Carol Kane was born on June 18, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She developed an early passion for acting and studied at the Professional Children's School in New York City. Kane made her professional theater debut in 1966 in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

     Her breakthrough came in 1975 when she starred in Hester Street, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She gained further recognition for her role as Simka Gravas in Taxi (1980–1983), winning two Emmy Awards. Kane appeared in numerous films, including Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Annie Hall (1977), The Princess Bride (1987), and Scrooged (1988).

     Kane has also had a successful career in theater, playing Madame Morrible in Wicked on Broadway from 2005 to 2014. From 2015 to 2020, she starred in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as Lillian Kaushtupper. In 2023, she joined Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as Pelia, a Lanthanite engineer.