Kevin Delaney Kline was born on October 24, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri. His father, Robert, owned a chain of department stores and ran a toy and record shop, The Record Bar. His mother, Peggy, stayed at home with Kevin and his brothers and sister. Peggy raised the children in her Roman Catholic faith. He attended St. Louis Priory School where, inspired by his father's love of opera, he soon took to the stage, playing the lead in Plautus' Mostelleria. He also played with rock band One Eyed Jacks. After school, he went on to study music, specializing in piano, at Indiana University, but switched to drama after two years and made such an impression that upon graduating, he was offered a scholarship to Julliard. There he met Patti Lupone and David Ogden Stiers, with whom he formed the City Center Acting Company, touring the country to present Shakespeare plays and other classics.
In 1976, Kline returned New York City, starred in Kirk Browning's The Time of your Life, and then took on his first television role, playing the young Woody Reed alongside Anthony Caso and Dwight Weist in ill-fated soap opera Search for Tomorrow. Further stage work followed, including a notable appearance in Pirates of Penzance in Central Park, with Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith. It was a role that he would later reprise for the big screen, but first he starred in the film that succeeded in winning him international attention. As Meryl Streep's violent and vulnerable lover in Sophie's Choice, he won a Best Newcomer BAFTA and successfully made the transfer to in-demand movie star. Lawrence Kasdan was particularly impressed and immediately cast him in The Big Chill, with Tom Berenger and Jeff Goldblum; and Silverado, with Kevin Costner, and Danny Glover.
In 1988, Kline made a breakthrough into comedy with Charles Crichton's farce about a heist gone wrong, A Fish Called Wanda. Starring alongside John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michael Palin, he stole the show with his exuberant turn as the deranged Otto, winning an Oscar in the process. Despite the pleas of fans, however, he refused to follow it up with more of the same, preferring to choose roles as diverse as possible; roles that would stretch his acting abilities. After the high-profile January Man, with Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel, and Alan Rickman; and a turn as the president in Ivan Reitman's Dave, with Sigourney Weaver and Frank Langella, he opted to concentrate on independent projects, winning critical acclaim for his work in The Ice Storm, the Cole Porter biopic, De-Lovely, and the late Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion.
Kline has retained close connections to his hometown, whose film festival recently presented him with a lifetime achievement award. Awards named after him are presented annually to outstanding theater professionals in the city. He has often said that his first love is theater but that making Hollywood movies is a good way for him to be able to afford to indulge his true passion.
Kline has been romantically linked to stars including Glenn Close, Patti Lupone, Gilda Radner, JoBeth Williams, and Linda Ronstadt. In 1989 he married actress Phoebe Cates, with whom he has two children, Owen Joseph and Greta Simone. Owen's struggle with juvenile diabetes has led Kline to become an advocate for children affected by the illness.
YUDDY
