Name: Carol Kane
Age: 60
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Occupation: Actress, hot off Harvey on Broadway, and starring with Mike Birbiglia and Lauren Ambrose in the upcoming film Sleepwalk with Me, out August 24.
Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
I read that question and it’s a hard one for me to answer because I have so many favorite New Yorkers. My mom, of course. Also my friend who lives in The Ansonia who is a costume designer named Clifford Capone. He’s lived for 40 years in the same building. Mike Nichols, a great genius with a great heart, and Nora Ephron, a spectacular woman and a brilliant writer. Also, in terms of New York, I think that Nora had a real talent for getting the most out of the city: She knew the right places to eat, she saw all the theater, she knew everyone that was interesting that lived here. She had a real sense of the magic of the city, and was also a real part of the city.
What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?
See, these questions are ridiculous because there are so many! Tonight I’ll be going to a place I think is fabulous, which is a little Japanese restaurant on 45th Street in the theater district called Rio & You. It’s just a little off the beaten path and just delectable.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
In my job I worry a lot, and try and stay calm and open. It sometimes works.
What was your first job in New York?
In high school I did the The Tempest at Lincoln Center, for Joe Papp.
What’s the last thing you saw on Broadway?
You know, it’s a little tricky. Because I was in a Broadway show, I wasn’t able to see anything! The next thing on my list is I want to see — and it’s no big news because everyone’s already seen it — is One Man, Two Guvnors. Oh, I know what I can say the last thing I saw on Broadway was: Broadway Barks. Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore bring animals to get adopted, and the whole Broadway community comes out. I have to tell you, this year was the first year that I’ve ever done it that I didn’t have a dog, because my doggie passed away, and I just really had trouble not taking the dogs. But my little one that I was attached to got adopted, so that’s good.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
Sometimes I do. I have a lot of trouble passing them up if they have a dog, because the dog had nothing to do with whatever the story is.
What’s your drink?
Hot sake. I love it. I buy a brand called Sho Chiku Bai.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
Probably about half of the time. I am a very simple cook, I just do the minimum amount. I’m mostly a vegetarian so I just steam a lot of vegetables.
What’s your favorite medication?
Inspiration.
What’s hanging above your sofa?
A painting of my two dogs, that was painted by Malcolm McDowell’s wife, Kelley. It’s just so beautiful, almost primitive-looking.
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
Oh God. Whatever you pay in New York is already too much.
When’s bedtime?
It’s totally dependent on whether I’m working, and what I’m working on. If you’re working on a play then bedtime is like one in the morning. If you’re working on a movie where you have to get up at four then bedtime is, you know, nine. So it depends.
Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
In some ways I prefer the old Times Square, and this is why: You used to be able to walk. And now you can’t even move! You can’t walk from point A to point B, there’s so many people. And they’re not going anywhere, they’re just strolling. They’re strolling and they’re strolling on their phones, with the camera on their face, so they’re not even aware that you’re there.
What do you think of Donald Trump?
I think it’s unfortunate that he blocked the waterfront with ugly buildings — I wish he had thought more about the design being more in keeping with old New York.
What do you hate most about living in New York?
[Laughs] People that don’t walk fast enough.
Who is your mortal enemy?
People that don’t walk fast enough. The walking thing, as you know, is that if it’s a tourist, they’re sort of walking to sightsee, and New Yorkers walk for transportation. It’s almost like I think that there should be two separate walking lanes, one to just stroll and one to just get from one place to another.
When’s the last time you drove a car?
About two years ago, visiting someone in Los Angeles.
How has the Wall Street crash affected you?
Just like anybody else, I lost some funds. I never had a ton of funds to begin with, but certainly couldn’t afford to lose any.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
Times. I read it online during the week, and my mom and I share the weekend paper. We now live in the same building, as of recently.
Where do you go to be alone?
My apartment. When I had my dogs I used to spend a lot of time in Central Park, which is a great place to be alone among a lot of people.
What makes someone a New Yorker?
Being in love with the city.
