Person Biography:
Jane Alexander, a talented and versatile actress, was born Jane Quigley on October 28, 1939, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents, Thomas and Ruth Elizabeth Quigley, were a surgeon and a nurse, respectively. Jane attended Beaver Country Day School, an all-girls facility, where she first became interested in acting and made her stage debut as an adolescent in a production of "Treasure Island".
After college, Jane studied math and theater at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. However, a chance to study at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where she became a member of the Edinburgh University Dramatic Society, led her to focus solely on acting.
Jane's early career included roles in "The Inspector General" and "Look Back in Anger". She gained critical success in 1967 with her performance in the landmark production of "The Great White Hope" at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC, opposite James Earl Jones. The play went to Broadway the following year, and both Jane and Jones won Tony and Drama Desk Awards for their performances, earning Academy Award nominations for their film adaptation.
Throughout her career, Jane has received numerous Tony nominations for her stage work, including performances in "6 Rms Riv Vu", "Find Your Way Home", "First Monday in October", "The Visit", "The Sisters Rosenzweig", and "Honour". She has also appeared in numerous TV movies and series, earning Emmy nominations for her performances in "Eleanor and Franklin" and "Warm Springs", and winning the coveted award for 'Best Supporting Actress' for her role in "Warm Springs".
In addition to her acting career, Jane has been active in various organizations and boards, including the National Endowment for the Arts, where she served as chairman from 1993 to 1997. She has also been recognized with numerous honorary doctorates and awards, including the Israel Cultural Award and the Helen Caldicott Leadership Award.
In recent years, Jane has continued to act in film and television, appearing in projects such as "The Ring", "Feast of Love", "Gigantic", "The Unborn", "Terminator Salvation", "Last Love", and "Three Christs". She has also had recurring roles on TV shows such as "Law & Order", "Forgive Me", "The Black List", "The Good Wife", "Elementary", "The Good Fight", "Modern Love", and "Tell Me You Love Me".
