Born:
April 18, 1961
in
Ilford, Essex
Best Known For:
Her kooky character on Frasier.
Early-life:
Jane was born in Ilford, Essex, on April 18, 1961, and grew up in East Grinstead, Sussex. She originally trained to be a ballerina, but an injury at 18 halted her career. She went on to work as a model, was one of the dancers on The Benny Hill Show and appeared in commercials and rock videos - doing less strenuous dancing - before getting the acting bug. The profession had always appealed to Jane, who wrote in a schoolbook that she wanted to be an actress when she was a five-year-old.
Career:
After moving to Los Angeles, Leeves appeared in a series called Throb and made guest appearances in a number of shows, including Seinfeld and the miniseries Pandora's Clock. Her big break came in 1993 when she was cast as Daphne Moon in Cheers spin-off Frasier. Leeves has starred on Broadway as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and played parts in a variety of films, including Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), To Live and Die in LA (1985), Miracle on 34th Street (1994) and Music of the Heart (1999). Since 2010, she has starred in the sitcom Hot in Cleveland.
Quote:
"I wish I were more like Daphne - she's so comfortable with who she is."
Trivia:
She launched a production company called Bristol Cities with her sister Kathryn and Frasier co-star Peri Gilpin.