Jana Marie Hupp
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A dark-haired actress with an attractive screen presence that combined alluring strength with charming vulnerability, Jana Marie Hupp paid her dues with guest appearances in numerous TV series and small supporting turns in several features before landing a regular role on the hit NBC comedy-drama series "Ed" in 2000. A Washington native, Hupp appeared in Seattle theater productions before landing her first film role, a one-line part in the coming-of-age drama "Vision Quest" (1985). This led to a move to Los Angeles, where the actress took guest roles on episodes of the CBS series "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" and "My Sister Sam" in 1986. A featured part in the "Disney Sunday Movie" presentation "Splash, Too" followed in 1988.
Hupp racked up more TV series guest credits, with appearances in episodes of "Who's the Boss" (ABC) and "Empty Nest" (NBC) in 1989, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (syndicated) and "Knots Landing" in 1991 and "A Different World" (NBC), "Melrose Place" (Fox) and "Camp Wilder" (ABC) in 1992. These frequent appearances and a small but impressive turn as the USO girl who shares a dance with "Barton Fink" in the 1991 film made Hupp a fairly recognizable performer despite her lack of starring roles. In 1993 she would reach a wider audience with a memorable role as the woman for whom George (Jason Alexander) considers religiously converting on "Seinfeld" (NBC). The following year the actress made her TV series regular debut on Fox's short-lived risque sitcom "Wild Oats," playing a hairdresser with bad taste in men. Hupp rebounded with a regular role as a sharp police sergeant in "Public Morals," a CBS sitcom that suffered a similarly quick demise. Sandwiched between these two series was her cameo role as a scientist in the 1996 summer blockbuster "Independence Day."
The gritty CBS 1997 police drama "Brooklyn South" offered the actress a challenge, portraying the troubled wife of a police officer (Titus Welliver). Guest roles in "Nash Bridges" (CBS) and "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC) followed (both 1998), and in 2000, Hupp had a memorable guest role on "Providence" (NBC) as a woman who elects to have radical preventative surgery in order to avoid the trauma of breast cancer that has plagued her family. She teamed up with fellow "Providence" guest star Tom Cavanagh on "Ed," a quirky hour-long comedy-drama series chronicling a New York City lawyer's return to his small hometown. Hupp played Nancy Burton, a successful career woman returning to work after the birth of her child who is plagued by guilt and worries that the baby will forget her in the hours she is away from home. Hupp proved a strong addition to the cast, and had a comfortable chemistry with onscreen husband Josh Randall. Sure to last longer than her other series outings, "Ed" could serve as the vehicle for Hupp's latter-day breakthrough.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1985
Made feature debut in "Vision Quest"
1986
Had early TV credits with guest roles on "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" and "My Sister Sam" (both CBS)
1988
Featured in the two-part "Disney Sunday Movie" presentation "Splash, Too" (ABC)
1989
Was a guest star on "Empty Nest" (NBC) and "Who's the Boss" (ABC)
1991
Guest starred in episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (syndicated) and "Knots Landing" (CBS)
1991
Had a role as a USO girl in "Barton Fink"
1992
Appeared on episodes of "A Different World" (NBC), "Melrose Place" (Fox) and "Camp Wilder" (ABC)
1993
Acted in the L.A. Theatre Works production "Earth & Sky"
1993
Was one of George's girlfriend's on "Seinfeld" (NBC)
1994
Made regular series debut on the short-lived sitcom "Wild Oats" (Fox)
1996
Played the lone female on a team of daredevil firefighters in the NBC TV-movie "In the Line of Duty: Smoke Jumpers"
1996
Was featured in the sci-fi summer blockbuster "Independence Day"
1996
Featured in the independent film "The Devil Takes a Holiday"
1996
Had a regular role on the CBS sitcom "Public Morals", playing a tough police sergeant
1997
Had a recurring role on "Brooklyn South" (CBS), playing the wife of a police officer
1998
Guest starred in episodes of "Nash Bridges" (CBS) and "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC)
2000
Co-starred as a working mother married to a young doctor (Josh Randall) in NBC's "Ed"
2000
Played a woman requesting drastic surgery in order to avoid any chance of breast cancer in an episode of NBC's "Providence"
Companions
