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  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. She has an older brother. and although she only knows a few words in Polish, her father and grandparents are fluent. 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 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*; for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress.

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

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
* 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.

## 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
## Television work
## Awards and nominations
## References
## Other websites
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