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Kathy Griffin

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Kathy Griffin
Griffin, before her performance at the Chicago Theatre, October 16, 2008
Birth nameKathleen Mary Griffin
Born (1960-11-04) November 4, 1960 (age 64)
Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
MediumTelevision, stand-up
NationalityIrish American
Years active1978–present
GenresObservational comedy
Subject(s)Popular culture
Spouse
Matt Moline
​
​
(m. 2001; div. 2006)​
Notable works and rolesKathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
Websitewww.kathygriffin.net
Template:Infobox comedian awards

Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, model, writer and producer. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, she moved to Los Angeles in 1978, where she studied drama at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and became a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings. In the 1990s, Griffin began performing as a stand-up and also appeared as a guest star on several television shows. She achieved recognition in a supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan (1996–2000).

Her breakthrough came on the Bravo reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2005–2010), which became a ratings hit for the network and earned her two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program. Griffin has released four comedy albums, with all of them receiving Grammy Award nominations. Her first album, For Your Consideration (2008), made her the first female comedian to debut at the top of the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart. In 2009, she released her autobiography Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list. Griffin has also taped stand-up specials with HBO and Bravo.

Griffin is an LGBT activist involved in causes such as same-sex marriage and the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell". She has also participated in two USO tours. Influenced by acts such as Joan Rivers and Don Rickles, Griffin is known for her conversational style and controversial statements on pop culture, religion and sexuality. She is recognized as one of the top female comedians in the United States. In 2011, she became the first comedian to have four television specials in a year.

Early life

Kathleen Mary Griffin was born in Oak Park, Illinois on November 4, 1960.[1] Her mother, Mary Margaret "Maggie" (née Corbally), and her father, John Patrick Griffin, were first-generation Irish Americans.[2][3] Maggie worked as a cashier in the Oak Park Hospital.[4] The last of five children, her siblings are Kenny, Joyce, Gary, and John.[1] Griffin described herself during her early years as "a kid who needed to talk, all the time".[2] She would often visit her neighbors, the Bowens, to tell them stories about her family; she has referred to these visits as her first live shows and the place where she learned "the power of juicy material".[5] When most of her siblings moved, Griffin often spent hours alone in the house, and she developed a binge eating disorder. She explained that even though eating disorders were not very well known at that time, she knew that her eating behavior was aberrant and always threw the garbage away in the neighbor's can.[6] In her 2009 autobiography Official Book Club Selection, Griffin confessed that she "still suffers [from food issues]" but has learned to "deal with them".[7] In the same book, Griffin discussed her eldest brother Kenny, who was a drug addict and homeless at various times, and revealed that she was 'afraid of him until the moment he died' due to his violent abusive nature. Griffin states that Kenny would climb into bed with her when he was 30 and she was 7 and 'whisper' into her ears; Kathy refused to speak to him or be in the same room as him for years, but didn't tell her parents until she was in her 20's, at which point he openly admitted pedophilia to their parents.[8]

As a young girl Griffin attended St. Bernadine's Elementary School, and began to develop a dislike for organized religion due to the punishments of the nuns towards her and other "vulnerable" students.[9] After graduation, she attended Oak Park and River Forest High School and sought refuge in musical theatre, playing roles such as Rosemary on How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof.[10] During her senior year she began arguing with her parents, who wanted her to attend college, because she wanted to become a professional actress. Her first appearance on television was as an extra on a Chicago White Sox commercial, and she was signed with different Chicago talent agencies. At age eighteen, Griffin convinced her parents to move to Los Angeles to help her become famous.[11]

At age nineteen, Griffin attended a show of the California-based improvisational group The Groundlings. She said, "I thought. This is where I want to be. This is the greatest thing in the world." After the show ended, she went backstage and asked member Phil Hartman about it.[12]

Career

Stand-up comedy, TV, and film

Griffin began performing in the early 1980s in the Los Angeles improv comedy troupe The Groundlings. In an E! True Hollywood Story segment, she stated that she often went to see the Groundlings perform before she joined. She said that, at one show, she went backstage and talked with Groundling member Phil Hartman and asked him what the group was all about. Struggling to make it in the Los Angeles acting scene, she joined the troupe after a failed audition for the lead role in the film version of Harriet the Spy. This led to her taking classes there and eventually being asked into the group's main company. When she attended The Groundlings, she became best friends with the late Judy Toll, who is mentioned in Griffin's book.

She went on to perform stand-up comedy and became part of the burgeoning alternative comedy scene in Los Angeles, appearing at Un-Cabaret and ran her own stand up night "Hot Cup of Talk". 'Hot Cup Of Talk' was performed in a small, 100 seat theatre and featured Griffin and 3 other comics, originally her friends Margaret Cho and Janeane Garofalo, talking for 15 mins each, measured by an egg timer at the front of the stage. The next performer would take over when the timer went off regardless of if the current performer was finished.[13] The time limit, intimate setting, and Griffin's rule that nobody could repeat material on her stage made it popular with both stand ups and live comedy fans, and it attracted a wide range of performers from the LA 'Alternative Comedy' scenes. Griffin would later title her 1998 solo HBO special after the night.

Griffin made an appearance in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction, as a pedestrian coming to the aid of Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) after he is hit by a car driven by Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis). On the credits she was named as herself.

She broke into film with the supporting role of Connie in the horror film The Unborn, starring Brooke Adams.

Griffin gradually amassed such TV and film credits as a role in comedian Julie Brown's Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful, a Showtime parody of the 1991 Madonna film Truth or Dare; two appearances as the character Susan Klein, a reporter, on NBC's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, her TV sitcom debut; fellow comic Bob Goldthwait's film Shakes the Clown; as the enthusiastic leader of a fanatical car club on the Ellen episode "Oh, Sweet Rapture", airing in January 1996; starring in a dual-role in a seventh season episode of The X-Files, and an episode of ABC's divorce-attorney series Civil Wars, Griffin's dramatic-series debut. In addition, she appeared on Ugly Betty as a fashion channel reporter.

After starring in an HBO Half Hour Comedy Special, Griffin had her first consistent public exposure in 1996, when she was cast as the acerbic colleague of Brooke Shields' title character on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan. In 1998, Griffin starred in her first one-hour special, HBO's Kathy Griffin: A Hot Cup of Talk. She honed a comedy and television career that poked fun at her relatively modest place in the Hollywood hierarchy in a self-deprecating manner. She frequently appears in such self-consciously tacky projects as the reality show competition Celebrity Mole Hawaii, in which she won the 2003 edition after undergoing such experiences as walking over hot lava with her bare feet. She identifies her victory as the moment she became a "D-list" celebrity.

Griffin performing stand up in Las Vegas, 2008

Griffin also has a secondary career in voiceover work and has been featured on a variety of projects such as the animated series Dilbert and Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.

Griffin's TV production company is called Inappropriate Laughter, a reference to her sometimes shocking form of humor.

On June 12, 2008, Griffin hosted the first ever Bravo! A-List Awards. Included in the show was a scene where Griffin mimicked a "wardrobe malfunction" (referring to the infamous Janet Jackson Super Bowl halftime show controversy in 2004). She also hosted the 2009 Bravo A-List Awards, which aired on April 15, 2009 and her Bravo special Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch, taped on March 4, 2009 in Portland, Oregon, aired beforehand. Shout! Factory released an extended version of the show on DVD in early 2010.[14]

On September 8, 2009, Ballantine Books published Griffin's memoir, titled Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin. The book debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. A week prior, she released her second comedy album, Suckin' It for the Holidays. It is the comedian's second bid to win a Grammy Award.[15][16]

It was announced on November 3, 2009, that Griffin was to host ABC's new show Let's Dance, which was supposed to premiere immediately after the finale of Dancing with the Stars on November 23. On the show, celebrity contestants would have re-enacted famous routines from past music videos, movies, and musicals, while competing for a $250,000 grand prize for their favorite charity.[17] However, the show never aired.

Griffin hosted CNN's New Year's Eve Broadcast on December 31, 2009, along with Anderson Cooper. As Cooper talked about the Balloon boy hoax, Griffin said the word "fucking" while making fun of the pronunciation of Falcon Heene, the six-year-old boy who was said to have been trapped in the balloon.[18] Although Griffin was rumored to be banned from future CNN broadcasts,[19] she co-hosted the show again with Cooper, on December 31, 2010 and 2011.[20]

Griffin has also guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing a lesbian activist.[21]

Since the 2008 presidential election Griffin has made frequent jokes about the Palin family. Shots at Sarah Palin, her husband Todd Palin, and their eldest daughter Bristol Palin have garnered cheers but also boos.[22] Griffin parodied Palin in Glee, wearing a red power-suit and wide-rimmed glasses, posing as a judge at the regionals singing competition. Griffin also poked fun at Christine O'Donnell in the show by stating "Before we start, I would like to say I am not a witch."[23][24]

On March 15, 2011, Griffin had a guest starring role on Glee in the episode "Original Song" as a Regionals competition judge, "Twitterer and former Tea Party candidate" Tammy Jean Albertson. Her character complained about a duet of Hey Monday's "Candles" between two young men, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson, and automatically accused their school, Dalton Academy, of being a "gay school". She also remarks that the show's primary Glee club's, New Directions, performance of "Loser Like Me" was disgraceful because "when I lost the election, I didn't sing about being a loser, I twittered that Obama is a terrorist"; this remark almost started an argument between her and fellow judge Sister Mary Constance (Loretta Devine). On January 7, 2012, it was announced that—along with having two more stand-up specials on Bravo—Griffin will start a weekly one-hour talk show on the channel, Kathy, which will consist of stand-up routines, "rant about pop culture" and celebrity interviews.[25] The first show aired on April 19, 2012 on Bravo.

Guest co-host of The View

Kathy Griffin served as the unofficial guest co-host of The View from May 2007 to September 2007, and was considered to join the panel as a replacement for the recently departed Rosie O'Donnell.[26][27] However, Whoopi Goldberg was ultimately selected as the permanent replacement. On September 10, 2007, Sherri Shepherd took over the remaining co-host spot that had been vacant since Star Jones's departure. Walters stated that she was worried about hiring another loose cannon after the troubles with O'Donnell.

Griffin divulged in her stand-up that she is now banned from The View after talking about the gig on her televised comedy special, Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell.[28] While declining to discuss the ban on Access Hollywood,[29] during the filming of an episode for My Life on the D-List with former View co-host/moderator Rosie O'Donnell, Griffin did talk about the ban, specifically targeting View executive producer Bill Geddie. Griffin has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Walters in the event she departs the show. As of August 2009, Griffin had been un-banned from The View and was a guest on September 18, 2009, and June 15, 2010. However, in an interview on The Talk, Griffin has stated she has been re-banned from The View,[30] due to an argument with View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck.[31]

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Main article: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Emmy Awards controversy

Kathy Griffin, Michael McDonald and Karri Turner perform an improv skit for soldiers and airmen in Tikrit, Iraq, March 17, 2006.

The second season, which premiered on June 6, 2006, brought Griffin the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program, non-competition, on September 8, 2007. She received it during the Creative Arts Emmy, which was hosted by Carlos Mencia and aired on E! on September 15. Griffin stirred up controversy with her acceptance speech, saying,

Now, a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. He didn't help me a bit. If it was up to him, Cesar Millan would be up here with that damn dog. So all I can say is suck it, Jesus, this award is my God now![32]

Griffin later explained that she meant this remark not as a slight on Jesus, but rather as a satire of celebrities who thank Jesus profusely and nonsensically for their awards, especially artists who themselves are controversial in their speech and actions.[33]

Her remarks were quickly condemned by the Catholic League which urged the academy to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment."[34] The Academy said that her "offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast on Saturday night".[35] Griffin later responded, "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?"[36] Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly called Griffin a "pinhead" for her remark, which Griffin considered a "badge of honor."[37][38]

Style of humor

Griffin developed her love for popular culture through her immediate and extended family, who were always commenting about the latest news. She explained that "I may have been into The Brady Bunch like every other kid, but I also wanted to watch John Lennon and Yoko Ono on The Dick Cavett Show, and every minute of the Watergate hearings. It was fear of the dinner table that got me hooked."[39] She has also named her mother Maggie as influential in her consumption of pop culture, calling her "the ideal audience for the Hollywood dish."[9] Griffin has also named the character of Rhoda Morgenstern of 1970s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show as an influence, saying,[40]

"...[The Mary Tyler Moore Show] gave me the first inkling of what place I could have in the entertainment world. [...] But when Rhoda burst through the door in her Gypsy headscarf, billowy caftan, and hilariously abrasive delivery, I was like, 'Who is that? Oh my God!' That’s when I fell in love with wanting to be the sidekick. Everything out of her mouth was hysterical, yet she was vulnerable and human. I remember my family fell in love with her, too. That’s who I wanted to be. She had all the jokes."[10]

While Griffin established her career with candid observations about everyday life and her dating experiences, later focusing on mainly mocking celebrities, her act currently consists of recounting embellished stories involving celebrities. Though her humor may be wicked, Griffin hopes people understand that no malice is intended by it. "I'm genuinely a fan of most of the people I trash in the act," said Griffin in an interview. "I really, really try and focus on making fun of people for their behavior. I'm not so into making fun of someone for the way they look, or something that's out of their control."[41] Her favorite celebrity topics are plastic surgery, Scientology, drunkenness, substance abuse, snooty attitudes, eating disorders, and stars whose sexual orientation is disputed. Among Griffin's staples are Paris Hilton, Clay Aiken, Barbara Walters, Whitney Houston, Larry David, Celine Dion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Star Jones, Paula Abdul, Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Ryan Seacrest, Lindsay Lohan, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Bravo's Real Housewives, Kirstie Alley, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Uma Thurman and Renée Zellweger.

Griffin is sometimes the object of her own humor, particularly with regard to her D-list status. While Griffin paints herself as a Hollywood outsider, she has a group of close celebrity friends such as Rosie O'Donnell, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Gloria Estefan, Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Coolidge, Rachel True, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, Anderson Cooper, Cher and Lance Bass. Griffin's longtime friendship with Bass was the catalyst for a feud between her and gossip blogger Perez Hilton, in which Griffin expressed anger over Hilton's "outing" of Bass on his website, calling Hilton's attacks on Bass "mean" and "unfunny".[42][43] Hilton responded by saying that Griffin's anger was hypocritical, considering all of the gay jokes she makes about Clay Aiken in her stand-up routines.[42] In 2007, Griffin commented on her aversion to making fun of celebrity friends by saying, "There's nothing I won't do, but on the other hand I'm full of shit because that changes. For example, you know Lance Bass from 'N Sync and how he's gay now? All those years that I knew he was gay, he and I were friends, I would never say, 'Hey, by the way, did you know that Lance Bass is gay?'"[44] Griffin and Hilton ended their feud after the death of Griffin's father, and Hilton appeared on an episode of her show in 2007.[43] Yet in July 2008, he asserted that Griffin's assistant Jessica Zajicek had quit because she could not take Griffin's now hectic career. Griffin dismissed these statements as false as Zajicek is still working for Griffin.[45] However, the season premier of The D-List depicted that Zajicek was no longer working for Griffin; Griffin explained early in the episode that Zajicek "has decided to move on".[46]

Griffin at the red carpet of the VH1 Divas Awards in 2009.

Her style has led to a number of controversies. Although some talk show hosts welcome her humor on their programs such as Craig Kilborn, Bill Maher and Howard Stern (who she credits with giving her a "straight fanbase"), Griffin has claimed to be banned from appearing on several TV shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The View. She recently[when?] got rebanned from The View because of a joke she made about Barbara Walters. She says Ellen's producers told her they cannot have her on "trashing celebrities,"[47] but she appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 11, 2007.[48] One of the most notable controversies occurred when she made a joke during a 2005 E! televised event that the child actress Dakota Fanning, then age 11, had entered rehab.[49] This incident got Griffin fired from hosting duties on E!'s red-carpet award show coverage. Nevertheless, E! purchased rights to air My Life on the D-List for its British channel, a fact she noted in an episode of season 3.

In a July 2009 episode of My Life on the D-List, after using profanity in an Octomom joke during her routine at New York's legendary Apollo Theatre, Griffin claimed that she received a letter banning her from the venue.[50]

Griffin has claimed to have been fired from an appearance on the show Hannah Montana, on account of her Emmy acceptance speech. According to Griffin "the instructions literally came down, 'We don't want her anywhere near the building.'"[51] Griffin hit back in her comedy act joking that Miley Cyrus "...has been flashing her green bra and posing topless."[52]

LGBT rights and political advocacy

Kathy Griffin arriving at the rally to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (Freedom Plaza, Washington DC)
Kathy Griffin arriving at the rally to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (Freedom Plaza, Washington, D.C.).

Griffin is an outspoken supporter for LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage.[53][54] She has protested with fellow proponents in West Hollywood, California,[55] and showcased the footage of such protests on her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Her mother Maggie Griffin is also a supporter of LGBT rights and is seen in Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List protesting alongside her daughter. Prior to the Proposition 8 ballot results, Griffin volunteered for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s "Vote for Equality" campaign, going door-to-door asking Los Angeles residents for their opinion of LGBT marriage rights.[56]

In March 2010, Griffin helped organize a rally in Washington DC to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." She stated that she organized the rally after meeting with several closeted gay people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Griffin held meetings with several Members of Congress to encourage its repeal; she also organized a rally in Freedom Plaza.[57][58]

Griffin caused controversy when she confronted Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann over her anti-gay views at the 2010 Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner, while in town for her rally against DADT. According to Griffin, she asked Bachmann "if she was naturally a bigot or if that's just the way she legislates." Griffin claimed that Bachmann replied by saying, "That's a good question, I'll have to think about it." Bachmann's office confirmed the exchange but claimed that Griffin confronted Bachmann after Bachmann approached Griffin to compliment her appearance.[59][60]

Griffin has been a long-time supporter of the Aid For AIDS annual fundraiser, Best In Drag Show in Los Angeles, and hosted the opening of the show for more than five years.[61] In November 2009, Aid For AIDS presented Kathy Griffin with an AFA Angel Award at their silver anniversary celebration.[61][62]

Griffin has been a long-time critic of Sarah Palin, and has made fun of Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin, using the Palin family as material in her comedy routines.[63] In March 2011, Sarah Palin responded to Griffin by calling her a "bully." Palin went on to dare Griffin to "come up to Alaska and pick on me."[64] In connection with her reality TV show, Griffin visited the Palin family home in Wasilla and invited Palin to attend her stand-up show in Anchorage.[65] Griffin has also poked fun at Willow Palin. Although Willow Palin is a minor, Griffin stated that she poked fun at Willow as a result of her repeated anti-gay slurs on Facebook.[66]

Personal life

Griffin describes herself as a "militant atheist".[67] While in high school, she fell away from the Roman Catholic Church and wanted to become a Unitarian. Said Griffin: "I'm not really sure what that is, but it sounds better."[67] In a 2006 interview, Griffin said she does not drink alcohol.[68]

She is an outspoken opponent of LASIK eye surgery, having endured a series of operations for her own eyesight that left her partially blind in one eye with a visible eyeball deformity.[69] She is open about her multiple plastic surgeries, and jokes that fat "was donated to a soup kitchen" after her liposuction procedure.

Her father, John Patrick Griffin, died of heart failure on February 17, 2007 during the shooting of the third season of her reality show; he was 90 years old. The episode related to his death aired on June 19, 2007.

She placed 17th on Oxygen's 2007 list of "The 50 Funniest Women Alive".[70]

Marriage and relationships

Griffin and Jim Weiskopf of the Fisher House Foundation during her visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in April 2008.

Griffin married Washington, D.C. native Matt Moline on February 18, 2001, atop the 360 Degree Restaurant in Hollywood. ABC News reported that she walked down the aisle to the strains of 1980s power ballad "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger. Her maid of honor was Brooke Shields; and the wedding was attended by, among others, Camryn Manheim, Bill Maher, James Williams, and Jane Krakowski.

Griffin and Moline appeared to have a loving and supportive relationship on her reality show, but there were problems beneath the surface. After briefly separating and reconciling in 2005, they divorced in May 2006. Griffin had her tattooed wedding ring laser-removed after her divorce.[71] On Larry King Live, Griffin accused her husband of stealing $72,000 from her. In a written statement, he declined to respond to the allegations publicly but stated that he was saddened by accusations.[72][73]

Since July 2007, rumors had circulated that Griffin had been dating Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.[74] They attended the 2007 Emmy Awards together, and speculations arose when the two were interviewed together on the red carpet.[75] On September 18, 2007, Us Weekly reported that Griffin and Wozniak were engaged; however, neither Griffin nor Wozniak confirmed the rumor.[76] During a January 2008 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Griffin confirmed that Wozniak will be a regular guest on the fourth season of her reality show.[77] On Tom Green's House Tonight on February 6, Griffin confirmed her relationship with Wozniak. When asked if she actually targeted Wozniak to make her ex-husband jealous, Griffin stated "What better way to get back at my ex, who was a tech, than to marry the biggest techno-nerd in the Universe?" Wozniak and Griffin served as King and Queen of the Humane Society of Silicon Valley Fur Ball on April 5, 2008, in Santa Clara, California, and scenes for the fourth season of My Life on the D-List were taped.[78] However, as of June 2008, it was confirmed that Griffin and Wozniak are no longer dating and have decided to remain friends.[79]

On August 9, 2009, she attended the Teen Choice Awards with Levi Johnston[80] and subsequently interviewed him in her role as guest host on Larry King Live. In the interview, Griffin and Johnston joked that they were in a serious relationship.[81]

On March 7, 2011, while appearing on Howard Stern's radio show, Griffin announced that she is currently romantically involved with actor and former NFL practice-squad player Isaiah Mustafa. Since then Mustafa has announced that he is in fact single, though he admitted to finding Griffin "amazing".[82] In the same interview, Griffin also stated that the previous July, she had ended a private romantic relationship that had lasted four years with a man whom she did not publicly identify, only saying that he was "a regular guy with a regular job," and that it was a "messy breakup".[83]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1980 Battle Beyond the Stars Alien Extra Uncredited
Fade to Black Grauman's Chinese Theater Extra
1984 Streets of Fire Concertgoer
1991 The Unborn Connie
1992 Shakes the Clown Lucy
Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful Taffy
1994 Pulp Fiction Hit-and-run Witness
It's Pat Herself Cameo
1995 Big News TV film
Four Rooms Betty
The Barefoot Executive Mary TV film
1996 The Cable Guy Mother
1997 Who's the Caboose? Katty
Trojan War Cashier
Courting Courtney Ona Miller
1999 Can't Stop Dancing Modeling Agent
Dill Scallion Tina
Muppets from Space Female armed guard
Jackie's Back Herself TV film
2000 Lion of Oz Caroline Voice role
The Intern Cornelia Crisp
Enemies of Laughter Cindy
A Diva's Christmas Carol Ghost of Christmas Past TV film
E Nurse "The Real Slim Shady", music video collection
2001 On Edge Karen Katz
2002 Run Ronnie Run Herself
2003 Beethoven's 5th Evie Kling
2005 Dirty Love Madame Pelly
2005 Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone Rhoga Voice role
Her Minor Thing Maggie
Love Wrecked Belinda
2006 Bachelor Party Vegas She-Elvis Uncredited cameo
2007 Judy Toll: The Funniest Woman You've Never Heard of Herself Documentary
In Search of Puppy Love
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project
Heckler
2009 Sammy's Adventures: The Secret Passage Voice role
2010 Shrek Forever After Taran
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Herself Documentary
2011 The Muppets Scene removed from theatrical release
Hall Pass
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1989–1991 On the Television Various Episode: "Beauty and the Beast"
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990 Susan Klein Episode: "Not With My Pig, You Don't"
1993 Civil Wars Yvonne Episode: "Watt, Me Worry?"
Dream On Dawn Episode: "The French Conception"
1995 ER Dolores Minky Episode: "Motherhood"
Dweebs Sheila Episode: "The Birthday Party Show"
1995 Mad About You Brenda Episode: "New Year's Eve"
1996 Ellen Peggy Episode: "Oh, Sweet Rapture"
Partners Michelle Episode: "Can We Keep Her, Dad?"
Caroline in the City DMV clerk Episode: "Caroline and the Movie"
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Herself Episode: Koppleman and Katz
Saturday Night Special 2 episodes
1995–1996 Ned & Stacey Jeanne Episode: "Loganberry's Run" and "Accountus Interruptus"
1997 Oddville, MTV Episode: August 13, 1997
The Wonderful World of Disney Mary Episode: "The New Barefoot Executive"
1996–1998 Seinfeld Sally Weaver Episode: "The Cartoon" and "The Doll"
1997–1998 Premium Blend Herself Hostess
1999 Rock & Roll Jeopardy! Celebrity edition
2000 The X-Files Betty Templeton/Lulu Pfeiffer Episode: "Fight Club"
2000 Curb Your Enthusiasm Herself Episode: "The Pants Tent"
1999–2000 Dilbert Alice Voice role (uncredited)
1996–2000 Suddenly Susan Vicki Groener
2001 The Simpsons Francine Episode: "Bye Bye Nerdie"
Strong Medicine Matchmaker Episode: "Silent Epidemic"
Weakest Link Herself Episode: "Comedians Special"
Kathy's So Called Reality Hostess
2002 The Drew Carey Show Kathy Episode: "The Eagle Has Landed"
The Anna Nicole Show Herself Christmas special
2003 What's New, Scooby-Doo? Luis Agent Autumn Summerfield Episode: "The Unnatural" (Voice role)
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series Roxanne Gaines Episode: "Mind Game: Part 1" and "Part 2" (Voice role)
Crank Yankers Marion Simons Episode: "Jim Florentine & Kathy Griffin" (Voice role)
sSegment: Marion gets an Estimate
The Mole Herself Season 3 winner
2002–2003 Whose Line Is It Anyway? 4 episodes (5-02, 5–15, 5–19, 5–29)
2002 National Lampoon's Funny Money Episode 1 (Guest comedian)
2004 Striperella The Bridesmaid Episode: "The Bridesmaid" and "Evil Things Come in Small Packages" (Voice role)
Half & Half Dr. Morgan Episode: "The Big Labor of Love Episode"
Celebrity Poker Showdown Herself Two episodes, third tournament
2001–2004 Hollywood Squares 86 episodes
2005 Cheap Seats Rae Episode: "1995 SuperDogs! Superjocks!"
Days of our Lives Limo driver
All-Star Reality Reunion Herself Hostess
2006 Gameshow Marathon Herself "Match Game"
2007 Ugly Betty Fashion TV anchor Episode: "In or Out"
Loose Women Herself
2008 Rosie Live Impersonated Nancy Grace
Dog Whisperer Episode: Season 4, Episode 24
2009 Privileged Olivia Episode: "All About a Brand New You"
Paris Hilton's My New BFF Herself Episode: "Must Have Thick Skin" (Special guest)
2008–2010 Larry King Live Six episodes
2009 The Comedy Central Roast Of Joan Rivers Roast Master
The Celebrity Apprentice 2 Special guest
2005–2010 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List 47 episodes
Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
2010 Law & Order Special Victims Unit Babs Duffy Episode: "P.C."
RuPaul's Drag Race Guest judge Season 2, Episode 1: "Gone With The Windows"
The Marriage Ref Episode: "Tracy Morgan, Kathy Griffin, and Nathan Lane"
Last Comic Standing Performer Season 7 finale
Shep & Tiffany Watch TV: The Best of 2010 Executive Producer
2011 Glee Tammy Jean Albertson Episode: "Original Song"
Same Name Herself Season 1, episode 2[84]
Drop Dead Diva Jenna Kaswell-Bailey Episode: "He Said, She Said"
America's Next Top Model Guest Judge Season 17, episode 7[85]
2012 American Dad Kelly Wilkes Season 7, Episode 16: "The Kidney Stays in the Picture"[86]
Voice role
Whitney Lindsay Episode: Codependence Day
The Rosie Show Herself
Kathy Host Talk show[25]

Stand-up specials

Main article: List of Kathy Griffin stand-up specials
  • HBO Comedy Half-Hour (1996)[87]
  • Kathy Griffin: Hot Cup of Talk (1998)[88]
  • Kathy Griffin: The D-List (2004)
  • Kathy Griffin: Allegedly (2004)
  • Kathy Griffin Is... Not Nicole Kidman (2005)
  • Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman (2006)
  • Kathy Griffin: Everybody Can Suck It (2007)
  • Kathy Griffin: Straight To Hell (2007)
  • Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut A Bitch (2009)
  • Kathy Griffin: Balls Of Steel (2009)
  • Kathy Griffin Does the Bible Belt (2010)[89]
  • Kathy Griffin: Whores on Crutches (2010)
  • Kathy Griffin: 50 and Not Pregnant (2011)
  • Kathy Griffin: Gurrl Down! (2011)
  • Kathy Griffin: Pants Off (2011)[90]
  • Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker (2011)[91]
  • Kathy Griffin: Seamen 1st Class (2012)

Discography

On June 10, 2008, Griffin released a comedy CD titled For Your Consideration.[92] It is Griffin's first audio-only release of her stand-up material.[citation needed] The disc was recorded at the ETK Theatre at the Grand Theatre Center For The Arts in Tracy, California on February 17, 2008.[93] Included on the disc are her takes on various celebrities and her personal life. Griffin stated that she decided to release this CD to try to win a Grammy award.[93] On December 3, 2008, Griffin was nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album. However, she lost to George Carlin's It's Bad for Ya.

On August 25, 2009, Griffin released a second comedy album, Suckin' It for the Holidays, in another bid for a Grammy. The album was initially released as a digital download and retail released on November 3, 2009. Despite the album's holiday title, it contains little holiday-related content, and it just barely made the nominations cut-off.[94] On December 2, 2009 it was nominated for Best Comedy Album, making it Griffin's second Grammy nomination.

Griffin received her third Grammy nomination for "Kathy Griffin does the Bible Belt" in 2010[95] and her fourth in 2011 for "Kathy Griffin: 50 And Not Pregnant".

On May 4, 2012, the full length version of "I'll Say It", the theme song of her show "Kathy", was released to iTunes as a single.[96]

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program Nominated
2007 Won
2008 Won
Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special Nominated
2009 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program Nominated
2010 Nominated
2011 Nominated
2012 Tired Hooker Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2008 For Your Consideration Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album Nominated
2009[97] Suckin' It for the Holidays Nominated
2010[98] Kathy Griffin Does the Bible Belt Nominated
2011 Kathy Griffin: 50 And Not Pregnant Nominated

GLAAD Media Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Kathy Griffin Vanguard Award Won

PGA Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2008 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Television Producer of the Year Award in Non-Fiction Television Nominated
2009 Nominated
2010 Nominated

Gracie Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Outstanding Female Lead – Comedy Series Won

Notes

  1. ^ a b Griffin 2010, p. 13
  2. ^ a b Griffin 2010, p. 7
  3. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 11
  4. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 15
  5. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 8
  6. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 20
  7. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 21
  8. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyFHWt3TcTc&feature=relmfu
  9. ^ a b Griffin 2010, p. 26
  10. ^ a b Griffin 2010, p. 32
  11. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 33
  12. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 48
  13. ^ Lovece, Frank (June 18, 2006). "Fast Chat: Q & A with Kathy Griffin". Newsday (author's archive). Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  14. ^ "Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut A Bitch". shoutfactorystore.com. 2011 [last update]. Retrieved September 10, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  15. ^ Strauss, Gary (June 7, 2010). "Griffin finally runs with the big dogs". USA Today. McLean, VA: Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  16. ^ "Let's Dance, New Comedic Dance Series Featuring Stars Competing for Charitable Grand Prizes, Premieres Monday, November 23" (Press release). ABC. November 4, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  17. ^ Stanhope, Kate (November 3, 2009). "Kathy Griffin to Host New ABC Show Let's Dance". TVGuide.com.
  18. ^ "Kathy Griffin rings in 2010 by uttering profanity about Balloon Boy on CNN". The Washington Post. Washington DC: WPC. January 2, 2010. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  19. ^ Graham, Nick (January 5, 2010). "CNN Denies Kathy Griffin Banned From Network". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  20. ^ Alexander, Bryan (December 31, 2010). "Kathy Griffin dares to be thrown off New Year's show". Reuters. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  21. ^ Abrams, Natalie (November 10, 2009). "Kathy Griffin Lands Law & Order: SVU Guest Spot". tvguide.com. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  22. ^ Shuter, Rob (December 6, 2010). "Troops Boo Kathy Griffin for Bristol Palin Fat Jokes". popeater.com. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  23. ^ "Kathy Griffin plays a Tea Party politician on 'Glee'". CBS News. New York: CBS. March 16, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  24. ^ "RealClearPolitics – Video – Kathy Griffin Mocks Palin/Tea Party On FOX Show 'GLEE'". realclearpolitics.com. March 16, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Schneider, Michael (January 7, 2012). "Kathy Griffin Will Keep Talking for Bravo". TV Guide Network. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  26. ^ Harris, Bill (August 4, 2007). "Griffin unsure about The View gig". canoe.ca. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  27. ^ Dagostino, Mark (May 27, 2007). "Kathy Griffin: Split-Screen Made Rosie Leave The View". People. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  28. ^ "Banned by Babs". New York Post. January 29, 2008.
  29. ^ "Barbara Walters Re-Bans Kathy Griffin From The View". Access Hollywood. January 30, 2008.
  30. ^ Bowe, Jillian (November 3, 2010). "Kathy Griffin Rips The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The Talk!". Daytime Confidential. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  31. ^ Malkin, Marc (July 20, 2010). "Kathy Griffin to Hasselbeck: Lighten Up or...Suck It!". ca.eonline.com. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  32. ^ "Kathy Griffin's Jesus Remark Cut from Emmy Show". Reuters. September 17, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2007.
  33. ^ "Larry King Live". YouTube. September 17, 2007. Archived from the original (video) on March 7, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2007.
  34. ^ Elber, Lynn (September 11, 2007). "Griffin's Emmy remarks to be censored". CelebrityMound.com. AP. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  35. ^ "Kathy Griffin's Emmy Remarks About Jesus to Be Censored". Fox News. Associated Press. September 11, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
  36. ^ "'Offensive' Jesus remarks cut from Emmys". News.com.au. Reuters. September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  37. ^ O'Reilly, Bill (September 14, 2007). "The O'Reilly Factor : Talking Points". The O'Reilly Factor. Fox News. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  38. ^ King, Larry (September 17, 2007). "CNN Larry King Live : Kathy Griffin Censored at Emmys". CNN Larry King Live. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  39. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 22
  40. ^ Griffin 2010, p. 29
  41. ^ Powers, Nicole (May 25, 2009). "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List". SuicideGirls.com. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  42. ^ a b "Perez Hilton Visits Howard Stern". In Case You Didn't Know. ICYDK. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  43. ^ a b "Perez and Kathy Griffin Make Nice". Celebrity Babylon. Celebrity Babylon. Retrieved October 19, 2007.[dead link]
  44. ^ Dowling, Amber. "Living Life on the D-List". TV Guide. TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  45. ^ Rocchio, Christopher (July 29, 2008). "D-List star Kathy Griffin denies assistant Jessica Zajicek has quit". Reality TV World. Retrieved March 6, 2009.
  46. ^ "YouTube – Kathy Griffin – My Life on the D List – Episode 5x01 Part 1/5" (video). Youtube. June 9, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  47. ^ Seibel, Deborah Starr (May 30, 2006). "Last in Line for Celebrity: Griffin – Hollywood's Outcast". The New York Post. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  48. ^ "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  49. ^ Sternbergh, Adam (August 8, 2005). "Dorothy Snarker". New York. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  50. ^ "Kathy Griffin's Attempt To Win Over The Black Community". talkoffame.com. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  51. ^ "In Praise of Kathy Griffin". New York. March 18, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  52. ^ Boursaw, Jane (May 1, 2008). "Was Kathy Griffin dumped over Jesus joke?". AOL TV. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  53. ^ Alexander, Bryan (December 30, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Kathy Griffin Dares to Be Thrown Off CNN's Live New Year's Eve Broadcast". Hollywood Reporter.
  54. ^ [1][dead link]
  55. ^ "IMHO "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" (5.8): Norma Gay". AfterElton.com. July 28, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  56. ^ AKA William (April 10, 2009). "Kathy Griffin Goes Door-to-Door For Gay Rights". AKA William. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  57. ^ Malkin, Marc (March 16, 2010). "Kathy Griffin Rallies Against Don't Ask Don't Tell". E! Online.
  58. ^ Wieselman, Jarett (July 13, 2010). "Griffin Fights Don't Ask Don't Tell". New York Post.
  59. ^ "Kathy Griffin Calls Michele Bachmann a Bigot". Minnesota Post – D.C. Dispatches. March 19, 2010.
  60. ^ "Kathy Griffin Calls Michele Bachmann a Bigot". Politico.com. March 19, 2010.
  61. ^ a b "Kathy Griffin asks Mom to Take a Side". TheInsider.com. November 6, 2009.[dead link]"
  62. ^ "AFA Silver Anniversary Reception & Awards" (PDF). Aids for Aids.
  63. ^ "Sarah Palin: Kathy Griffin is a bully". CBS News. March 7, 2011.
  64. ^ "Sarah Palin Slams Kathy Griffin: She Is a 50-Year-Old Bully". Fox News. March 7, 2011.
  65. ^ "Kathy Griffin takes aim at Palin in Alaska". Today Show – MSNBC. March 6, 2010.
  66. ^ "Kathy Griffin: Why It's Open Season on Willow Palin". Politico.com. March 11, 2012.
  67. ^ a b DiStefano, Blase (June 2007). "Foul-Mouthed and Funny". OutSmart. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  68. ^ Nasson, Tim (August 5, 2006). "D-List Status In Jeopardy!". wildaboutmovies.com. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  69. ^ Griffin, Kathy. "LASIK Nightmare". kathygriffin.net. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  70. ^ IMDb :: Boards :: 50 Funniest Women Alive (2007) :: Spoiler: the full list
  71. ^ "Kathy's Laser Ring Removal". Us Weekly. September 28, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2008.[dead link]
  72. ^ "Kathy Griffin: Ex-husband took $72K from me". CNN. July 10, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  73. ^ "Kathy Griffin says ex took her money". The Boston Globe. July 12, 2006.
  74. ^ Collins, Michelle. "VH1 Best Week Ever – Off The Market: Kathy Griffin Finds a New Man!". Archived from the original on August 20, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  75. ^ "Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Escorted Comedian Kathy Griffin & Her Potty Mouth To The Emmy's". Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  76. ^ "Kathy Finds Love With Apple Computer Billionaire". US Weekly. September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  77. ^ "Kathy Griffin on Jimmy Kimmel Live" (video). YouTube. January 7, 2008.[dead link]
  78. ^ Sacks, Larry (April 9, 2008). "A Dogs Night at the Fur Ball". Santa Clara Weekly. Retrieved April 25, 2008.[dead link]
  79. ^ "June 6, 2008". The Today Show. June 5, 2008. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  80. ^ "Sarah Palin's Nightmare? Kathy Griffin, Levi Johnston Work the Red Carpet". Mediaite. August 10, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  81. ^ "Kathy Griffin and Levi Johnston's Love Story Goes Late Night on Larry King". Mediaite. August 11, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  82. ^ By rlevine (March 8, 2011). "Isaiah Mustafa's Not Dating Kathy Griffin: "I Am a Single Man" – OK! Magazine – The First for Celebrity News". OK! Magazine. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  83. ^ "kathy griffin 3 7 11 p2" (video). YouTube. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  84. ^ Nededog, Jethro (July 13, 2011). "'Same Name': Kathy Griffin, Mike Tyson and Reggie Bush Accept CBS' 'Freaky Friday' Challenge". The Hollywood Reporter. Lynne Segall. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  85. ^ Gallo, Marissa (October 26, 2011). ""America's Next Top Model" create fragrances, pose as reality TV stars". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  86. ^ "Kathy Griffin' brings 'D-List' mentality to Cleveland". news-herald.com. October 20, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  87. ^ "HBO Comedy Half-Hour" (1995) – Episode list. IMDB.
  88. ^ Kathy Griffin: Hot Cup of Talk (1998) (TV). IMDB.
  89. ^ "That's a Rap! Filming Ends". KathyGriffin.net. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  90. ^ Zakarin, Jordan (September 2, 2011). "Kathy Griffin Hints Marcus Bachmann Is Gay on the Late Late Show". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  91. ^ "Kathy Griffin kalls out Kim Kardashian in latest stand-up special". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  92. ^ Adolphson, Sue (July 6, 2008). "Can't get Enough of Kathy Griffin". San Francisco Chronicle. Frank J. Vega. p. N12. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  93. ^ a b Burch, Cathalena E. (July 3, 2008). "An A-List Comedy Release". Arizona Daily Star. John M. Humenik. Retrieved July 8, 2008.[dead link]
  94. ^ Jones, Anthony (September 1, 2009). "Kathy Griffin Baits Grammy Voters With Second Comedy Album". Celebrity News Service. AHN Media Corporation. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  95. ^ "2011 Grammy Awards – complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Daily News. MediaNews Group. December 2, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  96. ^ ""I'll Say It" on iTunes".
  97. ^ "2009 Nominees". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy. 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  98. ^ "2010 Nominees". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy. 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2011.

References

  • Griffin, Kathy (2010). Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin (paperback ed.). Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-51856-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kathy Griffin.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Kathy Griffin.

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