Who played Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock?

Jane Krakowski played Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock. Jenna is the ambitious, theatrical co-star of TGS and Liz Lemon’s best friend, whose constant pursuit of fame supplies some of the show’s most exaggerated comedy.

Krakowski joined the series after the role changed during development. In the unaired pilot, former Saturday Night Live performer Rachel Dratch played the character, who was then called Jenna DeCarlo. NBC subsequently cast Krakowski and renamed the character Jenna Maroney before the broadcast series premiered.

Jenna is often mistaken for Liz Lemon because both women are central female characters, but Tina Fey played Liz. Krakowski’s performance earned four Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She appeared as Jenna throughout the original 2006–2013 series and in the 2020 one-time special.