Jane Leeves was born on April 18th, 1962 in London. However, Jane grew up in East Grinstead.

In her teenage years, Jane modeled and was a very keen dancer, until a knee injury in 1981 forced her to pursue her acting talents and partake in less strenuous dancing. This led to a handful of non-speaking roles, most notably in The Benny Hill Show.

Later that year, Jane realized that America would present more career opportunities than Britain, and she left for the hustle and bustle of LA. Fame and fortune didn't come easy to Jane, despite her first film role in 'To Live And Die in LA' (1985).

Jane's first major acting role came in 1986 alongside Diana Canova in the syndicated sitcom 'Throb'. Although the show itself wasn't a success, it was clear Leeves was a star in the making. After 'Throb' finished it's run in 1988, for the next few years Jane made several guest appearances in TV comedies, including playing Miles' girlfriend Audrey in the hit CBS show, 'Murphy Brown'.

Notoriety was achieved as recently as 1992, when Leeves appeared in "The Contest", a controversial episode of NBC's 'Seinfeld'.

Jane's big break came in 1993, when she was cast as Daphne Moon, the warm hearted English healthcare worker in the 'Cheers' spin off 'Frasier'.

The show was an immediate hit in the US, and American audiences warmed to the sweet, if a little eccentric, character of Daphne. When 'Frasier' aired in the UK, it met with widespread acclaim among critics and viewers alike. Leeves quickly adapted into her role, whilst the sub-plot of the Niles-Daphne 'relationship' was becoming an intriguing part of this brilliant comedy.

1996 was another remarkable year for Jane, both professionally and personally. As well as more 'Frasier', she also provided voice talent on Disney's 'James And The Giant Peach' alongside Joanna Lumley and Pete Poslethwaite. Jane also got married that year to Paramount TV executive Marshall Coben, in Kent.

Jane recently set up a production company called Bristol Cities with her friend and co-star in 'Frasier', Peri Gilpin (Roz Doyle).

Jane currently lives with her husband and cat Matilda in Los Angeles.

Some five years on since the first episode of 'Frasier', Jane has become one of the most admired comedy actresses in not only the States, but across the world. This respect was finally recognized, when Jane was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the 1998 Emmy Awards.

Jane has also recently starred in Wes Craven's new film '50 Violins' 'The Music Of My Heart'. She plays the wife of a music teacher, who tries to persuade her husband to invest in a school project.