Lainie Kazan — Biography
Lainie Kazan, born Lainie Levine on May 15, 1940, is a performer known for her work as an actress, singer, and classical composer. Her career has garnered significant recognition, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in St. Elsewhere and a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for My Favorite Year in 1993. She also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance in the 1982 film My Favorite Year. Kazan is widely recognized for her portrayal of Maria Portokalos in the popular My Big Fat Greek Wedding film series and for her role as Aunt Freida on the television sitcom The Nanny.
Born Lainie Levine in Brooklyn, she is the daughter of Carole (née Kazan) and Ben Levine. Her heritage is a blend of Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish backgrounds, with ancestral ties to Russia and Turkey. Some of her grandparents had resided in Jerusalem before relocating to Manchester, England, and eventually settling in Brooklyn. Kazan has characterized her mother as a person who was "neurotic, fragile and artistic." She attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, where she was a classmate of Barbra Streisand, whom she would later understudy. She completed her high school education in 1956. Kazan pursued her passion for theater at HB Studio and went on to graduate from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, in 1960. During her time at Hofstra, she participated in student musicals created and directed by a fellow student, Francis Ford Coppola, and featuring actor James Caan.
Kazan made her Broadway debut in 1961 with the musical The Happiest Girl in the World. The following year, she appeared in another musical production, Bravo Giovanni. She also served as the understudy for Barbra Streisand in the leading role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1964). When Streisand was unable to perform due to a throat ailment, Kazan stepped in to perform both the matinee and evening shows for one day during the production's run. To capitalize on her growing popularity, Kazan was featured in a nude pictorial for the October 1970 issue of Playboy, which was later reissued in Pocket Playboy #4 in 1974. This exposure led to her headlining two different Playboy Jazz Clubs, Lainie's Room West and Lainie's Room East, overseen by Hugh Hefner and located on opposite coasts in Los Angeles and Manhattan, respectively. Her Playboy photographs are credited with influencing the visual design of Jack Kirby’s superheroine Big Barda.
In addition to performing in numerous supper clubs across the nation, Kazan made 26 guest appearances on Dean Martin's variety television series. Her television credits also include a recurring part as Aunt Frieda on Fran Drescher's sitcom The
Born Lainie Levine in Brooklyn, she is the daughter of Carole (née Kazan) and Ben Levine. Her heritage is a blend of Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish backgrounds, with ancestral ties to Russia and Turkey. Some of her grandparents had resided in Jerusalem before relocating to Manchester, England, and eventually settling in Brooklyn. Kazan has characterized her mother as a person who was "neurotic, fragile and artistic." She attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, where she was a classmate of Barbra Streisand, whom she would later understudy. She completed her high school education in 1956. Kazan pursued her passion for theater at HB Studio and went on to graduate from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, in 1960. During her time at Hofstra, she participated in student musicals created and directed by a fellow student, Francis Ford Coppola, and featuring actor James Caan.
Kazan made her Broadway debut in 1961 with the musical The Happiest Girl in the World. The following year, she appeared in another musical production, Bravo Giovanni. She also served as the understudy for Barbra Streisand in the leading role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1964). When Streisand was unable to perform due to a throat ailment, Kazan stepped in to perform both the matinee and evening shows for one day during the production's run. To capitalize on her growing popularity, Kazan was featured in a nude pictorial for the October 1970 issue of Playboy, which was later reissued in Pocket Playboy #4 in 1974. This exposure led to her headlining two different Playboy Jazz Clubs, Lainie's Room West and Lainie's Room East, overseen by Hugh Hefner and located on opposite coasts in Los Angeles and Manhattan, respectively. Her Playboy photographs are credited with influencing the visual design of Jack Kirby’s superheroine Big Barda.
In addition to performing in numerous supper clubs across the nation, Kazan made 26 guest appearances on Dean Martin's variety television series. Her television credits also include a recurring part as Aunt Frieda on Fran Drescher's sitcom The
