Jane Curtin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jane Curtin
Curtin in 1989
Born	Jane Therese Curtin (1947-09-06) September 6, 1947 (age 77) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	Elizabeth Seton College (AA) Northeastern University
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1971–present
Known for	Kate & Allie Saturday Night Live 3rd Rock from the Sun Our Town
Spouse(s)	Patrick Lynch ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	1
Relatives	Valerie Curtin (cousin)

Jane Therese Curtin (born September 6, 1947) is a famous American actress and comedian. She is known for her calm and funny acting style.

Jane first became well-known as one of the original cast members on the popular TV comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1975. Later, she won two Emmy Awards for her role as Allison "Allie" Lowell in the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie. She also starred in the hit series 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001) as Dr. Mary Albright.

Besides TV shows, Jane Curtin has been in many movies. She played Charlene in The Librarian movie series (2004–2008). She also played Prymaat Conehead in the 1993 movie Coneheads, a character she first played on SNL. People sometimes call her the "Queen of Deadpan" because she can deliver funny lines with a very serious face.

Early Life and Education

Jane Therese Curtin was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was the second of three children. Her parents were Mary Constance and John Joseph Curtin, who owned an insurance business. Jane has Irish family roots. Her cousin, Valerie Curtin, is also an actress and writer.

Jane grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She went to Newton Country Day School and graduated in 1965. She then earned a degree from Elizabeth Seton Junior College in New York City in 1967. Jane also attended Northeastern University for a year before she decided to leave college and become a comedian.

Career Highlights

Jane Curtin has used her talents to help others. She has been a National Ambassador for UNICEF, which helps children around the world. In 1968, she joined a comedy group called The Proposition and performed with them until 1972. She also co-wrote and starred in an off-Broadway play called Pretzels in 1974.

Saturday Night Live

Jane Curtin was one of the first cast members, known as the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players", on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL). She was on the show from 1975 to 1980.

On SNL, Jane often played serious, normal characters. She would act as a "straight-woman" to the wilder characters played by John Belushi and Gilda Radner. From 1976 to 1980, Jane was an anchor for SNL's "Weekend Update" news segment. She worked with Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray on this segment.

During "Weekend Update," Jane's newscaster character often had to deal with funny and out-of-control "commentaries" from other characters. For example, she would try to get John Belushi to finish his rants. She also introduced baseball expert Chico Escuela (Garrett Morris), who always said, "Baseball been bery, bery good to me!" Jane also listened patiently to Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner), who would give confusing commentaries.

One popular segment was a parody of "Point-Counterpoint" from the news show 60 Minutes. Jane would present a calm, liberal viewpoint, while Dan Aykroyd would give a very strong, right-wing view. This segment showed how people could disagree in a funny way.

Jane is also famous for her roles in the Conehead sketches as Prymaat, the mother of the Conehead family. She also played Enid Loopner in sketches with Gilda Radner and Bill Murray.

Later Television Work

After SNL, Jane Curtin mostly stayed in television, appearing in a few movies now and then. She starred in two very successful TV sitcoms.

First, in Kate & Allie (1984–89), she played Allie Lowell, a single mother. She won two Emmy Awards for this role. After Kate & Allie, Jane co-starred in Working It Out (1990), but this show only lasted for 13 episodes.

Later, she joined the cast of 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001). She played Dr. Mary Albright, a human character who was often confused by the strange alien family played by John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Her serious character was a great contrast to the aliens' funny actions.

Jane has also done voice work for cartoons like Recess and Cyberchase. She even appeared on Sesame Street in 1985. More recently, she has appeared in shows like Unforgettable as Dr. Joanne Webster and The Librarians as the first Guardian. In 2020, she played a quirky mother-in-law in the sitcom United We Fall.

Film Roles

In 1980, Jane Curtin starred in the movie How to Beat the High Cost of Living. In 1993, she reunited with Dan Aykroyd in Coneheads, a movie based on their popular SNL characters. They also voiced two wasps in the animated film Antz.

In 2009, she played the mother of characters played by Paul Rudd and Andy Samberg in I Love You, Man. In 2013, she had a small role in The Heat as Mrs. Mullins. Jane also played Moira, the Headmistress of the Motherland, in Disney's Godmothered (2020).

Other Work

Jane Curtin has also performed on Broadway, which is the highest level of theater in New York City. She appeared in plays like Candida in 1981 and later in Noises Off. She was also in a 2002 revival of Our Town, which was a big event because Paul Newman returned to the stage.

She has narrated several audio books, including Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen. In 2010, Jane competed in the Jeopardy! Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational and won $250,000 for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Personal Life

Jane Curtin married television producer Patrick Francis Lynch on April 2, 1975. They have one daughter named Tess Curtin Lynch, who was born in 1983. The family lives in Sharon, Connecticut.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

See also

In Spanish: Jane Curtin para niños