Jane Curtin
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jane Therese Curtin (born September 6, 1947) is an American actress and comedienne. First coming to prominence as an original cast member on the hit TV comedy series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s sitcom '' Kate & Allie'' portraying the role of Allison "Allie" Lowell. Curtin later starred in the hit series ''
3rd Rock from the Sun ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrials who are on an e ...
'' (1996–2001), playing the role of Dr. Mary Albright. Curtin has also appeared in many movie roles, including Charlene in '' The Librarian'' series of movies (2004–2008). She reprised one of her ''Saturday Night Live'' characters, Prymaat (Clorhone) Conehead, in the 1993 film '' Coneheads''. She is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of
Deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of Comedy, comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant t ...
". ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' once called her a "refreshing drop of acid". She was included on a 1986 list of the "Top Prime Time Actors and Actresses of All Time".


Early life

Jane Therese Curtin was born in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, third of four children born to Mary Constance (née Farrell) and John Joseph Curtin, who owned an insurance agency. Her maternal ancestry is Irish, and her paternal, Curtin, ancestry is also Irish, originally from Newmarket-on-Fergus,
County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
. Curtin has one younger brother, Larry Curtin, who lives in South Florida; and an oldest brother, John J. "Jack" Curtin ( 2008). Her older sister, Virginia (Ginny), died in 2001. Curtin is a paternal cousin of actress and writer Valerie Curtin. Her paternal uncle was the radio personality Joseph Curtin. She was raised Roman Catholic, and grew up in
Wellesley, Massachusetts Wellesley () is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Wellesley is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 29,550 at the time of the 2020 census. Wellesley College, Babson College, and a campus of M ...
. She graduated from Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Newton in 1965. Curtin earned an associate degree from Elizabeth Seton Junior College in New York City, class of 1967. She then attended
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
from 1967 to 1968 before dropping out of college to pursue a career in comedy.


Career

She has served as a U.S. Committee National Ambassador for
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
. In 1968, Curtin decided to pursue comedy as a career and dropped out of college. She joined a comedy group, The Proposition, and performed with them until 1972. She starred in ''Pretzels'', an off-Broadway play written by Curtin, John Forster, Judith Kahan, and Fred Grandy, in 1974.


''Saturday Night Live''

One of the original Not Ready For Prime Time Players of NBC's ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' (1975), Curtin remained on the show through the 1979–1980 season. Guest host
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright. He was a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied English at Pembroke Co ...
said that Curtin was "very much a 'Let's come in, let's know our lines, let's do it properly, and go' ... She was very sensible, very focused", and disliked the drug culture in which many of the cast participated. Show writer
Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American politician, comedian, and actor who served from 2009 to 2018 as a United States senator from Minnesota. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he worked as an ...
stated that she "was so steady. Had a really strong moral center, and as such was disgusted by much of the show and the people around it". On the show, and mirroring her own low-key real life, she frequently played straight-woman characters, often as a
foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
to
John Belushi John Adam Belushi ( ; January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, singer and musician. He was one of seven ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members of the first season. He was arguably the most popular member of the ''Satur ...
and Gilda Radner. Curtin anchored ''SNLs " Weekend Update" segment from 1976 to 1977, paired with
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
from 1977 to 1978 and
Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
from 1978 to 1980. On occasional "Weekend Update" segments, her newscaster character served as a foil to Belushi, who often gave a rambling and out-of-control "commentary" on events of the day. During these sketches, she timidly tried to get Belushi to come to the point, which would only make him angrier. Curtin's newscaster also introduced baseball expert Chico Escuela ( Garrett Morris), a heavily accented Dominican, who started his sketches by saying, "Thank you, ''Hane''", before repeating his famous catchphrase, "Baseball been bery, bery good to me!" She also introduced Roseanne Roseannadanna (Radner) and would listen in exasperated silence at Roseannadanna's disjointed commentary before ultimately cutting her off. In addition, she sang in the "Chevy's Girls" sketch in season two, episode two, alongside Laraine Newman and Radner, and sang again with Newman and Radner as a trio backing up Morris as he sang the song Three Little Words for the cold opening of the Season 4 premier episode. In a parody of the "Point-Counterpoint" segment of the news program ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
'', Curtin delivered a controlled liberal viewpoint (à la Shana Alexander) vs. Aykroyd, who (in the manner of James J. Kilpatrick) epitomized the
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
view, albeit with an over-the-top "attack" journalist slant. Curtin presented the liberal "Point" portion first. Then Aykroyd presented the "Counterpoint" portion, sometimes beginning with the statement, "Jane, you ignorant slut," to which she replied, "Dan, you pompous ass." The recurring segment has been discussed in an article on "How to Respectfully Disagree" in ''
The Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is an American newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals, including staff members and administrators. A subscription ...
''. Curtin is also well known for her role in the Conehead sketches as Prymaat (wife/mother of the Conehead family), and as Enid Loopner (in sketches with Radner and Murray). She is one of many cast members who appear in the retrospective compilation DVD ''The Women of SNL'' (2010, 97 minutes).


Later television work

Unlike many of her fellow ''SNL'' cast members who ventured successfully into film, Curtin chose to stay mainly in television, with a few sporadic film appearances. To date, she has starred in two long-running television sitcoms. First, in '' Kate & Allie'' (1984–89), with Susan Saint James, she played a single mother named "Allie Lowell" and twice won the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Following ''Kate & Allie'', Curtin co-starred on the 1990 sitcom '' Working It Out'' with Stephen Collins. The series was created by Bill Persky, a writer, director, and producer of ''Kate & Allie'', but it was not successful and was cancelled after 13 episodes. Later, she was part of the cast of ''
3rd Rock from the Sun ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrials who are on an e ...
'' (1996–2001) playing a human, Dr. Mary Albright, opposite the alien family composed of
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...
,
Kristen Johnston Kristen Angela Johnston (born September 20, 1967) is an American actress. Best known for her work on television sitcoms, she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sally Solomon in ...
, French Stewart, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As with ''SNL'', her mostly strait-laced character was often confounded by the zany and whimsical antics of the Solomon family. In 1997, Curtin narrated two episodes of the documentary television series ''
Understanding Understanding is a cognitive process related to an abstract or physical object, such as a person, situation, or message whereby one is able to use concepts to model that object. Understanding is a relation between the knower and an object of u ...
'', and she has done voice work for '' Recess'' and ''
Cyberchase ''Cyberchase'' is an animated series, animated science fantasy children's television series that airs on PBS Kids. The series centers around three children from Earth: Jackie, Matt and Inez, who are brought into Cyberspace, a digital universe, i ...
''. She guest starred on ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' in 1985. Curtin also starred with Fred Savage in the ABC sitcom '' Crumbs'', which debuted in January 2006 and was cancelled in May of that year. She also guest-starred on '' Gary Unmarried'' as Connie, Allison's mother. In 2012, she joined '' Unforgettable'' as Dr. Joanne Webster, a gifted but crusty medical examiner; in 2014, she occasionally reprised her role as the first Guardian on '' The Librarians''. In 2020, she had a co-starring role as a quirky mother-in-law on the ABC sitcom ''United We Fall''.


Film

In 1980, Curtin starred with Susan Saint James and Jessica Lange in the moderate hit '' How to Beat the High Cost of Living''. In 1993, Curtin and Dan Aykroyd were reunited in ''Coneheads'', a full-length motion picture based on their popular ''SNL'' characters. They also appeared together as the voices of a pair of wasps in the film '' Antz.'' In 2009, she played Paul Rudd and Andy Samberg's mother in '' I Love You, Man''. In 2013, she took a small role in '' The Heat'' as Mrs. Mullins, the mother of Detective Mullins. Curtin played Moira, the Headmistress of the Motherland, in Disney's '' Godmothered''.


Other work

Curtin has also performed on Broadway on occasion. She first appeared on the Great White Way as Miss Proserpine Garnett in the play '' Candida'' in 1981. She later went on to be a replacement actress in two other plays, '' Love Letters'' and '' Noises Off'', and was in the 2002 revival of '' Our Town'', which received huge press attention as
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
returned to the Broadway stage after several decades away. She also has narrated several audio books, including Carl Hiaasen's novel '' Nature Girl''. On May 7, 2010, Curtin placed second in the '' Jeopardy! Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational'', winning $250,000 for the U.S. Fund for
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
.
Michael McKean Michael John McKean (; born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and musician. Over his career he has received a Grammy Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
won the tournament, while
Cheech Marin Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin (born July 13, 1946) is an American comedian and actor. He gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s with Tommy Chong, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dom ...
came in third. She presented
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s in 1984, 1987, and 1998; the 11th Annual
American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films. They were first presented in May 19 ...
in 1997; and the 54th Annual
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
s in 1997. Curtin has guest hosted several episodes of ''Selected Shorts'' produced by
Symphony Space Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theat ...
and distributed by
Public Radio International Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States. PRI was one of the main providers of programmi ...
.


Personal life

She married television producer Patrick Francis Lynch on April 2, 1975; they have one daughter, Tess Curtin Lynch, born in 1983. They live in Sharon, Connecticut.


Filmography


Film


Television


Theatre


References


External links

* * * * * *
Biography
Biography.com. Accessed June 7, 2024. {{DEFAULTSORT:Curtin, Jane 1947 births 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Cambridge, Massachusetts American film actresses American people of Irish descent American sketch comedians American stage actresses American television actresses American women comedians Comedians from Cambridge, Massachusetts Living people Northeastern University alumni Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Wellesley, Massachusetts