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Madeline Kahn

Madeline Kahn

Madeline Kahn (born Madeline Gail Wolfson) (September 29, 1942 - December 3, 1999) was a television and movie actress.

She debuted in the movies in 1968 with a role in De Düva: The Dove. Her most famous roles followed in the 1970s: she appeared in What's Up, Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973), Young Frankenstein (1974), Blazing Saddles (1974), and High Anxiety (1977). The final three films were all directed by Mel Brooks, who many Hollywood observers claimed was able to bring out the best of Kahn's comic talents. For her work in Paper Moon and Blazing Saddles, the young comedienne received nominations for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Kahn's roles were primarily comedic rather than dramatic. After her success in Brooks's films, she played in a number of less successful films in the 1980s. At the end of her career, she returned to the stage and won a Tony Award for her role in The Sisters Rosensweig, a play by Wendy Wasserstein. In the final years of her life, she played a major role on the sitcom Cosby, before succumbing to ovarian cancer in 1999.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.

Madeline Kahn Facts

Birth NameMadeline Gail Wolfson
OccupationActress
BirthdaySeptember 29, 1942
SignLibra
BirthplaceBoston, Massachusetts, USA
Date of deathDecember 3, 1999 (age 57)
Height5' 3" (1m60)  How tall is Madeline Kahn compared to you?

Selected Filmography

A Bug's Life
An American Tail
Clue
An American Tail 2-Movie Family Fun Pack
Blazing Saddles
My Little Pony The Movie
The Mel Brooks Collection
Young Frankenstein
What's Up, Doc?
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