Kane is now playing the kooky wife of psychiatrist William R. Chumley (Charles Kimbrough) in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of "Harvey" by Mary Chase. The whimsical comedy centers on the benignly nutty Elwood P. Dowd (Jim Parsons) whose constant companion is a giant rabbit invisible to everyone except him. Kane has a relatively small role, but she's having a ball acting with Parsons, Kimbrough, and Jessica Hecht among others. Further, she's wanted to work with director Scott Ellis for a long time. "They're not only wonderful artists, but generous people," she says in her soft and almost child-like voice. But equally important, the play's celebration of a kind and gentle soul has resonance for Kane "especially in this speeded-up world where we don't seem to have time to listen, be patient, or trust anyone."
It's always the writing that ultimately makes her decide if she wants to do a project, whether it's a play or a filmed piece. Thinking about "Taxi," she notes, "The writers never knew it, but I would have paid them to say those lines."
No Obvious Turning Points
Born in Cleveland and brought up in New York, Kane was a member of a children's theater group and launched her professional acting career as a youngster attending the Professional Children's School. Her first Equity gig was the tour of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" starring Tammy Grimes.
Kane was no stranger to background work either and landed her first film role when the head of "extras," as they were known back then, sent Kane's picture to casting director Juliet Taylor, who in turn, showed the photo to Mike Nichols. He was helming "Carnal Knowledge," starring Jack Nicholson and within short order Kane was brought on board.
Kane is reluctant to describe anything as a watershed career moment, even her Oscar nomination for playing a turn-of- the-century Jewish immigrant acclimating to American life in Joan Micklin Silver's "Hester Street." A year after the nomination she was still unemployed until Gene Wilder contacted her to appear in "The World's Greatest Lover." It was her first comedy and the role bore no resemblance to her "Hester Street" character.
Carol Kane in "Harvey" (Photo by Joan Marcus)
"In my experience each project is what it is and nothing is necessarily a turning point," she notes. Later when "Taxi" was cancelled, Kane found herself unemployed for quite a stretch, despite having won two Emmys for the critically praised sitcom. Admittedly, type casting might have played a role in limiting what came her way, but more to the point, "There's nothing obvious or predictable in acting," she asserts. "That's what it means to be in this profession."
The good news is that during the last few years Kane has experienced no shortage of opportunities, including a recent stint in Ian Rickson's production of "The Children's Hour" in London's West End and a juicy role in the upcoming film "Clutter." In the latter, a drama with comic elements, she plays a hoarder.
Kane would still like to try her hand at Tennessee Williams and appear in a new play by Beth Henley, a playwright with whom Kane has worked in the past. "And I'd love to do another TV series, if the writing was good," she comments. "And it it's a 30-minute sitcom [a genre known for its regular hours] you can have a job and a life. It's wonderful."
If she could redo her career, Kane concedes she would not worry about strategizing the way she did early on. Instead of taking parts that were artistically satisfying she gravitated towards those she believed "might advance my quote unquote, career," she quips. "When you're strategizing you're second-guessing an audience and that never works. And commercial success is fleeting.
"If I had not made strategic choices, I would have had far more access to dramatic roles," she continues. "But the one thing I don't regret, even about bad choices, is that there's always something you can get out of it. You can meet an extraordinary person from whom you learn a life lesson or someone who becomes a great friend. Sometimes you learn what you shouldn't become. I don't regret what I've done, but some of the things I didn't do."
"Harvey" runs through Aug. 5 at the Roundabout Theatre Company Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., NYC, www.telecharge.com or 212-719-1300.
Outtakes
-Appeared on Broadway in "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-The Moon Marigolds," (for which earned a Drama Desk nomination) and as a replacement in "Sly Fox," and "Wicked."
-Guest starred on such TV shows as "Ugly Betty," "Monk," "L & O: Special Victims Unit," and "Homicide Life on the Streets," and had a recurring role on "Brooklyn Bridge."
-Featured in the films, "The Last Detail," "Annie Hall," "Scrooged," "My Blue Heaven," "Addams Family Values," and the upcoming "Sleepwalk with Me."
