30 RockElaine Stritch chose her
Published on January 15, 2026 EDT Stritch played the mother of Alec Baldwin's Jack Donaghy.

Ever notice how Elaine Stritch's 30 Rock character was impeccably dressed?

There was a reason for that, costar Jane Krakowski told Jesse Tyler Ferguson on Tuesday's episode of his podcast, Dinner's On Me.

"I hope I'll be allowed to share this story," Krakowski said, "but one of my favorite stories was that Elaine was very good at picking her own wardrobe of things that she actually wanted to have in her life."

Ali Goldstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

The Modern Family alum confirmed he had actually heard similar stories about Stritch, the Broadway legend who played Alec Baldwin's mother, Colleen, on 30 Rock, and died in 2014 at age 89.

"There was a scene where she showed up for the rehearsal — like the camera blocking, we weren't in our wardrobe yet — in a full fur coat and fur hat," said Krakowski, who played Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom for all seven seasons. "And she was like, 'I've got to wear this.' And we were like, 'But Elaine, you're in the hospital! You need to be in a hospital gown. She was like, 'None of this. I have to have this on camera with me.'"

"Because she can take it home," Ferguson said.

"It's the only way she'd get to keep it!" Krakowski said. "And so they figured out a way, in her hospital bed, she has that fur hat with her!"

Cindy Ord/Getty

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30 Rock, created by Tina Fey, aired from 2006 to 2013, earning 103 Primetime Emmy nominations and 16 wins. It starred Fey as the head writer of fictional sketch comedy show, TGS With Tracy Jordan. Baldwin played Fey's boss, Jack Donaghy. Stritch appeared as his hard-to-please, hat-loving mother, Colleen, on nine episodes over the series' run. Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander also starred.

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