Jane Anderson

{{Short description|American playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker and actress}}

{{for-multi|the World War II broadcaster known as the "Georgia Peach"|Jane Anderson (journalist)|the British physician|Jane Anderson (physician)}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Jane Anderson

|image =

|caption =

|birth_date =

|birth_place =

|occupation = Playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, actress

|years_active = 1982–present

|spouse =

|children =

}}

Jane Anderson is an American playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, and actress. She wrote and directed the feature film The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005), and wrote the film It Could Happen to You (1994), starring Nicolas Cage. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her work on the miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014).

Career

Jane Anderson got her start as an actress, before getting her first writing job as a writer and consultant on the sitcom The Facts of Life (on which she had also appeared). She followed this up by creating the short-lived sitcom Raising Miranda, which was cancelled in its first season. She then had several other TV series gigs, and wrote her first play, The Baby Dance (1989).

Her first film experience was writing the 1993 HBO film The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom, starring Holly Hunter; the film was critically acclaimed, and TV critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall in their 2016 book TV (The Book) named it the 2nd greatest American TV movie of all time, behind Steven Spielberg's Duel.{{cite book|last1= Sepinwall |first1= Alan |last2= Seitz |first2= Matt Zoller |author-link1= Alan Sepinwall |author-link2= Matt Zoller Seitz |title= TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time |date= September 2016 |publisher= Grand Central Publishing |location=New York, NY |isbn= 9781455588190 |page= 372 |edition= 1st }} She later wrote and directed several other critically acclaimed television movies, including The Baby Dance (1998), based on her play and starring Stockard Channing and Laura Dern; When Billie Beat Bobby (2001) starring Holly Hunter and Ron Silver; and Normal (2003), based on her play Looking for Normal and starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson. She also wrote the segment "1961" of the 2000 HBO film If These Walls Could Talk 2, which won Vanessa Redgrave an Emmy Award for her portrayal of an elderly lesbian prevented from hospital visitation with her dying long-time companion.

She became a writer for the AMC television drama Mad Men for the show's second season in 2008. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series for her work on the second season.{{Cite web|url=http://wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=3410 |title=2009 Writers Guild Awards Television, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominees Announced |access-date=2008-12-12 |publisher=WGA |year=2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212052838/http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=3410 |archive-date=2008-12-12 }}

In 2015, Anderson wrote the documentary Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson about her great-aunt, Edith Lake Wilkinson, a lesbian and painter who was institutionalized in the 1920s and spent the rest of her life in an asylum for the mentally ill.{{Cite news|url=https://bitchmedia.org/post/a-heartfelt-documentary-unpacks-the-work-of-a-forgotten-lesbian-artist|title=A Heartfelt Documentary Unpacks the Work of a Forgotten Lesbian Artist {{!}} Bitch Media|newspaper=Bitch Media|access-date=2016-11-03}} Anderson cites Wilkinson as an inspiration for her own drawing.

In 2017, Anderson wrote the Glenn Close-starring The Wife.

Works and performances

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Producer ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1994 \| It Could Happen to You \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
1995 \| How to Make an American Quilt \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
2005 \| {{sortname\|The\|Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
2015 \| Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Documentary
2017 \| The Wife \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Writer

! Producer

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1994

| It Could Happen to You

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

1995

| How to Make an American Quilt

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2005

| {{sortname|The|Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2015

| Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| Documentary

2017

| The Wife

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Writer ! Producer ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1986 \| {{sortname\|The\|Facts of Life\|The Facts of Life (TV series)}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| Episodes "The Apartment", "Ready or Not" and "Write and Wrong"
1988 \| Raising Miranda \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Episodes "Black Monday" and "Home for the Holidays"
1989 \| {{sortname\|The\|Wonder Years}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| Episode "How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation"
1991 \| {{sortname\|The\|Hidden Room\|The Hidden Room (TV series)}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| Episodes "Dream Child" and "A Type of Love Story"
2008 \| Mad Men \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Episode "The Gold Violin"
2014 \| Olive Kitteridge \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Miniseries

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Writer

! Producer

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1986

| {{sortname|The|Facts of Life|The Facts of Life (TV series)}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Episodes "The Apartment", "Ready or Not" and "Write and Wrong"

1988

| Raising Miranda

| {{yes}}

| Episodes "Black Monday" and "Home for the Holidays"

1989

| {{sortname|The|Wonder Years}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Episode "How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation"

1991

| {{sortname|The|Hidden Room|The Hidden Room (TV series)}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Episodes "Dream Child" and "A Type of Love Story"

2008

| Mad Men

| {{yes}}

| Episode "The Gold Violin"

2014

| Olive Kitteridge

| {{yes}}

| Miniseries

TV movies

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Director ! Writer ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1993 \| {{sortname\|The\|Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \|
1998 \| {{sortname\|The\|Baby Dance}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2000 \| If These Walls Could Talk 2 \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Segment "1961"
2001 \| When Billie Beat Bobby \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|
2003 \| Normal \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Director

! Writer

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1993

| {{sortname|The|Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes}}

1998

| {{sortname|The|Baby Dance}}

| {{yes}}

2000

| If These Walls Could Talk 2

| {{yes}}

| Segment "1961"

2001

| When Billie Beat Bobby

| {{yes}}

2003

| Normal

| {{yes}}

= Plays =

The Baby Dance (1989)
Looking for Normal (2001){{cite web |title=Looking for Normal |url=https://variety.com/2001/legit/reviews/looking-for-normal-1200467838/ |first=Joel |last=Hirschorn |date=April 15, 2001 |work=Variety}}
Defying Gravity
The Quality of Life (2007){{cite web |title=Jane Anderson's 'Quality of Life' at ACT |url=https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Jane-Anderson-s-Quality-of-Life-at-ACT-3264158.php |first=Edward |last=Guthmann |date=October 29, 2008 |work=San Francisco Chronicle}}
The Escort: An Explicit Play for Discriminating People (2011){{cite web |title=Jane Anderson explores sexual conflict in 'The Escort' |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-mar-06-la-ca-spring-jane-anderson-20110306-story.html |first=Maria Elena |last=Fernandez |date=March 6, 2011 |work=Los Angeles Times}}
The Baby Dance: Mixed (2018; revised version of The Baby Dance){{cite web |title=Interview: Playwright Jane Anderson Discusses the Relevance of THE BABY DANCE: MIXED a the Rubicon |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Interview-Playwright-Jane-Anderson-Discusses-the-Relevance-of-THE-BABR-DANCEMIXED-a-the-Rubicon-20180507 |first=Don |last=Grigware |date=May 7, 2018 |work=Broadway World}}

Other credits

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1985–86 \|{{sortname\|The\|Facts of Life\|The Facts of Life (TV series)}} \|rowspan=2\|Program consultant \|5 episodes
1986 \|Who's the Boss? \|Episode "Charmed Lives"
1989 \|{{sortname\|The\|Wonder Years}} \|Executive story editor \|7 episodes

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1985–86

|{{sortname|The|Facts of Life|The Facts of Life (TV series)}}

|rowspan=2|Program consultant

|5 episodes

1986

|Who's the Boss?

|Episode "Charmed Lives"

1989

|{{sortname|The|Wonder Years}}

|Executive story editor

|7 episodes

= Acting roles =

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1978 \|{{sortname\|The\|Billy Crystal Comedy Hour\|nolink=1}} \|Regular performer \|TV series
1978 \|Girlfriends \|Omega Receptionist \|Film
1984 \|P.O.P. \|Dana McNeil \|TV film
1984 \|E/R \|Mrs. Grettie \|"Only a Nurse"
1985 \|{{sortname\|The\|Facts of Life\|The Facts of Life (TV series)}} \|Karen \|"We Get Letters"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1978

|{{sortname|The|Billy Crystal Comedy Hour|nolink=1}}

|Regular performer

|TV series

1978

|Girlfriends

|Omega Receptionist

|Film

1984

|P.O.P.

|Dana McNeil

|TV film

1984

|E/R

|Mrs. Grettie

|"Only a Nurse"

1985

|{{sortname|The|Facts of Life|The Facts of Life (TV series)}}

|Karen

|"We Get Letters"

Awards and nominations

Emmy Award for writing The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993)
Emmy Award nominations for writing and directing The Baby Dance (1998)
Emmy Award nomination for writing Normal (2003)
Emmy Award nomination for writing If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000) (For episode "1961")
Women in Film Lucy Award (2000) in recognition of excellence and innovation in a writing a creative work (If These Walls Could Talk 2) that has enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television{{cite web |url=http://wif.org/past-recipients |title=Past Recipients |access-date=2011-05-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830035734/http://www.wif.org/past-recipients |archive-date=2011-08-30 }}
Directors Guild of America Award nomination for directing Normal (2003)
Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series for her work on the second season of Mad Men (2008)
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award (2008) for Outstanding World Premiere Play for writing The Quality of Life{{cite web|url=http://www.theatermania.com/los-angeles-theater/news/03-2008/brown-guirgis-letscher-metcalf-et-al-win-ladcc-awa_13226.html|title=Brown, Guirgis, Letscher, Metcalf, et al. Win LADCC Awards|date=18 March 2008 |access-date=18 October 2015}}
Two Ovation Awards (2008) for writing The Quality of Life{{cite web|url=http://www.broadway.com/buzz/97879/2008-ovation-award-winners-announced/|title=2008 Ovation Award Winners Announced|access-date=18 October 2015}}
Writers Guild of America Award for Best Long Form Adapted Series for writing Olive Kitteridge (2015)
Emmy Award for writing Olive Kitteridge (2015)

References

External links

{{IMDb name | id = 0026862 | name = Jane Anderson }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20071016162511/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5141/is_200512/ai_n18577832 Profile at Curve]

{{Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Long Form – Adapted}}

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights

Category:20th-century American women writers

Category:American television actresses

Category:American television directors

Category:American television producers

Category:American lesbian writers

Category:American LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights

Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters

Category:American women dramatists and playwrights

Category:American women film directors