Lainie Kazan is a well-known American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of 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.
Quick Facts
| Celebrated Name: | Lainie Kazan |
| Real Name/Full Name: | Lainie Kazan |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age: | 83 years old |
| Birth Date: | 15 May 1940 |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 1.67 m |
| Weight: | 78 kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Divorced |
| Husband/Spouse (Name): | Peter Daniels (m. 1971–1989) |
| Children/Kids (Son and Daughter): | Yes (Jennifer Bena) |
| Dating/Boyfriend (Name): | N/A |
| Is Lainie Kazan Lesbian/Gay?: | No |
| Profession: | Actress and singer |
| Salary: | N/A |
| Net Worth in 2024: | $800 thousand |
Lainie Kazan Biography
Lainie Kazan was born in Brooklyn on May 15, 1940, to Carole (née Kazan) and Benjamin Levine. Her father was a gambling bookmaker of Russian Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and her mother was of Turkish descent. She has a single sibling.
Kazan graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn in 1956. She later attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where she majored in theatre. Her classmates in college included future Academy Award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actor James Caan.
Lainie Kazan Age, Height, Weight
Lainie Kazan was born on May 15, 1940, and is 83 years old as of 2024. Her height is 1.67 meters and her weight is 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 Bravo Giovanni, another musical.
She starred as 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 Big Barda, a DC Comics superheroine.
She appeared as Aunt Frieda on Fran Drescher’s sitcom The Nanny, as the mother of Kirstie Alley’s character on Veronica’s Closet, and as Grace’s Aunt Honey on Will & Grace. She appeared on Dean Martin’s television show over 26 times.
She portrayed Toula Portokalos’ mother in the films 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 more. She played Sophia the Blue Fairy in the fantasy anthology television series Faerie Tale Theatre 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 more 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). In addition, she received the Thespian Award at the 2011 LA Femme International Film Festival.
In 2018, she received a Gold Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film Unorganized Crime (2018). Kazan has been nominated for a number of awards, including the Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, AARP Movies for Grownups, CableACE Awards, Razzie Awards, Satellite Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, and others.
Lainie Kazan’s Net Worth In 2024
Lainie Kazan’s net worth is estimated to be more than $800,000 as of February 2024. She has amassed this fortune as a result of her successful career as an actor and singer.
She has appeared in a number of commercially successful television shows, including Beverly Hills 90210 (1992), Prince for a Day (1995), The Engagement Ring (2005), Boston Legal (2008), Desperate Housewives (2010), Young & Hungry (2018), and many others.
She has 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 H.B. Daniels while working on the musical Funny Girl, in which she also performed. They married in 1971 after being in a relationship for five years. They have a daughter named Jennifer Bena, whom they raised together. In the year 1976, the couple divorced.
Kazan joined the UCLA faculty in 2012, where she began teaching acting and directing. In addition, she has served on the boards of the California Jazz Foundation, the Young Musicians’ Foundation, and B’nai Brith.
