Jessica Ruth Mueller (born February 20, 1983) is an American actor and singer. She started her acting career in Chicago and won two Joseph Jefferson Award in 2008 and 2011 for her roles as Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. In 2011, she moved to New York City to star in a Broadway revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever opposite Harry Connick Jr., for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. She then appeared on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In 2014, her performance as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical earned her a Drama Desk Award and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She then returned with another spectacular performance in the title role as Jenna in the Sara Bareilles' musical Waitress, for which she received her 3rd Tony nomination. She was most recently seen on Broadway as Julie Jordan in the 2018 revival of Carousel for which she received three major nominations including her fifth Drama Desk nomination (and second win) and her fourth Tony Award nomination. She is the first actress in any production of Carousel on Broadway to receive such nominations for the role. She made her feature film debut in Steven Spielberg's historical drama The Post. Her television credits include guest roles in The Family, Blue Bloods and Madam Secretary.