Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952
) is an American actress. She gained recognition for her role in ''
Hester Street'' (1975), for which she received an
Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as ''
Dog Day Afternoon
''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. The screenplay ...
'' (1975), ''
Annie Hall
''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer ...
'' (1977), ''
When a Stranger Calls'' (1979), ''
The Princess Bride'' (1987), ''
Scrooged
''Scrooged'' is a 1988 American Christmas fantasy black comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue. Based on the 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dickens, ''Scrooged'' is a modern re ...
'' (1988) and ''
Flashback'' (1990).
Kane appeared on the television series ''
Taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
'' in the early 1980s, as Simka Gravas, the wife of
Latka, the character played by
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. He has sometimes been called an "anti-humor, anti-comedian". He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was tra ...
, winning two
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s for her work. She has played the character of
Madame Morrible in the musical ''
Wicked'', both in touring productions and on
Broadway from 2005 to 2014. From 2015 to 2020, she was a main cast member on the Netflix series ''
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'', in which she played
Lillian Kaushtupper. She currently plays the recurring role of Pelia in ''
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'' (2023present).
Early life
Kane was born on June 18, 1952, in Cleveland, the daughter of Joy, a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
singer, teacher, dancer, and pianist, and architect Michael Kane.
Her family is Jewish, and her grandparents emigrated from Russia, Austria, and Poland.
Due to her father's occupation, Kane moved frequently as a child; she briefly lived in Paris at age eight, where she began learning to speak French.
Additionally, she resided on
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
at age 10.
Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old.
She attended the Cherry Lawn School, a boarding school in Darien, Connecticut, until 1965. She studied theater at
HB Studio
The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency prog ...
and also went to the
Professional Children's School
The Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college-preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades four through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an ac ...
in New York City. She became a member of both the
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
and the
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions w ...
at age 14. Kane made her professional theater debut in a 1966 production of ''
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' starring
Tammy Grimes, her first job as a member of Actors' Equity.
Career
1971–1979: Career beginnings and early recognition
Kane's on-screen career began while she was still a teenager, when she appeared in minor roles in films such as ''
Desperate Characters'' and
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...
's ''
Carnal Knowledge'' in 1971, the latter of which led her to befriend lead actor
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
. In 1972, she was cast in her first leading role in the Canadian production ''
Wedding in White'', where she played a teenage rape victim who is forced into marriage by her father. She also appeared as a
sex worker
A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is ...
in
Hal Ashby
William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an Cinema of the United States, American film Film director, director and Film editing, editor. His work exemplified the countercultural attitude of the era. He directed wide-rangi ...
's 1973 film ''
The Last Detail
''The Last Detail'' is a 1973 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby, from a screenplay by Robert Towne, based on the 1970 novel by Darryl Ponicsan. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid, Clifton James, and Caro ...
'', where she collaborated with Nicholson yet again.
In 1975, Kane was cast in
Joan Micklin Silver
Joan Micklin Silver (May 24, 1935 – December 31, 2020) was an American director of films and plays. Born in Omaha, Silver moved to New York City in 1967 where she began writing and directing films. She is best known for her debut film Hester S ...
's feature-length debut ''
Hester Street'', in which she played a
Russian-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...
immigrant who struggles with her husband to assimilate in late 19th-century New York.
For her performance in the film, Kane garnered her sole Academy Award nomination for
Best Actress at the
48th Academy Awards
The 48th Academy Awards were presented Monday, March 29, 1976, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The ceremonies were presided over by Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw (actor), Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn, and Ge ...
, and it remains her favorite of all her roles.
Additionally, in 1975 she appeared as a bank teller in
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...
's crime drama ''
Dog Day Afternoon
''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. The screenplay ...
'', which received numerous Academy Award nominations in other categories that same year. This also marked her first on-screen collaboration with
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
, whom she had known prior to the film thanks to their shared background in theater.
Despite this recognition, however, Kane has recounted waiting for approximately a year before being cast in her next role, which she has attributed to the trend of actors being typecast after receiving awards attention. Her return to the screen would come with
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fa ...
's 1977 comedy ''
The World's Greatest Lover,'' which she has credited for identifying the comedic talents that would become her staple in later years.
During the same year, she was cast in
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
's romantic comedy ''
Annie Hall
''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer ...
'', where she played Allison Portchnik, the first wife of Allen's character Alvy Singer.
She also appeared in
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...
's film ''
Valentino'', which, like ''The World's Greatest Lover'', takes inspiration from the
silent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
era, as it is a biographical drama loosely inspired by the life of
Rudolph Valentino
Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...
.

After this, Kane appeared in the horror films ''
The Mafu Cage'' (1978) and ''
When a Stranger Calls'' (1979); ironically, Kane herself is largely averse to horror, and she admits to being unable to watch the latter.
In 1979, she also appeared in a cameo role in ''
The Muppet Movie
''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley and produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film to feature the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the film was wr ...
''.
1980–1990: ''Taxi'' and transition into comedy
From 1980 to 1983, Kane portrayed Simka Dahblitz-Gravas, the wife of
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. He has sometimes been called an "anti-humor, anti-comedian". He disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was tra ...
's character
Latka Gravas, on the American television series ''
Taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
''. She has theorized that she was cast in ''Taxi'' in part due to her work in ''Hester Street'', where a significant portion of her dialogue was spoken in
Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
, since Simka speaks a fictional language with a vaguely
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
an accent.
Kane has attributed the on-screen rapport she shared with Kaufman to their different work ethics: where she was trained in the theater and enjoyed rehearsal time, Kaufman was rooted more in
stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
and did not care for rehearsals, a contrast that she believes enhanced their believability as a married couple.
However, she maintains that she and Kaufman had a loving relationship on set, and she has spoken fondly of him in retrospective interviews.
Kane received two
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s for her work on ''Taxi''.
Her role on the series has largely been credited as the beginning of her pivot towards more comedic roles, as she began to regularly appear in
sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
s and comedy films after the series ended.
In 1984, Kane appeared in episode 12, season 3 of ''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...
'' as Amanda, an acquaintance of
Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers is a fictional character in the American television situation comedy show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Shelley Long and created by Glen and Les Charles. She is one of two main protagonists in the first five seasons of the series. A ...
from her time spent in a mental institution. She was also a regular on the 1986 series ''
All Is Forgiven.''
In 1987, Kane appeared in ''
Ishtar
Inanna is the List of Mesopotamian deities, ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war, love, and fertility. She is also associated with political power, divine law, sensuality, and procreation. Originally worshipped in Sumer, she was known by the Akk ...
'',
Elaine May
Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and director. She first gained fame in the 1950s for her improvisational comedy routines with Mike Nichols before transitioning her career, regularly b ...
's notorious box-office flop turned
cult classic
A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...
, playing the frustrated girlfriend of
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
's character. That year also saw her make one of her most recognizable film appearances in
Rob Reiner
Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and liberal activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael Stivic, Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitc ...
's fantasy romance ''
The Princess Bride'', where she played Valerie, the wife of Miracle Max (
Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. ...
). In 1988, Kane appeared in the
Cinemax Comedy Experiment ''
Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card'' alongside
Jon Cryer
Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor. Born into a show business family, he made his film debut with a lead role in ''No Small Affair'' (1984); his breakout role was as Duckie in the John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughe ...
and the
Smothers Brothers
The Smothers Brothers were the American duo of brothers Tom Smothers, Tom and Dick Smothers, who performed folk singer, folk singing, music, and comedy. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on Steel-string guitar, a ...
. During the same year, she was also featured in the
Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
vehicle ''
Scrooged
''Scrooged'' is a 1988 American Christmas fantasy black comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue. Based on the 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dickens, ''Scrooged'' is a modern re ...
'', where she portrayed a contemporary version of the
Ghost of Christmas Present
The Ghost of Christmas Present is a fictional character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is one of three spirits that appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of Redemption (theology), redemption.
...
, depicted in the film as a fairy. For this performance, ''Variety'' called her "unquestionably
hepic's comic highlight". Additionally, she played a potential love interest for
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...
's character in the 1990 film ''
My Blue Heaven''.
1990–2004: Television and film regularity
Kane became a regular on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
series ''
American Dreamer'', which ran from 1990 to 1991''.'' In 1993, she appeared in ''
Addams Family Values'' where she replaced
Judith Malina
Judith Malina (June 4, 1926 – April 10, 2015) was a German-born American actress, director and writer. With her husband Julian Beck, Malina co-founded The Living Theatre, a radical political theatre troupe that rose to prominence in New York C ...
as
Grandmama Addams; this role saw her reunite with her ''Taxi'' castmate
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and television shows since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''B ...
. She also guest starred on a 1994 episode of ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...
'', as well as a 1996 episode of ''
Ellen
Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth (given name), Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena, and Helen (given name), Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004.
People named Ellen include:
* Elle ...
.'' In 1996, she was given a supporting role in the short-lived sitcom ''
Pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
''. From there, she continued to appear in a number of film roles throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, including ''
The Pallbearer'' (1996), ''
Office Killer
''Office Killer'' is a 1997 American comedy-horror film directed by Cindy Sherman. It was released in the fall of 1997 and stars Carol Kane, Molly Ringwald and David Thornton.
Plot
A magazine editor named Dorine, due to budget cuts, is for ...
'' (1997), ''
Jawbreaker'' (1999), and ''
My First Mister'' (2001). In 1998, she voiced Mother Duck in the American version of the animated television film ''
The First Snow of Winter''.
In 1999, she made a cameo in the Andy Kaufman biopic ''
Man on the Moon'' as herself playing the ''Taxi'' character.
2005–2014: ''Wicked'' and career expansion
Kane is also known for her portrayal of the evil headmistress
Madame Morrible in the Broadway musical ''
Wicked'', whom she played in various productions from 2005 to 2014. 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 on August 26, 2008, until the production closed on January 11, 2009.
In January 2009, she guest starred in the television series ''
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'' as the mother of
Alan Harper's receptionist.
She then transferred with the Los Angeles company of ''Wicked'' to reprise her role once again, this time in the San Francisco production, which began performances January 27, 2009. She ended her limited engagement on March 22, 2009.
In March 2010, Kane appeared in the
ABC series ''
Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 28, 2006, to April 14, 2010. It is based on the Colombian telenovela ''Yo soy Betty, la fea' ...
'' as
Justin Suarez
Justin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty'' (2006–2010). Portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato, Justin is raised by his single mother Hilda, both of whom live with his aunt Betty and grandfather Igna ...
's acting teacher.
Kane starred in the
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
play ''
Love, Loss, and What I Wore'' in February 2010. She made her
West End debut in January 2011 in a major revival of
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, Prose, prose writer, Memoir, memoirist, and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway as well as her communist views and political activism. She was black ...
's drama ''
The Children's Hour'' at London's
Comedy Theatre
The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011, , where she starred alongside
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley ( ; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters, particularly Historical drama, period dramas, she has received List of awards and no ...
,
Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Singleton Moss (born July 24, 1982) is an American actor and director. The recipient of several accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a nomination for a Tony Award, she was named the "Queen of P ...
and
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy A ...
. In May 2012, Kane appeared on Broadway as Betty Chumley in a revival of the play ''
Harvey''.
Kane returned to the Broadway company of ''Wicked'' from July 1, 2013, through February 22, 2014, a period that included the show's 10th anniversary.
In 2014, she was cast in a recurring role on the television series ''
Gotham'' as Gertrude Kapelput, the Hungarian-born mother of
Oswald Cobblepot, also known as Penguin.
2015–present: ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' and legacy roles
In 2015, Kane was cast in the recurring role of
Lillian Kaushtupper, the landlord to the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
of the
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series ''
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt''.
Kane joined the cast due in part to her admiration of showrunner
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in sketch comedy, television and film, Fey has received List of awards and nominations received by Tina Fe ...
, with whom she had previously wanted to collaborate on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
series ''
30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...
''.
She was promoted to a series regular for the show's second season. ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' ran for four seasons, making it one of Kane's longest television roles to date. She reprised the role in the "interactive" television special ''
Kimmy vs the Reverend''.
In 2018, Kane was cast in
Jacques Audiard
Jacques Audiard (; born 30 April 1952) is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. One of the most awarded French filmmakers in history, his international accolades include an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and three ...
's
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
film ''
The Sisters Brothers
''The Sisters Brothers'' is a 2011 Western fiction, Western novel by Canadian-born author Patrick deWitt. The darkly comic story takes place in Oregon and California in 1851. The narrator, Eli Sisters, and his brother Charlie are assassins taske ...
''. In 2019, she appeared in
Jim Jarmusch
James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician.
He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...
's
horror comedy
Comedy horror (also called horror comedy) is a literary, television and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." Comedy horror can a ...
''
The Dead Don't Die,'' marking another collaboration with Bill Murray. That same year, she was featured in the recurring role of Bianca Nova in season one of the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
series ''
Los Espookys
''Los Espookys'' is an American Spanish language comedy television series created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, who also star alongside Bernardo Velasco and Cassandra Ciangherotti. The series follows a group of friends trying ...
'', where she reunited with her ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' castmate
Fred Armisen
Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and writer. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, he co-created and co-starred in the IFC sketch comedy series '' Portlandia''. He also co-created ...
.
In 2020, Kane was featured in the ensemble cast of the
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
series ''
Hunters,'' which also includes her longtime acquaintance
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
.
Additionally, during the same year, she participated in two cast reunion fundraisers, one with the cast of ''Taxi'' for the
Actors Fund, the other with the cast of ''The Princess Bride'' for the
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler.
Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public edu ...
.
It was announced on
''Star Trek'' Day 2022 that Kane would join the cast of ''
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'' for season two as Chief Engineer Pelia. Prior to her casting, Kane had never seen an episode of the original ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' series, though she has said the show's writers thought this oversight improved her performance.
In 2024, Kane starred in
Nathan Silver's comedy film ''
Between the Temples'', in which she portrays a woman who, having been raised by
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
parents, decides to have a
bat mitzvah
A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they a ...
later in life. Kane has stated that she drew inspiration from Silver's mother, who studied for a bat mitzvah in her sixties; she was also inspired by her own mother, who, at age 55, moved to Paris to become a musician.
For her work in the film, she received the
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, and was nominated for Best Supporting Performance at the
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
.
In December 2024, she was announced as part of the cast of
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American Filmmaking, filmmaker. His films are noted for their surreal, dramatic, and often disturbing elements, frequently in the form of psychological realism. His accolades include a Golden Lion ...
's upcoming film
''Caught Stealing'', where she is slated to play a minor role in which she only speaks Yiddish.
Personal life
Kane was in a relationship with actor
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...
from 1986 to 1988. The two have remained friends since their break-up, and Harrelson was seen attending Kane's 60th birthday party in 2012.
She has never been married, nor has she had any children. Regarding the latter decision, she has said, "I never felt that I would be calm and stable enough to be the kind of mother I'd like to be. I don't think everyone randomly is mother material."
She has been godmother to actress
Bianca Hunter since birth and taken the role of grandmother to her 4 children.
Kane is often noted for her high, breathy, slow voice, though her vocal timbre has grown raspier with age.
Kane, who has often altered her voice to suit various roles, has confessed to disliking it, telling ''
People
The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazine in 2020 that she wishes her voice was "deep and beautiful and sexy".
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage
Music videos
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Carol
1952 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Cleveland
American film actresses
American musical theatre actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
California Democrats
Jewish American actresses
Jewish American comedians
Living people
Ohio Democrats
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
21st-century American Jews
Comedians from Cleveland
American women comedians