Janet's illustrious stage career began immediately after high school at the renowned Kansas City Starlight Theatre, where she appeared in numerous iconic musicals such as "Hello Dolly", "Guys and Dolls", "Mame", "Gypsy", "South Pacific", "Pajama Game", "Carousel", and many more. She continued her stage work in California for many years, starring alongside notable actresses Cloris Leachman in "A Couple of White Chicks" and Lynn Redgrave and John Lithgow in "Lady Windemere's Fan", among other productions.
Janet made her Broadway debut in "Little Women" alongside Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern.
Her breakthrough role in films came when she was cast as Tom Cruise's mother in the 1983 film "Risky Business". From there, she went on to star in numerous films, working almost non-stop until last year. Her film credits include "Family Business" (1989),"Memories of Me" (1988),"Forces of Nature" (1999),"The Killing Time" (1987),"Enough" (2002),"Talent for the Game" (1991),and "My Guaranteed Student Loan", among many others.
Janet's television career was equally prolific, with recurring roles or lead roles in "The Bronx Zoo" (1987),"Murphy Brown" (1988),"Melrose Place" (1992),"Married... with Children" (1987),"Bonnie" (1995),and guest appearances on "Brothers & Sisters" (2006),"Scrubs" (2001),"Designing Women" (1986),"3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996),"Mary" (1985),and many more.
Her co-stars included renowned actors and actresses such as Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Celeste Holm, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock, Billy Crystal, Alan King, Ben Affleck, Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Brad Pitt, Matthew Broderick, Billy Campbell, Lorraine Bracco, and Edward James Olmos, to name a few.
Janet won the prestigious Los Angeles Drama Logue Critics Award for outstanding achievement in theatre for Ezra Pound's "Electra". For eight years, she was the Artistic Director of The Jazz Series at The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. Janet was also the co-founder of "The Victory Ball" in Westport CT, annually benefiting the ALS Foundation (Lou Gehrig's Disease). She served on the Executive Board of Directors of Ginny Mancini's "Society of Singers" as VP of Development.
Janet's ashes will be spread in the Edgebrook Lutheran Church Memorial Garden in Chicago, Illinois, in a ceremony to be determined at a later date.
