Deft comedienne who, two years out of college, began her professional career playing sardonic, chubby Brenda Morgenstern, younger sister to Valerie Harper's title character on the long-running TV sitcom "Rhoda" (1974-78). With her wry, sarcastic delivery, her ethnic, raspy and slightly nasal whine and her self-deprecating humor, Kavner has carved a niche as a likable second banana, playing scrappy underdogs, working women and supportive wives in such films as "Bad Medicine" (1985), "Surrender" (1987) and "Awakenings" (1990), TV-movies like "No Other Love" (1979) and "Revenge of the Stepford
Was performing in an Equity waiver theater production in Los Angeles while working days as a typist at UCLA architecture school when David Davis asked her to read for role of Brenda Morgenstern on new TV series, "Rhoda"
1974
First professional acting work, costarring as Valarie Harper's sister Brenda Morgenstern on TV series, "Rhoda"
1975
TV debut on ABC Afternoon Playbreak "The Girl Who Couldn't Lose"
