attended Oceanside High School in Nassau County, New York. After high school, she went to the University of Delaware for a semester and majored in elementary education and in the fall of 1998 was in an a cappella group called the Deltones. In November 1999, she starred in the one-act play This Property Is Condemned by Tennessee Williams at the Chapel Street Theatre.
She later went to Los Angeles with her mom and agent at the time. She played Tina in Tony-n-Tina's Wedding at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. She also originated the role of Joanie in Body Snatchers: The Musical at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.
In March 2004, she starred in the play Jewtopia at the Coast Playhouse in West Hollywood in Los Angeles, which ran from May 8, 2003 to August 2004, a record for longest running comedy in LA. The producers then decided to move the play to the Westside Arts Theater in New York and she relocated.
She began doing solo acoustic guitar shows in April 2004 and in November 2005 released an EP called The Golden Girl which was recorded at a studio in Tarrytown, New York. She has played at Pianos, The Living Room, CBGB, The Cutting Room, and The Rothko in New York and at Highland Grounds, The Mint, and Wizard Finger in Los Angeles.
She has appeared in the films Bad Boy (also known as Dawg) alongside Denis Leary, Deuces Wild as Mary Ann, and Return to Sleepaway Camp as Linda. She appeared as Faith in the film Postal and will also appear in Giants of Radio.
Tohn was in a pilot for MTV called Show Me the Movie and also a pilot for FOX called Prudy and Judy. On her official website she also mentions a television series on ABC. She has also appeared in the television shows The Sopranos, Strangers with Candy, Angel, Veronica Mars, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
In 2007, she appeared in the short films Smile, Discovering the Wheels, The Malibu Myth, The Legend of Donkey-Tail Willie, and Catch (where she was shown playing the guitar) which were made during the reality show On the Lot.
In 2011, Tohn competed in the 2011 songwriting competition show Platinum Hit, which aired on Bravo, where she finished in 7th place.
GLOW[]
In 2016, Tohn was cast as actress and wrestler Melanie "Melrose" Rosen in the Netflix series GLOW. The show premiered June 23, 2017, and became a hit. The show was renewed for a second season, which premiered June 29, 2018. The show's third season premiered August 9, 2019.
American Idol[]
In 2009, she appeared in the eighth season of American Idol, and made it through to the Hollywood rounds.
She advanced through the Hollywood rounds making the Top 36 for season 8.
She was in the first group of 12 to perform going first that night and was eliminated.
| Season 8 |
| Finalists |
| Kris Allen · Adam Lambert · Danny Gokey · Allison Iraheta · Matt Giraud · Anoop Desai · Lil Rounds · Scott MacIntyre · Megan Joy · Michael Sarver · Alexis Grace · Jorge Nunez · Jasmine Murray |
| Semifinalists |
| Ricky Braddy · Tatiana Del Toro · Jesse Langseth · Von Smith · Arianna Afsar · Felicia Barton · Kendall Beard · Ju'Not Joyner · Nathaniel Marshall · Kristen McNamara · Taylor Vaifanua · Alex Wagner-Trugman · Matt Breitzke · Mishavonna Henson · Kai Kalama · Nick Mitchell · Jeanine Vailes · Ann Marie Boskovich · Casey Carlson · Stephen Fowler · Brent Keith · Jackie Tohn · Stevie Wright |