Lainie Kazan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lainie Kazan
Kazan in February 2007
Born	Lainie Levine (1940-05-15) May 15, 1940 (age 85) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Education	Erasmus Hall High School
Alma mater	Hofstra University
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1958–present
Known for	My Favorite Year My Big Fat Greek Wedding My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
Spouse(s)	Peter H. B. Daniels ​ ​ (m. 1971; his death 1989)​
Children	1

Lainie Kazan (born Lainie Levine on May 15, 1940) is a well-known American actress and singer. She has been nominated for several important awards. These include an Primetime Emmy Award for her role in St. Elsewhere. She also received a Tony Award nomination for the musical My Favorite Year. Lainie Kazan was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the movie My Favorite Year (1982). Many people know her as Maria Portokalos from the My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies. She also played Aunt Freida on the TV show The Nanny.

Early Life

Lainie Kazan was born Lainie Levine in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were Carole and Ben Levine. Her family background includes both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish heritage. Some of her grandparents lived in Israel before moving to Manchester, England. They later settled in Brooklyn.

Kazan went to Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. She was classmates with Barbra Streisand there. After high school, she studied theater at HB Studio. She then graduated from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, in 1960. While at Hofstra, she acted in school musicals. These shows were written and directed by her classmates, who included Francis Ford Coppola and James Caan.

Acting Career

Lainie Kazan began her acting career on Broadway in 1961. Her first musical was The Happiest Girl in the World. The next year, she appeared in another musical called Bravo Giovanni.

In 1964, she was the understudy for Barbra Streisand in the famous musical Funny Girl. An understudy is an actor who learns a main role and can perform it if the main actor is unable to. One day, when Streisand couldn't perform, Kazan stepped in. She played the lead role of Fanny Brice for two performances.

Kazan has appeared in many TV shows. She was a guest star on Dean Martin’s variety show many times. She had a recurring role as Aunt Frieda on the sitcom The Nanny. She also played the mother of Kirstie Alley's character on Veronica's Closet. Her other TV appearances include St. Elsewhere, The Paper Chase, Columbo, Touched by an Angel, and Will & Grace.

One of her most famous roles is Maria Portokalos. She played the mother of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies. After the first movie, Kazan was in My Big Fat Greek Life. This was a TV series based on the popular film. She also played the mother of Adam Sandler’s character in the movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. She appeared as singer Ava St. Clair with Kevin James in two episodes of The King of Queens.

Kazan returned to Broadway for the musical version of My Favorite Year. She played the same role she had in the movie. Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination. She has also performed in many regional theater productions. These include A Little Night Music, Man of La Mancha, and Hello, Dolly!. In 1984, she was the Blue Fairy in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode “Pinocchio.”

In the Ugly Betty episode "Fire and Nice," Kazan played Dina Talercio. In 2010, she joined the cast of Desperate Housewives for its seventh season. She played Mrs. Maxine Rosen, a business owner and neighbor to Susan Delfino.

Personal Life and Other Work

Lainie Kazan met musical director Peter H.B. Daniels while working on the Broadway musical Funny Girl. They had a daughter named Jennifer in 1971. They later married, but their marriage ended in 1976.

Since 2012, Kazan has been a professor at UCLA. She teaches acting classes there. She also directs her students in drama productions. She has served on the boards of several organizations. These include the Young Musicians’ Foundation and Hofstra University.

Film Roles

TV Shows

Stage Performances

• Leave It to Jane (1959, Off-Broadway)
• Kittiwake Island (1960, Off-Broadway)
• The Happiest Girl in the World (1961, Broadway)
• Bravo Giovanni (1962, Broadway)
• Funny Girl (1964, Broadway, understudy for Barbra Streisand)
• Man of La Mancha (1972, Westbury Music Fair)
• Seesaw (1973, Broadway, replaced by Michele Lee before the opening)
• Show Boat (1979, U.S. tour)
• Gypsy (1992, Westbury Music Fair)
• My Favorite Year (1992, Broadway)
• The Government Inspector (1994, Broadway)
• Rags (2006, World AIDS Day benefit concert)
• Bermuda Avenue Triangle (2006, Los Angeles)

Music Albums

• Lainie Kazan (1966) SE-4385 MGM Records (original studio album)
• Right Now (1966) SE-4340 MGM Records (original studio album; with sleeve notes by Dean Martin)
• Love Is Lainie (1967) SE-4496 MGM Records (original studio album)
• The Love Album (1967) SE 4451 MGM Records (original studio album)
• The Best of Lainie Kazan (1969) SE-4631 MGM Records (compilation album)
• The Chanteuse is Loose (1977) LK515 Lainie & Co. (original Live album)
• Body & Soul (1995) 65126 MusicMasters (original studio album)
• In the Groove (1998) 65168 MusicMasters (original studio album)

As guest vocalist

With Benny Carter

• Benny Carter Songbook Volume II (MusicMasters, 1997)

See also

In Spanish: Lainie Kazan para niños