Jane Krakowski

Jane Krakowski (; born October 11, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her performance as Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her role as "Jenna Maroney" on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she was been nominated for three Emmy Awards. She also regularly performs on the stage and won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway revival of Nine and an Olivier Award for Guys and Dolls in London's West End.

Early life
Krakowski was born Jane Krajkowski in Parsippany, New Jersey. Her mother, Barbara (née Benoit), is a college theater instructor and producing artistic director for the Women's Theater Company, and her father, Ed Krajkowski, is a chemical engineer.Jane Krakowski Biography (1968–)"Obituaries - Beulah U. Dudley  Newsbank She has an older brother. Krakowski's father's family is entirely Polish and comes from Kraków, 
Cała rodzina po stronie mojego ojca jest polska (En All my family from my father's side is Polish) 5 January 2006, Mojawyspa and although she only knows a few words in Polish, her father and grandparents are fluent.Jane Krakowski: Z Krakowa do "Ally McBeal" 5 January 2006, Mojayspa  (...) mój tata rozmawiał po polsku. Moi dziadkowi rozmawiali na co dzień po angielsku, ale kłócili się tylko po polsku, żebyśmy ich nie zrozumieli! (En (...) my dad spoke Polish, and my grandparents spoke English at home, but they argued only in Polish, because they didn't want to be understood by us). Krakowski was a childhood classmate of astronaut Garrett Reisman.

Krakowski grew up immersed in the local theater scene as a result of her parents' activities, saying in one interview, "Instead of hiring baby sitters, they brought me along with them." She took ballet lessons from age four, but later stopped because she was the wrong body shape, instead moving more towards Broadway dancing. She attended the Professional Children's School in New York City.

She dropped the "j" from the family last name when she began working as an actress.

Career
Television
In her first major television role, Krakowski joined the soap opera Search for Tomorrow in 1984, playing the role of Theresa Rebecca (T.R.) Kendall, a role she played until the show ended in 1986. She was nominated for two consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for the role in 1986 and 1987.

In 1996, she made an appearance on the television series Early Edition as Dr. Handleman (season 1, episode 3 "Baby").

In 1997, she played office assistant Elaine Vassal on the television series Ally McBeal for five seasons until 2002; her role earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1999. In 2003, Krakowski guest-starred in the TV drama Everwood as psychologist Dr Gretchen Trott, a love interest for Treat Williams' Dr Andrew Brown. In 2003, she guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Emma Spevak, a serial killer of elderly women. In 2006, Krakowski was cast in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, where she plays Jenna Maroney, a cast member of the fictional late night sketch show TGS with Tracy Jordan. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, she received Emmy nominations for her role in 30 Rock.

Movies
Krakowski made her movie debut in National Lampoon's Vacation; she has also appeared in Fatal Attraction, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (where she played Betty Rubble), Marci X, Alfie, Go, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, Dance with Me, Stepping Out, Pretty Persuasion, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, and Mom at Sixteen. Krakowski was originally cast in the horror movie Sleepaway Camp, but dropped out just before filming began because she felt her character's death scene with a curling iron was so violent. She appeared in When Zachary Beaver Came to Town as a mother who wants to become a singer. In 2004, she starred in Alan Menken's TV movie version of A Christmas Carol, featured as The Ghost of Christmas Past.

Stage

A trained singer, Krakowski has made numerous appearances on stage. At age 18 she originated the role of Dinah the Dining Car in the 1987 Broadway production of Starlight Express. She appeared in the 1989 Broadway musical Grand Hotel as the typist and would-be-movie-star Flaemmchen, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. Her solo number "I Want to go to Hollywood" is included on the original cast recording. At the 2000 American Comedy Awards, Krakowski won rave reviews when she performed a sexually-charged musical tribute and love letter to Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates.

In 1995, she played the ditzy flight attendant April in The Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Company. In 1996, she starred alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress.

In January 2002, Windham Hill Records released a Jim Brickman album titled Love Songs & Lullabies featuring Krakowski as a vocalist for the song "You", which became a hit on adult contemporary radio stations. Brickman and Krakowski also recorded an alternate Christmas version of the song. She also appeared on the album Broadway Cares: Home For The Holidays, singing the song "Santa Baby".

In 2003, she starred in the Broadway revival of Nine playing Carla, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress. Krakowski is known for her famous anti-gravity stunt during the number "A Call From The Vatican". Krakowski and the director struggled finding a company that would let her do air stunts without a harness; Krakowski came up with the idea of using the method previously portrayed in Broadway Bares. Krakowski recalled that the material took a long time to arrive, and the second time she ever did it was on the first performance."Jane Krakowski Takes Manhattan" June 24, 2003, Theater Mania

In 2005, she starred as Miss Adelaide alongside Ewan McGregor in the new production of Guys and DollsGuys and Dolls The Tour in London (Piccadilly Theatre) a role for which she won the 2006 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

In 2005, she performed a cabaret show called Better When It's Banned, which featured various songs deemed racy from the 1920s and '30s.

Krakowski performed in a January 2007 workshop production and backers' audition for a Broadway musical adaption of the 1980 movie, Xanadu, with music from the movie's soundtrack and a book by Douglas Carter Beane. Xanadu premiered on Broadway summer 2007, although Krakowski's role is played by Kerry Butler.

In 2008, Krakowski starred as Lola in New York City Center's production of Damn Yankees opposite Sean Hayes and Cheyenne Jackson.

On July 30 and 31 of 2009, Krakowski played the title character in a reading of Mrs. Sharp, with music and lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver and book by Kirsten A. Guenther, at Playwrights Horizons.

Other works
 Krakowski played Wanda in the video for the Dixie Chicks' song "Goodbye Earl" in 2000, alongside Dennis Franz and Lauren Holly"Dixie Chicks - Goodbye Earl" YouTube video
 Guest starred in an episode of Due South opposite Paul Gross.

Personal life
In 2007, it was reported that Krakowski was in a relationship with English documentarian Marc Singer, whom she met at a screening for Children of Men in 2006. Before that, she dated Julian Ovenden.

She married Robert Godley in 2010. On April 13, 2011, their son, Bennett Robert Godley, was born.

Recordings
Krakowski released her debut solo album on July 15, 2010  an album of cover versions called Laziest Gal in Town  on DRG Records.

Selected 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

Filmography
 Year Title Role Notes 1983 National Lampoon's Vacation Cousin Vicki 1987 Fatal Attraction Babysitter 1991 Stepping Out Lynne 1996 Mrs. Winterbourne Christine 1998 Dance With Me Patricia 1999 Go Irene 2000  Betty O'Shale 2002 Ice Age Female Sloth Voice 2003 Marci X Lauren Farb 2003 When Zachary Beaver Came to Town Heather 2004 Alfie Dorie 2004  Ghost of Christmas Past 2005 Pretty Persuasion Emily Klein 2005 Mom at Sixteen Donna Cooper 2006 Open Season Giselle Voice 2007 Surf's Up Sheila Limberfin Deleted scenes 2008  Carol 2008 Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Miss May Dooley 2008 Open Season 2 Giselle Direct-to-videoVoice 2009 Bygone Days: An Ally McBeal Retrospective Elaine 2009 Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant Corma Limbs

Television work
 Year Title Role Notes 2006–2013 30 Rock Jenna Maroney Series Regular 2006 Sex, Love, Power and Politics Sloan TV Movie 2003 Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Emma Spevak Episode: "Bound" 1997–2002 Ally McBeal Elaine Series Regular

Awards and nominations

+ Year Award  Title  Work  Result1986Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Younger Actress in a Drama SeriesSearch for Tomorrow1987Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series1990Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalGrand HotelTony AwardBest Featured Actress in a Musical1998Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesAlly McBeal1999Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini Series or TV MovieScreen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2000Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2001Satellite AwardBest Actress in a TV Series: Comedy or MusicalScreen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2003Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalNineOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a MusicalTony AwardBest Featured Actress in a Musical2006Laurence Olivier AwardBest Leading Actress in a MusicalGuys and Dolls2008Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series30 Rock2009Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesScreen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2010Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesScreen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2011Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesScreen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesCritics Choice TV AwardBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series2012Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

References

Other websites




Category:Actors from New Jersey
Category:American movie actors
Category:American stage actors
Category:American television actors
Category:American voice actors
Category:Tony Award winning actors
Category:1968 births
Category:Living people
Category:Screen Actors Guild Award winners