  carolyn laurie "carol" kane (born june 18, 1952) is an american stage, screen, and television actress. she became known in the 1970s in films such as hester street (for which she received an academy award nomination) and annie hall. she appeared on the television series taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of latka, the character played by andy kaufman, winning two emmy awards for her work. she has played the character of madame morrible in the musical wicked, both in regional productions and on broadway from 2005 to 2014. == early life == kane was born in cleveland, ohio, the daughter of joy, a jazz singer, teacher, dancer, and pianist, and michael kane, an architect who worked for the world bank."carol kane biography (1952â)" filmreference.com, accessed august 27, 2011 her family is jewish, and her grandparents emigrated from russia.  her parents divorced when she was 12 years old.  she attended the cherry lawn school, a progressive boarding school in darien, connecticut, until 1965."cherry lawn school, class of 1965" cherrylawnschool.org, accessed august 27, 2011"cherry lawn school photo of the month, october 1999" cherrylawnschool.org, accessed august 27, 2011 she attended the professional children's school, in new york city, and made her professional theatre debut in a 1966 production of the prime of miss jean brodie, starring tammy grimes."carol kane biography" yahoomovies, accessed august 27, 2011 == career == kane is perhaps best known for her portrayal of simka dahblitz-gravas, wife of latka gravas (andy kaufman), on the american television series taxi, from 1981 to 1983, and also for her role as allison portchnik in woody allen's annie hall. kane earned two emmy awards for her work in the series and was nominated for an academy award for best actress for her role in the film hester street. she also appeared in ''
1952_births 20th-century_American_actresses 21st-century_American_actresses Actresses_from_Cleveland,_Ohio American_film_actresses American_musical_theatre_actresses American_people_of_Russian-Jewish_descent American_television_actresses American_voice_actresses Jewish_American_actresses Jewish_comedians Living_people Outstanding_Performance_by_a_Lead_Actress_in_a_Comedy_Series_Primetime_Emmy_Award_winners Outstanding_Performance_by_a_Supporting_Actress_in_a_Comedy_Series_Primetime_Emmy_Award_winners