Lainie Kazan, Rom-Com Icon and Versatile Actress, Celebrates 86th Birthday

Veteran actress Lainie Kazan, beloved for her role as Maria Portokalos in the 2002 hit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," was recently spotted in Los Angeles. Now 86, Kazan has enjoyed a long and varied career in film, television, and theater, working with numerous prominent figures in Hollywood.

Born Lainie Levine in Brooklyn, Kazan attended high school with Barbra Streisand. Her early career included understudying Streisand in the Broadway production of "Funny Girl." Kazan's professional journey also saw her posing topless for Playboy in 1970, an event that she stated led to numerous acting opportunities. She also ran two of Hugh Hefner's jazz clubs.

Her acting credits span several decades and genres. In the 1980s, she appeared in "My Favorite Year," starring Peter O'Toole, and earned an Emmy nomination for her role on the hospital drama "St. Elsewhere." The 1988 film "Beaches" featured her as the domineering stage mother to characters played by Mayim Bialik and Bette Midler.

In the 1990s, Kazan was a scene-stealing presence on the sitcom "The Nanny" as Aunt Freida, the egomaniacal aunt of the title character, known for her series of wealthy deceased husbands. She also had a role in the 1996 romantic comedy "Love Is All There Is," which starred a young Angelina Jolie.

The 2000s saw Kazan solidify her status as a rom-com matriarch. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," for which she played the mother of Nia Vardalos's character, became a surprise box office hit, grossing over $350 million and spawning two sequels. In the film, her character famously advises, "The man is the head, but the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she wants."

Kazan has also played mother roles to characters portrayed by Ben Affleck in the 2003 film "Gigli" and Adam Sandler in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" and "You Don't Mess with the Zohan." Her television work in the 21st century includes guest appearances on shows such as "Boston Legal," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Will & Grace."

On stage, Kazan has toured nationally in "Fiddler on the Roof" and appeared off-Broadway in "The Vagina Monologues." She also received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the Broadway musical adaptation of "My Favorite Year."

Kazan has a daughter, Jennifer Bena, from her marriage to Peter Daniels, whom she met when he was an associate conductor for "Funny Girl." The actress has spoken of past romantic encounters with notable figures such as Frank Sinatra, Warren Beatty, and Bob Dylan. She and Daniels divorced in 1976, and she has not remarried.