Jane Krakowski made her acting debut in 1983 in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Her appearance in the movie resulted in a successful career, which was magnified by her role in the soap Search for Tomorrow. She would continue to grow her career from this point, proving she was a formidable talent on-screen and onstage.
Krakowski’s success would reach new levels when she joined the sitcom 30 Rock in 2006. She played the role of Jenna Maroney, and won several awards for her performance, with her character becoming one of the most iconic in sitcoms form the 2000s. Between movies and TV shows, Krakowski performs reguarly onstage, earning Tony Awards and nominations for various plays and musicals like Nine and Grand Hotel. Here are her 7 best performances, ranked.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Fatal Attraction
Paramount Pictures
Fatal Attraction was released in 1987 and is a psychological thriller directed by Adrian Lyne, based on his 1980 short film Diversion. The film stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer, centering on a man (Douglas) who has a weekend affair with a woman (Close), who then becomes obsessed with him and won’t leave him alone. The film was a huge critical success, and Douglas and Close’s performances were praised as the pair involved in affair that went wrong. For Krakowski, who had a small part as babysitter Christine, Fatal Attraction marked one of her earliest film roles.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Ice Age
Blue Sky Studios
Ice Age is a massively successful franchise that started in 2002 with the original film, Ice Age. The film was directed by Chris Wedge and featured voice performances from Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Goran Višnjić, and Jack Black. Set during the ice age, naturally, the story centers around Manny, a wooly mammoth, Sid the sloth, and Diego the sabre-toothed cat, all of whom come across a human baby and work together to return it to its people. Krakowski had a role in this film as Rachel the sloth, and her voice works well with the film, proving she is talented across a variety of media.
6 The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Universal Pictures
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, released in 2000 and directed by Brian Levant, is a prequel to The Flintstones, released in 1994, based on the animated series of the same name. The film features a new cast, as well as several new additions, one of whom was Krakowski, who plays Betty O’Shea, a waitress who becomes Barney’s love interest. The film did not perform as well as expected at the box office and was not overall positivley reviewed. However, Krakowski’s performance is sweet and endearing.
5 Schmigadoon!
AppleTV+
Schmigadoon! is an American musical comedy television series created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. The series premiered in 2021 and has been renewed for a second season. The series focuses on the magical town of Schmigadoon, which is trapped in the golden age of Hollywood musical style of existing. The series parodies figures from Hollywood, and Krakowski plays Countess Gabriele Von Blerkom, a parody of the baroness from The Sound of Music. The series is fun and allows Krakowski to succeed in the comical style of acting she is so good at.
4 Ally McBeal
Fox
Ally McBeal is a comedy drama series that aired on Fox from 1997 to 2002. The series focuses on the titular Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart), who is a lawyer searching for fulfillment in life. The series was a huge success, winning Golden Globe and Emmy Awards throughout its run. Krakowski played Elaine Vassal for five seasons, and audiences fell in love with her character. The show essentially put her on the map as a sitcom actor. 20 years later, per TV Line, the series has been rumored to be rebooted, which could see the character on our screens once more.
3 National Lampoon’s Vacation
Warner Bros.
National Lampoon’s Vacation was released in 1983, directed by Harold Ramis, and starred Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brinkley. The story is about Clark Grisworld, who embarks on a cross-country expedition from Chicago to an LA amusement park, getting himself in comical situations along the way. Krakowski appears as cousin Vicki, and it’s one of her first mainstream movies roles. It’s easy to see why she would become a star, even though her appearance here is brief.
2 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Netflix
More recently, Krakowski found another success in a sitcom when she starred in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, created by Tina Fey. The series follows a 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt as she is introduced to the real world after being rescued from a cult (isolated in a bunker) in the fictional town of Durnsville. She is comically naïve and meets many interesting characters as she attempts to reintegrate herself into society. Krakowski stars as Jacqueline white, a wealthy socialite who hires Kimmy as a nanny. She is hilariously out of touch, and we see a deeper side to her as the series develops. It’s a great performance where Krakowski does what she does best.
1 30 Rock
NBC
30 Rock is another series created by Tina Fey which featured Krakowski in a supporting role. The series is based on Fey’s experience as a writer for SNL, taking place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch show housed in the infamous Rockefeller Plaza. The series was a huge hit and still has a strong following as one of the best workplace TV comedies, even after it finished airing in 2013. Krakowski plays Jenna Maroney, the star of the show who is clueless, arrogant, and comical. Her character has become iconic in pop culture, and it’s undeniably her best performance.
