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Jane Adams (born April 1, 1965) is an American Tony Award-winning film, television and theatre actress.

Early life

Adams was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Janice, an administrative assistant, and William Adams, an engineer, and sister to Jonathan; her younger brother, and aunt to Whitney (both of whom she thanked during her acceptance speech for her 1995 Tony award).
She was raised in Wheaton, Illinois and Bellevue, Washington. Adams attended the University of Washington, where she studied political science, and the Cornish College of the Arts, where she took theater. In 1989, she graduated from the Juilliard school with a degree in drama.

Career

Adams then performed theatre at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. She turned down the chance to work in a movie with Whoopi Goldberg (a blockbuster titled "Sister Act") for the opportunity to work with Arthur Miller on stage.
She then worked along with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton in the sequel to "Father of the Bride", where she received rave reviews from her fellow cast members. She went back to the stage and won the 1995 Tony Award for best performance by a featured actress in a play for the Broadway revival of "An Inspector Calls." She also won the Outer Critics Circle Award for best featured actress in a play in the Broadway production of Paul Rudnick`s "I Hate Hamlet."
In 1998, she starred in Happiness with Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman. She and the cast won many ensemble awards. The next year, Adams got a recurring role on the hit comedy series Frasier. She played Dr. Mel Karnofsky, who became Niles`s second wife. She was on the show between 1999 and 2000.
In 2001 she was in an independent film titled Songcatcher, with Oscar nominee Janet McTeer. She and the cast won a Sundance Special Jury Prize. She since has worked in minor and supporting roles in many movies.
In 2007, she appeared in The Sensation of Sight and The Brave One opposite Jodie Foster, Naveen Andrews, Terrence Howard, and Mary Steenburgen.
She is currently co-starring in the HBO series Hung opposite Thomas Jane.

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