Punkie Johnson
Punkie Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in 2021 | |
| Born | Jessica Williams April 29, 1985 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | Nicholls State University (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2015–present |
Jessica Williams (born April 29, 1985),[1] known professionally as Punkie Johnson, is an American comedian and actress based in New York City. She began her career as a stand-up comedian at The Comedy Store in California, before becoming a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for its 46th season in 2020. She was promoted to repertory status in 2022, ahead of the show's 48th season.
Early life, family and education
Johnson, born Jessica Williams, was raised by her mother, Mary Johnson, in New Orleans, Louisiana, attending Catholic and public schools. She graduated in 2003[1] from McDonogh 35 High School.[1][2]
Johnson studied at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where she graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies.[1]
Career
Johnson began her career as a stand-up comedian. She later joined The Comedy Store in Los Angeles as a paid regular.[2] In 2019, Johnson performed at Just for Laughs.[3]
As an actress, Johnson has appeared in various television series such as Space Force, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Corporate, and Adam Ruins Everything.[4][5]
Saturday Night Live
In 2020, Johnson was cast as a featured player on Saturday Night Live, starting in its forty-sixth season. She was promoted to repertory status in 2022 before the beginning of the 48th season. Johnson is the eighth black female cast member in the show's history, the second black LGBT woman to be a cast member (following Danitra Vance, who was not publicly out during her lifetime), and the seventh LGBT cast member overall.[4][5][6][7]
Personal life
Johnson is a lesbian as well as identifying with the queer community. She and her wife had been partnered since 2002,[3] but in a 2022 episode of the podcast Films To Be Buried With she revealed she was in the middle of divorce proceedings and had since begun a new relationship.[8] In a 2021 interview with NBC News, Johnson affirmed her LGBTQ identity, stating: "I'm just this little lesbian chick from New Orleans who is just enjoying life doing comedy".[9]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Lot | Punkie | Short film |
| 2020 | Sixteen Thousand Dollars | Jo'Nique | Short film |
| 2020 | The Adventures of Whit | Detective | Short film |
| 2023 | Bottoms | Rhodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Take My Wife | Episode: "Episode 205" | |
| 2018 | Adam Ruins Everything | Ava | Episode: "Adam Ruins Guns" |
| 2019 | Corporate | Taylor the Tattoo Artist | Episode: "The Fall" |
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Dance Biter | Episode: "Angela Bassett Is the Baddest Bitch" |
| 2019 | Crank Yankers | Shasta | Episode: "Jimmy Kimmel, Kathy Griffin & Jeff Ross" |
| 2020 | Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers | Herself | |
| 2020 | Space Force | Staff Sergeant Kiki Rhodes | Episode: "Space Flag" |
| 2020–present | Saturday Night Live | Various characters | Repertory cast member |
| 2021 | Love Life | Ida Watkins | Supporting role (season 2) |
| 2022 | Ghosts | Ally | 2 episodes |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Art and Creativity Has Absolutely Nothing to do With Gender by Punkie Johnson of MewNowTV.com's TALKIN' POINTS". Film Courage. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Punkie Johnson". The Stand NYC. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Daniel (September 16, 2020). "SNL Adds Black Lesbian Cast Member Punkie Johnson". The Advocate.
- ^ a b Steinberg, Brian (September 16, 2020). "Jim Carrey to Play Joe Biden in Next Season of 'Saturday Night Live'". Variety.
- ^ a b Ryan, Patrick (September 16, 2020). "'SNL': Meet the three new cast members joining Season 46". USA Today.
- ^ White, Peter (September 16, 2020). "'SNL': Jim Carrey Set To Play Joe Biden As NBC Show Adds Three Featured Players & Will Have Limited Audience". Deadline.
- ^ Pierce, Robbie X (August 22, 2016). "A Brief LGBT History of Saturday Night Live". The Advocate. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
Danitra Vance, a lesbian, is tied with Sweeney for first LGBT cast member on SNL, though she was not out publicly during her lifetime.
- ^ "Punkie Johnson - the Resurrection! • Films to be Buried with Brett Goldstein #195".
- ^ "Comedian Punkie Johnson on making 'Saturday Night Live' history". NBC News. June 2021.
External links
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
- Living people
- 21st-century American actresses
- 21st-century American comedians
- African-American actresses
- African-American stand-up comedians
- African-American writers
- American sketch comedians
- American stand-up comedians
- American women comedians
- Writers from New Orleans
- Actresses from New Orleans
- Comedians from New Orleans
- American lesbian actresses
- American lesbian writers
- African-American LGBT people
- LGBT people from Louisiana
- Lesbian comedians
- 1985 births
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American people
- 20th-century African-American people
- 20th-century African-American women
- African-American women writers
- American LGBT comedians