Jana Schmeiding
Jana Schmieding is a true multihyphenate star on the rise, who is making her mark on the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, comedian, and content creator. A member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux tribe, Jana has been a longtime educator and advocate, raising awareness around Native issues and bringing Native stories to mainstream audiences.
Jana stars as the female lead opposite Ed Helms on Peacock's new comedy series, RUTHERFORD FALLS. She also serves as a staff writer on the series, which launched in April, 2021. The first Native American comedy of its kind, the series explores themes of identity, friendship, and how we define ourselves and relate to historical narratives. Jana was heavily involved in all aspects of the show – including down to the details of beading items for the costume, props and marketing departments.
A graduate of the University of Oregon, Jana has performed and directed improv, sketch and solo comedy for over a decade in both New York and Los Angeles. One of her pilots brought her to The NYTV Festival as a Notable Writer. In addition to being passionate about Native (we should always capitalize “Indigenous” or “Native”) visibility, she has also been a vocal advocate for social justice issues, namely body justice – all of which she discusses regularly in her comedy and writing. Jana hosted the acclaimed “Woman of Size” podcast from 2017-2019, where she and guests discussed the way we think and talk about our bodies.
Jana stars as the female lead opposite Ed Helms on Peacock's new comedy series, RUTHERFORD FALLS. She also serves as a staff writer on the series, which launched in April, 2021. The first Native American comedy of its kind, the series explores themes of identity, friendship, and how we define ourselves and relate to historical narratives. Jana was heavily involved in all aspects of the show – including down to the details of beading items for the costume, props and marketing departments.
A graduate of the University of Oregon, Jana has performed and directed improv, sketch and solo comedy for over a decade in both New York and Los Angeles. One of her pilots brought her to The NYTV Festival as a Notable Writer. In addition to being passionate about Native (we should always capitalize “Indigenous” or “Native”) visibility, she has also been a vocal advocate for social justice issues, namely body justice – all of which she discusses regularly in her comedy and writing. Jana hosted the acclaimed “Woman of Size” podcast from 2017-2019, where she and guests discussed the way we think and talk about our bodies.
