Jane Kaczmarek

Jane Frances Kaczmarek is an American actress who achieved widespread recognition for her work across television, film, and theater. She is best known for portraying the matriarch Lois on the television sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, a role that earned her numerous major award nominations and established her reputation for comedic performances.

Born on December 21, 1955, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kaczmarek was raised in the village of Greendale within a Roman Catholic household of Polish heritage. Her mother worked as a teacher and her father was employed by the United States Department of Defense. After completing her secondary education at Greendale High School, she earned a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1979 and completed further training at the Yale School of Drama in 1982.

Kaczmarek began her career with roles in several television series and theatrical films. Her early television credits included a regular part on The Paper Chase, recurring appearances on Cybill and Frasier, and roles in St. Elsewhere and Equal Justice. She also starred in the 1994 television film Without Warning and appeared in feature films such as Falling in Love and The Heavenly Kid. On stage, she served as a replacement performer for the character Bella in the Broadway production of Neil Simon's Lost In Yonkers.

In late 1999, Kaczmarek was cast in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted in January 2000. Her portrayal of Lois garnered strong critical acclaim for demonstrating her comedic abilities after years of primarily dramatic auditions. Throughout the show's run from 2000 to 2006, her performance received seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations.

Following her success on Malcolm in the Middle, Kaczmarek continued to perform in a variety of screen and stage productions. She held a main role as Judge Trudy Kessler in the legal series Raising the Bar, performed in the stage play The House of Blue Leaves in Los Angeles, and provided voice acting for Jake and the Never Land Pirates. She also narrated a 2011 PBS documentary about resistance figure Mildred Fish-Harnack, guest-starred on programs including The Middle and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, appeared in the 2018 film 6 Balloons, and joined former co-star Bryan Cranston for a home-video featurette.

Kaczmarek married actor Bradley Whitford in 1992, and the couple resided in Pasadena, California, with their three children. In 2002, they established the charity Clothes off our Back to auction celebrity award-show attire. After undergoing a hip replacement in 2004, Kaczmarek referenced the procedure in her award campaign. The couple finalized their divorce in 2010. In July 2025, she married her former high school partner Rusty Long after reconnecting at a class reunion.