Kevin Kline

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Kevin Kline
KevinKlineSept10TIFF.jpg
Kevin Kline in 2010
Born Kevin Delaney Kline
(1947-10-24) October 24, 1947 (age 76)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation Actor, comedian, singer
Years active 1972–present
Spouse(s) Phoebe Cates (m. 1989)
Children <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>

Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, comedian, and singer. He has won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards, and is a 2003 American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee.[1]

Kline began his career on stage in 1972 with The Acting Company. He went on to win two Tony Awards for his work in Broadway musicals, winning Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the 1978 original production of On the Twentieth Century and Best Actor in a Musical for the 1981 revival of The Pirates of Penzance.[2]

He made his film debut the following year, opposite Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice (1982). For his role in the 1988 comedy hit A Fish Called Wanda, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2003, he starred as Falstaff in the Broadway production of Henry IV, for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

He has been nominated for an Emmy Award, two BAFTA Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. His other films include The Big Chill (1983), Silverado (1985), Cry Freedom (1987), Dave (1993), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Ice Storm (1997), In & Out (1997), De-Lovely (2004) and My Old Lady (2014).

Early life

Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Margaret Agnes Kirk (1918-2000)[3] and Robert Joseph Kline.[4][5] His father was a classical music lover and an amateur opera singer who owned and operated The Record Bar, a record store in St. Louis that opened in the early 1940s, and sold toys during the 1960s and 1970s;[4][6] his father's family also owned Kline's Inc., a department store chain. Kline has described his mother as the "dramatic theatrical character in our family".[7] Kline's father was Jewish, from a family that had emigrated from Germany, and had become an agnostic. Kline's mother was a Roman Catholic of Irish descent, the daughter of an emigrant from County Louth. Kline was raised in his mother's Catholic faith.[8] He has three siblings, Alex, Christopher, and Kate.[5] He graduated from the Saint Louis Priory School in 1965. In 1997, the school named its new auditorium the Kevin Kline Theater, and Kline did a benefit performance of selections from Shakespeare at the dedication. He attended Indiana University, Bloomington, where he began as an aspiring classical pianist. After joining the on-campus theater group "Vest Pocket Players" as an undergraduate, he fell in love with the theater and switched to acting, graduating in 1970.[citation needed]

Career

File:Kevin Kline, No Strings Attached Premiere.jpg
Kline at the film premiere of No Strings Attached in January 2011

In 1970, Kline was awarded a scholarship to the newly formed Drama Division at the Juilliard School in New York. In 1972, he joined with fellow Juilliard graduates, including Patti LuPone and David Ogden Stiers, and formed the City Center Acting Company (now The Acting Company), under the aegis of John Houseman.[citation needed]

The Company traveled across the U.S. performing Shakespeare's plays, other classical works, and the musical The Robber Bridegroom, founding one of the most widely praised groups in American repertory theatre. At Juilliard he studied singing with Beverley Peck Johnson.[9]

In 1976, Kline left The Acting Company and settled in New York City, doing a brief appearance as the character "Woody Reed" in the now-defunct soap opera Search for Tomorrow. He followed this with a return to the stage in 1977 to play Clym Yeobright opposite Donna Theodore as Eustacia Vye in The Hudson Guild Theater production of Dance on a Country Grave, Kelly Hamilton's musical version of Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native.[2] In 1978 he played the role of Bruce Granit, a matinée idol caricature, in Harold Prince's On the Twentieth Century, for which he won his first Tony Award. In 1981, Kline appeared with rock diva Linda Ronstadt and singer Rex Smith in the New York Shakespeare Festival's Central Park production of The Pirates of Penzance, winning another Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, for his comically dashing portrayal of the Pirate King. In 1983, he played the role in a film version of the musical, also with Ronstadt, Smith and Angela Lansbury, which had a limited theatrical release.[2]

In the ensuing years, Kline appeared many times in New York Shakespeare Festival productions of Shakespeare, including starring roles in Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, two productions of Hamlet (one of which he also directed) and a Tony-nominated Falstaff in a production that combined the two parts of Henry IV.[citation needed]

Dubbed "the American Olivier" by New York Times theater critic Frank Rich for his stage acting,[10] Kline finally ventured into film in 1982 in Sophie's Choice.[11] He won the coveted role of the tormented and mercurial Nathan opposite Meryl Streep. Streep won an Academy Award for her performance in the film. Kline was nominated for a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for best debut performance.[citation needed]

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Kline made several films with director Lawrence Kasdan, including The Big Chill, Silverado, Grand Canyon, I Love You to Death, and French Kiss. He played Donald Woods in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom opposite Denzel Washington about the friendship between Activist Stephen Biko and editor Donald Woods.[11]

In 1989, Kline won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the British comedy A Fish Called Wanda, in which he played a painfully inept American ex-CIA thug opposite John Cleese's genteel British barrister and Jamie Lee Curtis' femme fatale/con woman.[11] In 2000, the American Film Institute ranked the film twenty-first on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs.[11][12]

Kline had a reputation for being so picky about his roles that it was actually detrimental to his career, and thus earned himself the nickname "Kevin Decline". Other awards have included Drama Desk Awards, Golden Globe awards, a Gotham Award, a Hasty Pudding Theatricals Man of the Year Award, and a St. Louis International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted in the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2003.[13] He has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.[14] Film reviewers have praised Kline. Newsday critic Lynn Darling wrote on July 13, 1988 that Kline "has proved himself to be one of the most talented and versatile American actors of his generation."

Kline played the title role in King Lear at the Public Theater, and took the lead role in a Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac opposite Jennifer Garner. That production was forced to close temporarily after only 11 performances as a result of the Broadway stagehands' strike,[15] but subsequently reopened. Cyrano was filmed in 2008 and aired as part of PBS's Great Performances series in January 2009.

In January 2008, Kline won a Screen Actors Guild award for his portrayal of Jaques in Kenneth Branagh's film As You Like It, adapted from Shakespeare's play. The film premiered theatrically in 2006 in Europe. It bypassed theatres and was sent straight to HBO in the U.S. Kline's film The Conspirator premiered during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010 and was described as an "old fashioned historical thriller". It was well received by most critics. Kline also starred in the 2012 comedy Darling Companion alongside Diane Keaton.[11]

In December 2004, Kline became the 2,272nd recipient of a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame,[16] located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.

Personal life

Kline and wife Phoebe Cates at the Academy Awards Governor's Ball party, 1989

During the 1970s Kline was in a relationship with his Juilliard classmate Patti LuPone. He met actress Phoebe Cates in 1983 and they were married in 1989. The couple live in New York City and they have two children, including a daughter, Greta, a musician currently performing as Frankie Cosmos.[17]

After his son, Owen, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, Kline became active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In November 2004, he was presented with the JDRF's Humanitarian of the Year award by Meryl Streep for his volunteer efforts on behalf of the organization. The Kevin Kline Awards honor theatre professionals in St. Louis in an array of categories, which include best actor and actress, set design, choreography, and original play.[citation needed]

Filmography

Title Year Role Notes
Sophie's Choice 1982 Nathan Landau
The Pirates of Penzance 1983 The Pirate King
The Big Chill 1983 Harold Cooper
Silverado 1985 Paden
Violets Are Blue 1986 Henry Squires
Cry Freedom 1987 Donald Woods
A Fish Called Wanda 1988 Otto West Won Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The January Man 1989 Nick Starkey
I Love You to Death 1990 Joey Boca
Soapdish 1991 Jeffery Anderson / Dr. Rod Randall
Grand Canyon 1991 Mack
Consenting Adults 1992 Richard Parker
Chaplin 1992 Douglas Fairbanks
Dave 1993 Dave Kovic / President William Harrison Mitchell
The Nutcracker 1993 Narrator Voice
Princess Caraboo 1994 Frixos
French Kiss 1995 Luc Teyssier
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996 Captain Phoebus Voice
The Ice Storm 1997 Ben Hood
Fierce Creatures 1997 Vince McCain / Rod McCain
In & Out 1997 Howard Brackett
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1999 Nick Bottom
Wild Wild West 1999 U.S. Marshal Artemus 'Artie' Gordon
President Ulysses S. Grant
The Road to El Dorado 2000 Tulio Voice
The Anniversary Party 2001 Cal Gold
Life as a House 2001 George Monroe
Orange County 2002 Marcus Skinner Uncredited
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II 2002 Captain Phoebus Voice
The Emperor's Club 2002 William Hundert
De-Lovely 2004 Cole Porter
The Pink Panther 2006 Chief Inspector Dreyfus
A Prairie Home Companion 2006 Guy Noir
As You Like It 2006 Jaques
Trade 2007 Ray Sheridan
Definitely, Maybe 2008 Hampton Roth
The Tale of Despereaux 2008 Andre Voice
Cyrano de Bergerac 2008 Cyrano de Bergerac
Queen to Play 2009 Docteur Kröger
The Extra Man 2010 Henry Harrison
No Strings Attached 2011 Alvin Franklin
The Conspirator 2011 Edwin Stanton
Bob's Burgers 2011–present Mr. Fischoeder Voice
Darling Companion 2012 Dr. Joseph Winter
Last Vegas 2013 Sam Harris
The Last of Robin Hood 2013 Errol Flynn
My Old Lady 2014 Mathias Gold
Ricki and the Flash 2015 Pete
Beauty and the Beast 2017 Maurice Post-production

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated work Award Category Result
1978 On the Twentieth Century Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won
1978 On the Twentieth Century Tony Awards Best Featured Actor in a Musical Won
1981 The Pirates of Penzance Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won
1981 The Pirates of Penzance Tony Awards Best Actor in a Musical Won
1982 Sophie's Choice BAFTA Awards Best Newcomer Nominated
1982 Sophie's Choice Golden Globe Awards New Star of the Year - Actor Nominated
1988 A Fish Called Wanda Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Won
1988 A Fish Called Wanda BAFTA Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated
1991 Soapdish Golden Globe Awards Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated
1993 Dave Golden Globe Awards Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated
1997 In & Out Golden Globe Awards Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated
1997 In & Out MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss (shared with Tom Selleck) Nominated
1997 In & Out Satellite Awards Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated
2000 Wild Wild West Golden Raspberry Award Worst Actor Nominated
2000 Wild Wild West Golden Raspberry Award Worst Supporting Actress Nominated
2000 Wild Wild West Golden Raspberry Award Worst Screen Combo Won
2001 Life as a House SAG Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated
2004 Henry IV Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actor in a Play Won
2004 Henry IV Tony Awards Best Actor in a Play Nominated
2004 De-Lovely Golden Globe Awards Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated
2004 De-Lovely Satellite Awards Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated
2006 As You Like It SAG Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Won
2008 Cyrano de Bergerac Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated
2008 Cyrano de Bergerac SAG Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kevin Kline at the Internet Broadway DatabaseLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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  10. Charles Isherwood, "This King, This Courtier, These Kevin Klines", nytimes.com, January 1, 2008.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Kevin Kline at the Internet Movie Database
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  16. "Kline gets Hollywood star", TheAge.com.au, December 4, 2004.
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External links

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