Madeline KahnMadeline Kahn was an actress of movie, television, and theatre She was born on September 29, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts as Madeline Gail Wolfson. Her mother, Paula, was just 17 when Kahn was born. Although Kahn's parents were high-school sweethearts, they divorced when she was only two years old. After the divorce was finalized, Kahn and her mother moved to New York City. A few years later, her mother remarried and this union gave Kahn two half-siblings (Jeffrey and Robyn). In 1948, Kahn was sent to a progressive boarding school in Pennsylvania and stayed there until 1952. During that time, her mother pursued her ambition as an actress. Ironically, Kahn soon began acting herself and performed in a number of school productions. In 1960, she graduated from the Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, NY where she earned a drama scholarship to Hofstra University. At Hofstra, she studied music, drama, and speech therapy and also performed in several campus productions. After changing her major a number of times, Kahn graduated in 1964 with a degree in speech therapy. Kahn began auditioning for professional acting roles shortly after her graduation from Hofstra; on the side, she briefly taught public school in Levittown, NY. Just before adopting the professional name of Madeline Kahn (Kahn was her stepfather's last name), she made her stage debut as a chorus girl in a revival of Kiss Me Kate which led her to join the Actors' Equity. In 1968, she earned her first break on Broadway with New Faces of 1968 and then performed her first lead role in the musical Candide. She debuted in the movies that same year with a role in De Düva: The Dove. Her most famous roles followed in the 1970s: she appeared in What's Up, Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973), Young Frankenstein (1974), Blazing Saddles (1974), and High Anxiety (1977). The final three films were all directed by Mel Brooks, who many Hollywood observers claimed was able to bring out the best of Kahn's comic talents. For her work in Paper Moon and Blazing Saddles, the young comedienne received nominations for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Kahn's roles were primarily comedic rather than dramatic. After her success in Brooks's films, she played in a number of less successful films in the 1980s. At the end of her career, she returned to the stage and won a Tony Award for her role in The Sisters Rosensweig, a play by Wendy Wasserstein. In the final years of her life, she played a major role on the sitcom Cosby and voiced Gypsy the moth in A Bug's Life, before succumbing to ovarian cancer on December 3, 1999. She was only 57 years old. She was survived by her husband (John Hansbury), mother (Paula Kahn), brother (Jeffrey Kahn), and niece (Eliza Kahn). Theatre
Movies
Television
This page about Madeline Kahn includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Madeline Kahn News stories about Madeline Kahn External links for Madeline Kahn Videos for Madeline Kahn Wikis about Madeline Kahn Discussion Groups about Madeline Kahn Blogs about Madeline Kahn Images of Madeline Kahn |
|
She
was survived by her husband (John Hansbury), mother (Paula Kahn), brother (Jeffrey Kahn), and niece (Eliza Kahn). After her success in Brooks's films, she played in a number of less successful films in the 1980s. During the 1920s she appeared in more than sixty films, and achieved her greatest success in the 1929 film Show Boat. Kahn's roles were primarily comedic rather than dramatic. Louis, Missouri, La Plante made her acting debut at the age of 15, and in 1923 was named as one of the years WAMPAS Baby Stars. For her work in Paper Moon and Blazing Saddles, the young comedienne received nominations for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Born Laura La Plant in St. The final three films were all directed by Mel Brooks, who many Hollywood observers claimed was able to bring out the best of Kahn's comic talents. Laura La Plante (November 1, 1904 - October 14, 1996) was an American film actress who achieved her greatest success in silent movies. Her most famous roles followed in the 1970s: she appeared in What's Up, Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973), Young Frankenstein (1974), Blazing Saddles (1974), and High Anxiety (1977). She debuted in the movies that same year with a role in De Düva: The Dove. In 1968, she earned her first break on Broadway with New Faces of 1968 and then performed her first lead role in the musical Candide. Just before adopting the professional name of Madeline Kahn (Kahn was her stepfather's last name), she made her stage debut as a chorus girl in a revival of Kiss Me Kate which led her to join the Actors' Equity. Kahn began auditioning for professional acting roles shortly after her graduation from Hofstra; on the side, she briefly taught public school in Levittown, NY. After changing her major a number of times, Kahn graduated in 1964 with a degree in speech therapy. At Hofstra, she studied music, drama, and speech therapy and also performed in several campus productions. In 1960, she graduated from the Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, NY where she earned a drama scholarship to Hofstra University. Ironically, Kahn soon began acting herself and performed in a number of school productions. In 1948, Kahn was sent to a progressive boarding school in Pennsylvania and stayed there until 1952. During that time, her mother pursued her ambition as an actress. A few years later, her mother remarried and this union gave Kahn two half-siblings (Jeffrey and Robyn). After the divorce was finalized, Kahn and her mother moved to New York City. Although Kahn's parents were high-school sweethearts, they divorced when she was only two years old. Her mother, Paula, was just 17 when Kahn was born. She was born on September 29, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts as Madeline Gail Wolfson. Madeline Kahn was an actress of movie, television, and theatre. Cosby - 1996. London Suite - 1996. New York News - 1995. For Richer, for Poorer - 1992. Lucky Luke - 1991. Welcome to the Monkey House - 1991. President - 1987. Mr. Wanted: The Perfect Guy - 1986. Oh Madeline - 1983. Harvey - 1972. Comedy Tonight - 1970. Judy Berlin - 1999. A Bug's Life - 1998 (animated). Nixon - 1995. Mixed Nuts - 1994. Betsy's Wedding - 1990. An American Tail - 1986 (animated). Clue - 1985. City Heat - 1984. My Little Pony: The Movie - 1983 (animated). Scrambled Feet - 1983. Yellowbeard - 1983. Slapstick (Of Another Kind) - 1982. History of the World: Part I - 1981. Happy Birthday, Gemini - 1980. First Family - 1980. Wholly Moses - 1980. Simon - 1980. The Muppet Movie - 1979. The Cheap Detective - 1978. High Anxiety - 1978. Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood - 1976. The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother - 1975. At Long Last Love - 1975. Young Frankenstein - 1974. Blazing Saddles - 1974. Frankweiler - 1973. Basil E. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Paper Moon - 1973. What's Up, Doc? - 1972. De Düva: The Dove - 1968. The Sisters Rosensweig - 1993. Born Yesterday - 1989. On the Twentieth Century - 1978. Boom Boom Room - 1973. Two By Two - 1970. Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1968 - 1968. |