Madeline Kahn was born Madeline Gail Wolfson on September 29, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Freda (Goldberg) and Bernard B. Wolfson, a garment manufacturer. She was of Russian Jewish descent. Madeline began her acting career in high school and went on to university where she trained as an opera singer and starred in several campus productions, ...
September 29, 1942, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died
December 3, 1999, New York City, New York, United States
Place Of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Height
5' 3" (1.6 m)
Profession
Actress, Soundtrack
Education
Martin Van Buren High School, Hofstra University
Nationality
American
Spouse
John Hansbury (m. 1999–1999)
Parents
Paula Kahn, Hiller Kahn, Bernard B. Wolfson
Siblings
Robyn Wolfson, Jeffrey Kahn
Awards
Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, Daytime Emmy Award for O...
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actress, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Mo...
Movies
Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Paper Moon, High Anxiety, What's Up, Doc?, Clue, A Bug's Life, History of the World, Part I, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, The Cheap Detective, The Muppet Movie, Mixed Nuts, Judy Berlin, At Long Last Love, Yellowbeard, First Family, Betsy's W...
TV Shows
Cosby, Oh Madeline, Road to Avonlea, My Little Pony
In Hollywood I thought I was large and klutzy, like the characters I played. I never acted kooky, but I did fill a time slot slated for a woman who was expected to display interesting neurotic behavior.
2
[on What's Up, Doc? (1972)] I was petrified of Barbra Streisand when I did "What's Up, Doc?". It was my first movie and every single thing about it was new. I was petrified of the palm trees!
3
It's acceptable for men to act the fool. When women try, they're considered aggressive and opinionated.
4
Mel Brooks is sensual with me. He treats me like an uncle - a dirty uncle. He's an earthly man and very moral underneath. He has traditional values.
5
Actually, I hold a degree in speech therapy. I was going to get my doctorate but acting got in the way. Pity, I always thought I'd like to do something dignified.
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Fact
1
She joined a 6-person comedy revue at the nightclub "Upstairs at the Downstairs".
2
Grew up in Queens, New York.
3
Was an intensely private woman in real life.
4
She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Trixie Delight in Paper Moon (1973).
5
Remained skeptical about the idea of marriage due to her parent's divorce.
6
Moved to New York with her mother, who wanted to pursue a singing career, when she was around 5 years old.
7
Graduate 3rd in her class at Martin Van Buren High School in 1960.
8
Went to the Manumit school in New York from 1948 to 1953.
9
Held a degree in speech therapy and intended to become a teacher.
10
Her parents divorced when she was two years old.
11
Her mother was 18 and her father was 20 when she was born. The couple had been married for a little over a year before she was born.
12
Starred in the original Broadway production of 'On the Twentieth Century' in 1978 but departed from the show after 9 weeks due to damage to her vocal cords.
13
She improvised the now infamous "flames, flames on the side of my face.." speech in Clue.
14
She was from an Ashkenazi Jewish family.
15
Won the 1993 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "The Sisters Rosensweig".
16
Nominated for the 1989 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Play/Comedy for "Born Yesterday".
17
Nominated for the 1978 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Musical for "On the Twentieth Century".
18
Nominated for the 1974 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "Boom Boom Room".
19
According to Mel Brooks, she was--contrary to her screen image--quite shy and reserved in real life.
20
Her performance as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles (1974) is ranked #74 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
21
Graduated from Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village, New York (1960).
22
Graduated from Hofstra University on a drama scholarship.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
1973
Schoolteacher
Paper Moon
1973
Trixie Delight
Harvey
1972
TV Movie
Nurse Ruth Kelly
What's Up, Doc?
1972
Eunice Burns
De Düva: The Dove
1968
Short
Sigfrid
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Saturday Night Live
1977-1995
TV Series performer - 2 episodes
Great Performances
1993
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Sing Yourself Silly!
1990
Video short performer: "Put Down the Duckie" 1986 - uncredited
Sesame Street, Special
1988
TV Movie performer: "Put Down the Duckie"
Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
1988
TV Special performer: "You'd Be Surprised!"
Comic Relief
1986/I
TV Special performer: "I'm Tired"
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1986
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Clue
1985
performer: "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" - uncredited
All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds
1984
TV Movie performer: "It's Him"
Slapstick of Another Kind
1982
performer: "Lonesome No More"
The Muppet Show
1977
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
1975
performer: "The Kangaroo Hop", "I'm Simply Crazy Over You", "You Don't Love As I Do", "Un Ballo in Maschera A Masked Ball: Singing at the Party; I Want You Now; Very Sexy Wine" - uncredited
At Long Last Love
1975
performer: "Well Did You Evah!" uncredited, "Down In The Depths On The 90th Floor" uncredited, "Most Gentleman Don't Like Love" uncredited, "A Picture Of Me Without You" uncredited, "From Alpha To Omega" uncredited, "Friendship", "You're The Top" uncredited, "Find Me a Primitive Man" uncredited, "At Long Last Love" uncredited, "I Loved Him But He Didn't Love Me" uncredited
Young Frankenstein
1974
performer: "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life", "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" - uncredited
Blazing Saddles
1974
performer: "I'm Tired"
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Clue
2016/I
in memory of filming
Psych
2013
TV Series dedicated to the memory of - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The George Burns Special
1976
TV Special
Madeline Kahn
The Carol Burnett Show
1976
TV Series
Herself
The 48th Annual Academy Awards
1976
TV Special
Herself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
At Long Last Cole
1975
TV Movie
Herself
The 28th Annual Tony Awards
1974
TV Special
Herself
The 46th Annual Academy Awards
1974
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
The David Frost Show
1970-1972
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Screwball Comedies... Remember Them?
1972
Documentary short
Herself
Comedy Tonight
1970
TV Series
Herself
The Merv Griffin Show
1970
TV Series
Herself - Guest
The Ed Sullivan Show
1966
TV Series
Herself
Intimate Portrait
1999
TV Series documentary
Narrator
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996-1998
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Late Show with David Letterman
1997
TV Series
Herself - Guest
The 23rd Annual People's Choice Awards
1997
TV Special
Herself
Charlie Rose
1996
TV Series
Herself - Guest
American Masters
1996
TV Series documentary
Herself
Howard Stern
1996
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Night of About 14 CBS Stars
1996
TV Movie
Herself
Saturday Night Live
1976-1995
TV Series
Herself - Host / Various / Herself / ...
The 48th Annual Tony Awards
1994
TV Special
Herself - Presenter: Best Featured Actress in a Play
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1993
TV Series
Herself - Guest
The 47th Annual Tony Awards
1993
TV Special
Herself - Performer & Winner: Best Leading Actress in a Play
Great Performances
1987-1993
TV Series
Herself - Performer
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1974-1991
TV Series
Herself - Guest
The Best of Gilda Radner
1989
Video documentary
Herself / Various
Sesame Street
1978-1989
TV Series
Herself
The 43rd Annual Tony Awards
1989
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Leading Actress in a Play
CBS This Morning
1989
TV Series
Herself
The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards
1989
TV Special
Herself
Working in the Theatre
1989
TV Series documentary
Herself
Late Night with David Letterman
1982-1989
TV Series
Herself / Herself - Guest
Sesame Street, Special
1988
TV Movie
Herself (segment "Put Down the Duckie")
Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
1988
TV Special
Herself
The 2nd Annual American Comedy Awards
1988
TV Special
Herself - Presenter
Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started - The Lost Minutes
1987
TV Special short
Nurse Ratchet
Comic Relief
1986/I
TV Special
Lili von Shtupp
All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds
1984
TV Movie
Herself
The 10th Annual People's Choice Awards
1984
TV Special
Herself - Winner: Favourite Female Performer in New Television Series
The 41st Annual Golden Globe Awards
1984
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy / Musical
Group Madness
1983
Documentary
Herself / Mrs. Yellowbeard
Reading Rainbow
1983
TV Series
Herself
Fridays
1981
TV Series
Herself - Host
A Salute to American Imagination
1978
TV Movie documentary
Herself / Co-Host
The Mike Douglas Show
1971-1978
TV Series
Herself - Actress / Herself - Guest
Good Morning America
1978
TV Series
Herself - Guest
The 32nd Annual Tony Awards
1978
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Musical
The Paul Ryan Show
1977
TV Series
Herself
The Muppet Show
1977
TV Series
Herself - Special Guest Star
Klein Time
1977
TV Movie
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Welcome to the Basement
2014
TV Series
Eunice Burns
Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West
2014
Video documentary short
Herself
American Masters
2013
TV Series documentary
Elizabeth / Victoria Brisbane
The O'Reilly Factor
2012
TV Series
Elizabeth in 'Young Frankenstein'
Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1970's
2009
Video documentary
Herself
Role Model: Gene Wilder
2008
TV Movie documentary
Elizabeth (uncredited)
Silenci?
2005
TV Series
Elizabeth
Kermit: A Frog's Life
2005
Video short
El Sleezo Patron (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
2005
Video
Pat Nixon (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Gilda Radner
2005
Video
Various Characters (uncredited)
Live from New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live
2005
TV Special documentary
Sesame Street Presents: The Street We Live On
2004
TV Movie
Herself (uncredited)
Gilda Radner's Greatest Moments
2002
TV Special
Herself
Back in the Saddle
2001
Video documentary short
Lili Von Shtupp
Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years
2000
TV Movie documentary
Elizabeth / Herself
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies
2000
TV Special documentary
Herself
The 72nd Annual Academy Awards
2000
TV Special
Herself (Memorial Tribute)
Saturday Night Live 25
1999
TV Special documentary
Herself (uncredited)
50 Years of Funny Females
1995
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Great Performances
1994
TV Series
Herself
Intimate Portrait
1993
TV Series documentary
Herself
Sing Yourself Silly!
1990
Video short
Herself
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
1989
TV Special
Mahweena Doitchwand (uncredited)
Sing Along
1987
Video short
Herself
The Best of Dan Aykroyd
1986
Video
Pat Nixon
Muppet Video: Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff
1985
Video
Herself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1984
TV Series
Eliza Swain / Lutetia Swain
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter
1982
TV Movie documentary
Actress - 'High Anxiety' (uncredited)
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1987
Daytime Emmy
Daytime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming
ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)
1984
People's Choice Award
People's Choice Awards, USA
Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program
1973
KCFCC Award
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Supporting Actress
Paper Moon (1973)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2001
Chlotrudis Award
Chlotrudis Awards
Best Supporting Actress
Judy Berlin (1999)
1996
Actor
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Outstanding Performance by a Cast
Nixon (1995)
1984
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
$15 Million
