# Jayne Brook
**Jayne Brook** is the stage name of Jane Anderson Terlesky, an American film and television actress known for playing Dr. Diane Grad on the CBS medical drama *Chicago Hope* and Vice Admiral Katrina Cornwell on *Star Trek: Discovery*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 September; Northbrook, Illinois; birth year is given as 1960 by NNDB and Memory Alpha and as 1962 by TV Insider and Rotten Tomatoes[1](https://www.nndb.com/people/100/000103788/) • [2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/) |
| Education | Duke University, drama, class of 1982; part of her senior year at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, then graduate work at Oxford University[4](https://dukemag.duke.edu/stories/seeds-career) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/) |
| Signature TV role | Dr. Diane Grad on *Chicago Hope* (CBS, 1994–1999), a series regular for four and a half seasons; three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for ensemble in a drama series, 1997–1999[5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook) • [2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook) |
| Film debut | Teacher at JFK High School in *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace* (1987)[6](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/263255-Jayne-Brook) |
| Science fiction role | Starfleet Vice Admiral Katrina Cornwell, *Star Trek: Discovery*, seasons 1 and 2, 12 episodes, 2017–2019[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1456/jayne-brook) |
| Marriage | Actor and director John Terlesky, married 11 May 1996; two grown daughters[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook) • [5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook) |
## Early life and training
Brook grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and graduated from [Glenbrook North High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/glenbrook-north-high-school) in 1978[1](https://www.nndb.com/people/100/000103788/) • [5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook). She studied drama at [Duke University](https://www.edgepedia.org/duke-university), graduating in 1982, and has credited the friendships and theatrical work of her Duke years as the seed of her career[4](https://dukemag.duke.edu/stories/seeds-career). After her undergraduate degree and a senior-year stint at the Eugene O'Neill Theater, she did graduate work at Oxford University[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/).
She then spent five years working in London theater, appearing in productions of *Every Black Day*, *Much Ado About Nothing*, and *Danny and the Deep Blue Sea*[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/). Her profile on the festival platform FilmFreeway also lists London stage appearances in *Dreams in an Empty City* and *You're Gonna Love Tomorrow*[5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook). She worked briefly as a model before moving to Los Angeles for television work[8](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jayne-brook).
## Television career
**1990s.** Brook's early American television roles included guest parts on *The Endless Game* (1989) and *Equal Justice* (1990)[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook). She was cast as news producer Ann Hudson on the short-lived CBS series *WIOU* (1990–91)[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/), followed by the television film *Doing Time on Maple Drive* (Fox, 1992), in which she played a daughter unsure about having a baby[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/). In 1993 she starred as newly married rookie police officer Sarah Berkezchuk in the first season of ABC's *Sirens*, where she worked for the first time with her future husband John Terlesky[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook). She also had recurring roles in *The Old Boy Network* (1992) and *L.A. Law* (1993)[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook).
*Chicago Hope* became her defining role. She joined the cast in a recurring part during the first season, and the role of Dr. Diane Grad was made regular in the show's second season; she remained through the end of the fifth season in 1999[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/) • [2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook). Her own FilmFreeway biography describes the part as a series regular for four and a half seasons[5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook). Her work in the ensemble earned three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series between 1997 and 1999[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook). In 1998 she reprised Dr. Grad in a crossover with *Early Edition*, appearing in the second-season episode "Mum's the Word"[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook).
**2000s and 2010s.** After *Chicago Hope*, Brook had a recurring role in *Sports Night* (1999–2000) and played Mary Ann Mitchell, an aide in the office of the police chief, on *The District* from 2000 to 2002[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook) • [9](https://nerdspin.com/db/people/11627/jayne-brook). She was a series regular as Jamie Avery on *John Doe* (2002–03)[1](https://www.nndb.com/people/100/000103788/) • [5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook). From the mid-2000s onward she worked largely in guest and recurring parts across network dramas: Rachel Lewiston in four episodes of *Boston Legal* (2006), for which she won a Prism Award for Performance in a Drama Series, Multi-Episode Storyline in 2007[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook); Dr. Meg Porter in five episodes of *[Private Practice](https://www.edgepedia.org/private-practice-tv-series)* (2008)[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook); and single-episode or short-arc appearances on *Grey's Anatomy*, *Castle*, *Eli Stone*, *NCIS*, *CSI: Miami*, *Without a Trace*, *Everwood*, *Brothers & Sisters*, *Revenge*, and *Rizzoli & Isles*[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/). In 2017 she appeared in four episodes of *Major Crimes* as Vicky Landon[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook).
## Star Trek: Discovery
In 2017 Brook was cast as Starfleet Vice Admiral Katrina Cornwell on *Star Trek: Discovery*, appearing in four episodes of the first season and returning for the second season in 2019[10](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-11708/filmografia/) • [7](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1456/jayne-brook). She has said that the producers, Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg, whom she had worked with before, called and asked her to play the admiral role[10](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-11708/filmografia/). In a 2017 StarTrek.com interview she said she had never auditioned for [Star Trek](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-trek) before and had not followed the franchise closely, though she knew the original series from childhood repeats[11](https://www.startrek.com/en-ca/news/interview-discoverys-jayne-brook). Duke University connections followed her into the role: she formed a friendship with Duke professor Mohamed Noor, now executive vice provost, a Star Trek fan, after appearing on the series[4](https://dukemag.duke.edu/stories/seeds-career).
## Film work
Brook's feature career developed more slowly than her television work. After *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace* (1987) and small parts in *Kindergarten Cop* (1990) and *Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead* (1991), she took larger roles in *Clean Slate* (1994) and as [Paul Reiser](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-reiser)'s ex-wife in *Bye Bye, Love* (1995)[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/). In 1996 she played [Matt LeBlanc](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-leblanc)'s love interest in *Ed* and appeared in Bruce Beresford's *Last Dance*; in 1997 she had a supporting role as Marie Freeman in *Gattaca*, the highest-rated film of her career on Rotten Tomatoes at 82 percent[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/) • [12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jayne_brook). Later film work includes *Into My Heart* (1998), *My Mother, the Spy* (2000), and *The Sweet Life* (2016)[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook).
## Later work
Brook has moved toward work behind the camera. She wrote, produced, and directed the short film *Flip Side* (2024) and is developing a proof-of-concept short for a feature film[5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook). Her stage work in Los Angeles includes starring opposite [Christine Lahti](https://www.edgepedia.org/christine-lahti) at the Geffen Playhouse in the LA premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's *Third*, playing Goneril in a Los Angeles production of *King Lear* in 2006, and leading Elliot Shoenman's *A Heap of Livin* at the Odyssey Theater[2](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook) • [5](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook).
## References
1. [Jayne Brook, NNDB](https://www.nndb.com/people/100/000103788/)
2. [Jayne Brook, Memory Alpha (Fandom)](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook)
3. [Jayne Brook – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jayne-brook/)
4. [Seeds of a Career, Duke Magazine](https://dukemag.duke.edu/stories/seeds-career)
5. [Jayne Brook, FilmFreeway](https://filmfreeway.com/JayneBrook)
6. [Jayne Brook, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/263255-Jayne-Brook)
7. [Jayne Brook, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1456/jayne-brook)
8. [Jayne Brook Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/jayne-brook)
9. [Jayne Brook, Nerdspin](https://nerdspin.com/db/people/11627/jayne-brook)
10. [Jayne Brook : Filmografía, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-11708/filmografia/)
11. [INTERVIEW: Discovery's Jayne Brook, StarTrek.com](https://www.startrek.com/en-ca/news/interview-discoverys-jayne-brook)
12. [Jayne Brook, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jayne_brook)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Br to B*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license