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Carolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress, known for her work on stage, screen and television.

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.^[1] Her family is Jewish, her grandparents having emigrated from Russia.^[2] Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old.^[3] She attended the Cherry Lawn School, a progressive boarding school in Darien, Connecticut, until 1965.^[4][5] 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.^[6]

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 The Princess Bride (1987) and Scrooged (1988), with Bill Murray, in which Variety called her, "unquestionably [the] pic's comic highlight."^[7]

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.

In early 2006, Kane began a ten month run in the Broadway musical Wicked, playing Madame Morrible, a role which she had previously played in the show's first national tour. She also appeared in the NBC television live action production of The Year Without a Santa Claus in December 2006. She recently reprised the role of Madame Morrible in the open-ended Los Angeles production of Wicked, which opened on February 21, 2007, at the Pantages Theatre. She left the production on December 30, 2007, along with co-stars Eden Espinosa and Adam Wylie. Kane was replaced by Jo Anne Worley. Kane returned to the Los Angeles company of Wicked on August 26, 2008, to once again play the role of Madame Morrible and stayed with the production until it closed on January 11, 2009. She played Madame Morrible again in the San Francisco production of Wicked which began performances January 27, 2009, at the Orpheum Theatre for a limited engagement.^[8] She ended her run on March 22, 2009 and was succeeded by Patty Duke.^[9] She currently holds the record for the most performances as Madame Morrible.

In January 2009, Kane appeared in the TV series Two and a Half Men as the mother of Alan Harper's receptionist.^[10]

She stars in the Off-Broadway play, Love, Loss, and What I Wore beginning February 3, 2010.^[11]

Filmography

• Carnal Knowledge (1971) - Jennifer
• Wedding in White (1972) - Jeannie Dougall
• The Last Detail (1973) - Young Whore
• Hester Street (1975) - Gitl
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Jenny
• Annie Hall (1977) - Allison Portchnik
• Valentino (1977) - Fatty's girl
• The World's Greatest Lover (1977) - Annie
• The Mafu Cage (1978) - Cissy
• The Muppet Movie (1979) - Myth
• When a Stranger Calls (1979) - Jill Johnson
• Pandemonium (1982) - Candy
• The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud (1984)
• Terror in the Aisles (1984)
• Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) - Lupi
• Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) - Cynthia
• The Princess Bride (1987) - Valerie, Miracle Max's wife
• License to Drive (1988)- Mrs. Anderson
• Scrooged (1988) - The Ghost of Christmas Present
• Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) - Cassie
• My Blue Heaven (1990) - Shaldeen
• Flashback (1990) - Maggy
• In the Soup (1992) - Barbara
• Addams Family Values (1993) - Grandmama
• When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) - Jill Johnson
• Big Bully (1996) - Faith Bigger
• Trees Lounge (1996) - Connie
• The Pallbearer (1996) - Tom's Mother
• Office Killer (1997) - Dorine
• Gone Fishin' (1997) - Donna Waters
• The Tic Code (1998) - Miss Gimpole
• Jawbreaker (1999) - Ms. Sherwood
• Man on the Moon (1999) - Herself/Simka Dahblitz
• My First Mister (2001) - Mrs. Benson
• The Shrink Is In (2001) - Dr. Louise Rosenberg
• Cosmopolitan (2003) - Mrs. Shaw
• Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004) - Ms. Baggoli
• The Pacifier (2005) - Helga
• Four Christmases (2008)
• My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010) - Barbara

Partial other works

• Monk (2009)- Joy- Mr. Monk is the Best Man
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) - Gwen Munch in episode "Zebras"
• Two and a Half Men (2009) - Melissa's mom, Shelly, in the episodes "David Copperfield Slipped Me A Roofie" and "Thank God for Scoliosis."
• Wicked (2005-2009) - Madame Morrible (Various productions)
• The Happy Elf (2006) - Gilda (voice)
• Family Guy (2001) - Carol Pewterschmidt (voice) in episode: "Emission Impossible"
• Beggars and Choosers (1999-2000) - Lydia Ludden
• Homicide: Life on the Street (1997) - Gwen Munch, John Munch's ex-wife, in episode "All is Bright"
• Seinfeld (1994) - Corinne in episode: "The Marine Biologist"
• Tales from the Crypt (1990) - Judy in episode: "Judy, You're Not Yourself Today"
• Cheers (1984) - Amanda Boyer in episode: "A Ditch in Time"
• Tales From the Dark Side (1985) Witch in episode: "Snip Snip"
• Taxi (1980) - Simka Dahblitz

References

External links

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