Jane Kaczmarek
Jane Kaczmarek is an accomplished American actress, widely recognized for her role as Lois, the matriarch in the acclaimed television series "Malcolm in the Middle," which aired from 2000 to 2006. Born on December 21, 1955, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kaczmarek was inspired by her mother, a teacher, but ultimately chose to pursue a career in acting. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in theater and later earned her MFA from Yale University.
Kaczmarek's career began in the early 1980s, with appearances in several television series and films, and she gained prominence through a variety of roles throughout the 1990s. Her performance in "Malcolm in the Middle" earned her seven Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. Beyond her iconic role, Kaczmarek has continued to work in television and theater, with notable roles in series like "Raising the Bar" and "This Is Us," as well as in various stage productions.
In addition to her acting career, Kaczmarek co-founded the nonprofit charity Clothes Off Our Back with her ex-husband, actor Bradley Whitford, which supports children's charities. She is also a mother to three children, and her contributions to the arts and charitable causes highlight her multifaceted impact beyond acting.
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Subject Terms
Jane Kaczmarek
Actor
- Born: December 21, 1955
- Place of Birth: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Contribution: Jane Kaczmarek is an actor best known for playing the role of Lois, the mother on the television show Malcolm in the Middle.
Background
Jane Frances Kaczmarek was born on December 21, 1955, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Edward and Evelyn Kaczmarek. Her father worked as a contract negotiator for the US Department of Defense, and her mother was a teacher. As a child she wanted to become a teacher like her mother, but she later changed her mind and decided to pursue acting instead.
Kaczmarek attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, graduating in 1979 with a degree in theater and drama. Three years later she received her master of fine arts degree from the drama school at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. She moved to New York to concentrate on an acting career after she graduated. While there Kaczmarek landed a few stage roles and some small television parts.
Career
Kaczmarek started acting in the early 1980s and received roles in television series such as Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Remington Steele, and St. Elsewhere in 1983. Her first film role also came in 1983, in the war movie Uncommon Valor. She followed this with the made-for-television movies Something about Amelia (1984) and Door to Door (1985) and recurring roles on the television series The Paper Chase (1983–84), Hill Street Blues (1984), and Hometown (1985).
Kaczmarek then concentrated on film, appearing in Falling in Love (1984), with actors Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep. In the movie she played the wife of De Niro’s character, who betrays her with another woman, played by Streep. She followed this with the less-successful fantasy film The Heavenly Kid (1985).
Throughout the 1990s Kaczmarek took on a variety of roles on both the stage and the small screen. In 1990 Kaczmarek was cast in her first regular series on the legal drama Equal Justice, but the show only lasted two seasons. In New York she acted in the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Lost in Yonkers (1991–93) and later in Raised in Captivity (1995), which was performed in Los Angeles and earned her an LA Drama Critics Circle Award.
Afterward she found guest-starring roles on series such as L.A. Law and Law & Order in 1994 and Touched by an Angel in 1996. Kaczmarek continuing making appearances in popular television series, taking small roles in The Practice, Frasier, Cybill, Felicity, and Party of Five. She rounded out the decade with roles in the films The Chamber (1996) and Pleasantville (1998).
At the start of the next decade, Kaczmarek was considering stepping back from acting to concentrate on raising her family. A script for a new television series came her way, however, and she decided to accept the role. The series, Malcolm in the Middle, premiered in January 2000 and was popular with both critics and audiences. On the show Kaczmarek played Lois, the family matriarch, who is married to Hal (Bryan Cranston). Together they are raising five sons, including the show’s namesake, Malcolm (Frankie Muniz). For her performance Kaczmarek was nominated for seven Emmys for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series between 2000 and 2006; she was also nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a television series in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
After Malcolm in the Middle, Kaczmarek landed a part on the short-lived series Help Me Help You in 2006. She then was cast in a regular role on the legal drama Raising the Bar, playing the slightly off-center Judge Trudy Kessler through the series’ run in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010 Kaczmarek returned to the stage for a production of Autumn Garden and also played the mother of a young teen involved in an abusive relationship in the television feature Reviving Ophelia. After a turn on the television series Wilfred in 2011, she appeared on three episodes of the sitcom Whitney. Kaczmarek also acted in several episodes of The Middle in late 2012.
Taking on another theater role, Kaczmarek appeared in the Los Angeles production of the play Good People. Other plays include Kindertransport and The Snake Plan in 2013. She also lent her voice to the animated series Jake and the Never Land Pirates from 2012 to 2015, playing pirate Red Jessica. As a member of the cast of the series, Kaczmarek won a 2014 Behind the Voice Actors Award for best vocal ensemble in a children's/educational television series. In mid-2013 Kaczmarek was cast in the Fox series Us & Them, based on the BBC series Gavin & Stacey. Kaczmarek played the role of Pam from 2013 to 2014.
During the mid-to-late 2010s, Kacmarek appeared in a variety of projects. These included the television series Playing House (2014–17), the 2015 film The Boat Builder, The Big Bang Theory (2016), the 2016 horror film Wolves at the Door, a staged televised version of the Eugene O'Neill play A Long Day's Journey into Night (2017), the series Animals (2018), and This Is Us (2018). In 2023, the actress took on the role of Cal for the television series The Changeling. She then starred as Celia Dalvi in the short film And Now I Lay Me Down (2024).
Impact
While Kaczmarek struggled to find work at times, she has had supporting roles in many popular series that have garnered her fame. Kaczmarek’s seven consecutive Emmy nominations made her a fixture at awards ceremonies, and she has parlayed her skills into film, television, and stage performances.
Personal Life
From 1992 to 2009 Kaczmarek was married to actor Bradley Whitford, with whom she has three children, Frances, Mary, and George. Kaczmarek and Whitford created the nonprofit charity Clothes Off Our Back in 2002.
Bibliography
Fremon, Celeste. “Fun with Jane.” Good Housekeeping Sept. 2002: 97–99. Print.
“In Step with Jane Kaczmarek.” Parade. Parade, n.d. Web. 18. July 2013.
"Jane Kaczmarek." Internet Movie Database, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm0434223/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.
Kaczmarek, Jane. “Jane Kaczmarek Dishes on ‘Whitney’ and Two Hip Replacements.” Interview by Ilyssa Panitz. More. Meredith, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 18. July 2013.
Mills, Michelle J. “Jane Kaczmarek Faces Perils of Aging in ‘The Snake Can’ at Odyssey Theatre.” Los Angeles Daily News. LA Daily News, 13 May 2013. Web. 20 Aug. 2013.
Soriano, Cesar G. “Migraine over ‘Malcolm’ Mom Ends.” USA Today 11 Mar. 2002: 1D. Print.