Jane Adams (born April 1, 1965) is an American actress. She made her Broadway debut in the original production of I Hate Hamlet in 1991, and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the 1994 revival of An Inspector Calls. Her film roles include Happiness (1998), Wonder Boys (2000), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and Little Children (2006). She also had a recurring role on the NBC sitcom Frasier (1999–2000), and was nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for the HBO series Hung (2009–11).
Jane Adams was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Janice, an administrative assistant, and William Adams, an engineer. She has a younger brother, Jonathan, and was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and Bellevue, Washington.
Adams attended the University of Washington, where she studied political science, and the Cornish College of the Arts, where she took theater. She attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division (1985 - 1989, Group 18) where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1989.