Carol Kane, born Carolyn Laurie Kane on June 18, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, is a renowned American stage, screen, and television actress and comedian. Her Jewish heritage stems from Russia, Poland, and Austria, and her family's background is marked by her parents' divorce, which led to her spending most of her childhood in boarding schools until 1965.
Kane's early years in the entertainment industry began with her professional theater debut in a 1966 production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Tammy Grimes, at the tender age of 14. She later attended the prestigious Professional Children's School in New York's Upper West Side, which provided her with a solid foundation for her future endeavors.
At 20 years old, Kane landed the lead role in William Fruet's World War II film, Wedding in White, in 1972. Her portrayal of Jeannie Dougall, a teenager grappling with the moral implications of being left pregnant after being raped, earned her a surprise Academy Award nomination in 1974.
Kane's subsequent breakthrough came with her role as Gitl in the 1975 independent film, Hester Street, where she played a straight-from-the-shtetl immigrant who navigates the challenges of assimilation in New York's Lower East Side alongside her husband and young son. Her performance was praised by Times of Israel, which described Gitl as a complex and multifaceted character.
The 1980s saw Kane's rise to fame with her recurring role as Simka Dahblitz-Gravas, the wife of Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman),in the popular television series Taxi, from 1980 to 1983. Her outstanding work in the show earned her two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe nomination.
Kane's extensive filmography includes notable roles in The Princess Bride, Scrooged, and more recently, the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where she plays the lovable and eccentric Lillian Kaushtupper, a hardworking landlady in Harlem who is deeply attached to her life in New York. In a recent interview, Kane described Lillian as a unique and endearing character, adding to her impressive repertoire of memorable roles.
