Jane Krakowski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jane Krakowski
Krakowski in June 2023
Born	Jane Krajkowski (1968-10-11) October 11, 1968 (age 56) Parsippany, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BFA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1983–present
Known for	30 Rock Ally McBeal Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Partner(s)	Robert Godley (2009–2013)
Children	1

Jane Krakowski (born October 11, 1968) is a talented American actress and singer. She is best known for her funny roles in popular TV shows.

One of her most famous roles was Jenna Maroney in the comedy series 30 Rock (2006–2013, 2020). For this role, she was nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Jane also played Elaine Vassal in the legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal (1997–2002). Later, she starred as Jacqueline White in the Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2020), earning another Emmy nomination.

Jane Krakowski is also a trained singer and has performed a lot on stage. When she was 18, she was cast in the Broadway show Starlight Express (1987). She won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Nine (2003). She was also nominated for Tony Awards for her work in Grand Hotel (1989) and She Loves Me (2016). In London, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Guys and Dolls (2005). You might have also seen her in movies like National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000).

Early Life and Beginnings

Jane Krakowski was born as Jane Krajkowski in Parsippany, New Jersey. Her mother, Barbara, taught theater at a college and directed a theater company. Her father, Ed Krajkowski, was a chemical engineer. Jane has an older brother. Her father's family is from Kraków, Poland. Even though Jane knows only a few Polish words, her father and grandparents speak the language well.

Jane grew up around theater because of her parents. She once said that instead of hiring babysitters, her parents took her with them to theater events. She started taking ballet lessons at age four. Later, she decided to focus more on Broadway dancing. She went to the Professional Children's School in New York City.

When she started acting, she changed her last name from Krajkowski to Krakowski. She simply dropped the "j" to make it easier to pronounce.

Jane's Acting Journey

Early Roles and Stage Work (1983–2005)

Krakowski at the 2007 Red Dress Collection for The Heart Truth

Jane Krakowski's first big role in a movie was at age 14. She played Cousin Vicki Johnson in the 1983 comedy National Lampoon's Vacation. Before that, she was in a TV commercial for a video game called Solar Fox in 1981. She was supposed to be in the horror film Sleepaway Camp in 1983. However, she left the movie because she felt her character's death scene was too violent.

In 1984, she started playing Theresa Rebecca "T.R." Kendall in the NBC soap opera Search for Tomorrow. She stayed on the show until it ended in 1986. She was nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in 1986 and 1987 for this role. She also appeared in the soap opera Another World in 1989.

When she was 18, Jane played Dinah the Dining Car in the 1987 Broadway show Starlight Express. In 1989, she was in the Broadway musical Grand Hotel. She played Flaemmchen, a typist who wanted to be a film star. She was nominated for a Tony Award for this role. Her solo song, "I Want to Go to Hollywood," is on the show's original album.

In 1995, she played April, a flight attendant, in the musical Company. The next year, she starred with Sarah Jessica Parker in the Broadway show Once Upon a Mattress.

From 1997 to 2002, Jane played Elaine Vassal in the Fox comedy-drama series Ally McBeal. She received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1999. She also played Betty Rubble in the 2000 movie The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. You might have seen her in The Chicks's music video for "Goodbye Earl" in 2000. She also had a role in the drama series Everwood in 2003.

In 2000, Jane performed a musical tribute to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates at the American Comedy Awards. She also sang "Santa Baby" on the album Broadway Cares: Home for the Holidays in 2001. She worked with Jim Brickman on the song "You" for his 2002 album Love Songs & Lullabies. This song became popular on adult contemporary radio stations.

Krakowski signing autographs after a performance of Guys and Dolls

In 2003, she starred as Carla in the Broadway show Nine. She won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for this role. Her performance was famous for an amazing aerial stunt she did during a song. In 2005, Jane performed her own cabaret show called Better When It's Banned. She also played Miss Adelaide in the London show Guys and Dolls. For this, she won the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Becoming a Star with 30 Rock (2006–2013)

From 2006 to 2013, Jane Krakowski played Jenna Maroney in the NBC comedy series 30 Rock. Jenna was a funny, self-centered actress. Jane was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013.

After 30 Rock ended, Jane joined another show created by Tina Fey. This was the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She played Jacqueline White, a wealthy socialite. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ran from 2015 to 2019. Jane received her fifth Primetime Emmy Award nomination for this role.

Recent Work (2014–Present)

In 2016, Jane Krakowski starred as Ilona Ritter in the Broadway show She Loves Me. For her performance, she won several awards. These included the Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical.

Since 2021, Jane has been the host of a Fox game show called Name That Tune. This show is a new version of a show from the 1950s. Randy Jackson, a former judge from American Idol, is the bandleader. Jane has said she wanted to host the show to perform in front of a live audience again.

Personal Life

Jane Krakowski was engaged to Robert Godley in 2009. They had a son in April 2011. The couple separated in 2013.

In November 2021, Jane got COVID-19. Because of this, she had to leave the NBC show Annie Live!, where she was going to play Lily St. Regis.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Video

Theater

Music Albums

Jane Krakowski released her first solo album on July 15, 2010. It is an album of cover versions called Laziest Gal in Town. It was released by DRG Records.

Some of her other recordings include:

• 1992: Grand Hotel, Studio Cast Recording (mostly original Broadway cast)
• 1995: Company, Broadway revival cast recording
• 1997: Once Upon a Mattress, Broadway revival cast recording
• 1997: Sondheim at the Movies (singing the Academy Award-winning song "Sooner or Later" from Dick Tracy)
• 1998: The Burt Bacharach Album
• 2002: A Broadway Valentine
• 2003: Nine, Broadway revival cast recording
• 2004: A Christmas Carol, television cast recording
• 2010: The Laziest Gal in Town, solo album
• 2016: She Loves Me, Broadway revival cast recording

Awards and Nominations

Film and television

Theater

See also

In Spanish: Jane Krakowski para niños