Jane Adams (actress)

For other people named Jane Adams, see Jane Adams (disambiguation).
Jane Adams
Born (1965-04-01) April 1, 1965
Washington, D.C., US
Alma mater University of Washington, Seattle
Cornish College of the Arts
Juilliard School
Years active 1985–present

Jane Adams (born April 1, 1965) is an American actress. She made her Broadway debut in the original production of I Hate Hamlet in 1991, and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the 1994 revival of An Inspector Calls. Her film roles include Happiness (1998), Wonder Boys (2000), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and Little Children (2006). She also had a recurring role on the NBC sitcom Frasier (1999–2000), and was nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for the HBO series Hung (2009–11).

Early life

Jane Adams was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Janice, an administrative assistant, and William Adams, an engineer.[1][2] She has a younger brother, Jonathan, and was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and Bellevue, Washington. Adams attended the University of Washington, where she studied political science, and the Cornish College of the Arts, where she took theater. She attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division (1985 - 1989, Group 18)[3] where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1989.[4]

Career

Adams performed theatre at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. She turned down the chance to work in Sister Act with Whoopi Goldberg for the opportunity to work with Arthur Miller onstage.

She worked with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton in Father of the Bride Part II. She went back to the stage and won the 1994 Tony Award for best performance by a featured actress in a play for the Broadway revival of An Inspector Calls. She also won the Outer Critics Circle Award for best featured actress in a play in the Broadway production of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet.

In 1998, she starred in Happiness with Philip Seymour Hoffman, playing the role of Joy, a sensitive single woman who is struggling with life. She and the cast won many ensemble awards. The next year, Adams got a recurring role on the hit comedy series Frasier from 1999 to 2000. She played Dr. Mel Karnofsky, who became Niles Crane's second wife. She also had a role in the film Mumford.

In 2001, she was in the independent film titled Songcatcher, with Janet McTeer. She and the cast won a Sundance Special Jury Prize.

In 2007, she appeared in The Sensation of Sight and The Brave One. In the latter film, she appeared opposite Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Mary Steenburgen and Naveen Andrews.

From 2009-2011, Adams co-starred in the HBO series Hung opposite Thomas Jane. She starred in and co-wrote the movie All the Light in the Sky.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Bombs Away Greeting Girl
1990 Vital Signs Suzanne Maloney
1990 Rising Son Meg Bradley Television film
1992 Light Sleeper Randi Jost
1994 I Love Trouble Evans
1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Ruth Hale
1995 Father of the Bride Part II Dr. Megan Eisenberg
1996 Kansas City Nettie Bolt
1998 Music from Another Room Irene
1998 Happiness Joy Jordan National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
1998 Day at the Beach Marie
1998 You've Got Mail Sydney Anne Uncredited
1999 Fish in the Bathtub, AA Fish in the Bathtub Ruthie
1999 Texas Funeral, AA Texas Funeral Mary Joan
1999 Mumford Dr. Phyllis Sheeler
2000 Songcatcher Eleanor 'Elna' Penleric Sundance Film Festival: Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Cast
2000 Wonder Boys Oola
2001 Anniversary Party, TheThe Anniversary Party Clair Forsyth
2002 Orange County Mona
2004 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Carrie
2004 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events White Faced Woman
2005 Stone Cold Brianna Lincoln Television film
2006 Last Holiday Rochelle
2006 Little Children Sheila
2006 Sensation of Sight, TheThe Sensation of Sight Alice
2007 Brave One, TheThe Brave One Nicole
2008 Wackness, TheThe Wackness Eleanor
2008 Lifelines Nancy Bernstein
2009 Alexander the Last Director
2009 Calvin Marshall June Marshall
2011 The Lie Dr. Bentel
2011 Silver Bullets June
2011 Restless Mabel
2012 All the Light in the Sky Marie Also writer
Bridgestone Grand Jury Prize for Best Actress in Narrative Feature
2015 Digging for Fire Woman on beach
2015 Poltergeist Dr. Claire Powell
2016 Always Shine Summer

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Tales from the Darkside Charlotte Rose Cantrell Episode: "Deliver Us from Goodness"
1987, 1989 Family Ties First Love / Marty Brodie 3 episodes
1989, 1995 ABC Afterschool Special Elly Robinson / Michelle 2 episodes
1993 Lifestories: Families in Crisis Beth Episode: "Dead Drunk: The Kevin Tunell Story"
1996 Relativity Karen Lukens 7 episodes
1997 Liberty! Sara Scott 6 episodes
1999 Outer Limits, TheThe Outer Limits Mona Bailey Episode: "What Will The Neighbors Think"
1999–2000 Frasier Dr. Mel Karnofsky 11 episodes
2000 Citizen Baines Reeva Eidenberg 9 episodes
2000 From Where I Sit Ruth Pilot
2001 Night Visions Amanda Episode: "The Doghouse"
2003 Carnivàle Mother of Dead Baby Uncredited
Episode: "Milfay"
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Sylvia Campbell Episode: "The Gift"
2007 House Bonnie Episode: "House Training"
2008 In Plain Sight Ruth Ferguson / Ruth Fraser Episode: "Don of the Dead"
2009–2011 Hung Tanya Skagle 30 episodes
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Joanne Parsons Episode: "Learning Curve"
2013 Axe Cop Red Headed Women Voice
Episode: "Super Axe"
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Belinda Goff Episode: "Rubbery Homicide"
2016 Easy Annabelle Jones 2 episodes
2016 Atlanta Janice Episode: "Nobody Beats the Biebs"
2017 Twin Peaks

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1991 I Hate Hamlet Deirdre McDavey Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Debut Performance
1992 Crucible, TheThe Crucible Mary Warren
1994 Inspector Calls, AnAn Inspector Calls Sheila Birling Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
2003 Enchanted April Rose Arnott Replacement
2004 Match Lisa
2006 Resurrection Blues Emily Shapiro

References

  1. "Jane Adams Biography (1965-)". www.filmreference.com. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  2. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=janice-adams&pid=153063091
  3. "Alumni News". The Juilliard School. March 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-11-11.
  4. "Jane Adams biography". All Movie Guide. The New York Times. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
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