- Jessica Kiper
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Jessica "Sugar" Kiper
Jessica Kiper attending the Beverly Hills Film Festival - Beverly Hills, CA on October 21, 2010Born February 22, 1979
Baton Rouge, Louisiana[1]Jessica Michele Kiper (born February 22, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Kiper was also a runner-up contestant on Survivor: Gabon[2][3] where she placed third. She was more commonly known to the viewing audience during her run on Survivor as Sugar. She returned to Survivor to compete on the show's 20th season: Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains as part of the Heroes tribe, and was the first to be eliminated. She is currently appearing on season five of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.[4]
Contents
Early life
Kiper was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and grew up in south Louisiana.[5] She has spent time living in various places throughout the country including Florida, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.[6] During her appearances on Celebrity Rehab, which documented her recovery from addiction, Kiper indicated that her sister Rena was her "closest sister", and that they also have a younger brother.[7]
Career
Acting and music
Kiper started acting at the age of 19, appearing in several commercials and had cameo roles in a couple of TV shows.[citation needed] Her first major break was in the popular LA-based vampire TV show Angel, where she appeared in a single shot in the Season 4 episode Ground State as Gwen's assistant Nick. This garnered her a small, but pivotal role as Jess's girlfriend, Shane, on Gilmore Girls. She then proceeded to do different TV shows and films, most notable as Precious in Sex and Death 101, with Winona Ryder and Simon Baker.
She also plays drums and sings in a band called She Loves Betty White.[8]
Survivor
Main articles: Survivor: Gabon and Survivor: Heroes vs. VillainsSurvivor: Gabon
Kiper competed on the reality television show Survivor: Gabon, the seventeenth season of Survivor, which began airing on September 25, 2008. She was referred to throughout the season by the nickname "Sugar". The final episode of the season, broadcast on December 14, 2008, revealed that she finished third, behind winner Robert Crowley and second-place finisher Susie Smith, garnering no jury votes.
Survivor host Jeff Probst commented on Kiper, saying :"She is in an excellent spot to make it to the final vote. I'll give her credit. She has done a very good job of staying in this game and staying out of the way. She's survived a record number of days on Exile, she handled the power of the immunity idol beautifully, and she has earned her right to be in the final five."[9]
Kiper found the Hidden Immunity Idol very soon after arriving on Exile Island, beating lawyer Dan Kay who got the same opportunity the previous episode, and she played it during Episode 12 in order to save fellow contestant Matty Whitmore, thus negating two votes cast against him and ensuring the elimination of athlete Crystal Cox. She ended the series in third place, losing to teacher Robert Crowley and hairdresser Susie Smith. She was also the second choice for the 'Sprint Survivor of the Season' award, losing again to winner Crowley.
Kiper also holds a unique Survivor distinction of reaching the Gabon final with no votes ever cast against her, but also not receiving any votes to win. Thus, she never once had her name written down during the run of the game at Gabon.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Kiper was a contestant in the 20th season of Survivor, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. She was a member of the Heroes tribe. She was the first to be voted out, after being perceived as weak, and her emotions and flirtatious behavior irritating her tribemates.
Personal life
Kiper lives in Brooklyn.[6]
Filmography
Films
Year Title Role 2007 Sex and Death 101 Precious/Carlotta Valdes Beyond the Quest Grazyna 2005 Formosa Anne-Marie Silver 2004 The Gold Necklace Kiki 2002 Sorority Boys Tri Pi 2000 The Princess & the Barrio Boy Girl In Pool 1999 Alien Arsenal Female Student #3 Television series
Year Title Role 2011 Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Herself 2011 Law & Order: Los Angeles 1 episode: Big Rock Mesa 2010 Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Herself 2008 Survivor: Gabon Herself 2003 Judging Amy Teenage Girl 2002 Gilmore Girls Shane (4 episodes) Angel Nick 2001 Titus Prom Date 2000 Undressed Zia 1999 For Your Love Amber Video games
Year Title Role 2011 L.A. Noire Candy Edwards References
- ^ "Kiper is first 'Survivor' hero sent home". http://www.zimbio.com/Jessica+Sugar+Kiper/articles/JQLWIItvY01/Kiper+first+Survivor+hero+sent+home. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
- ^ "'Survivor': 30 Hottest Castaways". Entertainment Weekly. 2010-12-04. http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20258572,00.html. Retrieved 2010-12-04. "Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden"
- ^ Dalton Ross (Aug 27, 2008). "'Survivor: Gabon': Meet the Players!". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20221313,00.html. Retrieved 2010-12-04. "Meet the 18 men and women who'll attempt to outwit, outplay, and outlast each other on this fall's Survivor -- with exclusive video clips and Jeff Probst's thoughts on eac"
- ^ "Michael Lohan, Amy Fisher Among New 'Celebrity Rehab' Cast". http://omg.yahoo.com/news/michael-lohan-amy-fisher-among-new-celebrity-rehab-cast/64738. Retrieved 6/10/2011.
- ^ "Jessica "Sugar" Kiper". http://www.zimbio.com/Jessica+Sugar+Kiper. Retrieved 5/12/2011.
- ^ a b "Survivor: Redemption Island Cast - Jessica". CBS. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/cast/17/jessica/. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Family Weekend". Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. VH1. July 31, 2011. No. 6, season 5.
- ^ "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' Sugar: "It Was Really, Really Tough"". People Magazine. February 15, 2010. http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/15/survivor-heroes-vs-villains-sugar-it-was-really-really-tough/.
- ^ "Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Gabon' (episode 13)". Entertainment Weekly. December 12, 2008. http://popwatch.ew.com/2008/12/12/jeff-probst-b-1-5/. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
External links
- Jessica Kiper biography for Survivor: Gabon at CBS.com
- Jessica Kiper at the Internet Movie Database
- Jessica "Sugar" Kiper podcast interview
- Dalton Ross (Aug 29, 2008). "Outwit, Outplay, Out Cast". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20222177,00.html. Retrieved 2010-12-04. "I want to make everyone fall in love with me, says the 29-year-old pinup-actress who also goes by the kinky handle of Sugar."
Categories:- 1979 births
- American film actors
- American television actors
- Living people
- Participants in American reality television series
- Survivor contestants
- People from Brooklyn
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