Jane Curtin Biography (1947-)

Famed for (and lucky enough to be) one of Saturday Night Live’s original Not Ready for Primetime Players, Jane Curtin made her debut in 1975 among such heavies as John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner. Together they formed the sketch comedy troupe that wrote a new chapter in American comedy.

Curtin is different from many of her famous…

Lily Tomlin Biography (1939-)

Comedienne, actress, and writer. Born on September 1, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. Over the years, Lily Tomlin made people laugh with her humorous characters from the child Edith Ann to the snarky operator Ernestine. Some of these wacky characters were showcased on the hit comedy series Laugh-In, which ran from 1969 to 1973. Her work on the series…

Amanda Bearse Biography (1958-)

Best known for her portrayal of Marcy Rhoades D’arcy, the manic, feminist/careerist neighbor on the long-running series Married…With Children, Amanda Bearse is also a prominent spokesperson for lesbian and gay rights in the entertainment industry and a very busy director on television. Born in Winter Park, FL, Bearse came to acting through high school and community theater and…

Lisa Ann Walter Biography (1963-)

Edgy female comic Lisa Ann Walter may look like your wholesome, All-American former high-school prom queen, but don’t be fooled by appearances — she can work blue with the best of them. As a featured performer on the all-female standup special The Naughty Show, Walter brought down the house with her raucous stage presence. Of course, standup…

Maya Rudolph Biography (1972-)

Maya Rudolph is an actress known mostly for comedy, as a cast member of TV’s Saturday Night Live and a co-star in feature films such as Away We Go (2009) and Bridesmaids (2011). Born in Florida, she grew up in southern California, where her dad was a music producer and her mom, Minnie Riperton, became a sensation with…

Lydia Cornell Biography (1962-)

Lydia Cornell, a Best Actress nominee at Method Fest for the indie film “Miss Supreme Queen”, is also an accomplished political writer, novelist and comedienne. She recently guest-starred with Larry David on HBO’s “Curb your Enthusiasm”; wrote and produced her own film Venus Conspiracy, and had leads in the feature films “Nooner” Erik Attias’ PBS play, and “Dean…

Beth Littleford Biography (1968-)

Since she was named “wittiest” in her junior high school yearbook, Beth has followed in the rich tradition of Episcopalians in comedy. She moved from suburban Orlando to New York City and staged her own one-woman show called “This Is Where I Get Off.” The show was picked up by Circle Rep and enjoyed an extended Off-Broadway run….

Nicole Sullivan Biography (1970-)

Upbeat, high-octane actress and comedienne Nicole Sullivan gravitated to dramatic performance at age seven and reportedly caught the comedy bug from her New York state assemblyman father and antiques dealer mother. After high school, Sullivan enrolled in the prestigious Northwestern University, then studied at London’s British American Dramatic Academy for one year before settling in Hollywood in the…

Caroline Rhea Biography (1964-)

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Caroline Rhea launched herself on the path to stardom in 1986, when the then-22-year-old moved to Manhattan and enrolled in the New School for Social Research’s standup comedy program. On the side, Rhea cut her chops by practicing at the standup club Catch a Rising Star, and the success of those engagements yielded additional…

Amy Sedaris Biography (1961-)

Amy Sedaris is a prolific comedian and actress and the younger sister of humorist David Sedaris. She was a member of Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe before moving to New York to write plays with her brother. Along with Stephen Colbert and others, she helped create the short-lived sketch comedy show Exit 57 (1995-96) for Comedy Central. A few…

Rachel Dratch Biography (1966-)

Who knew gluing a plastic arm to your head, wearing false teeth, and drooling on yourself to act as the love child of Angelina Jolie and her brother could be so damn funny? That character (even given a name: Kerplixik), along with several others, has led comedian Rachel Dratch through her uproarious tenure on Saturday Night Live. Born…