Jane Kaczmarek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jane Kaczmarek
Kaczmarek in 2014
Born	Jane Frances Kaczmarek (1955-12-21) December 21, 1955 (age 69) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Education	University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1983–present
Spouse(s)	Bradley Whitford ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 2010)​
Children	3

Jane Frances Kaczmarek (born December 21, 1955) is an American actress. She is famous for playing Lois in the TV show Malcolm in the Middle from 2000 to 2006. This role earned her many important awards and nominations, including 3 Golden Globe nominations and 7 Primetime Emmy nominations. Jane Kaczmarek has also appeared in many other TV shows and movies. Some of her other roles include Linda in Equal Justice, Judge Trudy Kessler in Raising the Bar, and Ann in the movie Falling in Love. She also had recurring roles in popular shows like Cybill and Frasier.

Early Life and Education

Jane Kaczmarek was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her mother, Evelyn, was a teacher, and her father, Edward, worked for the US Department of Defense. She grew up in Greendale. Jane went to Greendale High School. She later studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and then at Yale University.

Her Acting Career

Jane Kaczmarek has appeared in many television shows. She had guest roles and recurring parts in series like St. Elsewhere, Frasier, and Cybill. She was also a regular on the show The Paper Chase.

Starring in Malcolm in the Middle

In 1999, Jane Kaczmarek was chosen to play the character Lois in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. The show first aired on January 9, 2000. Critics praised her acting and comedic skills in the role. TV Guide even called her character a "true breakout" and compared her to Homer Simpson. Jane herself said that this show helped her discover her funny side. Before Malcolm, she mostly played serious characters.

Other Notable Roles

In 2011, Jane Kaczmarek lent her voice to the character Red Jessica in the animated TV series Jake and the Never Land Pirates. She also narrated a documentary in 2011 called Wisconsin's Nazi Resistance: The Mildred Fish-Harnack Story. This film was about Mildred Fish-Harnack, an American woman who resisted the Nazis.

In November 2012, Jane made a guest appearance on ABC's The Middle. She played a dental teacher. In 2013, she also guest starred in the legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Jane Kaczmarek and her former Malcolm in the Middle co-star, Bryan Cranston, reunited for a special video. They played Lois and Hal again in an "alternate ending" for the Breaking Bad DVD/Blu-ray box set. This was a fun nod to the ending of the show Newhart.

Personal Life

Jane Kaczmarek married actor Bradley Whitford on August 15, 1992. They lived in Los Angeles and had three children together. Both Jane and Bradley were involved in charity work. They divorced in October 2010.

In April 2004, Jane had a hip replacement surgery because of arthritis. She recovered quickly. She even used an X-ray of her new hip in her Emmy campaign that summer. She joked that she was "the only Emmy nominee with an artificial hip (except for Anthony LaPaglia)".

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jane Kaczmarek para niños