Jane Krakowski (born October 11, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal and Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock.

Biography

Early life

Krakowski was born and grew up in Parsippany, New Jersey, the daughter of Barbara, a college theater instructor and producing artistic director for the Women's Theater Company, and Ed Krajkowski, a chemical engineer.Jane Krakowski Biography (1968-) She has an older brother. Krakowski grew up very much 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 did ballet from age 4, but later dropped it because she was the wrong body shape; instead moving more towards Broadway dancing. She attended the Professional Children's School in New York City and has said that one of her vocal instructors is a woman named Joan Lader.

She dropped the "j" from the family last name when she began working as an actress as people kept trying to pronounce the letter even though it was silent.

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 1997, she landed what would become her biggest role, playing 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 2004, she guest starred on Law and Order: SVU as Emma Spevak, the sister of a suspect who is believed to have murdered 3 elderly women. In 2006, Krakowski joined the cast of the new NBC sitcom 30 Rock, where she plays Jenna Maroney, a cast member of the fictional late night sketch show TGS with Tracy Jordan.

Film

Krakowski made her film 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, Dance with Me, Stepping Out, Pretty Persuasion and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mystery, and Mom at Sixteen. Krakowski was also originally cast in the horror camp classic Sleepaway Camp as the role of "mean girl" Judy but dropped out just before filming began because she felt her character's death scene with a curling iron was too violent.

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-film-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 Jane 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 "You". 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. 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 film, Xanadu, with music from the film'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.

Other works

• Krakowski played "Wanda" in the video for the Dixie Chicks' song "Goodbye Earl" in 2000.
• Guest starred in an episode of Due South opposite Paul Gross.
• Krakowski read the part of Wendla at an early workshop for Spring Awakening.

Personal life

Krakowski is in a relationship with British documentarian Marc Singer, whom she met at a screening for Children of Men in 2006. Before that, she dated Julian Ovenden.