10 Female Actors on the Rise

3. Jenn Harris

After keeping New Yorkers in stitches for more than a year as Agent Clarice Starling in “Silence! The Musical,” the much-loved parody of “The Silence of the Lambs,” Jenn Harris wants to take over the rest of the country. Her chances are good with her first post-“Silence!” project, the hilarious, touching movie “Gayby,” in which she and real-life gay best friend Matthew Wilkas play best friends who decide to have a baby together. Unabashed about showing how difficult it can be to grow up and be happy in New York City, the movie is also a showcase for Harris’ particular brand of deadpan, physically dexterous comedy. Her acrobatic sex scenes are tours de force. “Anyone who says filming sex scenes isn’t hot is a liar,” she says. (Photo by Allison Michael Orenstein)