JANE KACZMAREK REFLECTS ON PLAYING ALFRED MOLINA’S WIFE FOR THE 5TH TIME IN VARIOUS PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS (EXCLUSIVE)

In their latest collaboration, Netflix’s ‘The Boroughs,’ Kaczmarek once again stars as the wife of Molina’s character

NEED TO KNOW

• Jane Kaczmarek and Alfred Molina have collaborated five times, including in theater and audio dramas
• In their latest collaboration, Netflix’s The Boroughs, Kaczmarek once again stars as the wife of Molina’s character
• The pair jokingly refer to themselves as “Lunt and Fontansky,” inspired by iconic theater duo Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne

Jane Kaczmarek is looking back on her working history with Alfred Molina.

The Malcolm in the Middle, 70, actress has worked with Molina, 73, five times in various projects over the years, including in their new sci-fi series, The Boroughs, on Netflix.

“The delight for me was this is the fifth time I’m playing Alfred Molina's wife,” Kaczmarek exclusively told PEOPLE at The Boroughs premiere at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles on May 18. "We have had the most wonderful [time], in probably the last 10 years, on theater, Williamstown Theatre, [and] in Los Angeles the Geffen [Playhouse].”

She added, “And then when [The Boroughs] came along, I was like, ‘Wow, if this happens, this would be lovely, I’d die,’ but of course, it would be lovely to be with Fred again.”

Kaczmarek and Molina previously played Mary and James Tyrone in the 2017 production of Long Day's Journey Into Night at the Geffen Playhouse in L.A.

They also worked together in And No More Shall We Part at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2016, as well as two audio dramas for L.A. Theatre Works: Copenhagen and Fathers and Sons.

"We kind of refer to ourselves, as theater people only know, as Lunt and Fontanne who were Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne," she explained. "So, since I'm Polish, we refer to ourselves as Lunt and Fontansky. So whenever we write notes to each other, any time Lunt and Fontansky, I know it's from Fred."

Along with their various collaborations, the two friends are board members for the Pasadena Playhouse. During one meeting, Molina told Kaczmarek about The Boroughs.

"So, we see each other at board meetings and giggle," Kaczmarek said. "And I remember him talking about this show and he said he's doing a show called The Boroughs in New Mexico and I said, 'Is it about donkeys?' He said, 'What do you mean donkeys?' I said, 'Burros.' I thought B-U-R-R-O."

In The Boroughs, Kaczmarek plays Lilly, the wife of Molina's character, Sam, who moves into the titular retirement community, only to find himself teaming up with the other residents to fight an "otherworldly threat."

The series was executive produced by The Duffer Brothers, best known for Stranger Things.

"You just have a rapport with someone when you work together that often and we have some very dramatic scenes, and it's nice when you know the other actor and trust them and can be vulnerable. So I hope that comes through," Kaczmarek said about working with Molina again.

The show's synopsis reads: "In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don't have, time."

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Along with Molina and Kaczmarek, the show stars Geena Davis, Denis O'Hare, Clarke Peters, Alfre Woodard and Bill Pullman.

The Boroughs is now streaming on Netflix. 

Read the original article on People

2026-06-07T16:31:25Z