Anything but a plain jane, Tony-winning actress Jane Krakowski gracefully made the transition from child performer to adult TV star to Broadway stage star all before the age of 35. With her curly blonde hair, heart-shaped face and deep – with a slight catch – voice, the attractive thespian moved to the big screen as Cousin Vicki in the amusing "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983). Her subsequent screen outings, though, were sporadic at best, and often in material which was inferior. After several years of honing her skills on the Broadway stage, however, Krakowski made a welcome return to the small screen in the late 1990s with her role as Elaine Vassal on the David E. Kelley hit dramedy, "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002 ). Proving she was no one-hit-TV-wonder, Krakowski wowed critics with her portrayal of the vain late night TV sketch artist, Jenna Maroney on Tina Fey’s critically acclaimed sitcom, “30 Rock” (NBC, 2006- ). Born in Parsippany, NJ on Oct. 11, 1968, Jane Krakowski (nee Krajkowski) began acting at the age of 15. A gifted singer and dancer, Krakowski began studying ballet at age three; an effort which was applauded and supported by her parents who were both active in community theater. After being cast in an industrial fashion show in the early 1980s, Krakowski’s career picked up. Her big-screen debut, as Cousin Vicki, in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” led to other small roles in such films as “Fatal Attraction” (1987) and “Stepping Out” (1991), but it was her two-year, daytime Emmy-nominated stint as troubled teen Rebecca ‘T.R.’ Kendall on the long-running soap “Search for Tomorrow” (CBS, 1951-1986) for which she was most recognized at that time.
In the early 1980s, Krakowski unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in the Tommy Tune-directed "Nine," (1982). Though she lost that part, Krakowski instead landed the key role of Dinah the Dining Car in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, "Starlight Express" (1987). As one of only four performers to remain with the notoriously difficult show for its entire two-year run, Krakowski had to learn to sing and dance while performing on roller skates. When casting the musical "Grand Hotel," Tune remembered the petite singer-dancer and cast her as the secretary, Flaemchen – the role played by Joan Crawford in the 1932 film. Krakowski’s rendition of "I Want to Go to Hollywood" became a nightly showstopper and earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination for both Drama Desk and Tony awards. She has also landed featured roles in the Broadway revivals of "Company" (1995) and "Once Upon a Mattress" (1996).
But it took her role as the ditzy office busybody Elaine Vassal on “Ally McBeal" for her to reach a wider audience. Krakowski managed to walk the fine line between being annoying and vulnerable, in her role as the meddlesome secretary. After “Ally McBeal” wrapped in 2002, Krakowski signed on to the comedy "Marci X," a film starring Lisa Kudrow and Damon Wayans about a Jewish-American Princess character who takes over a rap label and comes up against a spoiled and disrespectful hip-hop star. She then went on to a triumphant stint on Broadway, winning the 2003 Tony Award for her stunning and sultry portrayal of Carla in the musical "Nine," opposite Antonio Banderas. Her scintillating performance also earned the actress her first Drama Desk Award and the highly coveted Outer Critic's Award.
On the big screen, Krakowski appeared as one of a string of conquests in the life of Jude Law's womanizing title character in the 2004 remake of "Alfie. She was given the opportunity to show her stuff by singing and dancing on screen as the beguiling Ghost of Christmas Past in the NBC musical telepic version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" (2004), opposite Kelsey Grammer. She followed up her musical turn by giving a strong, sly performance as an ambitious local TV journalist searching for scandal in the dark indie comedy, "Pretty Persuasion" (2005). Returning to the stage in 2006, Krakowski scored another career triumph by winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Miss Adelaide in the London revival of "Guys and Dolls."
In 2006, executives at NBC television raised eyebrows when they hired Krakowski to replace comedienne Rachel Dratch for the pilot of “30 Rock,” the Golden Globe-winning sitcom created by and starring Tina Fey. Although the circumstances for Dratch’s firing were never made clear, the comedienne herself later stated that she was simply a victim of “creative re-tooling” and downplayed any rumors of backstage strife. All the better for Krakowski, who chewed the scenery as the spoiled star of the sitcom’s fictional “Girlie Show” late night comedy sketch show.
