Whatever Happened To Malcolm In The Middle Mom, Jane Kaczmarek?
"Malcolm in the Middle" influenced the trajectory of American sitcoms since its beginning, from the show's single-camera film style to Frankie Muniz frequently breaking the fourth wall. The show may have drawn in viewers with its complex and surreal comedic set pieces, but critics agree that a lot of what made "Malcolm in the Middle" special was its outstanding cast. Veteran actor Jane Kaczmarek particularly excelled in the role of matriarch of the surname-less dysfunctional family featured in the hit sitcom. Kaczmarek's performance as the firebrand Lois earned her a mountain of TV accolades on top of the show's already impressive stack of awards. For each of her seven consecutive years on the show, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and piled on three Golden Globes nominations at various points during the show's tenure.
Though Kaczmarek's character might have been hot-headed, Kaczmarek herself is more low-key. Growing up in a Polish-American family in Wisconsin and attending the University of Wisconsin Madison and Yale University, Kaczmarek nonetheless stayed humble throughout her career, prizing the work over celebrity. Despite some personal troubles after the end of "Malcolm in the Middle," Kaczmarek has kept busy with her family and her philanthropic efforts. With her days portraying a frazzled mom long behind her, her acting career has continued to evolve, moving from the small screen to the stage. "Malcolm in the Middle" stars have pivoted to a variety of careers, but Kaczmarek has stayed in the acting game — and she's still winning.
Jane Kaczmarek starred along Ted Danson in a short-lived ABC sitcom
After "Malcolm in the Middle" was canceled in 2006, Jane Kaczmarek kept up the momentum and hopped over to a new sitcom airing on ABC, playing against another sitcom legend, Ted Danson of "Cheers" fame. "Help Me Help You" featured Danson as a famed and best-selling New York City author and therapist in a single-camera comedy not dissimilar from the style of Kaczmarek's previous show.
Weathering the transition of a divorce and a daughter dating someone a few times her age, Danson's character Dr. Hoffman is at odds with everyone from the patients in his group therapy sessions to his estranged wife Anne, played by Kaczmarek. Lackluster reviews and dwindling viewers despite its enviable time slot led to the show's cancellation after its first 13 episodes. Though the show was a flop, critics noted the series' bright spots from Danson and Kaczmarek, as well as other then-rising stars like future Oscar winner Jim Rash.
She made her three kids a priority
Though many American families were crestfallen at the cancellation of "Malcolm in the Middle," at least one kid jumped for joy when they heard of the show's ending.
According to Jane Kaczmarek in a 2008 interview with Mommy Track'd (via People), life was hectic shooting "Malcolm in the Middle." From dealing with conflicting schedules to coordinating child care with then-husband, Bradley Whitford, Kaczmarek couldn't always make the time she wanted for her three elementary school-aged children during the show's run.
But the show's ending in 2006 gave her a chance to refocus her priorities on her three young children — and they were more than a little pleased with the development. "My daughter Frances once told me that the best news I could give her was that 'Malcolm' had been canceled," Kaczmarek admitted to the outlet. "She screamed with joy the day they pulled the plug." Having her children later in life made her especially motivated to recenter and focus on her family's milestones. Following the show's cancellation, Kaczmarek was determined to make her work life fit her family life, making her children her first priority.
She continued work at her nonprofit Clothes Off Our Back
Launched in 2002 with husband Bradley Whitford, Jane Kaczmarek's foundation Clothes Off Our Back auctioned celebrity clothing to benefit children's charities, addressing the problem of clothing waste in Hollywood. The amount of clothing and gifts showered on Kaczmarek and her husband as high-profile actors and celebrities were not exactly something she was used to, growing up with Polish parents who prized frugality over extravagance (via HuffPost). But she was able to turn her "embarrassment of riches" into a sustainable philanthropy that benefited the planet and children's charities such as Feeding America.
Names like Jennifer Garner and Ryan Seacrest have been among some of the celebrity clothes up for auction through the philanthropy. But for the sitcom-obsessed, one of the more impressive auctioned items was likely a vintage Dior worn by none other than Jennifer Aniston during the 2002 Emmys. The gown according to Kaczmarek paid for 50,000 immunizations for children through UNICEF. Though defunct now, the nonprofit managed to raise roughly $4 million for various charities across the world (via Outlook Pasadena).
Jane Kaczmarek took a serious turn to star in a legal drama
Jane Kaczmarek's range as an actor wasn't limited to comedy, though she was still known for adhering to the rules. Kaczmarek starred as irascible judge Trudy Kessler in the legal drama "Raising the Bar," starring opposite Mark-Paul Gosselaar of "Saved by the Bell" fame as a public defender who frequently challenges Kessler's rulings.
Although Gosselaar's monologuing defender might be the star of the show, Kaczmarek was quick to note her character's nuances in an interview with the Boston Herald. "As an actor, you always have to believe your character is right," Kaczmarek said. "Judge Kessler is not doing anything illegal. She is following things to the letter of the law." Though the show was initially received positively by audiences, viewership dragged, leading TNT to cancel the show after its second season ahead of its last three episodes. Regardless, Kaczmarek shined in her role as the frequently devious judge.
Jane Kaczmarek divorced husband Bradley Whitford
After 17 years of marriage and three children, Jane Kaczmarek and "West Wing" actor Bradley Whitford called it quits. As two stars at the height of their fame in the 2000s, cracks started to show when Kaczmarek began to slow down to focus on her children after the cancellation of "Malcolm in the Middle."
Kaczmarek admitted on the podcast "Little Known Facts" with Ilana Levine that the divorce still affects her, but that the split was necessary due to their changing work schedules and priorities after "Malcolm in the Middle" and "The West Wing." When Kaczmarek wanted to settle down, Whitford wanted to speed up, diving into new projects and even memorizing lines overnight due to script changes from the writing team. On the whole, though, the change revealed what Kaczmarek most prized in her life. Not surprisingly, this shake-up led her back to her first love of acting. "You realize you have the chance to completely redefine yourself and start your life over," Kaczmarek told The Columbus Dispatch, shortly after the divorce was finalized in 2010. "That has also, in a funny way, reinvigorated my desire to act again."
Jane Kaczmarek underwent a hip replacement
Celebrities may live lavish lives, but ultimately, they're just like us, and like many of us, some celebrities suffer from chronic illness. On the set of "Malcolm in the Middle," Jane Kaczmarek found herself strategizing which surfaces and areas she could lean on from one scene to the next to minimize the pain of movement. That's when she knew things weren't quite right with her hip, and began to explore options to decrease the pain she was experiencing day in and day out.
Kaczmarek was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and went on to have her left hip replaced in 2004. She went on to have her right hip replaced a few years later when the pain flared up yet again. "I just couldn't function anymore like a person was supposed to function," she told Yahoo! Entertainment. Thankfully, her joint replacements and subsequent surgeries have put her back on stage and on screen. Kaczmarek now serves as a spokesperson for osteoarthritis, working with DePuy Orthopaedics to advocate for people who have had joint replacements.
She kept busy with guest starring roles in TV
From long-standing legal drama "Law & Order: SVU" to American comedy "Playing House" — not to mention a few guest spots on "The Simpsons" — Jane Kaczmarek might not be the leading lady, but she's stealing the spotlight with her cameos and TV supporting roles. She's also not gracing the red carpet at the Emmys on a regular basis, but her guest appearances have left a distinct mark nonetheless.
Returning to the "Law & Order" franchise for the first time since 1994, Kaczmarek played a district attorney butting heads with Raul Esparza's DA Barba in the 2012 SVU franchise. In "Playing House," Kaczmarek made several appearances as the mother of Emma, the series protagonist and one-half of the show's "buddy comedy" duo. Unsurprisingly, Kaczmarek's character Gwen was both opinionated and at loggerheads with her daughter. Kaczmarek guest starred in numerous other shows from the 2010s into the 2020s but strayed away from anything more than a multi-episode arc.
Jane Kaczmarek started an unusual hobby
Some might call it morbid, but Jane Kaczmarek calls it a hobby. Kaczmarek revealed in 2017 that she took up a quirky new hobby: collecting and collaging strangers' obituaries, creating art from the obituaries she finds in newspapers and online. While plenty of people have a passing interest in the obituaries of the rich and famous, not all of the obituaries she selects are of famous people, as she revealed to the American Theatre.
What's more interesting to Kaczmarek is the choices average people make in their portrayal to the public. "You have to pay for every word in an obituary," she said. "So I'm always fascinated by what people think, 'It's worth it to pay money so people know this about him.'" Even small details interest Kaczmarek, such as stating that a person helped his neighbors, or enjoyed various hobbies. "They're the most touching things," she told The Real in an onscreen appearance.
Jane Kaczmarek returned to theater
In between guest spots, Jane Kaczmarek made a big return to the theater and is making it her top priority. Kaczmarek began to dip her toes into the stage in 2008, starring in a production of "House of Blue Leaves" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Her full-scale stage comeback didn't come until a bit later when she began acting in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" at the Geffen Playhouse opposite acclaimed actor of stage and screen Alfred Molina.
Reprising the role of Mary Tyrone in the play for the first time since her Yale graduate school days, Kaczmarek found herself in the position of having Molina as a scene partner. When recording a BBC production of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" in 2015, Kaczmarek met and worked with Molina for the first time. Not long after, she found herself struck by a rare career epiphany. "Something kind of clicked," she told the Los Angeles Times. "I got in my car and called my agent and said, 'All I want to do for the rest of my life are plays with Fred Molina.'" While not all of her newest roles have been opposite Molina, it's safe to say that he reinvigorated Kaczmarek's love of the stage. The Emmy-nominated actor has traveled from Baltimore to Pasadena to star in a variety of plays over the years. Her most recent role was Stage Manager in a Sharon Playhouse production of "Our Town."
Jane Kaczmarek starred alongside Lakeith Stanfield in The Changeling
Although she's content sticking to the stage, Jane Kaczmarek didn't shy away from her most recent role in 2023's "The Changeling." It's a good thing, too, as critics have called her one of the series' highlights. Based on Victor LaValle's novel of the same name, "The Changeling" focuses on the relationship of Apollo played by Lakeith Stanfield, and Emma played by Clark Backo, as past and future events collide, causing Backo's character to question whether the couple's child is indeed their own.
Kaczmarek portrays Cal, a character Apollo encounters while investigating his wife's increasing suspicions and paranoia, in a critically lauded turn. Kaczmarek holds her own across from the lauded Stanfield, aiding him in his quest to unravel the mystery. For Kaczmarek fanatics, never fear, the show has been renewed for a second season, wrapping up the lingering questions of the first. With any luck, too, this will be a permanent return to the small screen for Kaczmarek.