Kevin (Delaney) Kline - Biography, Selected filmography

Film actor, born in St Louis, Missouri, USA. He studied music at Indiana University, then switched to drama, training at the Juilliard School in New York City. On Broadway he won Tonies for two hit musicals, On the Twentieth Century (1978) and The Pirates of Penzance (1980). Though known for his dramatic abilities, it was his comic role in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) that earned him an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. Later films include Chaplin (1992), French Kiss (1995), Wild, Wild West (1999), De-Lovely (2004), and The Pink Panther (2006).

Kevin Kline
Born	October 24, 1947 St. Louis, Missouri

Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor.

Biography

Early life

Kline, second of four children, was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Robert Joseph Kline, who owned and operated The Record Bar, a toy and record store, and Peggy Delaney.

Career

In 1970, Kline was awarded a scholarship to the newly formed Drama Division at the Juilliard School in New York.

In 1981, Kline paired up with rock diva Linda Ronstadt and singer Rex Smith in the New York Shakespeare Festival's Central Park production of The Pirates of Penzance, winning another Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, for his comically dashing portrayal of the Pirate King. (Streep won an Academy Award for her performance in the film.)

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Kline made several films with director Lawrence Kasdan, including The Big Chill, Silverado, Grand Canyon, I Love You To Death, and French Kiss.

In 1989, Kline won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the British comedy A Fish Called Wanda, in which he played a caricature of a painfully stupid American ex-CIA thug opposite John Cleese's genteel British barrister.

Other awards have included New York Drama Desk awards, Golden Globe awards, a Gotham Actor Award, a Hasty Pudding Theatricals Man of the Year Award, and a St. Louis International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. The couple make their home in New York City and have two children: Owen Kline (born 1991), who had a featured role in The Squid and the Whale, and Greta Kline (born 1994).

Since his son's diagnosis with juvenile diabetes, Kline has been active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and in November 2004 he was presented with the JDRF's Humanitarian of the Year award by Meryl Streep for his volunteer efforts on behalf of the organization.

The Kevin Kline Awards honor theater professionals in St. Louis in a wide array of categories, which include best actor and actress, set design, choreography, and original play.

Selected filmography

Sophie's Choice (1982) as Nathan The Pirates of Penzance (1983) as The Pirate King The Big Chill (1983) as Harold Silverado (1985) as Paden Cry Freedom (1987) as Donald Woods A Fish Called Wanda (1988) as Otto West The January Man (1989) as Nick Starkey I Love You to Death (1990) as Joey Boca Soapdish (1991) as Jeffery Anderson/Dr. Rod Randall Grand Canyon (1991) as Mack Consenting Adults (1992) as Richard Parker Chaplin (1992) as Douglas Fairbanks Dave (1993) as Dave Kovic/President William Harrison 'Bill' Mitchell The Nutcracker (1993) as Narrator Princess Caraboo (1994) as Frixos French Kiss (1995) as Luc Teyssier The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) as Captain Phoebus The Ice Storm (1997) as Ben Hood Fierce Creatures (1997) as Vince McCain/Rod McCain In & Out (1997) as Howard Brackett A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999 film) (1999) as Nick Bottom Wild Wild West (1999) as U.S. Marshal Artemus 'Artie' Gordon The Road to El Dorado (2000) as Tulio The Anniversary Party (2001) as Cal Gold Life as a House (2001) as George Monroe The Emperor's Club (2002) as William Hundert De-Lovely (2005) as Cole Porter The Pink Panther (2006) as Chief Inspector Dreyfus A Prairie Home Companion (2006) as Guy Noir As You Like It (2006) Trade (2007)

Preceded by: Sean Connery for The Untouchables

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor 1988 for A Fish Called Wanda

Succeeded by: Denzel Washington for Glory