Actor Biography
Jade Pettyjohn stars as a lead opposite Katheryn Winnick, Ryan Phillippe and Natalie Alyn Lind in "Big Sky," ABC's straight-to-series drama, created and executive produced by David E. Kelley. Pettyjohn plays Grace Sullivan, a tough girl with wisdom beyond her years, who is kidnapped alongside her older sister, Danielle, but not without a fight.
Pettyjohn most recently starred in the Emmy®-nominated Hulu limited series "Little Fires Everywhere," based on the bestselling novel from Celeste Ng. She portrayed the popular, smart, bossy and driven Lexie Richardson, the oldest daughter of Reese Witherspoon's character. Pettyjohn also played opposite Nicole Kidman in Annapurna's gritty crime thriller "Destroyer," and alongside Laura Dern and Jack O'Connell in "Trial by Fire." She also appeared in HBO's "Deadwood" film as the only new cast member.
Originally from Los Angeles, Pettyjohn began acting with a major role on CBS' "The Mentalist." While shooting the series, she landed a recurring role on Showtime's "United States of Tara." She has also worked on CBS' "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" and "Pure Genius," TNT's "The Last Ship" and NBC's "Revolution" and "Grimm." She is best known for her starring role as Summer, the over-achiever with perfect attendance and a blind ambition for academics on the Emmy-nominated television series "School of Rock."
Pettyjohn recently starred in the political thriller "Seberg," alongside Vince Vaughn, Zazie Beetz, Kristen Stewart and Anthony Mackie. Additional film credits include "An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars," "Dakota's Summer" and "Prodigal." She also starred in the independent feature film "Girl Flu" with Katee Sackhoff and Jeremy Sisto, which premiered in 2016 at the LA Film Festival.
Outside of acting, Pettyjohn graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and donates time to perform onstage for various fundraisers. She is passionate about using social media for good and is interested in raising awareness on human trafficking, safeguarding yourself online, environmental issues and anti-drug/healthy living tips. She enjoys playing guitar, writing songs and listening to music.