<P> Jane Frances Kaczmarek (born December 21, 1955) is an American actress . She is best known for playing the character of Lois on the television series Malcolm in the Middle (2000--06). Kaczmarek is a three - time Golden Globe and seven - time Emmy Award nominee . </P> <P> Kaczmarek was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Evelyn (née Gregorska), a teacher, and Edward Kaczmarek, a US Department of Defense worker . Of Polish ancestry, she grew up in Greendale, where she was raised a Roman Catholic . She majored in theater at the University of Wisconsin--Madison and later attended graduate school at the Yale School of Drama, where she was a part of its theater company . </P> <P> In 1998, Kaczmarek was cast as David and Jennifer's mother in the movie Pleasantville . She has had several Broadway hits, including Lost in Yonkers and Raised in Captivity, where she won an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award . Her first television role was that of Margie Spoletto on For Lovers Only (1982). One of her first notable appearances was in the famous 1984 movie Falling in Love, starring Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, playing the role of Ann Raftis, De Niro's character's wife . She also played a role in The Heavenly Kid in 1985 as Emily . </P> <P> Kaczmarek has also appeared in over 40 television roles, the most notable including: </P>

Who played the mom on malcolm in the middle