Madeline Kahn was born on September 29, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her acting career in high school and went on to university where she trained as an opera singer and starred in several campus productions, ultimately earning a doctorate in her chosen field. Her finest years came in Paper Moon with Ryan O'Neal, which was followed the next year by Mel Brooks's outrageous Blazing Saddles as Lili Von Shtupp, a cabaret singer. She was so delightful in both that Madeline was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in both movies. In 1998, Madeline lent her voice to Gypsy in the wildly popular animated film A Bug's Life. Tragically, on December 3, 1999, Madeline died of ovarian cancer in New York, a disease from which she suffered for about a year while she was a cast member of Cosby. The accomplished stage and screen actress was just 57.



Performed custom voice-over work for the "Gypsy" character in the PlayStation game "A Bug's Life" (1998). [source: game credits] Daughter of Paula Kahn. Aunt of Eliza Kahn. Has a half sister named Robyn. Operatically trained singer. According to 'Mel Brooks (I)', she was--contrary to her screen image--quite shy and reserved in real life. Nominated for the 1978 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Musical for "On the Twentieth Century". Won the 1993 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "The Sisters Rosensweig".