Rashida Jones is a famous actress and has also taken a leading role behind the cameras. Only around 10% of people are thought to be left-handed, so is Jones one of them?
Rashida Jones is left-handed. She is included in several articles detailing left-handed celebrities, and she can be seen in many photos online using her left hand to write.
Find out more about Rashida Jones’ life and career, as well as what it means to be left-handed, by reading on below.
Who is Rashida Jones?
Rashida Jones was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1976. Her father is Quincy Jones, the award-winning producer, writer, and composer, while her mother is Peggy Lipton, a well-known actress, model, and singer.
She was, therefore, exposed to the world of entertainment from a young age. “I grew up around a lot of actors – I grew up around music people mainly, and my dad had friends because he was scoring and producing films,” she recalls.
During Jones’ teenage years, her mom was working on the TV show ‘Twin Peaks’, and she regularly visited the set. As a teen, she says she was a “chubby nerd.”
Jones went to Harvard University, initially to study law, but changed her mind about her studies after she arrived. She graduated in 1977 with a degree in philosophy and religion.
What Does it Mean to Be Left-Handed?
Being left-handed is relatively uncommon, with studies estimating that only around 1 in 10 people prefer to use their left hand.
What determines which hand is more dominant for an individual is debated. Though it is believed to be largely down to preference and nurture, rather than nature, it is thought that genetics do have some impact on whether a person is left or right-handed.
According to a list compiled by Elle magazine, celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga, and Tom Cruise are left-handed.
So, does being left-handed have any impact over a person’s life? Studies indicate that the hand a person writes with is the opposite of the more dominant side of their brain, meaning that left-handers rely more on the right side of their brain.
Each side of the brain is associated with a different activity and thus different strengths. Analytical thinking, emotional intelligence, language, and creativity are all skills that can be attributed to different sides of the brain.
It is possible, therefore, that the hand an individual writes with can give an indication of their best skills.
Rashida Jones’ Career
After Jones graduated college, she began to pursue her career in acting. Despite her famous parents, the actress was not handed roles.
“I went straight into auditioning,” she says. Her first two jobs after college were as a writing assistant on a pilot for an MTV show, and an internship at Marie Claire.
“It was hardcore,” she recalls.
Jones is unsure whether her parents’ careers influenced her decision to enter into TV. “I guess having that early influence of being a creative was really helpful,” she says.
She appeared in a number of TV shows and landed some movie roles, including ‘Freaks and Geeks’ and ‘The Social Network’. She later attained a role in the sitcom ‘Parks and Recreation’, leaving the show in 2013.
She also landed a role in comedy favorite ‘The Office’, playing the role of Karen. On the show, the character was the temporary love interest of character Jim Halpert.
Besides acting, Jones is a well-established writer, working on the script for the animated movie ‘Toy Story 4’. She left the role before the project was complete because she felt that Pixar represented “A culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice.”
She has also taken on directing roles and was the director behind the Netflix project ‘Quincy’, a movie that explores her father’s life.
While Jones has certainly found success in the entertainment industry, she’s not ruling out other ventures, saying “I still may change careers in my life at some point.”