Lainie Kazan is a famous American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Maria Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its sequel. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in the medical drama television series St. Elsewhere. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical in 1993.
Fast facts
| Famous name: | Lainie Kazan |
| Real name/Full name: | Lainie Kazan |
| Sex: | Woman |
| Age: | 82 years old |
| Date of birth: | May 15, 1940 |
| Birth place: | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 1.67 m |
| Weight: | 78 kg |
| Sexual orientation: | Straight |
| Marriage status: | Divorced |
| Husband/spouse (name): | Peter Daniels (m. 1971 – 1989) |
| Children/children (son and daughter): | Yes (Jennifer Bena) |
| Date/boyfriend (name): | ON |
| Is Lainie Kazan lesbian/gay?: | Not |
| Profession: | Actress and singer |
| Salary: | ON |
| Net worth in 2023: | 800 thousand dollars |
Biography of Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan was born in Brooklyn on May 15, 1939 to Carola (née Kazan) and Benjamin Levine. Her father was a gambling bettor of Russian Ashkenazi Jewish origin, and her mother was of Turkish origin. She has one brother or sister.
Kazan graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn in 1956. She later attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where she majored in theater. Her college classmates included future Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actor James Caan.
Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan Age, height, weight
Lainie Kazan was born on May 15, 1940, and is 82 years old as of 2023. She is 1.67 meters tall and weighs 78 kilograms.
Career
Lainie Kazan’s career began in 1961 when she starred in the musical The Happiest Girl in the World. The following year, she appeared in another musical, Bravo Giovanni.
She played Fanny Brice in the musical Funny Girl in 1964. Her popularity grew to the point where she posed naked for the cover of the entertainment magazine Playboy. Kazan’s appearance on the cover inspired the appearance of DC Comics superheroine Big Barda.
She appeared as Aunt Frieda in the sitcom The Nanny by director Fran Drescher, as the mother of Kirstie Alley’s character in Veronica’s Closet and as Grace’s Aunt Honey in Will & Grace. She appeared on Dean Martin’s television show more than 26 times.
She played the mother of Toula Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its sequel. She was also in the musical adaptation of My Favorite Year. Kazan has also appeared in a number of regional productions, including Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, A Little Night Music, Hello, Dolly! and many others. She played Sofia the Blue Fairy in the fantasy anthology television series Faerie Tale Theater in 1984.
Dayton’s Devils (1968), Romance of a Horsethief (1971), The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), I Don’t Buy Kisses Anymore (1992), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! (2009), The Amityville Murders (2018) and many others are among the popular films in which Kazan has appeared.
Achievements and awards
Lainie Kazan has received numerous awards and nominations throughout her illustrious career. In 2010, she won the FilmOut Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!! (2009). Additionally, she received the Thespian Award at the 2011 LA Femme International Film Festival.
In 2018, she won the Golden Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Unorganized Crime (2018). Kazan has been nominated for numerous awards, including Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, AARP Movies for Adults, CableACE Awards, Razzie Awards, Satellite Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, among others.
Lainie Kazan Net Worth in 2023
Lainie Kazan net worth is estimated to be more than $800,000 as of October 2023. She earned this wealth as a result of her successful career as an actress and singer.
She has appeared in numerous commercially successful television series, including Beverly Hills 90210 (1992), Prince for a Day (1995), The Engagement Ring (2005), Boston Legal (2008), Desperate Housewives (2010), Young and hungry (2018), and many others.
She also released studio albums such as Lainie Kazan (1966), Right Now (1966), The Best of Lainie Kazan (1969), Body & Soul (1995) and In the Groove (1995). (1998).
Lainie Kazan Husband, Marriage
Lainie Kazan met Peter HB Daniels while working on the musical Funny Girl, in which she herself performed. They got married in 1971 after five years of dating. They have a daughter, Jennifer Ben, whom they raised together. In 1976, the couple divorced.
Kazan joined the UCLA faculty in 2012, where she began teaching acting and directing. In addition, she served on the boards of the California Jazz Foundation, Young Musicians’ Foundation, and B’nai Brith.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education