Joan Rivers

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Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers performing in her show at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Born Joan Alexandra Molinsky
June 8, 1933 (1933-06-08) (age 76)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Official website

Joan Rivers (born Joan Alexandra Molinsky;[1][2][3] June 8, 1933) is an American comedian, actress, talk show host and businesswoman. She is known for her brash manner and loud, raspy voice with a heavy metropolitan New York accent. Rivers' comedic style relies heavily on poking fun at herself and other celebrities.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Rivers was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants Beatrice (née Grushman) and Meyer C. Molinsky, a doctor.[4][5] She was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and her family later moved to Larchmont, in Westchester County, NY. She attended Connecticut College, between 1950 and 1952, and graduated from Barnard College, in 1954, with a B.A. in English literature[6] and anthropology. During college, a friend took her to see Lenny Bruce do stand-up comedy, and, as Joan describes it, "It was an epiphany."[citation needed] Before entering show business, Rivers worked at various jobs such as a tour guide at Rockefeller Center,[7] a writer/proofreader at an advertising agency,[7] and as a fashion consultant at Bond Clothing Stores.[8] During this period, an agent named Tony Rivers told her to change her name, so she suggested, "Joan Rivers," as her new name.[9]

[edit] Personal life

Her first marriage was in 1955 to James Sanger,[10] the son of a Bond merchandise manager. The marriage lasted six months,[11] and it was annulled on the basis that Sanger did not want children and had not told Rivers before the wedding.[12] Her second marriage was on July 15, 1965[13] to Edgar Rosenberg, who committed suicide in 1987. Their only child, Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (now known as Melissa Rivers), was born January 20, 1968.

In her book, Bouncing Duplicitous, she describes how she developed bulimia and contemplated suicide. Eventually she recovered with counseling and the support of her family.

Rivers is a supporter of animal rights and an active member of PETA.[14]

[edit] Political views

For most of her life, Rivers considered herself a Republican. When asked about her political leanings, Rivers replied,

How can you not be [a Republican]? How can anyone not be? How can you live in a country when you can not [sic] say the Pledge of Allegiance anymore? Insane people have taken over the Democratic Party. They’re mad. They’ve taken over the asylum. To be worried about what the terrorists were eating at Camp X-ray, I think you’re beyond insane. They've just blown up New York.[15]

After the election, however, Rivers is quoted in a January 2009 interview on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, as saying that President Obama is an "off-limits" subject for comedy since "we all have such high hopes for him."[16]

[edit] Career

 This article may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline. Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list.

[edit] Early show business career, 1950s and 1960s

Some time in the late 1950s, Rivers appeared in a short-lived Off-Off Broadway play called Seawood, in which she played a lesbian with a crush on a character played by Barbara Streisand. The play ran for six weeks.[17]

Rivers performed in numerous comedy clubs in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, including The Bitter End and The Gaslight Cafe.[18]

In the early 1960s, she appeared several times as a guest on The Tonight Show, which at the time originated from New York and was hosted by Jack Paar.[19]

In 1965, she had a stint on TV's Candid Camera as a gag writer and participant as, "the bait," to lure people into ridiculous situations for the show.

On Feb. 17, 1965,[20] she got a big break by making her first appearance on The Tonight Show with its new host Johnny Carson. In the 1960s, Rivers made other television appearances on The Tonight Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, as well as hosting the first of her several talk shows.

Later in that decade she made a brief appearance opposite Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer, a 1968 film.

In 1969, she had a short-lived syndicated daytime talk show, and her first guest was Johnny Carson.[21]

In the middle of the 1960s, she released at least two comedy albums, The Next to Last Joan Rivers Album[22] and Joan Rivers Presents Mr. Phyllis & Other Funny Stories.[23]

[edit] 1970s

In the 1970s, Joan Rivers appeared often as a guest on various television comedy and variety shows including The Carol Burnett Show.

From 1972 to 1976, she was the narrator for The Adventures of Letterman, an animated segment for The Electric Company.

In 1978, Rivers wrote and directed the film Rabbit Test starring her friend Billy Crystal.

Rivers was the opening act for singer Helen Reddy on the Las Vegas Strip during the 1970s. Rivers would eventually become a headliner in her own right into the 1980s.

[edit] 1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, Rivers frequently substituted for Johnny Carson as guest host on The Tonight Show.

On April 9, 1983, she hosted Saturday Night Live.[24] At about the same time, she released a best-selling comedy album on Geffen Records, What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most? The recording reached #22 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording.[25]

In August 1983, she was named the first and only permanent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[13]

In spring 1986, the Fox Television Network announced that it was giving Rivers her own late night talk show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.[26] It would be one of the launch shows for the new network and The Late Show would air from 11:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time. In October 1986,[26] The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers premiered on Fox TV. By May 15, 1987,[26] Rivers was unceremoniously fired from the show. The title was shortened to The Late Show [26], and it featured a rotating series of guest hosts.

In 1988, Rivers guest-starred on the Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special.

Eventually Rivers returned to television with her own daytime talk show, The Joan Rivers Show,[27] which ran from 1989 until 1993.

In 1994, she and her daughter, Melissa, first hosted the E! Entertainment Television pre-awards show for the Golden Globe Awards.[28] Beginning in 1995, they hosted the annual E! Entertainment Television pre-awards show for the Academy Awards.[28]

Beginning in 1997, Rivers hosted her own radio show on WOR in New York.

[edit] 2000s

In 2003, Rivers left her popular E! red carpet show and accepted a three year deal valued between 6-8 million with the TV Guide Channel to cover award show red carpets.[29]

Joan Rivers poses for a shot at the Pierre Hotel, May 24, 2001

From 2005–2007, Rivers was a host for the TV Guide Channel, often co-hosting red carpet specials before awards shows with her daughter, Melissa Rivers. She was replaced by Lisa Rinna starting with the 2007 Emmy Awards telecast.

In the movie Shrek 2, Rivers cameoed as a computer-generated version of herself, hosting the parody ME! Medieval Entertainment Television channel.

Rivers is the National Chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a board member of God's Love We Deliver, a group that delivers meals to homebound AIDS patients.[30]

In 2004, she appeared as a guest on the first episode of the BBC One stand-up comedy programme Jack Dee Live at the Apollo. She would eventually guest host the fifth episode in the 2007 season.

When in New York, where she lives, Rivers appears weekly in workshop productions at the small venue The Cutting Room. She donates proceeds to the charities God's Love We Deliver (for which she is a board member) and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Rivers appeared in two episodes of the show Nip/Tuck during its second and third seasons.

Rivers appears regularly on television's The Shopping Channel (in Canada), and QVC (in both the U.S. and the U.K.), selling her own line of jewelry under the brand name "The Joan Rivers Collection", which is one of that network's best-selling lines.[citation needed]

Rivers was a guest speaker at the opening of the American Operating Room Nurses' 2000 San Francisco Conference.

Both Joan and her daughter Melissa are frequent guests on Howard Stern's radio show.

Joan frequently appears as a panelist on UK game show 8 Out Of 10 Cats.

On August 16, 2007, Rivers began a two-week workshop of her new play, with the working title, "The Joan Rivers Theatre Project," at The Magic Theatre, in San Francisco.[31]

On December 3, 2007, Rivers was featured before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, in the Royal Variety Show 2007, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

In January 2008, Rivers became one of 20 hijackers to take control of the Big Brother house in the UK, in a spin-off show entitled Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack. She did so for one day.

On June 24, 2008 Rivers appeared on NBC’s show Celebrity Family Feud. She competed with her daughter, Melissa, against Ice-T and Coco.

Rivers and daughter Melissa were contestants in 2009 on the second Celebrity Apprentice. Throughout the season, each celebrity raised money for a charity of his or her choice; Rivers selected, God's Love We Deliver.[32] After a falling out with poker player Annie Duke, following Melissa's on-air "firing" (elimination) by Donald Trump, Joan left the "green room" telling Clint Black and Jesse James that she would not be in the next morning. Rivers later returned to the show and on May 3, 2009, she became a finalist in the series. The other finalist was Duke.[33][34] On the season finale, which aired live on May 10, Joan was announced the winner and was hired to be the 2009 Celebrity Apprentice.

Rivers was also a special pink carpet presenter for the 2009 broadcast of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. She is to be roasted in a Comedy Central special, scheduled to be taped on July 26, 2009, and to be aired on August 9, 2009. Joan will star in a new reality TV series on TV Land called, How'd You Get So Rich?, scheduled to air in August 2009.

[edit] Cameos and parodies

Rivers had a cameo in the film Shrek 2 (though for the UK version she was dubbed by Kate Thornton).[35]

Rivers also appeared in the Simpsons episode, "Viva Ned Flanders," as a desperate infomercial host and in the Futurama episode, "That's Lobstertainment!," as a talking head.

She appeared in Drawn Together, as "Clara's" talking vagina, called a, "Vajoana," as the result of "Clara" having too much plastic surgery.

Rivers appeared in the Season 2's season finale, and also in Season 3, of the TV program Nip/Tuck, as herself.

She loaned her voice to the Mel Brooks film Spaceballs, as, "Dot Matrix."

Rivers has also appeared in a GEICO insurance commercial making satirical comments about her many plastic surgeries.[citation needed]

She also appeared as herself in a parody of her career on E! True Hollywood Story, on April 1, 2001.[36]

[edit] Charity

Rivers was an Honorary Chair of the Imperial Court of New York's Annual Charity Coronation Ball, Night of A Thousand Gowns, on March 21, 2009. Other Honorary Chairs for the evening's charity event included Sir Elton John CBE, Patti LuPone, John Cameron Mitchell, Idina Menzel and Robin Strasser.[37]

[edit] Awards

In 1990, Rivers won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host. That same year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1994, she was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Play for Sally Marr and Her Escorts, which she wrote with Erin Ladd Sanders and Lonny Price.[38]

In a 2005, BBC Channel 4 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, she was voted 40th among the "Top 50" comedy acts ever, by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

[edit] Books

  • Having a Baby Can Be a Scream (1974, self-help/humor book)
  • The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abramowitz (1984, humor book)
  • Enter Talking (1986, autobiography)
  • Still Talking (1991, autobiography)
  • Jewelry by Joan Rivers (1995)
  • Bouncing Back: I've Survived Everything ... and I Mean Everything ... and You Can Too! (1997, autobiography/self-help)
  • From Mother to Daughter: Thoughts and Advice on Life, Love and Marriage (1998)
  • Don’t Count the Candles: Just keep the Fire Lit! (1999)
  • Men Are Stupid . . . And They Like Big Boobs: A Woman's Guide to Beauty Through Plastic Surgery (2008)
  • Murder at the Academy Awards (R): A Red Carpet Murder Mystery (2009)

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Television work

[edit] Theater work

The following is a selected list of theater work performed by Rivers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Comic queen Joan Rivers bites back with sharp, funny new show. | The Miami Herald (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service) (March, 2004)". Accessmylibrary.com. 2004-03-29. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-7652403_ITM. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  2. ^ Roura, Phil (2006-05-14). "CAN SHE TALK! Joan Rivers muses on her daughter, Cher and fun Down Under". Nydailynews.com. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2006/05/14/2006-05-14_can_she_talk____joan_rivers_.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  3. ^ Rochlin, Margy (2001-03-04). "OSCAR FILMS/THE SHOW; Taking No Prisoners at the Edge of the Red Carpet - New York Times". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E4DE1738F937A35750C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  4. ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (2007-12-27). "Joan Rivers’ ‘Life’—audacious, as always|Arts In L.A.". Jewish Journal. http://www.jewishjournal.com/arts_in_la/article/joan_rivers_life_audacious_as_always_20071228/. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  5. ^ "Joan Rivers Biography (1933?-)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/84/Joan-Rivers.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  6. ^ Rivers, Joan (1986). Autobiography: Enter Talking. New York: Delacorte Press, First Printing
  7. ^ a b Autobiography: Bouncing Back (1997), HarperCollins. p. 74-75
  8. ^ Riley, Sam G. (1995) Biographical Dictionary of American Newspaper Columnists, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 265 ISBN 9780313291920.
  9. ^ Sochen, June (1998). "From Sophie Tucker to Barbara Streisand: Jewish Women Entertainers as Reformers". Talking Back: Images of Jewish Women in American Popular Culture. Ed. Joyce Antler. Brandeis series in American Jewish history, culture, and life. Hanover, NH: Brandeis University Press Published by University Press of New England. pp. 68-84.
  10. ^ Enter Talking, p. 67-71
  11. ^ Enter Talking, fourth page of photo inserts between p. 182-183
  12. ^ Enter Talking, p. 70
  13. ^ a b Enter Talking epilogue, p. 375
  14. ^ "PETA featuring Joan Rivers". Peta.org. http://www.peta.org/feat/JoanRivers/. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  15. ^ "Comedy - Joan Rivers". Montreal Mirror. http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/070402/comedy1.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  16. ^ "Joan Rivers Talks About Nips, Tucks And A New Book," Weekend Edition, National Public Radio, January 10, 2009. (Retrieved 2009-04-29.)
  17. ^ Enter Talking, p. 85-96 and last photo insert page before p. 183
  18. ^ Enter Talking, p. 230
  19. ^ Enter Talking, p. 233-239
  20. ^ Enter Talking, p. 359-373
  21. ^ a b "''The Joan Rivers Show'' (1969 syndicated daytime talk show) at IMDB". Imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124948/. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  22. ^ "''The Next to Last Joan Rivers Album'' at". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N9GYX0. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  23. ^ Latest activity 7 minutes ago. "''Mr. Phyllis'' LP at". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N9F80U. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  24. ^ "''Saturday Night Live'', Host Joan Rivers, Apr 9, 1983 at IMDB". Imdb.com. 1983-04-09. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0695000/. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  25. ^ "1984 Grammy Awards at". Metrolyrics.com. 1984-02-28. http://www.metrolyrics.com/1984-grammy-awards.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  26. ^ a b c d King, Norman (1993). Arsenio Hall. New York: William Morrow & Co., p. 47-48
  27. ^ "''The Joan Rivers Show'' (1989) at IMDB". Imdb.com. 2001-05-25. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262164/. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  28. ^ a b Bouncing Back!, p. 207
  29. ^ "Entertainment & the Arts | TV briefs: Rivers duo may leave E! for TV Guide Channel | Seattle Times Newspaper". Community.seattletimes.nwsource.com. 2004-06-25. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040625&slug=tvbriefs25. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  30. ^ Bouncing Back, p. 110
  31. ^ "San Francisco". Magic Theatre. http://www.magictheatre.org/pages/highlights.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  32. ^ "Joan Rivers". The Celebrity Apprentice. NBC. http://www.nbc.com/the-celebrity-apprentice/candidates/jrivers.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-04-28. 
  33. ^ Catlin, Roger (2009-04-27). "'Celebrity Apprentice': Rivers Run". Hartford Courant. http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2009/04/celebrity-apprentice-recap-mel.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-28. 
  34. ^ "Rivers defends daughter on 'Celebrity Apprentice'". Associated Press. 2009-04-27. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gxJl3i8sRHRwqSDxnzD42BzGaW8gD97R3FDO0. Retrieved on 2009-04-28. 
  35. ^ "Kate Thornton (I) - Biography". Imdb.com. 1973-02-07. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0861550/bio. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  36. ^ a b "''E! True Hollywood Story: Joan Rivers'' (parody - April 1, 2001) at IMDB". Imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291280/fullcredits. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  37. ^ "23rd Annual Night of A Thousand Gowns". The Imperial Court of New York. http://www.icny.org/tickets. Retrieved on 2009-03-01. 
  38. ^ "Entertainment Awards Database accessed Feb. 28, 2009". Theenvelope.latimes.com. http://theenvelope.latimes.com/factsheets/awardsdb/env-awards-db-search,0,7169155.htmlstory?searchtype=all&query=joan+rivers&x=15&y=6. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  39. ^ "''Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story'' (1994 TV movie) at IMDB". Imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111379/. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  40. ^ "''Season 2 Episode 16''". Tv.com. 2007-09-08. http://www.tv.com/nip-tuck/joan-rivers/episode/356526/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;ep_title;15. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 
  41. ^ "''Broadway Bound'' by Neil Simon at IBDB.com - Replacements". Ibdb.com. http://www.ibdb.com/productionreplacements.asp?ID=4434. Retrieved on 2009-04-29. 

[edit] External links

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