Madeline Gail Kahn (September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including What's Up, Doc? (1972), Young Frankenstein (1974), High Anxiety (1977), History of the World, Part I (1981), and her Academy Award–nominated roles in Paper Moon (1973) and Blazing Saddles (1974).
Kahn made her Broadway debut in Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1968, and received Tony Award nominations for the play In the Boom Boom Room in 1974 and for the original production of the musical On the Twentieth Century in 1978. She starred as Madeline Wayne on the short-lived sitcom Oh Madeline (1983–84) and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1987 for an ABC Afterschool Special. She received a third Tony Award nomination for the revival of the play Born Yesterday in 1989, before winning the 1993 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the comedy The Sisters Rosensweig. Her other film appearances included The Cheap Detective (1978), City Heat (1984), Clue (1985), and Nixon (1995).
After her success in Brooks' films, Kahn appeared in a number of films in the 1980s. She played Mrs. White in 1985's Clue,, First Lady Constance Link in the 1980 spoof First Family, a twin from outer space in the Jerry Lewis sci-fi comedy Slapstick of Another Kind (1982), the love interest of Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy City Heat (1984), and Draggle in the animated film My Little Pony: The Movie (1986). She voiced the character Gussie Mausheimer in the animated film An American Tail. According to animator Don Bluth, she was cast because he was "hoping she would use a voice similar to the one she used as a character in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles.
Kahn played the mother of Molly Ringwald's character in the 1990 film Betsy's Wedding, and shortly after she recorded a voice for the unreleased animated movie The Magic 7. In 1994, she portrayed suicide hotline worker Blanche Munchnik in the holiday farce Mixed Nuts. Kahn played the corrupt mayor in a benefit concert performance of Anyone Can Whistle in 1995. She appeared in Nixon as Martha Beall Mitchell (1995).
On stage, Kahn played Dr. Gorgeous in Wendy Wasserstein's 1993 play (on Broadway) The Sisters Rosensweig, a role for which she earned a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She was a member of the cast of Cosby (1996–1999) as Pauline, the eccentric friend and neighbor.
Kahn participated in a workshop reading of Dear World at the Roundabout Theatre Company in June 1998, reading the part of Gabrielle. She also voiced Gypsy the moth in A Bug's Life (1998).
Kahn received good reviews for her Chekhovian turn in the 1999 independent movie Judy Berlin, her final film. Before her passing, she also worked on the first two episodes of Little Bill, voicing Mrs. Shapiro. The second episode ("Just a Baby" / "The Camp Out"), the final installment for which she voiced Mrs. Shapiro, was dedicated to her memory. Kathy Najimy succeeded her in the role of Mrs. Shapiro following Kahn's death.
She hosted Saturday Night Live 3 times: She made her hosting debut was on May 8, 1976, the nineteenth episode of Season 1, with musical guest Carly Simon. She returned to Saturday Night Live hosting for the 2nd time on October 8, 1977, the second episode of Season 3, with musical guest Taj Mahal. She returned to Saturday Night Live to hosting for the 3rd and final time and her only appearance in 25 years on December 16, 1995, the ninth episode and the Christmas show of Season 21, with musical guests Bush.
Gallery[]
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Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Graduate | Claire Anderson | |
| 1968 | De Düva (The Dove) | Sigrid | Short |
| 1972 | What's Up, Doc? | Eunice Burns | |
| 1973 | Paper Moon | Trixie Delight | |
| 1973 | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | Schoolteacher | |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | Lili Von Shtupp | |
| 1974 | Young Frankenstein | Elizabeth Benning | |
| 1975 | At Long Last Love | Kitty O'Kelly | |
| 1975 | The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother | Jenny Hill | |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Estie Del Ruth | |
| 1977 | High Anxiety | Victoria Brisbane | |
| 1978 | The Cheap Detective | Mrs. Montenegro | |
| 1979 | The Muppet Movie | El Sleezo Patron | |
| 1980 | Simon | Dr. Cynthia Mallory | |
| 1980 | Happy Birthday, Gemini | Bunny Weinberger | |
| 1980 | Wholly Moses! | The Witch | |
| 1980 | First Family | Mrs. Constance Link | |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Empress Nympho | |
| 1982 | Slapstick of Another Kind | Eliza Swain / Lutetia Swain | |
| 1983 | Yellowbeard | Betty | |
| 1983 | Scrambled Feet | ||
| 1984 | City Heat | Caroline Howley | |
| 1985 | Clue | Mrs. White | |
| 1986 | My Little Pony: The Movie | Draggle | Voice |
| 1986 | An American Tail | Gussie Mausheimer | Voice |
| 1990 | Betsy's Wedding | Lola Hopper | |
| 1994 | Mixed Nuts | Mrs. Munchnik | |
| 1995 | Nixon | Martha Mitchell | |
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | Gypsy | Voice |
| 1999 | Judy Berlin | Alice Gold | Final film role |
| Sources: Masterworks, TCM, The New York Times | |||
Television[]
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Harvey | Nurse Ruth Kelly | TV movie |
| 1973 | Adam's Rib | Doris | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | The Carol Burnett Show | Mavis Danton | episode: #10.4 |
| 1976-1995 | Saturday Night Live | Host | 3 episodes |
| 1977 | The Muppet Show | Special Guest Star | Episode 209 |
| 1978-1990 | Sesame Street | Herself | 7 episodes |
| 1981 | Fridays | Host | episode 35 |
| 1983–1984 | Oh Madeline | Madeline Wayne | 19 episodes |
| 1986 | Comedy Factory CTV (1985–86) | Violet Kinsey | episode 6: "Chameleon" |
| 1987–1988 | Mr. President | Lois Gullickson | 14 episodes |
| 1991 | Road to Avonlea | Pigeon Plumtree | episode: "It's Just a Stage" |
| 1992 | Lucky Luke | Esperanza | season 1, episode 1 |
| 1992 | For Richer, for Poorer | Billie | TV movie |
| 1993 | Monkey House | Grace Anderson | episode: "More Stately Mansions" |
| 1993 | Dr. Seuss Video Classics: Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book | Narrator | VHS special |
| 1995 | New York News | Nan Chase | 13 episodes |
| 1996 | Ivana Trump's For Love Alone | Sabrina | TV movie |
| 1996 | London Suite | Sharon Semple | TV movie |
| 1996–1999 | Cosby | Pauline Fox | 84 episodes |
| 1999 | Little Bill | Mrs. Shapiro (voice) | Ep: "Just a Baby/The Campout" Posthumous; the episode is dedicated to her memory |
| Sources: Masterworks, TCM, The New York Times TV Guide | |||
Theater[]
| Year | Production | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Kiss Me, Kate | Chorister | Concert, Off-Broadway |
| 1965 | Just for Openers | Performer | Upstairs at the Downstairs, Off-Broadway |
| 1966 | Mixed Doubles | Performer | |
| 1966 | Below the Belt | Performer | |
| 1967 | How Now, Dow Jones | Performer (replacement) | Lunt-Fontaine Theatre, Broadway |
| 1968 | Candide | Cunegonde | New York Concert, Off-Broadway |
| 1968 | New Faces of 1968 | Performer | Booth Theatre, Broadway |
| 1969 | Promenade | Servant | Promenade Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1970 | Two by Two | Goldie | Imperial Theatre, Broadway |
| 1973 | In the Boom Boom Room | Chrissy | Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway |
| 1977 | She Loves Me | Amalia Balash | Town Hall Concert |
| 1978 | Marco Polo Sings a Solo | Dianna McBride | The Public Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1978 | On the Twentieth Century] | Lily Garland | St. James Theatre, Broadway |
| 1983 | Blithe Spirit | Madame Arcati | Santa Fe Festival Theater |
| 1985 | What's Wrong with this Picture? | Shirley | Manhattan Theatre Club, Broadway |
| 1989 | Born Yesterday | Billie Dawn | 46th Street Theatre, Broadway |
| 1992 | Hello, Dolly! | Dolly | Limited Tour |
| 1993-94 | The Sisters Rosensweig | Gorgeous Teitelbaum | Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway |
| 1992 | Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall | Performer | Concert at Carnegie Hall |
| 1995 | Anyone Can Whistle | Cora | Concert at Carnegie Hall |
| 1998 | Dear World | Gabrielle | Roundabout Theatre Company Workshop |
| Sources: PlaybillVault, Masterworks, TCM, Lortel, BroadwayWorld | |||
Awards and nominations[]
- Year given is year of ceremony
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Golden Globe Award | New Star Actress of the Year | What's Up, Doc? | Template:Nom | |
| 1974 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | Paper Moon | Template:Nom | |
| Academy Award | vBest Supporting Actress | Template:Nom | |||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Performance | In the Boom Boom Room | Template:Won | ||
| Tony Award | Best Actress in a Play | Template:Nom | |||
| 1975 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture | Young Frankenstein | Template:Nom | |
| Academy Award | Best Supporting Actress | Blazing Saddles | Template:Nom | ||
| 1978 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Musical | On the Twentieth Century | Template:Nom | |
| 1984 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress - Television Musical or Comedy | Oh Madeline | Template:Nom | |
| People's Choice Award | Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Series | Template:Won | |||
| 1987 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming | ABC Afterschool Special | Template:Won | |
| 1989 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Play | Born Yesterday | Template:Nom | |
| 1993 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | The Sisters Rosensweig | Template:Won | |
| Tony Award | Best Actress in a Play | Template:Won | |||
| Honorary awards | |||||
| 2003 | American Theatre Hall of Fame | Template:N/a | Template:Won | ||