Carol Kane

Carolyn Laurie Kane was born on June 18, 1952, in Cleveland, the daughter of Joy, a jazz singer, teacher, dancer, and pianist, and architect Michael Kane. Known professionally as Carol Kane, she is a seasoned American actress who has dedicated more than five decades of her life to the film industry. Kane gained recognition for her role in Hester Street (1975), and she secured an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Her career blossomed in the 1970s and 1980s, with memorable roles in films like Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Annie Hall (1977), When a Stranger Calls (1979), and The Princess Bride (1987). Furthermore, she has had impressive performances in Scrooged (1988) and Flashback (1990). She also marked her presence in the television world, playing the character of Simka Gravas in Taxi, an early 1980s TV series. This role won her two Emmy Awards.

Kane continued her acting journey by playing the character of Madame Morrible in the musical Wicked, both on Broadway and in touring productions from 2005 to 2014. She was a main cast member on the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where she played Lillian Kaushtupper from 2015 to 2020. As of 2023, she plays Pelia in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Kane's unique high, breathy, and slow voice is often noted, though she confessed to disliking it, wishing her voice was 'deep, beautiful, and sexy'. Always deeply committed to her work, Kane has consistently demonstrated a vibrant talent that spans across film, TV, and theatre, placing her as one of the powerhouses of the industry.