Jack Donaghy. It’s a name that speaks volumes to those who work for him on 30 Rock. He’s a fearless, assertive leader whose thirst for success led him to the top of NBC, the Sheinhardt Wig Company and Kabletown.
Jack is as handsome as the Arrow Shirt man and maintains a luscious head of hair that can survive anything. That’s how he earned the magnificent office in which he rules all he sees from. But it has secrets and not just the neat bathroom hidden behind a wall panel.
The Neat Bathroom Hidden Behind A Wall Panel
Ok, the bathroom trick is pretty darn cool. Jack has his own personal bathroom, hidden from view behind a door disguised as a wall. For someone like Jack who desires something more than privacy, his own private bathroom is a key status symbol.
Is Jack going to stand beside Lutz at a urinal? No, he’s not. No one wants to do that. Having a private bathroom that few know about obscured from view by a wall door is the ultimate way to set him apart from his underlings.
The Watercolor Boat Painting
On the fake door wall that hides the bathroom is a watercolor painting of a boat. In the painting, a white sailboat pulls a dingy behind it on a perfect day to be on the water. But that piece of art is more than just a piece of art. For Jack, that specific image is a symbol of his dreams and goals.
It gives off an air of power and wealth that Jack set out to attain as the end result of his time at NBC and GE. Then, he met Liz Lemon and all of that changed. Still, the painting hangs on his bathroom door, reminding him of who he used to want to be.
People Love Sitting On The Arm Of His Loveseat
A surprising number of Jack’s visitors don’t seem to know how to use the loveseat in his office. When you start looking into photos of Jack’s office, you start noticing how many people just seem to sit on the arm of the loveseat to talk to him rather than sitting on the actual loveseat.
A huge secret of Jack’s office seems to be that this is the most comfortable place to sit in his lavish office. At the very least, it’s the most comfortable place to sit and talk to Jack while he’s enjoying a drink while looking out his favorite window.
He Has An Autographed Photo Of Jesus
Jack isn’t above flaunting his famous friends. He’s the first to name drop the members of the Bush Administration he was tight with as well as Jack Welch. But the name drop to top them all is his signed photo from Jesus. That’s right, Jack Donaghy has a signed photo from Jesus Christ and he doesn’t even mention it.
The only reason fans even know about it is because he had to move it out of the way to get to his photo of Richard Nixon. You have to admit that getting an autograph from Jesus is a solid get. How do you even verify that autograph?
Jack Uses An Office Replication Service
There’s being specific about the layout of your office, then there’s how specific Jack is about it. When the TGS crew took the show on the road to Boston, Jack used an office replication service to make sure his away office was identical to his home office. Well, almost identical.
There were seven items that were different between his New York office and his Boston office. Fans watching that episode were given a few moments to try and spot the differences.
He Has A Photo With Donald Trump
This secret is about both Jack Donaghy and Alec Baldwin. One of the many photos Jack has is one of him with what looks like a 1980s era Donald Trump. It’s a subtle touch that the show doesn’t make a big deal of but it’s there nonetheless.
Given the circles Jack Donaghy runs in, it makes sense that he would run into Trump. What makes this interesting is that Alec Baldwin, the man who played Jack Donaghy, would go on to play President Donald Trump on SNL for the majority of Trump’s presidency to date.
Secret Clothes
Jack Donaghy is a man who likes to be prepared, especially when it comes to dressing for the right occasion. That’s why he has stashes of clothes all around his office. Behind a framed magazine near his desk hides a secret supply of ties, ready and waiting for the right time of day.
He also has a secret wardrobe behind a fake wall loaded with suits and tuxedos. Why? Because Jack Donaghy isn’t a farmer so he puts on a tux after 6 PM. That rule seems to fade over time.
Liz’s Secret Spot
Everyone needs a safe space they can go to and be alone with their thoughts. Or, at the very least, their pizzas. For good ol’ Liz Lemon, that space is the office of Jack Donaghy. In one episode, she reveals that she sneaks up to Jack’s office late at night to eat all by herself, which is somehow different than when she eats at home all by herself.
While fans only see her do it once, the implication is that it happens often. Regardless, she then forces Pete and Jack, who were in his office bonding, to watch her shotgun a pizza all by herself. Some secrets are better left unknown.
Jack Tears It Apart On Day One And Never Stops
When Jack first comes to 30 Rock, he takes over what is considered to be one of the nicest offices in the building. He immediately rips it apart and rebuilds it to his liking. It’s Jack’s way of putting his stamp on the position.
But eagle-eyed fans will notice that his office keeps evolving throughout the entire series, much like Jack, himself. The decor. The furniture. He continually is making small changes throughout his office that give him the advantage in his business dealings.
Colleen Is Always With Him
The greatest relationship on the show is the one between Jack Donaghy and his mother, Colleen. Played by the late, incomparable Elaine Stritch, Colleen is simultaneously Jack’s biggest supporter and his biggest detractor. She never hesitates to tell it like it is or to do whatever she can to slowly destroy Kenneth’s sanity.
Despite the act he puts on, Jack loves Colleen very much and keeps a beautiful framed photo of her near his desk. Her death was a huge blow to Jack, as was Elaine’s death to Alec Baldwin.
