Biography
Kevin Kline — actor with roots in the Russian Empire
Kevin Kline was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 24 October 1947. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and three Tony Awards (1978, 1981, 2017). At the New York Shakespeare Festival he played Richard III, Henry V and Hamlet, among other roles.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Germany (paternal line)
His father, Robert Joseph Kline, was of German-Jewish descent; his mother, Margaret Agnes Kirk, was Catholic, and he was raised in her faith. No ancestor from the Russian Empire is documented.
Family Tree
Subject
Kevin Kline🇺🇸 USA
↑
Father
Robert Joseph Kline
Margaret Agnes Kirk
↑
Origin
Germany (paternal line)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Germany (paternal line). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor — A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
02
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical — On the Twentieth Century (1978)
03
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical — The Pirates of Penzance (1981)
04
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play — Present Laughter (2017)
05
New York Shakespeare Festival: Richard III (1983), Henry V (1984), Hamlet (1986, 1990)
06
Sophie's Choice (1982), Silverado (1985), De-Lovely (2004)
Sources