Biography

Born in Stockton California, Jazz began performing at just two years old. Her mother owned a dance studio where she developed her onstage skills, studying an array of dance styles from salsa to ballroom, and modern to African. She booked her first commercial at just six years old, and landed her feature film debut appearing as Angela Basset's daughter in the classic "Waiting to Exhale." As she started her career in film and television, Jazz's talents in dance were also accelerating as she joined the prestigious Joe Tremaine Teen Dance Company at eight years old lead by Michael Rooney and Marguerite Derricks. She went on to dance with the Boston Ballet and the School of American Ballet before landing a full scholarship to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jazz continued balancing her dance career with her education, graduating two years early in the top 5% of the country's high school students. Just ahead of her 18th birthday while a soloist and the face of Columbia City Ballet, Jazz sustained an injury that would change the course of her career and future. She pivoted to her love of bringing characters to life on screen, and she has been working steadily ever since. As an actor Jazz has trained with The Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles and New York, Stella Adler in New York, Janet Alhanti, Lesly Kahn, and John Rosenfeld Studios in Los Angeles just to name a few.

Jazz Raycole is currently in the adaptation of Michael Connelly's books and Netlfix show created by David E. Kelley, "The Lincoln Lawyer." Also in television, Jazz was seen in the NBC/Jerry Bruckheimer drama series "Council of Dads," and is often recognized for her breakout role as Allison Hawkins in the post-apocalyptic drama "Jericho." Additional credits include starring opposite Niecy Nash and Cedric the Entertainer as Lyric Ballentine on the TV Land sitcom "The Soul Man," emerging opposite Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose on BET's "The Quad," appearing as Stanley Hudson's daughter on "The Office," and holding roles in "Vanity," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Bones," "Rizzoli & Isles," "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," "New Girl," "Suburgatory," "Monk," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and "My Wife and Kids."
- IMDb mini biography by: Publicity Team