Kevin Kline facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kevin Kline
Kline in 2024
Born	Kevin Delaney Kline (1947-10-24) October 24, 1947 (age 77) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Education	Indiana University Bloomington​ (BA) Juilliard School​ (GrDip)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–present
Notable work	Performances
Spouse(s)	Phoebe Cates ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	Owen Kline Greta Kline
Awards	Full list

Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He has been acting for over 50 years. He is known for playing important roles in both plays and movies. He has won many awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) and three Tony Awards. Tony Awards are given for excellent work in live theater. He has also been nominated for other big awards like the British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In 2003, he was honored by being added to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

Kevin Kline started his acting career on stage in 1972. He became well-known for his many performances with The Public Theater and in the New York Shakespeare Festival. He has won three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. These include awards for On the Twentieth Century (1978), The Pirates of Penzance (1981), and Present Laughter (2017).

Kline first appeared in a movie in 1982 in Sophie's Choice. He later won an Academy Award for his funny role in A Fish Called Wanda (1988). He has also been in many other popular movies like Silverado (1985), Dave (1993), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). He has also lent his voice to animated movies like The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and The Road to El Dorado (2000).

On television, Kline began his career in the show Search for Tomorrow (1976). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in Cyrano de Bergerac (2008). Since 2011, he has voiced the character Calvin Fischoeder in the animated show Bob's Burgers.

Early Life and School

Kevin Kline was born on October 24, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri. His parents were Margaret Agnes Kirk and Robert Joseph Kline. His father loved classical music and owned a record store. Kevin described his mother as the "dramatic theatrical character" in their family. His father was of German-Jewish background, and his mother was Catholic. Kevin was raised in his mother's Catholic faith. He has an older sister, Kate, and two younger brothers, Alexander and Christopher.

He finished high school at the Saint Louis Priory School in 1965. In 1997, the school named its new auditorium the Kevin Kline Theater. He performed parts of Shakespeare plays there to celebrate. He went to Indiana University Bloomington. He first studied music, but later changed his major to theater and speech for his last two years. He graduated in 1970. He said that once he switched to theater, it became his main passion. While in college, he helped start a theater group called the Vest Pocket Players.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting on Stage (1970–1981)

In 1970, Kevin Kline received a scholarship to the new drama school at the Juilliard School in New York. In 1972, he and other Juilliard graduates formed The Acting Company. This group traveled across the U.S., performing plays by Shakespeare and other classic works. They became a very well-known theater group in America.

In 1976, Kline left The Acting Company and moved to New York City. He had a small role in the TV show Search for Tomorrow. He returned to the stage in 1977. In 1978, he played Bruce Granit in On the Twentieth Century, a musical. For this role, he won his first Tony Award.

In 1981, he performed with singer Linda Ronstadt in The Pirates of Penzance in Central Park. This show then moved to Broadway, and Kline won another Tony Award for his funny role as the Pirate King. In 1983, he played the same role in a movie version of the musical.

Kline appeared many times in Shakespeare plays for the New York Shakespeare Festival. He played lead roles in Richard III (1983), Much Ado About Nothing (1988), and Henry V (1984). He also played Hamlet twice, in 1986 and 1990. A theater critic from The New York Times called him "the American Laurence Olivier" because of his great stage acting.

Becoming a Movie Star (1982–1999)

Kline and his wife Phoebe Cates at the Academy Awards (1989)

Kline started his film career in 1982 with Sophie's Choice. He played the role of Nathan alongside Meryl Streep. A film critic said that Kline was very appealing in the tender scenes. Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for her performance in the movie. Kline was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for this role.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Kline made several movies with director Lawrence Kasdan. These included The Big Chill (1983), which was a big success. He also starred in the western film Silverado (1985) with Kevin Costner. In 1987, he played Donald Woods in Cry Freedom, a movie about the friendship between an activist and an editor.

In 1989, Kline won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the British comedy A Fish Called Wanda. He played a clumsy American ex-CIA agent. This movie was very popular and was even ranked as one of the funniest films by the American Film Institute. Kline continued to take on funny roles in movies like Soapdish (1991) and French Kiss (1995).

In 1993, Kline did his first voice-acting role in The Nutcracker. He also starred in Dave, a political comedy where he played a man who pretends to be the President. In 1996, he voiced Captain Phoebus in the Disney animated movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In 1997, he played an English teacher in the comedy In & Out. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this role. In 1998, he received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

In 1999, Kline appeared with Will Smith in the movie Wild Wild West. The movie did not get very good reviews. He also played the character Bottom in the 1999 movie Midsummer Night's Dream, AA Midsummer Night's Dream, based on Shakespeare's play. People praised his performance as the good-natured craftsman.

An Established Actor (2000–2016)

Kline at the film premiere of No Strings Attached in January 2011

Kline voiced the character Tulio in the animated movie The Road to El Dorado (2000). This adventure comedy featured songs by Elton John. The movie received mixed reviews but has become a favorite for many people over time. The next year, he starred in the drama Life as a House (2001). He also returned to voice Captain Phoebus in The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002). In the same year, he played a prep school teacher in The Emperor's Club (2002). He then played Cole Porter in the musical movie De-Lovely (2004), for which he was nominated for another Golden Globe Award.

During this time, Kline appeared in several comedy films. These included The Pink Panther (2006) with Steve Martin, and romantic comedies like Definitely, Maybe and No Strings Attached (2011). He also played Guy Noir in A Prairie Home Companion (2006), which was director Robert Altman's last film.

In 2003, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. He also played Falstaff in a Broadway production of Henry IV in 2003 and was nominated for a Tony Award. In December 2004, Kline received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in movies.

Kline at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

Kline played the main role in King Lear at the Public Theater. He also took the lead role in a Broadway play called Cyrano de Bergerac with Jennifer Garner. This play was later filmed in 2008 and shown on PBS. In January 2008, Kline won a Screen Actors Guild award for his role in Kenneth Branagh's film As You Like It, based on Shakespeare's play. Kline's film The Conspirator premiered in 2010 and was a historical thriller that critics liked. Kline also starred in the 2012 comedy Darling Companion with Diane Keaton.

Recent Work (2017–Present)

In 2017, Kline returned to Broadway in a new version of the play Present Laughter. He received excellent reviews for his performance. He won his third Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for this role.

That same year, he played Maurice in the live-action movie Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon. He starred alongside Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. The movie received good reviews and earned a lot of money worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 2017. He also continues to voice Calvin Fischoeder in the animated comedy series Bob's Burgers (2011–present). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his voice work. He also voiced the character in The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022).

In 2021, it was announced that Kline would star with Cate Blanchett in a new Apple TV+ series called Disclaimer.

Personal Life

Kevin Kline met actress Phoebe Cates in 1983. They started dating in 1985 and got married on March 5, 1989, in New York. They live in Manhattan and have two children: Owen Joseph Kline (born 1991) and Greta Kline (born 1994). Greta is a musician who leads the band Frankie Cosmos.

The Kevin Kline Awards are given to theater professionals in St. Louis. These awards honor actors, actresses, set designers, choreographers, and new plays or musicals.

Selected Acting Credits

Kevin Kline has had a long career spanning over five decades. He has worked with many famous filmmakers and actors.

Some of his notable works include:

Awards and Nominations

Kevin Kline has received many awards throughout his career. These include an Academy Award, three Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also been nominated for two BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Kline para niños