Jane Krakowski
A Broadway dynamo and master of comedic delivery who stole scenes as a narcissistic TV star on 30 Rock and a plucky kidnap victim in Kimmy Schmidt.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American actress·Birthday: October 11·Generation X
Biography
Jane Krakowski's career is a masterclass in comedic timing, forged on Broadway before conquering television. The New Jersey native won a Tony Award for her performance in Nine while still in her twenties, establishing her as a musical theatre force. Television audiences came to know her as the delightfully vain secretary Elaine on Ally McBeal, but it was her turn as the hilariously self-absorbed Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock that became iconic, earning her four Emmy nominations. She later brought a similar blend of vanity and vulnerability to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, scoring another Emmy nod. Krakowski possesses a rare ability to make outrageous vanity endearing, all while delivering show-stopping musical numbers that remind you of her formidable stage roots.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jane was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jane Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jane's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Nine.
- Received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for 30 Rock.
- Earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for the same category for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Did You Know?
She was a child actress and appeared in commercials for Barbie dolls.
She performed on Broadway as a replacement in the original production of Starlight Express.
She is a trained dancer and studied at the Professional Children's School in New York.
She provided the voice for the character of Miss Spider in the animated film James and the Giant Peach.
“Broadway teaches you how to land a joke eight times a week.”
