Kane was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Joy, a jazz singer, teacher, dancer, and pianist, and Michael Kane.filmreference.com. Retrieved August 27, 2011. Her family is Jewish, and her grandparents emigrated from Russia, Austria, and Poland. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old. She attended the Cherry Lawn School, a boarding school in Darien, Connecticut, until 1965."Cherry Lawn School, Class of 1965" CherryLawnSchool.org. Retrieved August 27, 2011."Cherry Lawn School Photo Of The Month, October 1999" CherryLawnSchool.org. Retrieved August 27, 2011. She studied theater at HB Studio and also went to the Professional Children's School in New York City. Kane made her professional theater debut in a 1966 production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Tammy Grimes."Carol Kane Biography" YahooMovies. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
