Kevin Kline

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Birthday:

24 October 1947, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Birth Name:

Kevin Delaney Kline

Height:

188 cm

Kevin Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Margaret and Robert Joseph Kline, who owned several stores. His father was of German Jewish descent and his mother was of Irish ancestry. After attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Kline studied at the Juilliard School in New York. In 1972, Kline joined the Acting Company in New York which was run by John Houseman. With this company, Kline performed Shakespeare across the country. On the stage, Kline has won two Tony Awards for his work in the musicals "On the Twentieth Century" (1978) and "The Pirates of Penzance" (1981). After working on the Television soap Search for Tomorrow (1951), Kline went to Hollywood where his first film was Sophie's Choice (1982). He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance. His work in the ensemble cast of The Big Chill (1983) would again be highly successful, so that when Lawrence Kasdan wrote Silverado (1985), Kline would again be part of the cast. With his role as Otto "Don't call me Stupid!" West in the film A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Kline would win the Oscar for Supporting Actor. Kline could play classic roles such as Hamlet in Great Performances: Hamlet (1990); or a swashbuckling actor like Douglas Fairbanks in Chaplin (1992); or a comedic role in Soapdish (1991). In all the films that he has worked in, it is hard to find a performance that is not well done. In 1989, Kline married actress Phoebe Cates. Show less «

It is these children we must admire... Their honesty and bravery are models for us all. Their stories and their role here today - advocating...Show more »

It is these children we must admire... Their honesty and bravery are models for us all. Their stories and their role here today - advocating for their cure, their own future - must be heard. - In reference to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International Children's Congress 2001. Show less «

I think every American actor wants to be a movie star. But I never wanted to do stupid movies, I wanted to do films. I vowed I would never d...Show more »

I think every American actor wants to be a movie star. But I never wanted to do stupid movies, I wanted to do films. I vowed I would never do a commercial, or a soap opera - both of which I did as soon as I left the Acting Company and was starving. Show less «

I've never felt completely satisfied with what I've done. I tend to see things too critically. I'm trying to get over that. I've got the Jew...Show more »

I've never felt completely satisfied with what I've done. I tend to see things too critically. I'm trying to get over that. I've got the Jewish guilt and the Irish shame and it's a hell of a job distinguishing which is which. Show less «

[on improving his chess game for a role] I can now predict four or five moves ahead. I can see that I'm going to lose much sooner.

[on Sophie's Choice (1982)] There was a tremendous ensemble feeling. There was never any sense that anything but what was best for a scene w...Show more »

[on Sophie's Choice (1982)] There was a tremendous ensemble feeling. There was never any sense that anything but what was best for a scene was at stake. We were all treated equally, with a tremendous amount of caring. Show less «

[1983 interview] When I'm doing a film, I prefer the stage; when I'm working on stage, I prefer film. That doesn't sound neurotic, does it? ...Show more »

[1983 interview] When I'm doing a film, I prefer the stage; when I'm working on stage, I prefer film. That doesn't sound neurotic, does it? Seriously, I like them both. They're both different. I've heard of a lot of actors who do both, who have done both for years, say that the stage is more fulfilling. Film is still new enough to me that, right now, I find film more fulfilling. In films, you don't have the audience and the communication and the contact that you do on stage. You have to wait six months or a year before you commune with an audience in a film, and you're not even there when it happens... When you work in a film, you're working in a vacuum... that also has advantages. It's a different sensation which is not altogether unpleasant. Show less «