| Jane Adams | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 1 1965 Washington, D.C. |
Jane Adams (born April 1, 1965) is a Tony Award-winning American actress who has appeared in film, television and theatre.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Adams was born in Washington, D.C. to Janice, an administrative assistant, and William Adams, an engineer.[1] She 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. In 1989, she graduated from the Juilliard school with a degree in drama.
Career
Adams then performed theatre at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. She won a Tony Award for best performance by an actress in a play for the Broadway play, "An Inspector Calls". She also won the Outer Critics Circle Award for best featured actress in a play in the Broadway play, "I Hate Hamlet". In 1998 she starred in Happiness with Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman. She and the cast won many ensemble awards. The next year Adams got a recurring role on the hit comedy series Frasier. She played Dr. Mel Karnofsky, Niles's second wife. She was on the show between 1999 and 2000. In 2001 she was in an Independent film, Songcatcher, with Oscar nominee Janet McTeer. She and the cast won a Sundance Special Jury Prize. She since has worked in minor and supporting roles in movies. In 2007, she appeared in The Sensation of Light and The Brave One opposite Jodie Foster, Naveen Andrews, Terrence Howard, and Mary Steenburgen.
Personal life
Adams dated Steve Martin when Father of the Bride Part II was being filmed. On April 5, 2006, Adams quit the Old Vic production of Arthur Miller's play "Resurrection Blues" in London after playing the Wednesday matinée. She had been part of the cast featuring American movie actors assembled by director Robert Altman. She was replaced by her understudy for subsequent performances. She gave no explanation for her departure from the production. The play, which had received bad reviews from the English press, had been scheduled to close a week early in mid-April due to poor ticket sales.
Filmography
Recurring TV roles:
- Family Ties .... Marty Brodie (1987-1989)
- Relativity (TV series) .... Karen Lukens (1996-1997)
- Frasier .... Dr. Melinda "Mel" Karnofsky (1999-2000)
Films:
- Vital Signs (1990)
- Light Sleeper (1992)
- I Love Trouble (1994)
- Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
- Father of the Bride Part II (1995)
- Happiness (1998)
- You've Got Mail (1998)
- Mumford (1999)
- Songcatcher (2000)
- Wonder Boys (2000)
- The Anniversary Party (2001)
- Orange County (2002)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
- Last Holiday (2006)
- Little Children (2006)
- The Sensation of Sight (2006)
- The Brave One (2007)
- Wherever You Are (film) (2008)
Awards
- Tony Award for best performance by a featured actress in a play for the Broadway play, An Inspector Calls.
- Drama Desk Award for Featured Actress for her performance in An Inspector Calls
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut of an Actress for her role in I Hate Hamlet.
- Sundance Award Jury Prize Award
