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Carol Kane
Kane in 2018
Born	(1952-06-18) June 18, 1952 (age 72) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, comedian
Years active	1966–present

Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress. She gained prominence for her role in Hester Street (1975), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Annie Hall (1977), The Princess Bride (1987), and Scrooged (1988).

Kane appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as Simka Gravas, the wife of Latka, the character played by Andy Kaufman, winning two Emmy Awards for her work. She has played the character of Madame Morrible in the musical Wicked, both in touring productions and on Broadway from 2005 to 2014. From 2015 to 2020, she was a main cast member on the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, in which she played Lillian Kaushtupper. She currently plays the recurring role of Pelia in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2023–present).

Early life

Kane was born on June 18, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Joy, a jazz singer, teacher, dancer, and pianist, and architect Michael Kane. Her family is Jewish, and her grandparents emigrated from Russia, Austria, and Poland. Due to her father's occupation, Kane moved frequently as a child; she briefly lived in Paris at the age of 8, where she began learning to speak French. Additionally, she also once resided in Haiti at the age of 10, where she has recalled often feeling fearful due to extensive government surveillance under François "Papa Doc" Duvalier's rule. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old.

She attended the Cherry Lawn School, a boarding school in Darien, Connecticut, until 1965. She studied theater at HB Studio and also went to the Professional Children's School in New York City. Kane made her professional theater debut in a 1966 production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Tammy Grimes.

Career

1971–1979: Career beginnings

Kane's on-screen career began while she was still a teenager, when she appeared in minor roles in films such as Desperate Characters and Mike Nichols's Carnal Knowledge in 1971, the latter of which led to her befriending lead actor Jack Nicholson. In 1972, she was cast in her first leading role in the Canadian production Wedding in White, where she played a teenage rape victim who is forced into marriage by her father. She also appeared as a sex worker in Hal Ashby's 1973 film The Last Detail, where she collaborated with Nicholson yet again.

In 1975, Kane was cast in Joan Micklin Silver's feature-length debut Hester Street, in which she played a Russian-Jewish immigrant who struggles with her husband to assimilate in early 20th-century New York. For her performance in the film, Kane garnered her first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actress at the 48th Academy Awards, and it remains her favorite of all her roles. Additionally, 1975 saw her appear as a bank teller in Sidney Lumet's crime drama Dog Day Afternoon, which received numerous Academy Award nominations in other categories that same year. This also marked her first on-screen collaboration with Al Pacino, whom she had known prior to the film thanks to their shared background in theater.

Despite this recognition, however, Kane has recounted waiting for approximately a year before being cast in her next role, which she has attributed to the trend of actors being typecast after receiving awards attention. Her return to the screen would come with Gene Wilder's 1977 comedy The World's Greatest Lover, which she has credited for identifying the comedic talents that would become her staple in later years. During the same year, she was cast in Woody Allen's romantic comedy Annie Hall, where she played Allison Portchnik, the first wife of Allen's character Alvy Singer. She also appeared in Ken Russell's film Valentino, which, like The World's Greatest Lover, takes inspiration from the silent film era, as it is a biographical drama loosely inspired by the life of Rudolph Valentino.

After this, Kane appeared in the horror films The Mafu Cage (1978) and When a Stranger Calls (1979); ironically, Kane herself is largely averse to horror, and she admits to being unable to watch the latter. In 1979, she also appeared in a cameo role in The Muppet Movie.

1980–1990: Taxi and transition into comedy

From 1980 to 1983, Kane portrayed Simka Dahblitz-Gravas, the wife of Andy Kaufman's character Latka Gravas, on the American television series Taxi. She received two Emmy Awards for her work in the series. Her role on Taxi has been largely credited as the beginning of her pivot towards more comedic roles, as she began to regularly appear in sitcoms and comedy films after the series ended.

In 1984, Kane appeared in episode 12, season 3 of Cheers as Amanda, an acquaintance of Diane Chambers from her time spent in a mental institution. She was also a regular on the 1986 series All Is Forgiven.

In 1987, Kane appeared in Ishtar, Elaine May's notorious box-office flop turned cult classic, playing the frustrated girlfriend of Dustin Hoffman’s character. That year also saw her make one of her most recognizable film appearances in Rob Reiner's fantasy romance The Princess Bride, where she played a witch opposite Billy Crystal. In 1988, Kane appeared in the Cinemax Comedy Experiment Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card alongside Jon Cryer and the Smothers Brothers. During the same year, she also appeared in the Bill Murray vehicle Scrooged, where she portrayed a contemporary version of the Ghost of Christmas Present, depicted in the film as a fairy. For this performance, Variety called her "unquestionably pic's comic highlight". Additionally, she played a potential love interest for Steve Martin's character in the 1990 film My Blue Heaven.

1990–2004: Television and film regularity

Kane became a regular on the 1990–1991 series American Dreamer. She also guest-starred on a 1994 episode of Seinfeld, as well as a 1996 episode of Ellen. She was given a supporting role in the short-lived sitcom Pearl. Additionally, she continued to appear in a number of film roles in the 1990s, including Addams Family Values (1993), Office Killer (1997), and Jawbreaker (1999). In 1998, she played Mother Duck on the cartoon movie The First Snow of Winter.

In 1999, she made a cameo in the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon as her Taxi character.

2005–2014: Wicked and career expansion

Kane is also known for her portrayal of the evil headmistress Madame Morrible in the Broadway musical Wicked, whom she played in various productions from 2005 to 2014. Kane made her Wicked debut on the 1st National Tour, playing the role from March 9 through December 19, 2005. She then reprised the role in the Broadway production from January 10 through November 12, 2006. She again played the role for the Los Angeles production which began performances on February 7, 2007. She left the production on December 30, 2007, and later returned on August 26, 2008, until the production closed on January 11, 2009.

In January 2009, she appeared in the television series Two and a Half Men as the mother of Alan Harper's receptionist.

She then transferred with the Los Angeles company of Wicked to reprise her role once again, this time in the San Francisco production, which began performances January 27, 2009. She ended her limited engagement on March 22, 2009.

In March 2010, Kane appeared in the ABC series Ugly Betty as Justin Suarez's acting teacher.

Kane starred in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in February 2010. She made her West End debut in January 2011 in a major revival of Lillian Hellman's drama The Children's Hour at London's Comedy Theatre, where she starred alongside Keira Knightley, Elisabeth Moss and Ellen Burstyn. In May 2012, Kane appeared on Broadway as Betty Chumley in a revival of the play Harvey.

Kane returned to the Broadway company of Wicked from July 1, 2013, through February 22, 2014, a period that included the show's 10th anniversary.

In 2014, she had a recurring role in the television series Gotham as Gertrude Kapelput, the mother of Oswald Cobblepot, also known as Penguin.

2015–present: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and legacy roles

In 2015, Kane was cast in the recurring role of Lillian Kaushtupper, the landlord to the title character of the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Kane joined the cast in part due to her admiration of showrunner Tina Fey, with whom she had previously wanted to collaborate on the NBC series 30 Rock. She was promoted to a series regular for the show’s second season. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt ran for four seasons, making it one of Kane's longest roles on television to date. She reprised the role in the "interactive" television special Kimmy vs the Reverend.

In 2018, Kane appeared in Jacques Audiard’s Western film The Sisters Brothers. In 2019, she appeared in Jim Jarmusch's horror comedy The Dead Don't Die, marking another collaboration with Bill Murray. That same year, she appeared in the recurring role of Bianca Nova in season one of the HBO series Los Espookys, where she reunited with her Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt co-star Fred Armisen.

In 2020, Kane was featured in the ensemble cast of the Amazon series Hunters, which also includes her longtime acquaintance Al Pacino. Additionally, during the same year, she participated in two cast reunion fundraisers, one with the cast of Taxi for the Actors Fund, the other with the cast of The Princess Bride for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

It was announced on Star Trek Day 2022 that Kane would join the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for season two as Chief Engineer Pelia. Prior to her casting, Kane had never seen an episode of the original Star Trek series, though she has said the show's writers thought this oversight improved her performance.

In 2023, Kane was announced as one of the leads in Nathan Silver's upcoming comedy film Between the Temples.

Personal life

Kane was in a relationship with fellow actor Woody Harrelson from 1986 to 1988, after the two met during Kane's guest appearance on Cheers. The two have remained friends since their break-up, and Harrelson was seen attending Kane's 60th birthday party in 2012.

She has never been married, nor has she had any children. Regarding the latter decision, she has said, "I never felt that I would be calm and stable enough to be the kind of mother I’d like to be. I don’t think everyone randomly is mother material."

Kane is often noted for her high, breathy, slow voice, though her vocal timbre has grown raspier with age. Kane, who has often altered her voice to suit various roles, has confessed to disliking it, telling People magazine in 2020 that she wishes her voice was "deep and beautiful and sexy".

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Music videos

Awards and nominations

Notes

1. Shared with Danny DeVito, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danza, Judd Hirsch, James L. Brooks and Randall Carver.
2. Shared with Andy Kaufman.
3. Shared with Andy Kaufman.
4. Shared with Danny DeVito, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danza, Judd Hirsch, James L. Brooks and Randall Carver.

References

1. ^ "Carol Kane movies, photos, movie reviews, filmography, and biography - AllMovie". AllMovie. All Media Network. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
2. filmreference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
3. ^ Senger, Trustman (May 29, 1986). "Carol Kane, On Her Good Side". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
4. ""Carol Kane Unofficial Fan Page" at the Wayback Machine". Archived from the original on March 20, 2007.
5. ^ Yinney, Cynthia (February 28, 2020). "Hunters: Carol Kane Discusses Getting Intense and Her Diverse Roles".
6. ^ "Carol Kane Talks Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Family, and More". Closer Weekly. July 14, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
7. Carol Kane on Letterman, November 22, 1982, retrieved October 23, 2023
8. Myers, Marc (July 25, 2023). "'Star Trek' Star Carol Kane Watched Old Movies as a Kid to Ease Her Insomnia". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
9. "Cherry Lawn School, Class of 1965" CherryLawnSchool.org. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
10. "Cherry Lawn School Photo Of The Month, October 1999" CherryLawnSchool.org. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
11. "HB Studio Alumni".
12. "Carol Kane Biography" YahooMovies. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
13. ^ Lacher, Irene (May 11, 2002). "Moving a Step Beyond". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
14. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (October 1, 2021). "Carol Kane Looks Back on Hester Street and Not Going to Mexico With Andy Kaufman". Vulture. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
15. Carol Kane on The Oscars Curse | The Dick Cavett Show, retrieved October 23, 2023
16. ^ Jacobs, Matthew (November 9, 2020). "Carol Kane Never Meant To Become Hollywood's Go-To Eccentric". HuffPost. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
17. Abrams, Simon (March 20, 2014). "20 Great Muppet Movie Celebrity Cameos". Vulture. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
18. Wojciechowski, Michele (May 24, 2017). "Carol Kane of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: How She Broke Into Comedy With Gene Wilder". Parade. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
19. "Scrooged" Variety (requires registration). Retrieved August 27, 2011.
20. Gans, Andrew (March 8, 2005). "'High Flying Adored': Wicked Tour Launches in Toronto March 8". Playbill. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
21. Gans, Andrew. "Quadruple Play: Wicked Welcomes Espinosa, Kane, Williams and Candler Jan. 10 Playbill, January 10, 2006
22. Gans, Andrew (February 21, 2007). "Wicked Officially Opens in Los Angeles Feb. 21". Playbill. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
23. Gans, Andrew (January 11, 2009). "Wicked Ends Lengthy Los Angeles Run Jan. 11". Playbill. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
24. Two and a Half Men: Thank God for Scoliosis Season 6" TV.com. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
25. Dan Bacalzo (December 16, 2008). "Garrison, Kane, Kassebaum, Wicks Set for San Francisco Wicked".
26. Andrew Gans (March 2, 2009). "Academy Award Winner Duke to Join Cast of San Fran's Wicked". Archived from the original on January 5, 2014.
27. Grossman, Daniella (March 10, 2018). "'Ugly Betty' Bites: 16 wit-filled bits from last night's episode, 'All the World's a Stage'!". EW.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
28. BWW News Desk." 'Love, Loss And What I Wore' Welcomes Comedic New Cast; Janeane Garofalo, Carol Kane & More Bow 2/3" broadwayworld.com, December 10, 2009.
29. Shenton, Mark.Ellen Burstyn and Carol Kane Join Cast of West End's Children's Hour Archived October 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Playbill.com, November 19, 2010.
30. "Broadway's Wicked Will Welcome Carol Kane and Michael Wartella". June 21, 2013. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
31. Mathé, Charlotte (July 3, 2014). "Gotham: Carol Kane cast as Penguin's mother". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
32. Havey, Max (March 20, 2015). "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a great addition to Netflix lineup | Vox Magazine". Vox Magazine. Columbia Missourian. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
33. Carol Kane on Tina Fey, ‘Kimmy Schmidt’, & Andy Kaufman, Larry King Now, May 28, 2018, retrieved November 1, 2023
34. Snetiker, Marc (April 12, 2016). "'Kimmy Schmidt' season 2: Carol Kane talks the future of Lillian". EW.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
35. Carlin, Shannon (May 15, 2020). "The 'Kimmy Schmidt' Special Cast Is Full Of Celebs — If You Can Find Them". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
36. Sharf, Zack (May 24, 2018). "'The Sisters Brothers' First Trailer: Joaquin Phoenix and Jake Gyllenhaal Plan a 19th Century Assassination". IndieWire. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
37. Murphy, Mekado (June 21, 2019). "How 'The Dead Don't Die' Handles Its Zombies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
38. Lopez, Julyssa (October 19, 2019). "The Absurdist Imaginings of 'Los Espookys'". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
39. Snierson, Dan (March 27, 2020). "'Frasier' and 'Taxi' casts to reunite, 'This Is Us' stars to sing for The Actors Fund". EW.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
40. Aquilina, Tyler (September 5, 2020). "'The Princess Bride' cast reuniting for virtual script reading fundraiser". EW.com. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
41. "Star Trek Day 2022 | Carol Kane Joins Cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2". www.startrek.com. July 24, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
42. Vary, Adam B. (June 15, 2023). "'Strange New Worlds' Star Carol Kane Discusses Her Character's 'Unique' Accent and Why She's Never Seen 'Star Trek'". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
43. ^ Lang, Brent (May 10, 2023). "Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane Starring in 'Between the Temples,' an 'Anxious Comedy' About a Cantor and His Student (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
44. Cunningham, Joel (November 7, 2022). "See '80s Comedy Icon Carol Kane Now at 70". Yahoo Life. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
45. Hutchings, David (November 14, 1988). "Woody Harrelson, Cheers' Cheery Bartender, Feels a Bit Mixed About Fame and a Strange Family Twist". Peoplemag. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
46. Smith, Nigel (February 19, 2020). "Carol Kane Says She Feels 'Shame' About Her Iconic Voice: 'I Wish It Was Deep and Sexy'". Peoplemag. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
47. Becker, Frawley (2004). And The Stars Spoke Back: A Dialogue Coach Remembers Hollywood Players Of The Sixties In Paris. Scarecrow Press. pp. 188, 199. ISBN 978-0-8108-5157-3.
48. webmaster. "KET - NODDY - The Tooth Fairy". Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.

External links

• Carol Kane at IMDb
• Carol Kane at the Internet Broadway Database
• Carol Kane at the Internet Off-Broadway Database

• 1952 births
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Actresses from Cleveland
• American film actresses
• American musical theatre actresses
• American television actresses
• American voice actresses
• American people of Russian-Jewish descent
• California Democrats
• Jewish American actresses
• Jewish American comedians
• Living people
• Ohio Democrats
• Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
• 21st-century American Jews