Janeane was born September 28, 1964 in New Jersey. This probably accounts for her acrid sensibilities. She got into comedy after her family moved to Houston, where she started showing up at the nationally- reknowned Comedy Workshop. She finally braved the stage as a senior at Providence College in Rhode Island. Upon graduation, relocated to Boston, she took any opportunity to appear at the mike. Later, at the advice of Dennis Miller's brother, she moved out to LA to pursue comedy more seriously. She first met Ben Stiller in 1990 in a Hollywood deli, over a bagel. Following multiple appearances on Miller's short-lived talk show , Stiller brought her in as a featured player on The Ben Stiller Show. A guest appearance by Gary Shandling led to a a recurring role on The Larry Sanders Show as Paula, the show talent-booker. Following the Stiller Show's cancellation in 1993, she was tapped to bring some fresh, female talent to the comedically ailing Saturday Night Live. SNL failed to showcase her abilities, and she moved on after one season. She rarely talks about her experiences with SNL, but we are assured they weren't pleasant. SNL's loss was film's gain, as these days, her career in movies is skyrocketing. Starting the Stiller-directed Reality Bites in 1994, she has been seen in Bye Bye Love, Cold Blooded, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, The Matchmaker, Copland, and in a cameo as a grunged-out waitress in Stiller's second directorial effort, The Cable Guy. More recently, she appeared in the Ben Stiller-led biopic Permanent Midnight as his character's agent. In summer 1999, she reteamed with Stiller in Mystery Men, in which she stars as a superhero called "The Bowler."