Jenna Elfman was born in Los Angeles, California, and began her career appearing in commercials. She studied with Milton Katselas, the renowned acting teacher. She then began appearing in TV shows before landing the role of Dharma in the hit ABC television show Dharma & Greg (1997).
Her first starring role in a film was in Drôles de papous (1998), alongside Richard Dreyfuss. She won a Golden Globe award for her role in Dharma & Greg (1997) and has since appeared in such films as Au nom d'Anna (2000) and En direct sur Edtv (1999).
