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Lainie Kazan

Lainie Kazan is a multi-award winner in film, television and on stage. Kazan began her career as Barbra Streisand's understudy in the Broadway production of FUNNY GIRL. She soon became the chanteuse of her native New York, appearing in nightclubs and as a guest on virtually every top variety and talk show on television. She appeared on The Dean Martin Show an unequalled 26 times, hosted her own variety special on NBC and opened the popular Lainie's Room and Lainie's Room East at the Los Angeles and New York Playboy Clubs.

Appearing at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel, Lainie attracted the attention of Francis Ford Coppola who offered her a role in ONE FROM THE HEART. The following year, Kazan was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actress in Richard Benjamin's MY FAVORITE YEAR with Peter O'Toole. Her other films include LUST IN THE DUST, DELTA FORCE, BEACHES, THE CEMETERY CLUB, 29th ST., THE ASSOCIATE, LOVE IS ALL THERE IS, THE BIG HIT, THE CREW, WHAT'S COOKING? and the Tom Hanks' produced comedy MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING.

Lainie also starred in the TNT movie THE ENGAGEMENT RING, with Patricia Heaton. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance on St. Elsewhere and received a CableACE Award nomination for The Paper Chase. Kazan guest starred on Will & Grace, she recurred on The Nanny and played Arthur's main squeeze on King of Queens

Kazan received a Tony nomination for her reprisal of her original role in the musical version of My Favorite Year at Lincoln Center. She produced and starred on Broadway with Bette Midler, Madeline Kahn, Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch and Andrea Martin in Doin' What Comes Natur'lly, an all star tribute to Ethel Merman and benefit for the Gay Men's Health Crisis. She has also appeared in Regional productions of A Little Night Music, The Rink, Man of La Mancha, The Rose Tattoo, Gypsy, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, Orpheus Descending, and Plaza Suite, among others. Kazan also completed a sold out run of The Vagina Monologues on Broadway, the award winning drama The Exonerated, and most recently Bermuda Avenue Triangle in Los Angeles.

Kazan has sung with the Boston Pops and the Cleveland Pops and performed to sold out houses throughout Europe, Asia and Las Vegas and at such venues as The Greek Theatre, Harrah's, Trump Castle and the hallowed stages of New York's Rainbow and Stars, Tatou and Tavern on the Green, and Feinstein's at The Regency Hotel. A recording artist, her CDs include her jazz collections, Lainie Kazan -- In The Groove and Body and Soul. She is a frequent headliner at The Algonquin and Regency Hotel's in New York City and stages throughout the country. Lainie serves on the board for the Young Musician's Foundation, AIDS Project LA and B'nai Brith, to name just a few.

Lainie is involved with a new technology and has filmed the first webisodes of In The Motherhood with Leah Remini for the internet.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2007.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Lainie Kazan Facts

Birth NameLainie Levine
OccupationActress
BirthdayMay 15, 1940 (83)
SignTaurus
BirthplaceNew York, New York, USA

Selected Filmography

Not available.