Jane Krakowski
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Tony-winning actress and trained singer Jane Krakowski gracefully made the transition from child actor to accomplished Broadway performer to television star all before the age of 35. Following her film debut in the classic comedy "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983), Krakowski's subsequent screen outings were sporadic at best, often in inferior material. After several years of honing her skills on the Broadway stage - which included performances in "Starlight Express" (1987) and "Grand Hotel" (1989) - Krakowski finally found mainstream success in the late 1990s as Elaine Vassal on the David E. Kelley dramedy hit, "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002). Thanks to her breakout role, the actress landed more prominent parts in feature films, including playing Betty Rubble in "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" (2000). Back on the stage, she won a Tony for her performance in the Broadway rival of "Nine" (2003), which she followed with a starring turn opposite Jude Law in the feature remake of "Alfie" (2004). But Krakowski truly wowed critics with her next performance, portraying the vain, late night television performer Jenna Maroney on Tina Fey's critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning sitcom, "30 Rock" (NBC, 2006-2013). Thanks to that show's popularity, Krakowski was able to take her multifaceted talents, including her soaring vocals, to a new level.
Born in Parsippany, NJ on Oct. 11, 1968, Jane Krakowski (nee Krajkowski) began acting at the age of 15. A gifted singer and dancer, Krakowski began studying ballet at age three; an effort which was applauded and supported by her parents who were both active in community theater. After being cast in an industrial fashion show in the early 1980s, Krakowski's career picked up. Her big screen debut as Cousin Vicki in "National Lampoon's Vacation" led to other small roles in such films as "Fatal Attraction" (1987) and "Stepping Out" (1991), but it was her two-year, Daytime Emmy-nominated stint as troubled teen Rebecca 'T.R.' Kendall on the long-running soap "Search for Tomorrow" (CBS, 1951-1986) for which she was most recognized at that time.
In the early 1980s, Krakowski unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in the Tommy Tune-directed "Nine" (1982). Though she lost that part, Krakowski instead landed the key role of Dinah the Dining Car in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, "Starlight Express" (1987). As one of only four performers to remain with the notoriously difficult show for its entire two-year run, Krakowski had to learn to sing and dance while performing on roller skates. When casting the musical "Grand Hotel," Tune remembered the petite singer-dancer and cast her as the secretary, Flaemchen - the role played by Joan Crawford in the 1932 film. Krakowski's rendition of "I Want to Go to Hollywood" became a nightly showstopper and earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination for both Drama Desk and Tony awards. She has also landed featured roles in the Broadway revivals of "Company" (1995) and "Once Upon a Mattress" (1996).
But it took her role as the ditzy office busybody Elaine Vassal on "Ally McBeal" for her to reach a wider audience. Krakowski managed to walk the fine line between being annoying and vulnerable, in her role as the meddlesome secretary. After "Ally McBeal" wrapped in 2002, Krakowski signed on to the comedy "Marci X," a film starring Lisa Kudrow and Damon Wayans about a Jewish-American Princess character who takes over a rap label and comes up against a spoiled and disrespectful hip-hop star. She then went on to a triumphant stint on Broadway, winning the 2003 Tony Award for her stunning and sultry portrayal of Carla in the musical "Nine," opposite Antonio Banderas. Her scintillating performance also earned the actress her first Drama Desk Award and the highly coveted Outer Critic's Award.
On the big screen, Krakowski appeared as one of a string of conquests in the life of Jude Law's womanizing title character in the 2004 remake of "Alfie. She was given the opportunity to show her stuff by singing and dancing on screen as the beguiling Ghost of Christmas Past in the NBC musical telepic version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" (2004), opposite Kelsey Grammer. She followed up her musical turn by giving a strong, sly performance as an ambitious local TV journalist searching for scandal in the dark indie comedy, "Pretty Persuasion" (2005). Returning to the stage in 2006, Krakowski scored another career triumph by winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Miss Adelaide in the London revival of "Guys and Dolls."
In 2006, executives at NBC raised eyebrows when they hired Krakowski to replace comedienne Rachel Dratch for the pilot of "30 Rock," the Golden Globe-winning sitcom created by and starring Tina Fey. Although the circumstances for Dratch's firing were never made clear, the comedienne herself later stated that she was simply a victim of "creative re-tooling" and downplayed any rumors of backstage strife. All the better for Krakowski, who chewed the scenery as the spoiled star of the sitcom's fictional "Girlie Show" late night comedy sketch show. Throughout the first three seasons, Krakowski proved to be an invaluable member of the show's ensemble, further developing her character as an all-important, shameless attention-getter with hilariously transparent motives behind her every prima donna stunt. As part of the cast, Krakowski shared an Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Award from the Screen Actor's Guild - something her "30 Rock" character never would have settled for - in 2008. The following year, she earned Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Following the end of "30 Rock," Krakowski rejoined Fey and co-creator Robert Carlock for their next project, playing Manhattan trophy wife Jacqueline Voorhees on "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix 2015- ).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Music (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1972
Began taking dance lessons at age three
1977
Cast in an industrial fashion show at age eight
1983
Made her film debut as Cousin Vicki in "National Lampoon's Vacation"
1984
Had her first major television role as Theresa Rebecca (T.R.) Kendall on the soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" (NBC)
1987
Made Broadway debut as Dinah the Dining Car in the musical "Starlight Express"; stayed with the show for its entire run
1989
Cast in the Broadway musical "Grand Hotel" as the typist and would-be-film-star Flaemmchen; earned a Tony nomination
1991
Co-starred with Liza Minnelli in "Stepping Out"
1993
Appeared in the CBS miniseries "Queen"
1995
Played the ditzy flight attendant April in the Broadway revival of "Company"
1996
Starred alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in the Broadway revival of "Once Upon a Matress"
1997
Breakthrough role as office assistant Elaine Vassal on the FOX series "Ally McBeal"
1999
Had featured role in Doug Liman's "Go"
2000
Cast as Betty Rubble in "The Flinstones in Viva Rock Vegas"
2000
Portrayed Mabel Normand in a concert staging of "Mack and Mabel"
2002
Cast in the comedy "Marci X" alongside Lisa Kudrow and Damon Wayans
2003
Won a Tony starring in the Broadway revival of "Nine"
2004
Cast opposite Jude Law in "Alfie," a remake of the 1966 film which starred Michael Caine
2005
Cast in the dark comedy "Pretty Persuasion" opposite Evan Rachel Wood and Ron Livingston; screened at Sundance
2006
Co-starred on the NBC sitcom "30 Rock"
2008
Cast in the Encores! production of "Damn Yankee" directed by John Rando at City Center
2009
Cast as Corma Limbs in the feature adaptation of "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant"
2011
Nominated for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
2015
Had the recurring role of Jacqueline White on Netflix series "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
2018
Lent her voice to animated comedy "Henchmen"
Family
Companions
