Jane Curtin’s Journey: From Office Life to Comedy Stardom
Let’s face it—office life just wasn’t for Jane Curtin. During a recent Q&A with SAG-AFTRA Foundation in NYC, Jane joked, “The lighting is terrible, and who wants to work with people who aren’t interesting? We’re the ones who bring creativity, imagination, humor, and empathy to the table. Honestly, who’s better than us?” At 70, Jane remains one of the most iconic comedic actors in the business. Her ability to make us laugh while staying relatable is unmatched.
Jane’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary, spanning everything from sketch comedy as one of the original stars of Saturday Night Live to hit sitcoms like Kate & Allie and 3rd Rock From the Sun. She’s even made her mark on the big screen, starring alongside Melissa McCarthy in the critically acclaimed film Can You Ever Forgive Me?. When asked about her success, Jane humbly credits her persistence. “I’ve always wanted to stay in this business and do what I love,” she says. “You have to keep pushing forward, no matter what.”
Jane Curtin on Saturday Night Live in 1977.
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Growing Up and Finding Her Voice
As a child growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Jane faced expectations that didn’t quite align with her dreams. Her father, an insurance agent, encouraged her to pursue traditional careers like teaching or secretarial work. But Jane drew inspiration from her mother, a graduate of Radcliffe College, who raised four children but yearned for more. “My mom was great at raising kids,” Jane recalls, “but she wasn’t fulfilled. I realized early on that I needed to find something that would truly make me happy.”
And boy, did she find it. Comedy became Jane’s passion, and Saturday Night Live launched her into the spotlight when she took over the Weekend Update desk in 1976. “That segment became mine,” Jane says with pride. “It didn’t matter what else happened on the show—Weekend Update was my time to shine.”
The Early Days of Saturday Night Live: Bonding and Challenges
At Saturday Night Live, Jane formed strong bonds with her female co-stars Laraine Newman and the late, great Gilda Radner. “The women writers and performers were incredibly tight-knit,” she explains. “We supported each other through thick and thin, because let’s be honest—it wasn’t easy working in a male-dominated industry back then.”
Of course, not everyone made things easy. Jane admits there were challenges along the way. “Chevy Chase could be difficult to work with,” she recalls. “And John Belushi would sometimes go into my dressing room and rifle through my purse. Producer Lorne Michaels didn’t intervene much, but hey, we powered through it all.”
