Kevin Kline

Early Life

Kevin Delaney Kline was born on October 24, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Margaret Agnes Kirk and Robert Joseph Kline. His father, a classical music enthusiast and amateur opera singer, owned a record store called The Record Bar, which opened in 1942. Kline was raised in the Catholic faith, influenced by his mother, and grew up in a family that valued the arts. He graduated from the Saint Louis Priory School in 1965, where the auditorium was later named the Kevin Kline Theater in his honor. Kline pursued his passion for theater at Indiana University Bloomington, where he initially studied music before switching to theater and speech, graduating in 1970.

Career

Kline's professional journey began when he won a scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York City in 1970. He became a founding member of the City Center Acting Company, performing classical works and musicals across the U.S. His breakthrough came in 1978 with his role in Harold Prince's "On the Twentieth Century," earning him his first Tony Award. Kline's career flourished with notable performances in productions like "The Pirates of Penzance," which won him another Tony Award. His versatility extended to film, where he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and numerous other accolades, including three Tony Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Personal Life

Kline met actress Phoebe Cates in 1983, and after dating for two years, they married on March 5, 1989. The couple resides on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and has two children, Owen and Greta, the latter of whom fronts the band Frankie Cosmos. Kline's contributions to theater are celebrated through the Kevin Kline Awards, which honor outstanding theater professionals in St. Louis. His legacy includes a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2003.