Madeline Kahn

Madeline Kahn, (Madeline Gail Wolfson), American actress who used her babyish voice and zany character interpretation to full comedic effect in a string of Mel Brooks films, notably Blazing Saddles (1974), in which she shone as a saloon singer, and in the movie Paper Moon (1973) as the tart Trixie Delight, roles for which she received Academy Award nominations for best-supporting actress. Though her screen roles faded after 1978, she enjoyed a successful career on the Broadway stage, earning Tony Award nominations for her performances in In the Boom Boom Room (1973), On the 20th Century (1978), and the revival of Born Yesterday (1989); she won a Tony in 1993 for her portrayal of a kooky matron in The Sisters Rosenzweig and in 1999 moved to the small screen as a neighbor on The Cosby Show.