Jane Adams (actress, born 1965)

Last updated
Jane Adams
Born (1965-04-01) April 1, 1965 (age 59)
Education Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actress, writer
Years active1985–present

Jane Adams (born 1965) [1] [2] [3] is an American actress and screenwriter. Known for her work in independent cinema, her acting credits include Light Sleeper (1992), Happiness (1998), Mumford (1999), Songcatcher (2000), The Anniversary Party (2001), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Little Children (2006), All the Light in the Sky (2012), and She Dies Tomorrow (2020).

Contents

On television, she appeared in the recurring role of Dr. Mel Karnofsky on the NBC sitcom Frasier (1999–2000) and co-starred as Nikki Katz on HBO's drama series The Idol (2023). For her roles as Tanya Skagl on HBO's Hung (2009–2011), and Nina Daniels on Hacks (2021–2022) she received nominations for the Golden Globe Award, and two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award respectively.

Adams made her Broadway debut in the original production of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet in 1991, and won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Sheila Birling in the revival of J.B. Priestly's An Inspector Calls (1994).

Early life

Jane Adams was born in Washington, DC and was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and Bellevue, Washington.[ citation needed ] She is the daughter of Janice, an administrative assistant, and William Adams, an engineer. [4] She has a younger brother named Jonathan.[ citation needed ]

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) [5] where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1989. [6] [ unreliable source? ]

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 debut performance in a play in the Broadway production of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet. [7]

In 1996, Adams portrayed Karen Lukens in the ABC-TV drama series Relativity . [8] :883-884

In 1998, she starred in the misanthropic dark comedy 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 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 1999 film Mumford . [9]

In 2001, she was in the independent film titled Songcatcher , with Janet McTeer. She and the cast won a Sundance Special Jury Prize.[ citation needed ] She also portrayed Reeva Baines Eidenberg in the CBS drama series Citizen Baines. [8] Adams has also appeared in mainstream films such as You've Got Mail (1998), Wonder Boys (2000), Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), and Last Holiday (2006). 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 to 2011, Adams co-starred in the HBO series Hung opposite Thomas Jane. [8] :487 She starred in and co-wrote the 2012 film All the Light in the Sky with director Joe Swanberg for which she was named Best Actress at the Nashville Film Festival. [10]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Bombs AwayGreeting Girl
1990 Vital Signs Suzanne Maloney
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 [11] Joy Jordan National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
1998Day at the BeachMarie
1998 You've Got Mail Sydney AnneUncredited
1999 A Fish in the Bathtub Ruthie
1999 A 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 [11] Oola
2001 The Anniversary Party Clair Forsyth
2002 Orange County Mona
2004 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [11] Carrie
2004 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events White-Faced Woman
2006 Last Holiday Rochelle
2006 Little Children Sheila
2006 The Sensation of Sight Alice
2007 The Brave One Nicole
2008 The 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 MarieAlso writer
Bridgestone Grand Jury Prize for Best Actress in Narrative Feature
2015 Digging for Fire Woman on beach
2015 Poltergeist Dr. Brooke Powell
2016 Always Shine Summer
2017 Brigsby Bear April
2018InterveneGwendolynShort film
2020 She Dies Tomorrow JaneNominated—Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
2020 Build the Wall Sarah
2022 Dog Tamara
2022 Sick Pamela

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Tales from the Darkside Charlotte Rose CantrellEpisode: "Deliver Us from Goodness"
1987, 1989 Family Ties First Love / Marty Brodie3 episodes
1989, 1995 ABC Afterschool Special Elly Robinson / Michelle2 episodes
1990Rising SonMeg BradleyTelevision film
1993 Lifestories: Families in Crisis BethEpisode: "Dead Drunk: The Kevin Tunell Story"
1996 Relativity Karen Lukens7 episodes
1997 Liberty! Sara Scott6 episodes
1999 The Outer Limits Mona BaileyEpisode: "What Will The Neighbors Think"
1999–2000 Frasier [11] Dr. Mel Karnofsky11 episodes
2000 Citizen Baines Reeva Eidenberg9 episodes
2000From Where I SitRuthPilot
2001 Night Visions AmandaEpisode: "The Doghouse"
2003 Carnivàle Mother of Dead BabyUncredited
Episode: "Milfay"
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Sylvia CampbellEpisode: "The Gift"
2005 Stone Cold Brianna LincolnTelevision film
2007 House BonnieEpisode: "House Training"
2008 In Plain Sight Ruth Ferguson / Ruth FraserEpisode: "Don of the Dead"
2009–2011 Hung Tanya Skagle [11] 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 ParsonsEpisode: "Learning Curve"
2013 Axe Cop Red Headed WomenVoice
Episode: "Super Axe"
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Belinda GoffEpisode: "Rubbery Homicide"
2016–2019 Easy Annabelle Jones5 episodes
2016 Atlanta JaniceEpisode: "Nobody Beats the Biebs"
2017 Twin Peaks Constance Talbot6 episodes
2017 Claws Gladys Coleman Pirette4 episodes
2018–2019 Sneaky Pete Maggie Murphy8 episodes
2020 Messiah Miriam Keneally10 episodes
2021–2022 Hacks Nina5 episodes
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
2023 The Idol Nikki Katz

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991 I Hate Hamlet Deirdre McDavey Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Debut Performance
1992 The Crucible Mary Warren
1994 An Inspector Calls Sheila Birling
2003 Enchanted April Rose ArnottReplacement
2004 Match Lisa
2006 Resurrection Blues Emily Shapiro

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
1991 Clarence Derwent Awards Best Supporting FemaleWon
1998 National Board of Review National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Happiness Won
2000 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize Songcatcher Won
2010 67th Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Hung Nominated
Women's Image Network Awards Actress Comedy SeriesNominated
2013 Nashville Film Festival Best Actress in a Narrative Feature All the Light in the Sky Won
2020 Florida Film Critics Circle Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress She Dies Tomorrow Nominated
2021 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Hacks Nominated
2022 74th Primetime Emmy Awards Nominated

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References

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  2. Schneller, Johanna (September 29, 2016). "On Easy, the plight of the 'not really beautiful'". Toronto Star . Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022. Jane Adams, 51
  3. Boone, Ashley (August 30, 2020). "Jane Adams: 'This whole idea of stay safe – life's never been safe'". The Independent . Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022. Adams, 55, has reaffirmed her indie cred with She Dies Tomorrow.
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  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Luaine (September 26, 2011). "'I got lucky,' says Jane Adams". The Evening Sun. Pennsylvania, Hanover. McClatchy-Tribune News Service. p. 9. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019 via Newspapers.com.
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