- Born
- Birth nameJaneane Marie Garofalo
- Nickname
- Jane Anne Garofalo
- Height5′ 1″ (1.55 m)
- Janeane, the petite woman with the acerbic wit, was born in Newton, New Jersey, in 1964, to Joan, a secretary, and Carmine Garofalo, an Exxon executive. She is of Italian and Irish descent. Janeane had many jobs before breaking into show biz. She worked as a bike messenger, a shoe saleswoman, waitress and temp secretary. Watching David Letterman on TV inspired her to write comedy, and by 1985 she was doing stand up comedy. As such, Janeane has become a cult figure, giving a voice to a generation, venting her frustration at T.V., romance, life in general and anything that ticks her off in particular. Janeane did sketches on The Ben Stiller Show (1992) (an Emmy-winning, but canceled show). She would continue to collaborate with Ben Stiller in future projects. Janeane received 2 Emmy nominations for her work on The Larry Sanders Show (1992), developing her signature character: a smart, cynical woman with a razor wit. She was not happy with her Saturday Night Live (1975) stint in 1994, and was vocal about it (of course). Transferring her persona from TV to the big screen, she moved on to movies, basically playing the character she had defined for herself. In Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) she portrayed a smart, cynical, successful businesswomen with a razor wit, and this time with swear words (in the movie she had developed a brand of cigarettes with fast-burning paper, for the gal on the go; in real life it is alleged she smokes Marlboros). Janeane continues to work in TV and movies, often collaborating with Ben Stiller in a number of movies like Mystery Men (1999), his easygoing style being a counterpoint to her caustic nature.
- IMDb mini biography by: kdhaisch@aol.com
- SpousesBrody Tate(April 4, 2015 - present)Robert Cohen(August 16, 1992 - November 10, 2012) (divorced)
- ParentsJoan Garofalo
- Deadpan cynicism
- Garofalo, barely five feet tall, sometimes had to stand on a box just to be in the same frame with 6-foot co-star Uma Thurman in The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996).
- Was the original choice to play Monica on Friends (1994), but turned down the role.
- She has referred to Saturday Night Live (1975) as the worst experience in her professional life.
- A self-described neo-Luddite, she reportedly has no smartphone, computer or email address.
- The original pitch for Just Shoot Me! (1997) was Garofalo getting stuck in a waiting room with a model with whom she has nothing in common. Garofalo later became the template for Laura San Giacomo's role of Maya Gallo.
- I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half-empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth.
- "Many people feel that mass acceptance and smooth socialization are desirable life paths for a young adult... Many people are often wrong... Don't bother being nice. Being popular and well liked is not in your best interest. Let me be more clear; if you behave in a manner pleasing to most, then you are probably doing something wrong. The masses have never been arbiters of the sublime, and they often fail to recognize the truly great individual. Taking into account the public's regrettable lack of taste, it is incumbent upon you not to fit in." (From her book "Feel This Book," co-written with Ben Stiller)
- After 9/11 disaster from article in Commentary magazine, November 2001: "Who would have thought that I'd be angry on behalf of my country? I'm used to being angry at my country."
- The world would be better off with multiple superpowers. When Communist USSR was a superpower, the world was better off.
- Our country is founded on a sham: our forefathers were slave-owning rich white guys who wanted it their way. So when I see the American flag, I go, 'Oh my God, you're insulting me.' That you can have a gay parade on Christopher Street in New York, with naked men and women on a float cheering, 'We're here, we're queer!' -- that's what makes my heart swell. Not the flag, but a gay naked man or woman burning the flag. I get choked up with pride.
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