Jennifer Ann McCarthy
14 min read
Reading time
2,649
Words
Published
84
Film credits
7
Books
5
Awards
Playboy named McCarthy its Playmate of the Year in 1994. She acted in BASEketball 1998, Scream 3 2000, and Scary Movie 3 2003. She co-hosted The View and later hosted the Sirius XM radio show Dirty Sexy Funny. Her son Evan’s autism diagnosis in 2005 led her to write books and advocate for autism awareness.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
The second of four sisters, Jenny McCarthy grew up in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Her father Daniel was a steel mill foreman, and her mother Linda worked as a courtroom custodian. She attended Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago, graduating in 1990, and later studied nursing and psychology at Southern Illinois University. Financial difficulties forced her to drop out, leading her to model for Playboy to earn money.
McCarthy’s modeling career took off when she appeared as Playboy’s Miss October 1993 and was named Playmate of the Year 1994. This exposure led to television host roles and acting parts. She appeared in BASEketball 1998 and landed a role in Scream 3 2000, turning down a part in Scary Movie to appear in Scream 3. Her own sitcom Jenny aired in 1997, before those films. In 2003, she appeared in Scary Movie 3. She also co-hosted The View for one year and currently hosts the Sirius XM radio show Dirty Sexy Funny. She has authored several books on pregnancy and motherhood.
McCarthy married film director John Asher in 1999; they had a son, Evan Joseph, born May 18, 2002. The couple divorced in 2005. She then dated Jim Carrey from 2006 to 2010. In August 2014, she married Donnie Wahlberg after a four-month engagement. She has two stepsons from Wahlberg’s previous relationship, Xavier and Elijah. She is the cousin of actress Melissa McCarthy. Her son Evan was diagnosed with autism in 2005, which led her to become an author and advocate.
As Playboy’s Playmate of the Year 1994, McCarthy used her fame to build an acting and hosting career. Her book Louder Than Words 2007 documented her experience with her son’s autism. Co-hosting The View and hosting her own radio show expanded her reach. She won Golden Raspberry awards for her film work. Her Playboy Playmate status and later mainstream roles define her place in pop culture.
The complete filmography of Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Was a Puke Brunette.
I Don’t Sleep in Anything. I Have to Be Nude, and If I’m Not, I End up Ripping My Clothes off in the Middle of the Night.
I Think the Whole Computer Geek Thing Is Totally Attractive…I Mean, Like All I’d Get Is Total Obedience. on Finding Mr. Right.
There Was a Problem with Studios How to Write for Me. It’s a Complex Kind of Character I Am, Because I’m Built Like a Bunny but I Talk Like a Dude.
There’s This Place in Chicago Called Giordano’s, Which Has the Best Deep Dish Pizza in the World. It’s My Therapist, My Best Friend, and My Boyfriend on Friday Nights.
Little-known facts about Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
McCarthy is a cousin of actress Melissa McCarthy.
She had her breast implants removed in 1998.
On August 31, 2014, she married Donnie Wahlberg after a four-month engagement and 13 months of dating.
She was in a relationship with Jim Carrey from 2006 to April 2010.
In high school, she was the MVP of her softball and field hockey teams and was also a cheerleader.
Her childhood idols included Olivia Newton-John and Lynda Carter.
She turned down a role in Scary Movie 2000 to appear in Scream 3 2000, but later appeared in Scary Movie 3 2003.
She dropped out of nursing school to pursue acting.
She was named Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1994.
She auditioned for the lead role in Showgirls 1995, which went to Elizabeth Berkley.
She is the second wife of Donnie Wahlberg.
In 1993, she was a struggling model until her Playboy appearance.
She gave birth to her son Evan Joseph Asher on May 18, 2002, at age 29; the father is her then-husband John Asher.
She and ex-boyfriend Jim Carrey were guests at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ wedding in Italy.
She has three sisters: Lynette, Joanne JoJo, and Amy McCarthy.
She auditioned for the role of Natalie Cook in Charlie’s Angels 2000, which went to Cameron Diaz.
She attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
She lives in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, alongside celebrities like Mary Higgins Clark, Burt Reynolds, and Barbara Walters, and splits her time between New Jersey and California for work.
She has the words Love Donnie tattooed on her right index and middle fingers, dedicated to her husband Donnie Wahlberg.
She is one of four actors to appear in both the Scream franchise and its parody Scary Movie franchise; the others are Anthony Anderson, Jerry O’Connell, and Tori Spelling.
Her father is of Irish descent; her maternal grandfather was of German-Polish ancestry, and her maternal grandmother’s family was Croatian.
She is sister-in-law to Mark Wahlberg, Arthur Wahlberg, Rhea Durham, James M. Wahlberg, Paul Wahlberg, and Robert Wahlberg.
Her hobbies include kickboxing.
She grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and now lives in Los Angeles, California.
She released the book Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth.
She has two stepsons: Xavier Alexander Wahlberg, born March 4, 1993, and Elijah Hendrix Wahlberg, born August 20, 2001.
She was Playboy’s Playmate of the Month for October 1993.
People magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
She graduated from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago in 1990.
She wrote the book Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism, inspired by her son Evan’s autism.
She auditioned for the role of Ellie Arroway in Contact 1997, which went to Jodie Foster.
She co-wrote an autobiography, Jen-X, with Neal Karlen.
FHM magazine ranked her seventh in its 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006 supplement.
She released the book Life Laughs: The Naked Truth About Motherhood, Marriage and Moving On.
FHM ranked her fifty-fourth in its 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005 supplement.
She is the daughter-in-law of Alma Wahlberg and Donald E. Wahlberg Sr.
She is the former daughter-in-law of actress Joyce Bulifant and William Asher.
She released the book Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood.
She released the book Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds.
In 2008, she won the Pigasus Award for best performer.
She is friends with Chelsea Handler and Debbie Matenopoulos.
She is the daughter of Daniel McCarthy.
She shares a birthday with actress Toni Collette November 1.
She was born at 12:41 PM Central Standard Time.
Her attorney is Leigh Brecheen.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg.
Celebrities similar to Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg — same craft, ranked by reach.
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