Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Jodie Markell attended Northwestern University where she was mentored by renowned writer/director Frank Galati, known for his work on stage and screen adaptations of literature, including Ragtime and The Grapes of Wrath.
After relocating to New York, Markell pursued her passion for acting at the prestigious Circle-in-the-Square Professional Theater School. She played a pivotal role in the rediscovery of Tennessee Williams' play Confessional, starring in the New York premiere and gaining recognition as a talented actress.
Markell's success in the theater world was marked by her collaborations with acclaimed directors such as John Patrick Shanley, John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Simon Curtis, and Michael Greif, as well as playwrights including David Lindsay-Abaire, Will Scheffer, David Marshall Grant, Theresa Rebeck, and Lanford Wilson. Her performances were featured at esteemed institutions like Lincoln Center, Manhattan Theater Club, Circle Rep, The Public, Steppenwolf, Naked Angels, Williamstown, and Mark Taper in LA.
In addition to her work in theater, Markell has also appeared in films directed by notable directors such as Woody Allen, Jim Jarmusch, Todd Haynes, Ira Sachs, and Barry Levinson. Her television credits include a recurring role on HBO's Big Love.
Markell's accomplishments in the theater world were recognized with the OBIE award for her leading performance in Sophie Treadwell's Machinal at The Public. This achievement led to an invitation from Richard Eyre and the National Theater in London to serve as the creative consultant to Stephen Daldry on his award-winning production of Machinal, starring Fiona Shaw.
As a director, Markell has helmed several plays at Naked Angels, including After the Deerhunter by Nicole Burdette, starring Logan Marshall-Green. She also adapted and directed the award-winning short film "Why I Live at the P.O." based on Eudora Welty's classic story, featuring Robert Morse. The film premiered at numerous festivals, including the Seattle Film Festival/Women in Cinema, the Hamptons Film Festival, and the New Orleans Film Festival, where it received the Lumiere Award and the Moviemaker Magazine Breakthrough Award.
Markell's feature film directing debut, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, is an adaptation of an original screenplay by Tennessee Williams. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, Ellen Burstyn, Will Patton, and Ann-Margret, and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival before its theatrical release. The New York Times praised the film as "A significant feat of reclamation," while the LA Times noted that it is "Lovely. A film to savor. Rich in ways that are all too rare these days."
Throughout her career, Markell has been a guest teaching artist at various universities, high schools, film festivals, and literary events. She currently teaches Directing Actors in the Columbia University MFA Film Program.