Madeline Gail Kahn (née Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including What's Up, Doc? (1972), Young Frankenstein (1974), High Anxiety (1977), History of the World, Part I (1981), and her Academy Award–nominated roles in Paper Moon (1973) and Blazing Saddles (1974). Kahn made her Broadway debut in Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1968, and received Tony Award nominations for the play In the Boom Boom Room in 1974 and for the original production of the musical On the Twentieth Century in 1978. She starred as Madeline Wayne on the short-lived sitcom Oh Madeline (1983–84) and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1987 for an ABC Afterschool Special. She received a third Tony Award nomination for the revival of the play Born Yesterday in 1989, before winning the 1993 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the comedy The Sisters Rosensweig. Her other film appearances included The Cheap Detective (1978), City Heat (1984), Clue (1985), and Nixon (1995).

Filmography

• 2020The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault — (archive footage)
• 2007The Pixar Story — Gypsy (voice) (archive footage)
• Legends — Elizabeth (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2006The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays — Gorgeous Teitelbaum (segment "The Sisters Rosensweig")
• 2005Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd — Pat Nixon (archive footage)
• 1999Judy Berlin — Alice Gold
• Little Bill
• 1999Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special — (archive footage)
• 1998A Bug's Life — Gypsy Moth (voice)
• Cosby — Pauline Fox
• 1996For Love Alone: The Ivana Trump Story — Sabrina
• 1996London Suite — Sharon Semple
• 1996Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein — Elizabeth (archive footage)
• 1995Anyone Can Whistle: Live at Carnegie Hall — Cora Hoover Hooper
• New York News — Nan Chase
• 1995Nixon — Martha Mitchell
• 1994Mixed Nuts — Blanche Munchnik
• 1993Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book — Narrator (voice)
• 1992For Richer, for Poorer — Billie
• Lucky Luke — Esperanza, Esmeralda
• Kurt Vonnegut's Monkey House — Grace Anderson
• 1991They call me Lucky Luke - Ma Dalton — Esperanza
• 1990Betsy's Wedding — Lola Hopper
• Road to Avonlea — Pigeon Plumtree
• Mr. President — Lois Gullickson
• 1987Sesame Street: Sing Along — Special Appearance
• 1986An American Tail — Gussie Mausheimer (voice)
• My Little Pony
• 1986My Little Pony: The Movie — Draggle (voice)
• 1986Wanted: The Perfect Guy — Ellie Coleman
• 1985Clue — Mrs. White
• The Comedy Factory — Violet Kingsley
• 1984City Heat — Caroline Howley
• Oh Madeline — Madeline Wayne
• 1983Yellowbeard — Betty
• 1982Scrambled Feet — Madeline
• 1982Slapstick of Another Kind — Eliza Swain / Lutetia Swain
• 1981History of the World: Part I — Empress Nympho
• 1980First Family — Mrs. Link
• 1980Happy Birthday, Gemini — Bunny Weinberger
• 1980Simon — Dr. Cynthia Mallory
• 1980Wholly Moses — The Witch
• 1979The Muppet Movie — El Sleezo Patron
• 1978The Cheap Detective — Mrs. Montenegro
• 1977High Anxiety — Victoria Brisbane
• 1976Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood — Estie Del Ruth
• 1975At Long Last Love — Kitty O'Kelly (Kathy Krumm)
• 1975The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother — Jenny Hill
• 1974Blazing Saddles — Lili Von Shtupp
• 1974Young Frankenstein — Elizabeth
• Adam's Rib — Doris
• 1973From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler — Schoolteacher
• 1973Paper Moon — Trixie Delight
• ABC Afterschool Special — Ellie Coleman
• 1972Harvey — Nurse Ruth Kelly
• 1972What's Up, Doc? — Eunice Burns
• 1968The Dove — Sigfried
• Hallmark Hall of Fame — Nurse Ruth Kelly

Appearances as themselves (33)

• 2022Who Done It: The Clue Documentary — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2020AGFA Mystery Mixtape #4: Follow Your Own Star — Self
• 2019Sesame Street: 50 Years and Counting — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Mel Brooks: Unwrapped — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West — Self (archive footage)
• 2014The Last Impresario — Self (archive footage)
• 2013Mel Brooks: Make a Noise — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days — Self (uncredited) (archive footage)
• 2009Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World — Self (archive footage)
• 2009Musical Mel: Inventing The Inquisition — Self (archive footage)
• 2004Sesame Street: Elmo's World: The Street We Live On! — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2001Back in the Saddle — Self (archive footage)
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self - Guest
• 1994The World of Jim Henson — Self (archive footage)
• Intimate Portrait — Self
• 1992Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall — Self
• 1990Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! — Self (archive footage)
• 1988Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration — Self
• 1988Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie — Self
• 1985Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff — Self
• 1983Group Madness — Self / Mrs. Yellowbeard
• Reading Rainbow — Self - Narrator (voice)
• 1981All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds — Self
• Fridays — Self - Guest Host
• The Muppet Show — Self - Special Guest Star
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host
• 1972Screwball Comedies... Remember Them? — Self
• Great Performances — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• The Carol Burnett Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Nominee, Self - Performer / Winner, Self - Presenter
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Nominee