Jane Kaczmarek

Infobox actor


name = Jane Kaczmarek
caption =
birthdate = birth date and age|1955|12|21
birthname = Jane Frances Kaczmarek
location = Greendale, Wisconsin, U.S.
notable role = Lois Wilkerson in
"Malcolm in the Middle"
Judge Constance Harm in
"The Simpsons"
emmyawards = Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominated:
2000-2006: "Malcolm in the Middle"
spouse = Bradley Whitford (1992-present) 3 children

Jane Frances Kaczmarek (born December 21, 1955, in Greendale, Wisconsin) is an Emmy Award-nominated American actress. She is best known for playing the character of Lois in the hit television series" Malcolm in the Middle". She lives in San Marino, California.

Career

Kaczmarek, a Polish American, majored in theater at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She later studied at the Yale School of Drama for her graduate degree and was a part of its theater company. She has had several Broadway hits, including "Lost In Yonkers" and "Raised In Captivity," where she won an LA Drama Critics’ Award. Her first television role was that of Margie Spoletto on "For Lovers Only" (1982). Her first major role was that of Linda Bauer on "Equal Justice" from 1990-1991. [http://imdb.com/name/nm0434223/ Jane Kaczmarek ] ]

Kaczmarek has also appeared in over forty television roles, the most notable including:
*Connie Lehman in "The Paper Chase: The Second Year" and "The Paper Chase: The Third Year" (1983-1984)
*Maureen Culter, girlfriend of Martin Crane (John Mahoney) on "Frasier" in "Police Story" (052 - 1996) and "Dad Loves Sherry, the Boys Just Whine" (082 - 1997)
*Janet Rudman on "Law & Order" in "Censure" (414 - 1994)
*"David's Mom", mother of David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) in "Pleasantville" (1998)
*Helene Thompson in three episodes of "Party of Five" (1995-1999)
*Lois, mother of Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), Reese (Justin Berfield), Francis (Christopher Masterson), Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan), and baby Jamie, and wife of Hal (Bryan Cranston) in 148 episodes of "Malcolm in the Middle" from 2000 to 2006
*Judge Constance Harm in several episodes of "The Simpsons" from 2001 to present.

"Malcolm in the Middle"

In 2000, Kaczmarek was cast to play Lois in the FOX mid-season replacement "Malcolm in the Middle". [ [http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_entertainment/off_topic/_a/off-topic-with-tichina-arnold/20060304152209990001 Off Topic With Tichina Arnold] ]

This role proved to be a wise career choice for Kaczmarek, as the show was a hit and made Lois a household name. "TV Guide" dubbed her a "true breakout; a female Homer Simpson", and critics hailed her for her comic talents. [ [http://www.fox.com/malcolm/uncut/jane.htm Malcolm in the Middle] ] Later, Kaczmarek would credit the show for bringing out her comedic side, claiming, " [Before "Malcolm"] I couldn’t even get auditions for comedies. I played very unfunny people." [" [http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.html&tid=85616&ref_id=248&ref_type=101 Malcolm in the Middle] " on "TV.com"]

Kaczmarek was nominated seven times for an Emmy for her performance on the show, one for every year. She also earned three Golden Globe nominations and two Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, was honored with a Television Critics Association Award in 2000 and 2001, plus an American Comedy Award and a Family Television Award in 2001.

"Post Malcolm"

Following the cancellation of "Malcolm in the Middle," Kaczmarek went on to star in the short-lived series "Help Me Help You" co-starring Ted Danson.

Starting Fall 2008, she is starring in the hour long TNT series "Raising the Bar" as Judge Trudy Kessler. She also continues to voice Judge Constance Harm on several "Simpsons" episodes as mentioned above.

Personal life

Kaczmarek married "West Wing" actor Bradley Whitford on August 15 1992. They live in Los Angeles with their three children: Frances (born 1997), George (born December 23 1999), and Mary Louisa (born November 25 2002). Both are very active with charity, and are seen attending many major award shows together. She is the founder of “Clothes Off Our Back” which auctions celebrity clothing for children’s charities.

Kaczmarek underwent a hip replacement in April 2004, due to chronic arthritis. [" [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/kaczmarek%20has%20hip%20replacement%20surgery Malcolm in the Middle - Kaczmarek Has Hip Replacement Surgery] ." "contactmusic.com", 24 June 2004.] She recovered quickly, and used an X-ray of her new hip for her Emmy campaign the following summer, advertising herself as "the only Emmy nominee with an artificial hip (except for Anthony LaPaglia). [" [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/kaczmarek%20explains%20hip%20emmy%20ad Jane Kaczmarek - Kaczmarek Explains Hip Emmy Ad] ." "contactmusic.com", 29 August 2004.]

In 2006, Kaczmarek and Malcolm in the Middle co-star Erik Per Sullivan contributed the afterword for the children’s book, "Together", that shows the importance of domestic animals to impoverished people in the world, and was inspired by the mission of the nonprofit charitable organization, Heifer International.

Awards & nominations

Golden Globe Awards:
**2001 - Best Actress TV Series Comedy - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2002 - Best Actress TV Series Comedy - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2003 - Best Actress TV Series Comedy - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)

Emmy Awards:
**2000 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2001 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2002 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2003 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2004 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2005 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2006 - Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)She was nominated for the same award every year during the show's run.

Screen Actors Guild Awards:
**2001 - Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2003 - Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Comedy Series - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)

Satellite Awards:
**2002 - Best Performance By An Actress In A Series Comedy Or Musical - Malcolm In The Middle (nominated)
**2004 - Best Performance By An Actress In A Series Comedy Or Musical - Malcolm In The Middle (WIN)

References and Notes

External links

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