Jana Kramer

2002–2011: Acting career and record deal

In 2002, Kramer made her acting debut in the low-budget independent horror film Dead/Undead. The following year she guest appeared on All My Children, which marked her television debut. Kramer has since continued to appear in a number of television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and CSI: NY. She has also had small supporting roles in films such as Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Click, Prom Night, Heart of the Country, and Country Crush. She was also in Spring Breakdown.

In 2007, Kramer appeared in a recurring role on the NBC sports drama television series Friday Night Lights. She played the role of Noelle Davenport in the series' second season. In 2008, Kramer appeared in The CW teen drama series 90210, a reboot of the 1990s teen drama television series Beverly Hills 90210. She played the role of high school student Portia Ranson and made her debut in the first season's second episode "The Jet Set". Her role went on for six episodes and Kramer made her final appearance in "The Party's Over", which aired May 5, 2009. In 2009, Kramer appeared on the HBO dramedy television series Entourage. She played the role of a sorority girl who seduces the character Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and appeared in four episodes.

In June 2009, it was announced Kramer would star in the seventh season of CW drama television series One Tree Hill. She played the role of Alex Dupre, an actress and tabloid darling who becomes the new face of Brooke Davis's fashion line, "Clothes Over Bros", and creates havoc for the residents of Tree Hill. Kramer made her debut in the season's first episode. Initially her appearance on the show was meant to be in a recurring form, but her role was upgraded to a series regular by the season's fourteenth episode, "Family Affair". In March 2012, Kramer made the announcement that she would no longer be making regular appearances in the show's ninth and final season, as she decided to focus on her music career. Her last appearance on the show occurred in the second episode of the ninth season, "In the Room Where You Sleep," which was aired on January 18, 2012.^[16]

In February 2011, Kramer signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. That same month she premiered her promo track, "I Won't Give Up", which premiered in the One Tree Hill episode, "Holding Out for a Hero", and was released the following day exclusively on iTunes and Amazon. The song reached number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following month Kramer began work on her debut album. Country music producer Scott Hendricks produced the majority of the record. In April 2011, Kramer released another promo track, titled "Whiskey", which she also performed on One Tree Hill. The song reached number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on digital sales alone.^[17]

2012–present: Jana Kramer, and Dancing with the Stars

In February 2012, Kramer was cast as the protagonist in the independent drama film, Heart of the Country, playing the role of a privileged young woman, Faith Carraday,^[18] who is following her show-biz dreams but leaves it all and moves to rural North Carolina after her husband is jailed for Wall Street fraud. Kramer is also attached to a horror film named The Gatekeeper.^[19]

On January 16, 2012, Kramer released her official debut single, "Why Ya Wanna". She premiered the official music video, directed by Kristin Barlowe, on February 6, 2012. The song peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Whiskey" is the album's second official single. On June 1, 2012, Kramer made her first televised live performance on Fox & Friends to promote her debut album. She performed "Why Ya Wanna" in front of a crowd of fans in New York City. On June 5, 2012, she released her self-titled debut album Jana Kramer. The record received positive reviews from critics with many praising Kramer's vocal performance.

On June 5, 2013, Nationwide Insurance released the first of a series of commercials in its "Join the Nation" campaign, featuring Kramer as a stealthy woman dressed in black leather who follows a team of burglars and replaces the items they steal with newer versions to promote Nationwide's "Brand New Belongings" initiative.^[20] Nationwide had signed Kramer to sing the Nationwide jingle in August 2012.^[21] A second commercial, released in April 2014, featured Kramer's character replacing items in a fire-blackened apartment to promote Nationwide's renters' insurance.^[22] In November 2014, Jana reprised her Nationwide role, this time as a sexy Santa Claus-like figure replacing items during Christmas season. Nationwide's advertising partner McKinney is behind the spots.^[23]

In July 2013, Kramer opened for Blake Shelton on his Ten Times Crazier Tour in Virginia Beach, VA.^[24] In August 2013, the independent film Approaching Midnight starring Kramer had its world premiere at the Emagine Royal Oak in Michigan.^[25]

In 2024, Jana Kramer starred in the Lifetime movie Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story as Morgan Metzer where she was also the executive producer. It is based on the true story on how Morgan was gaslit by her ex-husband Rodney Metzer (portrayed by Austin Nichols).^[26] Also in 2024, Kramer competed in season twelve of The Masked Singer as "Royal Knight" and had Savannah Chrisley (who competed in season eleven as "Afghan Hound") serving as her Mask Ambassador. She was eliminated in the "Group C Finals: Peanuts Thanksgiving" alongside Bronson Arroyo as "Sherlock Hound".^[27]

Film

Television