Carol Kane Biography

Carolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She became known in the 1970s in films such as Hester Street (for which she received an Academy Award nomination) and Annie Hall. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of 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 regional productions and on Broadway from 2005 to 2009, and as of July 2013 is again playing the character in the Broadway company of Wicked.

Early life

Kane was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Joy, a jazz singer, teacher, dancer, and pianist, and Michael Kane, an architect who worked for the World Bank. Her family is Jewish, and her grandparents emigrated from Russia. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old. She attended the Cherry Lawn School, a progressive boarding school in Darien, Connecticut, until 1965. She attended the Professional Children's School, in New York City, and made her professional theatre debut in a 1966 production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Tammy Grimes.

Career

Kane is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Simka Dahblitz-Gravas, wife of Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), on the American television series Taxi, from 1981 to 1983, and also for her role as Allison Portchnik in Woody Allen's Annie Hall. Kane earned two Emmy Awards for her work in the series and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film Hester Street. She also appeared in Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Princess Bride (1987) and Scrooged (1988), in which Variety called her "unquestionably [the] pic's comic highlight."

Kane was a regular on the 1986 NBC series All Is Forgiven, a regular on the 1990"1991 NBC series American Dreamer, guest-starred on a 1994 episode of Seinfeld and had a supporting role in the short-lived 1996"1997 sitcom Pearl, which starred Rhea Perlman. She also appeared in the NBC television live action production of The Year Without a Santa Claus in December 2006.

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

She starred in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in February 2010.

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

Kane 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. She stars alongside Keira Knightley, Elisabeth Moss and Ellen Burstyn.

In May 2012, Kane is appearing on Broadway as Betty Chumley in a revival of the play Harvey.

Wicked

Kane is known for her portrayal of the evil headmistress Madame Morrible in the Broadway musical Wicked, whom she played in various productions from 2005 to 2009.

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 from August 26, 2008 until the production closed on January 11, 2009.

She then transferred with the L.A. company, to play the role once again, in the San Francisco production which began performances January 27, 2009. She ended her limited engagement on March 22, 2009. Ms. Kane will return to the Broadway company of Wicked on July 1, 2013.

Filmography

Film & television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1971	Carnal Knowledge	Jennifer
1971	Desperate Characters	Young Girl
1972	Wedding in White	Jeannie Dougall
1972	...and Hope to Die (a.k.a. La course du lièvre à travers les champs)		Her scenes were cut from the finished film.
1973	The Last Detail	Young Whore
1974	We, the Woman	Susannah White	Television film
1975	Hester Street	Gitl	"? Nominated: Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (1976)
1975	Dog Day Afternoon	Jenny
1976	Harry and Walter Go to New York	Florence
1977	Annie Hall	Allison
1977	Valentino	Starlet
1977	The World's Greatest Lover	Annie Hickman
1978	Visions		Episode: "Fans of the Kosko Show"
1978	The Mafu Cage	Cissy
1979	The Muppet Movie	Myth
1979	When a Stranger Calls	Jill Johnson
1979	La Sabina	Daisy
1980	The Greatest Man in the World	April	Television film
1978–1981	Great Performances	Eliza Southgate; Frances Loomis	Episodes: "Out of Our Father's House"; "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses and Other Stories"
1981	Les jeux de la Comtesse Dolingen de Gratz	Louise Haines-Pearson
1981	Strong Medicine
1982	Pandemonium	Candy
1982	Norman Loves Rose	Rose	"? Nominated: AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1982	Laverne & Shirley	Olga	Episode: "Jinxed"
1983	An Invasion of Privacy	Ilene Cohen	Television film
1983	American Playhouse	Lavinia	Episode: "Keeping On"
1980–1983	Taxi	Simka Dahblitz-Gravas	23 episodes Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1982) Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Variety or Music Series Medallion Award (2007; shared with Danny DeVito, Jeff Conaway, Tony Danza, Judd Hirsch, James L. Brooks and Randall Carver) "? Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (1983) "? Nominated: TV Land Award for Most Wonderful Wedding (2006; shared with Andy Kaufman)
1983	Faerie Tale Theatre	The 'Good' Fairy	"Sleeping Beauty"
1983	Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?"	Customer at Cafe
1984	The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud	Martha Bernays
1984	Over the Brooklyn Bridge	Cheryl
1984	Racing with the Moon	Annie the Hooker
1984	Burning Rage	Mary Harwood	Television film
1984	Cheers	Amanda Boyer	Epiosde: "A Ditch in Time"
1984	Terror in the Aisles
1985	Tales from the Darkside	Anne MacColl	Episode: "Snip, Snip"
1985	Crazy Like a Fox		Episode: "Bum Tip"
1985	Transylvania 6-5000	Lupi
1986	Tall Tales & Legends	Barbara	Episode: "Casey at the Bat"
1986	All is Forgiven	Nicolette Bingham	9 episodes
1986	Jumpin' Jack Flash	Cynthia
1987	Paul Reiser Out on a Whim	Fortune Teller	Television film
1987	Ishtar	Carol
1987	The Princess Bride	Valerie
1988	Drop-Out Mother	Maxine	Television film
1988	Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card		Television film
1988	Sticky Fingers	Kitty
1988	License to Drive	Mrs. Anderson
1988	Scrooged	Ghost of Christmas Present
1990	The Lemon Sisters	Franki D'Angelo
1990	Flashback	Maggie
1990	Joe Versus the Volcano	Hairdresser	Cameo; credited as Lisa LeBlanc
1990	Tales from the Crypt	Judy	Episode: "Judy, You're Not Yourself Today"
1990	My Blue Heaven	Shaldeen
1990	Tiny Toon Adventures	Ollie	Episode "A Quack in the Quarks"
1990–1991	American Dreamer	Lillian Abernathy	17 episode
1991	Ted & Venus	Colette
1992	Sibs		Episodes: "The Crash: Part 1", "The Crash: Part 2"
1992	In the Soup	Barbara
1991–1992	Brooklyn Bridge	Aunt Sylvia	5 episodes
1992	The Ray Bradbury Theater	Polly	Episode: "Tomorrow's Child"
1992	Baby on Board	Maria
1992	The Real Story of Here Comes the Bride	Margaret Mouse	Voice
1993	When a Stranger Calls Back	Jill Johnson	Television film
1993	TriBeCa	Amanda	Episode: "Stepping Back"
1993	Even Cowgirls Get the Blues	Carla
1993	Eligible Dentist		Television film
1993	Addams Family Values	Granny
1994	Seinfeld	Corinne	Episode: "The Marine Biologist"
1994	Aladdin	Brawnhilda	Episodes: "Stinkerbelle", "Smells Like Trouble"
1994	Empty Nest	Shelby	Episode: "The Courtship of Carol's Father"
1995	The Crazysitter	Treva Van Arsdale
1995	A.J.'s Time Travelers	Emily Roebling	Episode: "Brooklyn Bridge"
1995	Dad, the Angel & Me	The Angel	Television film
1995	Napoleon	Spider	Voice; English version
1995	Freaky Friday	Leanne Futterman	Television film
1995	Chicago Hope	Marguerite Birch	Episode: "Stand" "? Nominated: Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1986)
1995	Theodore Rex	Molly Rex	Voice; direct-to-video
1996	Big Bully	Faith
1996	Ellen	Lily Penney	Episode: "A Penney Saved"
1996	Sunset Park	Mona
1996	The Pallbearer	Mrs. Thompson
1996	Trees Lounge	Connie
1996	American Strays	Helen
1997	Gone Fishin'	Donna Waters
1996–1997	Pearl	Annie Caraldo	22 episodes
1997	Office Killer	Dorine Douglas
1997	Hey Arnold!	Emily Dickinson Trophy	Epiosde: "Freeze Frame/Phoebe Cheats"
1997	The Tony Danza Show	Simka Gravaas	Episode: "The Milk Run"
1997	Homicide: Life on the Street	Gwen Munch	Episode: "All Is Bright"
1997	Merry Christmas, George Bailey	Cousin Tilly/Mrs.Hatch	Television film
1998	The First Seven Years	Mrs. Feld	Television short
1998	Adventures from the Book of Virtues	The Beetle	Voice; episode: "Patience"
1998	Noddy	Tooth Fairy	Episode: "The Tooth Fairy"
1999	Jawbreaker	Ms. Sherwood
1999	Noah's Ark	Sarah	Television film
1999	Blue's Big Treasure Hunt	Little Miss Muffet	Voice
1999	Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald	Org's Mom	Voice; video short
1999	Blue's Big Tresure Hunt	little Miss Muffet	Voice
1999	Man on the Moon	Herself/Simka Dahblitz
2000	The Office Party	Linda	Short
1999–2000	Beggars and Choosers	Lydia Luddin	3 episodes
2000	The Tic Code	Miss Gimpole
2000	As Told by Ginger	Maude	Episodes: "I Spy a Witch"; "Carl and Maude"
2001	D.C. Smalls	Mom	Short
2001	My First Mister	Mrs. Benson
2001	The Shrink Is In	Dr. Louise Rosenberg
2001	Tomorrow by Midnight	Officer Garfield
2001	Family Guy	Carol	Episode: "Emission Impossible"
2002	That's Life	Gloria	Episode: "Baum's Thesis"
2002	The Grubbs	Sophie Grubb	Episode: "Pilot"
2002	Love in the Time of Money	Joey
2003	Cosmopolitan	Mrs. Shaw	Released theatrically in 2003 Televised on Independent Lens on PBS in 2004
2003	Audrey's Rain	Missy Flanders	Television film
2004	Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen	Miss Baggoli
2004	Hope & Faith	Cornelia Rackett	Episode: "Faith Scare-Field"
2005	The Pacifier	Helga
2005	The Civilization of Maxwell Bright	Temple
2005	The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy	Mrs. Claus	Episode: "Billy and Mandy Save Christmas"
2005	The Happy Elf	Gilda	Voice
2006	The Year Without a Santa Claus	Mother Nature	Television film; cameo
2008	Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five	Sheep	Voice
2008	Four Christmases	Aunt Sarah	Uncredited
2009	Two and a Half Men	Shelly	Episodes: "Thank God for Scoliosis"; "David Copperfield Slipped Me a Roofie"
2009	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Gwen Munch	Episode: "Zebras"
2009	Monk	Joy	Episode: "Mr. Monk Is the Best Man"
2010	Ugly Betty	Lena Korvinka	Episode: "All the World's a Stage"
2010	The Bounty Hunter	Dawn
2010	My Girlfriend's Boyfriend	Barbara
2010	Pete Smalls Is Dead	Landlady
2011	The Key Man	Marsha
2011	Phineas and Ferb	Nana Shapiro	Voice; episode: "Lotsa Latkes"
2012	Sleepwalk with Me	Linda Pandamiglio
2012	Should've Been Romeo	Ruth
2012	Thanks for Sharing	Roberta
2012	Emoticon ;)	Hannah Song	Post-production
2013	Clutter	Linda Bradford	Post-production
2013	Girls	Cloris	Episode: "It's Back"
2013	Anger Management (TV series)	Carol	Episode: "Charlie and His New Friend with Benefits"

Other works

• This is My Night (Music Video) (1985) " Mimi in Chaka Khan's music video
• Wicked (2005"2009; 2013"present) " Madame Morrible (Various productions)