Jane by Design

Premise

Cast and characters

Main

• Erica Dasher as Jane Quimby, the main protagonist and a high-school student who is also a personal assistant to fashion designer Gray. Everyone at her work doesn't know shes in high school and she keeps it a secret from everyone at school except Billy and eventually her brother Ben. Jane has an older brother Ben, and after their father's death, he is made her guardian. Besides Ben, Jane has Billy in her life as her best friend, with whom she shares all her secrets. Jane has been shown to have crushes on Nick Fadden, Eli Chandler, and Jeremy Jones.
• Nick Roux as Billy Nutter, Jane's best friend since childhood. Billy had a secret physical relationship with "it girl" Lulu, but ends it after realizing that she doesn't want to go public with it. He later starts dating Lulu publicly, much to Jane's dismay. They later break up after he was publicly called trash at a party, held by Nick Fadden, and Lulu made no move to defend him. He left the party with his brother while Lulu stayed. In the mid-season finale, Billy had tried to reveal his feelings toward Jane telling her "It's you, Janey" but was interrupted by Jeremy. After spending two months in juvenile detention for helping his brother try to escape the scene of a crime, Billy returned to school wanting to keep his friendship with Jane intact. He met Zoe, an apparently rebellious student, telling her he enjoyed being with someone who didn't judge him like Lulu, unaware that Zoe is wealthy herself. He discovers the truth but still wants to be with her. He never again tries to be with Jane but Jane realizes she wants to be with him. He takes over as the lead in the school play opposite Zoe when Nick gets hurt.
• Rowly Dennis as Jeremy Jones, Jane's coworker and a "ladies' man". He has been shown to like Jane. He was seeing India, but later broke it off after she stole Jane's wedding gown design. In the mid-season finale "The End of the Line", it was revealed that Jeremy was the mole hired by Beau Bronn to steal Donovan Decker's designs. When India returns as a consultant, she tells Jeremy she knows the truth and threatens to expose him unless he helps her take down Gray. At Jane's birthday party, a drunken Jeremy confesses to Jane the truth and she walks away upset. Then Jeremy runs away when Jane threatens to tell Gray.
• David Clayton Rogers as Benjamin "Ben" Quimby, Jane's older brother. After the death of their father, he becomes Jane's guardian. He works at Jane's high school as the assistant athletic director and is friends with the guidance counselor Rita Shaw, who he used to make fun of in high school. He realizes his feelings for Rita on the school camping trip when he comes to odds with another teacher who has set his sights on Rita. After their mother returns Ben takes the opportunity to finally live out his lifelong dream when he is offered a minor league baseball contract. In the series finale he returns to be there for Jane and also to tell Rita that he wants to get back together.
• India de Beaufort as India Jourdain, the series' main antagonist and Jane's pretentious colleague. She always tries to sabotage Jane and steal Gray's job. But many times she does show true emotion and kindness only to rebuff it with her bad attitude. In the mid-season finale, she is wrongfully accused of being the mole in Donovan Decker, and fired by Gray. She returns, now working for Harrod's department store and the firm has to impress her to win a contract. She secretly confronts Jeremy, having realized he was the mole and threatens to expose him unless he helps her take down both Gray and Jane.
• Meagan Tandy as Lulu Pope, the antagonist in Jane's high school life and daughter of a judge and an It girl of the high school. She seems to like Billy, but wants to keep her relationship with him a secret. She later decides to go public with their relationship, but still feels embarrassed over their relationship. She is rather hostile towards Jane and shows jealousy of Jane and Billy's friendship. A regular cast member in the first ten episodes, in episode "The Replacement", Tandy was demoted to recurring status.
• Matthew Atkinson as Nick Fadden, Jane's schoolgirl crush since the seventh grade. He does, however seem to show interest in Jane, even going as far as to ask Billy and Ben's advice on approaching her. They then begin to date much to Billy's dismay. He and Billy become friends but their friendship and his and Jane's relationship ends when he cheats on her with Lulu Pope. While he and Lulu are dating, he still has feelings for Jane. He plays baseball, but he tore a shoulder ligament. Since he can't play baseball, the new drama teacher tells him to audition for her new play based on Cinderella. He auditions for the role of "Prince Charming" and gets it. On the eve of the play he sprains an ankle, leaving the lead to Billy.
• Andie MacDowell as Gray Chandler Murray, a world-famous fashion designer at Donovan Decker, and Jane's boss. She's very strict and straightforward, and is certain India wants to steal her job. Although she is defined as a heartless woman, she does acknowledge Jane's value as her assistant on occasion. She was promoted as Creative Director of Donovan Decker.

  Recurring

• Smith Cho as Rita Shaw, the guidance counselor at Jane's high school, who often gives Ben advice about his job and about being a guardian to Jane. She revealed to Ben that she had a crush on him back when they were in high school, however he was not very nice to her during those years. They kiss in the episode "The Getaway" and dated until the episode "The Celebrity", when she breaks up with him, because he was going too fast. However, when Amanda Clark, "the popular girl" from Rita and Ben's school days appears and shows an interest in Ben, Rita becomes jealous.
• Ser'Darius Blain as Carter, a Donovan Decker employee, who Jane always asks for a favor.
• Karynn Moore as Harper, Lulu's best friend.
• Brooke Lyons as Birdie, the human resources director of Donovan Decker who is often helpful to Jane.
• Bryan Dechart as Eli Chandler, Gray's nephew, who now works for the Donovan Decker company. As of the episode "The Backup Dress," he and Jane were once dating but then they break up because Eli cheated with India. Eli also believes Jane should be with Billy since she only really tells him her secrets.
• Mariah Buzolin as Zoe Mendez, a new transfer student who shows interest in Billy. She comes off as a cocky and troublemaking student who Billy likes as an equal. He was unaware that Zoe was from a wealthy family until he followed her home after a date, believing she planned to rob a mansion and learned that the mansion was actually her home.
• Briga Heelan as Amanda Clark, a big-time actress, former "popular girl" of Whitemarsh High School and is now the drama teacher there. She begins showing romantic interest in Ben, much to Rita's dismay.
• Christopher B. Duncan as Judge Bentley Pope, Lulu's strict father who disapproves of her dating Billy.
• Rob Mayes as Tommy Nutter, Billy's troublesome older brother who has been in Judge Pope's courtroom many times.
• Oded Fehr as Beau Bronn, Gray's ex-husband and fashion nemesis.
• Teri Hatcher as Kate Quimby, Ben and Jane's long lost mother. It was previously reported that Hatcher was to direct an episode of the series, however this did not occur.

  Special cameo appearances

• Patricia Field as Herself
• Stefano Tonchi as Himself
• Nanette Lepore as Herself
• Christos Garkinos as Himself
• Cameron Silver as Himself
• Rose Apodaca as Herself
• Betsey Johnson as Herself
• Amy Astley as Herself
• Paulina Porizkova as Herself
• Brandon Holley as Himself
• Booth Moore as Herself
• Christopher Benz as Himself
• Kelly Osbourne as Herself
• Christian Siriano as Himself
• Tamara Mellon as Herself
• Nina Garcia as Herself

  Episodes

Cancellation and intended season 2 plans

International broadcasts

South Pacific

Europe

Africa

Americas

Asia

Home media release

Critical reception

U.S. Nielsen ratings