Conversations with Jane Curtin (2018)

Career Q&A with Jane Curtin on March 29, 2018. Moderated by Bruce Fretts, Closer Weekly.

Jane Curtin first gained national attention when she made her TV debut in 1975 as one of the original members of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players on the hit late-night series “Saturday Night Live”. During her five year run on that show, she received critical acclaim and two Emmy nominations for her creation of many memorable characters.

She starred with Susan Saint James for five years on the popular television series “Kate and Allie”, twice earning the Emmy Award as Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of affable divorcee Allie Lowell. Jane went on to a successful six-year run as Dr. Mary Albright on the NBC hit “3rd Rock From the Sun”.

Curtin’s other television credits include the critically acclaimed miniseries “Common Ground” , as well as the television movies “Divorce Wars”, with Tom Selleck, and “Maybe Baby”, with Dabney Coleman, and the “Librarian” series on TNT.

Her feature film credits include “Antz”, “Coneheads”, “How to Beat the High Cost of Living”, “Suspicion”, “Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video”,  “O.C. & Stiggs”, “The Shaggy Dog”, “ I Love You Man”, and “I Don’t Know How She Does It”.

Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Curtin studied drama at Northeastern University. She was a member of the improvisational theater group The Proposition for four years before going on a national tour with a number of plays, including the comedy “Last of the Red Hot Lovers”. She appeared on Broadway with Joanne Woodward as Prossie in George Bernard Shaw’s “Candida”, and reprised the role on television. Her other stage credits include the off-Broadway musical revue “Pretzels”, which she co-wrote, and several appearances in A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters”. Jane also appeared in the Westport Country Playhouse production of “Our Town”, which also played on Broadway to a sold-out run in late 2002 with Jane reprising her role. 

Recently, Jane has appeared in the comedy smash “The Heat” with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, and is can be seen starring on the CBs series “Unforgettable”. You can last see Jane in a guest star role on the TNT series “The Librarians.” Next you can see her in Melissa McCarthy’s dark comedy “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”.