Jacqueline White (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Jackie Lynn "Jacqueline" White is a character in the sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt played by Jane Krakowski.
Character life
Born Jackie Lynn White to Fern and Virgil White of the Lakota people, White grew up hating her Native American heritage and wishing she were white. She left home and purchased contact lenses to make her eyes blue, dyed her hair blonde, and changed her name to Jacqueline.She became a flight attendant, and met then-married billionaire businessman Julian Voorhees. The two began an affair, and upon Jacqueline becoming pregnant, Julian divorced his current wife Helene, leaving him with custody of their daughter Xanthippe. Jacqueline had her son Buckley several months later, followed by Jacqueline and Julian's wedding.
Julian was frequently out of town on business ventures, leaving Jacqueline at home with Buckley, Xanthippe, the housekeeper Vera, and the dog, a genetically modified Shih Tzu. Buckley was taken care of by a number of nannies, but they always left due to his hyperactivity and Xanthippe's bad girl attitude or were fired. Jacqueline has undergone a fair amount of plastic surgery and has done several unique activities for physical fitness.
She continued her socialite life for several years, and at some point published a cookbook, before eventually meeting Kimmy Schmidt, who she hired as an assistant and a new nanny for Buckley. She ends up growing fond of Kimmy, and confesses that she thinks Julian's been cheating on her with somebody in Japan. She does several things to try to catch him in the act, all of which fail, before realizing he was sleeping with their therapist.
Despite some hesitation about financial loss, Jacqueline divorces Julian, putting Xanthippe back in the custody of her birth mother, and leaving Buckley in Jacqueline's custody. There is nothing to suggest that her parents are aware of Buckley's existence; they have never spoken of him and Jacqueline has never mentioned him in the presence of her parents. Even when Jacqueline's parents watch football with her at her New York apartment, Kimmy is in attendance, but not Buckley. However, in only the previous episode, a framed photograph of Buckley is clearly visible in Jacqueline's apartment. When Buckley's tutor is constructing Buckley's family tree, Buckley does not provide any information about his grandparents, suggesting that he has never met them.
Following the divorce, Jacqueline decides to return to her roots. She cherishes a morning star necklace that her grandmother gave her as a reminder of her heritage. Her parents are aware that the necklace is in her possession, but later on claim that her grandmother was buried with it. She is found unhelpful and idiotic in her old home, and ends up returning to New York, which she struggles to maintain her socialite status while bonding with Buckley and trying to use her status to support oppressed Native Americans.
Jacqueline discovers that her boyfriend's family owns the Washington Redskins. She plots to make the family change the name, as it is racist to her Lakota heritage. During a planned fight, Russ suddenly proposes, prompting Jacqueline to run away as he pursues. After he is hit by an electric car, the couple marry while Russ is in a full-body cast, unable to speak. She convinces Russ's father to rename the team from the Redskins to the Gun-Takers, which she justifies saying that the outrage will gain attention.
Meanwhile, Russ's condition improves. The bandages are removed, and she discovers that her husband has become extremely attractive, and their relationship becomes more sexual. Russ shortly embraces his newfound attractiveness and changes as a person due to it. Russ's family accepts him now that he is much more attractive, and he chooses his brothers and father over Jacqueline, ending their relationship.
After getting Titus Andromedon a gig at a sports event, Jacqueline becomes a talent agent.
Critical response
Krakowski has received critical acclaim for her performance. In 2015, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2016, she won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.However, several commentators criticized the implications of the casting of a white actress such as Jane Krakowski to play a Native American character, with some characterizing the portrayal as offensive or as whitewashing.
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | |
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series |