USA’s ‘Playing House’ Taps ‘Malcolm in the Middle’s’ Jane Kaczmarek as Lead’s Mother

The actress will appear on the cable channel’s new buddy comedy in a multiple episode arc

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USA’s upcoming gal pal comedy, “Playing House,” has tapped Jane Kaczmarek in a multiple episode guest starring role.

Kaczmarek will play Emma’s (star and executive producer, Jessica St. Clair) mom, Gwen. She’s described as “perfectly coiffed and extremely opinionated.”

When viewers meet Gwen, she’ll be in the middle of a “midlife renaissance — writing beat poetry, wearing open-toed sandals and discovering the joys of fro-yo.” Emma and Gwen have been estranged and they’ll have to see if they can make their relationship work.

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Kaczmarek starred for seven seasons on Fox’s “Malcolm in the Middle” as mom Lois, a role that earned her seven Emmy nominations. She has also appeared on “Whitney,” “The Middle,” “Felicity,” and voices Red Jessica on Disney Junior’s “Jake and the Neverland Pirates.”

St. Clair and co-star Lennon Parham (“Best Friends Forever”) executive produce “Playing House,” which follows Emma as she leaves her business career abroad and returns to her hometown to help childhood bestie, Maggie (Parham), with her pregnancy after leaving her cheating husband. Meanwhile, Emma has to deal with all the memories and people she left behind more than a decade before.

“Playing House” also stars Keegan-Michael Key.

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Scot Armstrong, Judah Miller, and Ravi Nandan also serve as executive producers on the Universal Cable Productions series, which premieres on the USA Network this spring.

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