Jane grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her mother, Evelyn, was a school teacher. Her father, Edward, is a former Defense Department employee. She is the oldest of four children. Her brothers, Jim & Bill, are a teacher and an entrepreneur respectively. Her sister, Mary, works for an Internet company. Jane was a theater major at the University of Wisconsin. While there, she became buddies with Tony Shalhoub, who encouraged her to shoot for stardom. She followed Tony in enrolling at Yale University & performed in the Yale Repertory Company. She had several film and theatrical successes, including good notices for her replacement of Mercedes Ruehl in Neil Simon's Broadway play, "Lost In Yonkers". Jane's roommate at Yale was Kate Burton, Richard Burton's daughter. Kate arranged a blind date between Jane and Bradley Whitford. In 1992, after two years of dating, the two married. In 1998, they had first child, Frances, and in December 1999, a son, George Edward was born.
Malcolm in the Middle (2000): $100,000 per episode 2002-2003
Studied to be a teacher at the University of Wisconsin. Mary Louisa Whitford was born to Jane and husband Bradley Whitford on December 2, 2002, at 9:32 a.m. Pacific Time in Los Angeles, California, USA. She weighed 10 lb. 3 oz, and is 21 inches in length. Jane and Bradley have two other children: daughter Frances (born 1997) and son George (born 1999). Actor Daniel von Bargen has coincidentally appeared with husband and wife actors Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford in four different projects. Along with Kaczmarek, he appeared in Malcolm in the Middle. With Whitford, he was in RoboCop 3, Philadelphia and The West Wing. Studied at Yale University School of Drama, where she was a classmate of Kate Burton. Children: Frances Whitford, George Whitford, Mary Louisa Whitford Founded the charity "Clothes off our Back" (http://www.clothesoffourback.org) with her husband, Bradley Whitford, in 2002. Clothes off our Back run on-line auctions after major awards shows where celebrities' gowns and tuxedos, and other articles of clothing, are auctioned off. The proceeds go to children's charities such as Cure Autism Now (http://www.cureautismnow.org) and The Children's Defense Fund (http://www.childrensdefense.org/) Daughter-in-law of Genevieve Smith Whitford. Received seven consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series ("Malcolm in the Middle") but never won. It was revealed during a segment featuring her husband, Bradley Whitford, on the The Megan Mullally Show that if she had only one food to eat for the rest of her life, it would be Polish sausage. (October 16, 2006).