- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMadeline Gail Wolfson
- Height5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
- Madeline Kahn was born Madeline Gail Wolfson of Russian Jewish descent on September 29, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Freda Goldberg (later known as Paula Kahn), who was still in her teens, and Bernard B. Wolfson, a garment manufacturer. She began her acting career in high school and went on to university where she trained as an opera singer and starred in several campus productions, ultimately earning an honorary doctorate from Boston Conservatory.
Kahn's best-known work came in the Mel Brooks films, but she was a standout in Paper Moon (1973) with Ryan O'Neal, which was followed the next year by Mel Brooks's outrageous Blazing Saddles (1974) as Lili Von Shtupp, a cabaret singer who was obviously based on Marlene Dietrich's performance in Destry Rides Again (1939). Kahn was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in both movies. In 1998, she lent her voice to the character of "Gypsy" in A Bug's Life (1998).
On December 3, 1999, Madeline Kahn died of ovarian cancer in New York City, after a yearlong or so battle, during part of which time she was a cast member of Cosby (1996), aged 57.
- IMDb mini biography by: Denny Jackson
- SpouseJohn Hansbury(October 10, 1999 - December 3, 1999) (her death)
- ChildrenNo Children
- ParentsBernard B WolfsonHiller Kahn
- RelativesJeff Kahn(Half Sibling)Eliza Kahn(Niece or Nephew)
- Often appeared in Mel Brooks films
- According to Mel Brooks, she was - contrary to her screen image - quite shy and reserved in real life.
- She improvised the now infamous "flames, flames on the side of my face" speech in Clue (1985).
- Her performance as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles (1974) is ranked #74 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
- Operatically trained singer.
- She has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), and The Muppet Movie (1979).
- Actually, I hold a degree in speech therapy. I was going to get my doctorate but acting got in the way. Pity, I always thought I'd like to do something dignified.
- Mel Brooks is sensual with me. He treats me like an uncle - a dirty uncle. He's an earthly man and very moral underneath. He has traditional values.
- It's acceptable for men to act the fool. When women try, they're considered aggressive and opinionated.
- I was petrified of Barbra Streisand when I did What's Up, Doc? (1972). It was my first movie and every single thing about it was new. I was petrified of the palm trees!
- In Hollywood I thought I was large and klutzy, like the characters I played. I never acted kooky, but I did fill a time slot slated for a woman who was expected to display interesting neurotic behavior.
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