Jane How (born Carolyn Jane Onslow How on 21st December 1950 in London). is an English actress who portrayed Jan Hammond.
She is known for her extensive work across television, film, and stage. She trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, where she earned the Rodney Millington Award, and began her career in provincial theatre before transitioning to screen roles.
Jane gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Jan Hammond, the mistress of Den Watts, in the iconic British soap opera EastEnders. Her appearances spanned from 1986 to 1987, with notable returns in 2002 and 2003, coinciding with Den's dramatic reentry into the series.
Her television career includes roles in The Spoils of War, War and Remembrance, A.D., Anglo Saxon Attitudes, The Cazalet Chronicles, Zoya, and Love in a Cold Climate. She notably portrayed Camilla Parker Bowles in the 1992 TV movie Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After. Other credits include Midsomer Murders, Judge John Deed, Bad Girls, Love Soup, Agatha Christie's Poirot, and Daniel Deronda. She also starred in four series of the sitcom Don't Wait Up alongside Nigel Havers.
Jane's film work includes AKA (2002), A Good Woman (2004), The Best Man (2005), Miss Potter (2006), and 1st Night (2010). On stage, she has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in West End productions such as Easy Virtue, Don't Dress for Dinner, Home and Beauty, and Top People. In 2016, she played Lady Punnett in Half a Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre.
In her personal life, Jane married actor Mark Burns in 1976, with whom she had a son, Jack, before divorcing in 1983. She later married actor Richard Durden in 1996. Beyond acting, she has been actively involved in charitable work and has served as chairwoman of The Theatrical Guild since 2011.