Jane Kaczmarek
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| Jane Kaczmarek | |
| Birth name | Jane Kaczmarek |
| Born | December 21, 1955 (age 51) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA |
| Spouse(s) | Bradley Whitford |
| Notable roles | Lois in Malcolm in the Middle |
| Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
| Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-nominated American actress | |
Jane Kaczmarek (born December 21, 1955 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actress best known for playing the character Lois in Malcolm in the Middle.
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[edit] Career
Kaczmarek, a Polish American, majored in theater at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she met future actor Tony Shalhoub. She later enrolled in Yale University with Shalhoub 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.
Kaczmarek television work included being series regulars on Equal Justice, Hometown, Big Wave Dave’s and The Paper Chase: The Second Year. Her additional credits include recurring roles on Felicity, Party of Five, Frasier, The Practice, Cybill and Hill Street Blues.
She has also appeared in several movies, including the 1998 film Pleasantville, as Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon's "real-world" mother.
[edit] Malcolm in the Middle
In the year 2000, Kaczmarek was cast to play Lois, in the FOX mid-season replacement Malcolm in the Middle. This proved to be a wise career choice for her, as the show was a hit and made Lois a household name. TV guide dubbed her “true breakout; a female Homer Simpson,” and critics hailed her for her comic talents.[1] Later, Kaczmarek would credit the show for bringing out the comedic side of her, claiming "[Before Malcolm] I couldn't even get auditions for comedies. I played very unfunny people."[2]
Kaczmarek was nominated seven times for an Emmy for her performance on show, but she never won (matching the 0-for-7 Emmy record by Julia Duffy). Kaczmarek 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.
The show aired its series finale in May 2006. Kaczmarek, however, still guest stars on another FOX Show, The Simpsons, providing the voice of Judge Constance Harm. She also played a role in the short-lived ABC sitcom Help Me Help You, starring Ted Danson.
[edit] Personal life
Kaczmarek married West Wing actor Bradley Whitford on 15 August 1992. They live in Los Angeles with their three children, Frances (1997), George (23 Dec 99), and Mary Louisa (25 Nov 02). 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.[1] 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)."[2]
In 2006 Kaczmarek and Malcolm co-star Erik Per Sullivan contributed the afterword for the children's book Together, that shows the importance of livestock in the world, and was inspired by the mission of the nonprofit charitable organization Heifer International.
Jane is 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall.
[edit] Salary
- Malcolm in the Middle (2000): $100,000 per episode 2002-2003
