Kline, Kevin (1947-…), is a versatile American actor who has won praise in comedies, musicals, dramas, and classics. He has succeeded both as a romantic leading man and in character roles. Kline won the 1982 Academy Award as best supporting actor for his performance in the farce A Fish Called Wanda (1988).
Kevin Delaney Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on Oct. 24, 1947. He graduated from Indiana University in 1970 as a drama major and studied theater at the Juilliard Drama Center in New York City until 1972. He made his professional stage debut in 1970 with the New York Shakespeare Festival. He was a founding member of The Acting Company in 1972 and performed with the stage company until 1976. During that time, he performed in classic plays by such dramatists as Brendan Behan of Ireland, Anton Chekhov of Russia, and William Shakespeare of England. Kline made his debut on Broadway, the Theater District in New York City, in The Robber Bridegroom (1977). He has won several Tony awards, given for distinguished achievements in Broadway theater.
Kline made his motion-picture debut in 1982 in Sophie’s Choice. His other films include The Big Chill (1983); Silverado (1985); Soapdish (1991); Dave (1993); The Ice Storm (1997); In and Out (1997); Wild Wild West (1999); Life As a House (2001); The Emperor’s Club (2002); De-Lovely (2004); A Prairie Home Companion (2006); Trade (2007); the French film Queen to Play (2009); The Extra Man (2010); No Strings Attached (2011); Darling Companion (2012); Last Vegas (2013); The Last of Robin Hood (2013), in which he portrayed the Australian-born actor Errol Flynn; My Old Lady (2014); Ricki and the Flash (2015); and Beauty and the Beast (2017). He married the American actress Phoebe Cates in 1989.
