Kevin Kline (born 24 October 1947) is an American actor known for versatility across Shakespearean theater, film comedy and drama. Trained at Juilliard, he has won major awards for performances on stage and screen, including an Academy Award for A Fish Called Wanda.
- Born
- October 24, 1947 · St. Louis, Missouri, United States
- Nationality
- American
- Historical role
- Stage and film actor
From St. Louis to the stage
Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in a family with strong interests in music and the arts. He studied acting at the Juilliard School in New York, an education that emphasized discipline and ensemble work. He joined the Acting Company, gaining experience in classical repertoire and touring productions. His early career was shaped by theater rather than instant film celebrity, an apprenticeship that continued to influence his choices decades later.
Recognition on Broadway
Kline gained distinction in Broadway productions, including musical theater and Shakespearean performance. He earned Tony Awards for On the Twentieth Century and The Pirates of Penzance, demonstrating comic timing and stage presence. His work remained closely tied to theater even after he became a film star. In 2017 he won another Tony Award for Present Laughter, reflecting the unusual longevity of his stage career.
Drama and comedy on screen
Kline’s film career included Sophie’s Choice, The Big Chill and a range of very different characters. His performance in the 1988 comedy A Fish Called Wanda earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also worked in romantic comedies, family films and voice acting. Across these roles he balanced theatrical expressiveness with natural screen performance, attracting recognition for his ability to move between seriousness and comedy.
A lasting theatrical sensibility
Rather than specializing in one fixed screen persona, Kline has moved repeatedly among stage plays, musicals and film genres. His work shows how training in classical theater can inform comic timing, character interpretation and collaboration with other performers. His continued return to the stage distinguishes him from artists whose careers become entirely centered on cinema. For audiences, his biography links late-twentieth-century American theater with film culture across several generations.
Sources
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