Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris | |
|---|---|
 Sedaris at BlogHer in 2007 | |
| Born | Amy Louise Sedaris March 29, 1961 Endicott, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Relatives | David Sedaris (brother) |
Amy Louise Sedaris (/sɪˈdɛərɪs/;[1] born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is the creator and star of her show At Home with Amy Sedaris on truTV, in which she plays various characters and focuses on her love of crafts.[2]
She voices the character Princess Carolyn in the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman. Her breakout role was Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central television series Strangers with Candy.
Early life
Sedaris was born in Endicott, New York to Sharon Elizabeth (née Leonard) and Louis Harry "Lou" Sedaris,[3] and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her five siblings. Her father is of Greek descent and her mother was an Anglo-American.[4] Her family was Greek Orthodox .[5][6] Her older brother is author David Sedaris.
As a teenager, Sedaris worked at her local Winn-Dixie supermarket. She would make fake announcements over the loudspeaker, and the head cashier would threaten to fire her. After work, she egged the cashier's car in protest. Later, as a cocktail waitress at Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago, Illinois, she was fired for being five minutes late. In retaliation, "I took [the manager's] keys, and I threw them in the snow. I heard he found them in the spring."[7] In David Sedaris' book Me Talk Pretty One Day, he noted that Amy would often assume characters to play pranks on her family.
Career
Television
A former member of Chicago-based Second City and Annoyance Theatre comedy troupes, Sedaris' first major foray into television began in 1995 on the Comedy Central sketch show, Exit 57, which also starred Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello.[8] The show ran for one season.[8]
Beginning in 1999, Sedaris played Jerri Blank, a middle-aged high school student, in the Comedy Central series Strangers with Candy.[9] The show, which she co-wrote with Dinello and Colbert, was based on Sedaris's impression of 1970s-era motivational speaker Florrie Fisher.[10] The show ran for three seasons and became a full-length movie.[11]
Sedaris has made numerous guest appearances on TV programs, including Rescue Me, Monk, Wonder Showzen, Just Shoot Me!, Sex and the City, My Name Is Earl, The Closer, The Middle, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Raising Hope, and Sesame Street.[11] She also hosted the series Film Fanatic on Trio.
Her talk show appearances include Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and WTF with Marc Maron.[11] Her performance on Chelsea Lately entailed giving host Chelsea Handler a presentation on vaginal hygiene, using a plush vagina created by fashion designer Todd Oldham.
In 2007, Sedaris was featured in Dolly Parton's first mainstream country music video in 14 years, "Better Get to Livin'".[12]
In early 2010, she was a supporting character in the Canadian comedy series The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour.[13] Later in 2010, she was with Paul Dinello in the "Mummified Hand" episode of the Discovery/Science Channel show Oddities.
In 2011, she appeared in a series of commercials for Downy (Lenor UK) Unstoppables, a fabric softener product. Grey Global Group designed the commercials as "kicking the old 'mom' image with spots featuring 'laundry expert' (and accomplished lifestyle guru) Amy Sedaris".[14]
In 2013, she replaced Kristen Schaal as the sex-crazed sister Hurshe Heartshe, in the Adult Swim comedy series The Heart, She Holler.[15] That same year, Sedaris appeared in eight episodes of Amazon's Alpha House, a political comedy series written by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau.[16] Sedaris played Louise Laffer, the Mormon wife of Nevada Senator Louis Laffer, who lives with three other Republican senators in a town house on Capitol Hill.
Since 2015, she has portrayed Mimi Kanasis on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Her 2016 projects include an appearance on Horace and Pete, as a character named Mara looking for a job at Horace and Pete's.[17] She co-starred with Chris Elliott on the Sony Crackle series Thanksgiving.
Sedaris appeared as Peli Motto in The Mandalorian in 2019.
Voice
Sedaris has voiced commercials for the discount hair salon chain Supercuts,[18][19] and was WordGirl character Miss Davis for two seasons. She also voiced the Bandit Princess in Adventure Time.[20]
She narrated the PBS special Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, a six-hour documentary on comedians and comedy in American history.[21]
Since 2014, she has provided the voice for Princess Carolyn on the Netflix original show BoJack Horseman, a role which some critics consider her best work.[22]
She voiced Cinderella in Shrek the Third and reprised her role in Shrek Forever After.[23]
She participated in seasons one and two of the podcast Homecoming as Audrey Temple.[24]
Around 2017, she has done voice work for the Cartoon Network show Steven Universe, and voice acted as Blue and Yellow zircon on the episode "The Trail".
Her most recent voice work is for Guinea Fowl in The Lion King (2019).[25]
Film
Sedaris has had small roles in a number of films, including Elf, School of Rock, Maid in Manhattan, Bewitched, Snow Angels, Full Grown Men, Old Dogs, Shrek the Third, and Chicken Little.[11]
Her first lead film role was the 2006 film adaptation of Strangers with Candy. She also had a large role in the comedy The Best and the Brightest.[26]
In 2008, Sedaris starred as principal Abby Hofman in Nickelodeon TV's Gym Teacher: The Movie, directed by her Strangers with Candy co-star Paul Dinello.[11]
Writing
Sedaris co-authored the text-and-picture novel Wigfield with Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, published in 2003.
She has contributed articles to The Believer magazine since 2005.
Her guide to entertaining, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 12 weeks after its initial publication in 2006.
Her book, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People! (2010), included a cover that can be easily made into a hat, as David Letterman demonstrated during her appearance on his Late Show in October 2010.
Theater/Playwrighting
Amy has co-written several plays with her brother David, credited only as "The Talent Family": Stump the Host (1993), Stitches (1994), One Woman Shoe (1995), Incident at Cobblers Knob (1997) and The Little Frieda Mysteries. She also co-authored the play The Book of Liz with him, which has been produced at regional theaters as No Name Players.[27]
She played a role as the stage manager in Paul Rudnick's play The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.
Miscellaneous
In support of PETA's anti-fur campaign, Sedaris appeared as her Strangers with Candy character in an ad that reads, "When you wear fur, people laugh at you, not with you."[28]
She was the emcee for Microsoft's 2010 annual employee meeting in Seattle, Washington on September 28, 2010.[29]
Personal life
Sedaris ran a cupcake and cheeseball business, Dusty Food Cupcakes, out of her home kitchen, but has since ceased doing so. 'Dusty' was the name of her pet rabbit.[30][31]
Sedaris was in an eight-year relationship with actor/writer Paul Dinello. After their breakup, they remain close friends, and Sedaris is godmother to his two children.[32][33][34] Sedaris has stated in several interviews that she has never desired to marry or have children.[35]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Big Deals | Topaz Radulavitch | Television film |
| 1997 | Bad Bosses Go to Hell | Trendy Boss | |
| Commandments | Scholar | ||
| 1998 | Wheels of Fury | Pepper Mills | |
| Strangers with Candy: Retardation, a Celebration | Jerri Blank | Short film | |
| Six Days, Seven Nights | Robin's Secretary | ||
| 2001 | Jump Tomorrow | Student in Class | |
| 2002 | Maid in Manhattan | Rachel Hoffberg | |
| 2003 | Untitled New York Pilot | Connie | Television film |
| School of Rock | Mrs. Haynish | ||
| Elf | Deb | ||
| 2004 | Neurotica | Renee | |
| My Baby's Daddy | Annabelle | ||
| 2005 | Strangers with Candy | Jerri Blank | |
| Bewitched | Gladys Kravitz | ||
| Romance & Cigarettes | Frances | ||
| Stay | Toni | ||
| Chicken Little | Foxy Loxy (voice) | ||
| 2006 | Full Grown Men | Trina | |
| I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Ms. Clark | ||
| 2007 | Snow Angels | Barb Petite | |
| Dedication | Cassidy's Mom | ||
| Shrek the Third | Cinderella (voice) | ||
| Puberty: The Movie | Paulie the Penis (voice) | ||
| 2008 | Gym Teacher: The Movie | Principal Hoffman | Television film |
| 2009 | Space Buddies | Gravity (voice) | |
| Dance Flick | Ms. Cameltoé | ||
| Jennifer's Body | Toni Lesnicki | ||
| Tanner Hall | Mrs. Middlewood | ||
| Old Dogs | Condo Woman | ||
| 2010 | Beware the Gonzo | Diane Gilman | |
| The Best and the Brightest | Sue Lemon | ||
| 2011 | Puss in Boots | Jill (voice) | |
| 2014 | Ping Pong Summer | Aunt Peggy | |
| Chef | Jen | ||
| Hits | Crystal | ||
| 2016 | Ghost Team | Victoria | |
| 2017 | Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie | Lieutenant Tucker | |
| 2019 | The Lion King | Guinea Fowl (voice) |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1996 | Exit 57 | Various Characters | 12 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Strangers with Candy | Geraldine Antonia "Jerri" Blank | 30 episodes |
| 2001 | Fling | The Receptionist | 2 episodes |
| Just Shoot Me! | Betsy Frayne | 2 episodes | |
| 2002, 2003 | Sex and the City | Courtney Masterson | 4 episodes |
| 2002, 2003 | Monk | Gail Fleming | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Ed | Kate McCormick | 2 episodes |
| The Wrong Coast | Various Characters (voice) | ||
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Charlie Donato | Episode: "Head" | |
| 2005 | Wonder Showzen | Miss Amy | Episode: "History" |
| 2006 | The Colbert Report | Abraxxia (voice) | |
| 2006 | Sesame Street | Snow White | Episode: "Snow White's Meltdown" |
| 2006 | My Name Is Earl | Judy | Episode: "Larceny of a Kitty Kat" |
| 2007 | Andy Barker, P.I. | Rita Spaulding | Episode: "The Lady Varnishes" |
| 2007 | Rescue Me | Beth | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Yo Gabba Gabba! | Tooth Fairy | Episode: "Teeth" |
| 2009–2012 | American Dad! | Woman's Voice/Dr. Lizzy/Dr. Meg Penner (voices) | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | The Closer | Claire Howard | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Frances "Frankenstein" | Episode: "Old Christine Meets Young Frankenstein" |
| 2010 | The Middle | Abby Michaels | Episode: "The Fun House" |
| 2011 | Royal Pains | Nan | Episode: "Mulligian" |
| 2011 | The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour | Katherine Money ("K-Money") (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Ma Angler (voice) | Episode: "Trenchbillies" |
| 2011 | Raising Hope | Delilah | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Bob's Burgers | Samantha (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Hot In Cleveland | Heather Shaw | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | Stacie Hall | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | 30 Rock | Visor Lady | 1 episode |
| 2013–2014 | The Heart, She Holler | Hershe | Series regular; 22 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Alpha House | Louise Laffer | Series regular; 14 episodes |
| 2014 | Lil Bub's Special Special | Herself | |
| 2014-2019 | Broad City | Pam | 2 episodes |
| 2014–2020 | BoJack Horseman | Princess Carolyn (voice) | 61 episodes |
| 2014 | Mr. Pickles | Sally | Episode: "Dead Man's Curve" |
| 2015–2019 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Mimi Kanasis | Recurring role |
| 2015 | Kevin from Work | Julia | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Difficult People | Rita | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Regular Show | Mrs. Kessler, Rita (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Horace and Pete | Mara | Web series; 1 episode |
| 2016 | Adventure Time | Bandit Princess (voice) | Episodes: "I Am a Sword", "Come Along With Me" |
| 2016 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (Guest Judge) | 1 episode |
| 2016–2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Lydia/Mina Loveberry (voices) | 13 episodes |
| 2017 | Match Game | Herself/Panelist | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Steven Universe | Zircons (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2017–present | At Home with Amy Sedaris | Various Characters | 20 episodes |
| 2017 | No Activity | Janice Delongpre | |
| 2019 | Twelve Forever | Sadmantha (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Pinky Malinky | Helga Hilltop (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2019 | The Mandalorian | Peli Motto | Episode: "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger" |
| 2020 | Bubble Guppies | TBA (voice) | 1 episode |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Chicken Little | Foxy Loxy |
Podcast
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2017 | Homecoming | Audrey Temple |
Bibliography
- Sedaris, Colbert, Dinello. Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not (Hyperion, May 19, 2004) ISBN 0-7868-8696-X
- I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence (Warner Books, October 16, 2006) ISBN 0-446-57884-3
- Sedaris & Dinello. Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People (Grand Central Publishing, November 2, 2010) ISBN 0-446-55704-8
References
- ^ "Amy Sedaris – I Like You" on YouTube, retrieved 2012-02-28. She pronounces her name at the very beginning.
- ^ "'At Home with Amy Sedaris' Premieres on TruTv in October". Splitsider. July 27, 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ Heard, Alex. "This American Lie: A midget guitar teacher, a Macy's elf, and the truth about David Sedaris". The New Republic. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, PBS, November 18, 2014
- ^ "Me Talk Pretty One Day". Amazon.com. Amazon.com.
- ^ "Amy Sedaris Interview". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
- ^ Amy Sedaris – The Best and the Brightest *Interview (June 21/11) on YouTube
- ^ a b Exit 57 at IMDb
- ^ Strangers with Candy at IMDb
- ^ "Strangers with Candy". 7 April 1999 – via IMDb.
- ^ a b c d e Amy Sedaris at IMDb
- ^ BuzzSugar (2007-11-28). "Music Video: Dolly Parton, "Better Get to Livin'" (With Amy Sedaris!)". Buzzsugar.com. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
- ^ "The Boys are back and on drugs" Archived 2010-09-15 at the Wayback Machine, The Globe and Mail, July 12, 2010.
- ^ Bazilian, Emma (18 August 2011). "Amy Sedaris and Her Unstopables Will Get Your Clothes Kooky Clean". AdWeek.
- ^ "Amy Sedaris Talks 'The Heart, She Holler,' Jerry Blank, and Balls". Esquire. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
- ^ Goodman, Tim (14 November 2013). "Alpha House: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "LouisCK.net - Horace and Pete: Episode 10".
- ^ Zachary Paul Sire (2008-01-09). "Sire Says 2.0: As If Today Couldn't Get Any More Weird". Siresays.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
- ^ SuperCuts Commercial on YouTube
- ^ Sava, Oliver. "Amy Sedaris gets a hold of the Finn Sword in a hilarious Adventure Time". TV Club. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ "About: Make 'Em Laugh". PBS. PBS. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
- ^ "BoJack Horseman burns down a kitchen and its oldest relationship". A.V. Club.
- ^ "Don't mess with the "Shrek" princesses - AfterEllen". AfterEllen. 2007-05-10. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ http://feeds.gimletmedia.com/homecomingshow
- ^ 'Lion King' Adds Amy Sedaris in Original Voice Role (EXCLUSIVE)
- ^ "The Best and the Brightest: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ Hoover, Ted. "The Book of Liz | Theater Reviews + Features | Pittsburgh City Paper". Pittsburghcitypaper.ws. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- ^ "Amy Sedaris," Los Angeles Times, accessed 6 March 2012.
- ^ Fried, Ina (28 September 2010). "A View From Inside Microsoft's Company Meeting". CNET.
- ^ "Amy Sedaris Sells Movie Candy", TV Guide, Retrieved 2011-06-26.
- ^ "And How Was Your Summer, Amy Sedaris?" Archived 2014-02-20 at the Wayback Machine, The Awl, Retrieved 2014-01-28.
- ^ "Biography". Paul Dinello dot net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
- ^ "Blank Generation – Screens". The Austin Chronicle. 2006-07-21. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
- ^ David Letterman – Amy Sedaris: Funny Godmother on YouTube
- ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2016-05-28. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
External links
- Amy Sedaris at IMDb
- NPR's Weekend Edition interview with Amy Sedaris
- November 2010 interview with Amy Sedaris about Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1961 births
- Living people
- Actresses from New York (state)
- Actresses from North Carolina
- American film actresses
- American stage actresses
- American television actresses
- American television writers
- American voice actresses
- Writers from Binghamton, New York
- People from Greenwich Village
- Actors from Raleigh, North Carolina
- American women comedians
- Greek Orthodox Christians from the United States
- Women television writers
- Novelists from New York (state)
- Writers from Raleigh, North Carolina
- American writers of Greek descent
- 21st-century American novelists
- 21st-century American women writers
- American women novelists
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses of Greek descent
- Jesse O. Sanderson High School alumni
- Comedians from North Carolina
- Comedians from New York (state)
- Novelists from North Carolina
- Actors from Binghamton, New York
- Screenwriters from New York (state)
- 21st-century American comedians