Jane Badler — Biography
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on the very last day of 1953, Jane Badler achieved significant fame for her portrayal of Diana, the menacing reptilian leader of the alien Visitors, in the iconic NBC science fiction productions: the mini-series V in 1983, its follow-up V: The Final Battle in 1984, and the ensuing V television series that same year. She later reprised the role for the final season of the more recent V series in 2009.
Badler spent her formative teenage years in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she was a student at Central High School. Her early ambitions led her to win the Miss New Hampshire title, earning her a place in the 1972 Miss America Pageant. Subsequently, she pursued her passion for acting at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Her professional acting career gained significant momentum in 1977 when she secured her first prominent role on the television soap opera One Life to Live. As Melinda Cramer Janssen, she remained with the show until 1981 and made a brief return to the character in 1983. She also appeared on the long-running soap opera The Doctors.
Badler's television credits extended to other notable series. She portrayed Meredith Braxton on Falcon Crest from 1986 to 1987. Later, she took on the role of Agent Shannon Reed in the Australian-filmed revival of Mission: Impossible, which aired in 1988. Her career also includes numerous guest appearances on various television shows.
Following her work on Mission: Impossible in Australia, Jane Badler relocated to the country, where she married businessman Stephen Haines. The couple are parents to two sons, Sam and Harry. In Australia, her television work included a role on Cluedo in 1992, a series based on the popular board game known as Clue in the United States. She also made a guest appearance in Snowy River: The McGregor Saga in 1993. The 1990s also saw Badler embark on a career in theatre and cabaret, notably with her one-woman show, "The Love Goddess: Rita Hayworth."
Badler spent her formative teenage years in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she was a student at Central High School. Her early ambitions led her to win the Miss New Hampshire title, earning her a place in the 1972 Miss America Pageant. Subsequently, she pursued her passion for acting at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Her professional acting career gained significant momentum in 1977 when she secured her first prominent role on the television soap opera One Life to Live. As Melinda Cramer Janssen, she remained with the show until 1981 and made a brief return to the character in 1983. She also appeared on the long-running soap opera The Doctors.
Badler's television credits extended to other notable series. She portrayed Meredith Braxton on Falcon Crest from 1986 to 1987. Later, she took on the role of Agent Shannon Reed in the Australian-filmed revival of Mission: Impossible, which aired in 1988. Her career also includes numerous guest appearances on various television shows.
Following her work on Mission: Impossible in Australia, Jane Badler relocated to the country, where she married businessman Stephen Haines. The couple are parents to two sons, Sam and Harry. In Australia, her television work included a role on Cluedo in 1992, a series based on the popular board game known as Clue in the United States. She also made a guest appearance in Snowy River: The McGregor Saga in 1993. The 1990s also saw Badler embark on a career in theatre and cabaret, notably with her one-woman show, "The Love Goddess: Rita Hayworth."
