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Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards
Born (1964-03-07) March 7, 1964 (age 60)
Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Years active1987–present
Spouse
Dave Hall
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 1998)​

Alex Niedbalski
​
(m. 2008)​
Children2
WebsiteOfficial website

Wanda Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, actress and voice artist. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on The Chris Rock Show, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named Sykes as one of the 25 funniest people in America.[1] She is also known for her role as Barb Baran on CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine and for appearances on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In November 2009, Sykes debuted in her own late-night talk show, The Wanda Sykes Show, which aired Saturday evenings on Fox. The series was cancelled after one season in April 2010.[2][3] Sykes has also had a successful career in film, appearing in Monster-in-Law, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Evan Almighty and License to Wed, as well as voiced characters in Over the Hedge, Barnyard, Brother Bear 2, Rio and Ice Age: Continental Drift.

Early life

Sykes was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in the Washington, D.C., area. Her mother, Marion Louise (née Peoples), worked as a banker, and her father, Harry Ellsworth Sykes, was a US Army colonel employed at the Pentagon.[4] Sykes attended Arundel High School[5] in Gambrills, Maryland, and went on to graduate from Hampton University[5] where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. After college, her first job was as a contracting specialist at the National Security Agency (NSA),[5][6] where she worked for five years.[7]

Sykes' family history was researched for an episode of the 2012 PBS genealogy program Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. Her ancestry was traced back to a 1683 court case involving her paternal ninth great-grandmother Elizabeth Banks, a free white woman and indentured servant, who gave birth to a biracial child, Mary Banks, fathered by a slave, who inherited her mother's free status. According to historian Ira Berlin, a specialist in the history of American slavery, the Sykes family history is "the only such case that I know of in which it is possible to trace a black family rooted in freedom from the late 17th century to the present."[8]

Career

Not completely satisfied with her role with the NSA, Sykes began her stand-up career at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, DC, where she performed for the first time in front of a live audience in 1987.[7][9]

She continued to hone her talents at local venues while at the NSA until 1992, when she moved to New York City.[7] Working for the Hal Leonard publishing house, she edited a book entitled "Polyrhythms – The Musician's Guide", by Peter Magadini.[10] Her first big break came when opening for Chris Rock at Caroline's Comedy Club.[7]

In 1997, she joined the writing team on The Chris Rock Show[11] and also made many appearances on the show.[9] The writing team was nominated for four Emmys, and in 1999, won for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special.

Sykes on the cover of Ms. magazine in 2004

Since that time, she has appeared in such films as Pootie Tang[12] and on TV shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm.[13] In 2003, she starred in her own short-lived Fox network sitcom, Wanda at Large.[14] The same year, Sykes appeared in an hour-long Comedy Central special, Tongue Untied. That network also ranked her No. 70 on its list of the 100 greatest all-time stand ups. She served as a correspondent for HBO's Inside the NFL,[15] hosted Comedy Central's popular show Premium Blend, and voiced a recurring character named Gladys on Comedy Central's puppet show Crank Yankers.[16] She also had a short-lived show on Comedy Central called Wanda Does It.[17]

In addition to her film and television work, she is also an author. She wrote Yeah, I Said It, a book of humorous observations on various topics, published in September 2004.[18]

In 2006, she landed a recurring role on the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine;[19] she became a series regular in the second season. She also guest starred in the Will & Grace episode "Buy, Buy Baby" in 2006.[20] She provided voices for the 2006 films Over the Hedge,[21] Barnyard, and Brother Bear 2. She had a part in My Super Ex-Girlfriend and after playing in Evan Almighty, had a bit part in License to Wed. Sykes' first HBO Comedy Special, entitled Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired, premiered on October 14, 2006; it was nominated for a 2007 Emmy Award.[22] In 2008, she performed as part of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour for LGBT rights.

In October 2008, Wanda Sykes appeared in a television ad for the Think Before You Speak Campaign, an advertising campaign by GLSEN aimed at curbing homophobic slang in youth communities. In the 30-second spot, she uses humor to scold a teenager for saying "that's so gay" when he really means "that is so bad".[23][24]

In March 2009, it was announced that Sykes would be the host of a new late-night talk show on Saturdays on Fox, The Wanda Sykes Show which was scheduled to premiere November 7, 2009.[25][26] In April 2009, she was named in Out magazine's "Annual Power 50 List", landing at number 35.

In May 2009, Sykes was the featured entertainer for the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, becoming both the first African American woman and the first openly LGBT person to get the role. Cedric the Entertainer had been the first African American to become the featured entertainer in 2005. At this event, Sykes made controversial headlines as she responded to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh's comments regarding President Barack Obama. Limbaugh, in reference to Obama's presidential agenda, had said "I hope he fails". In response, Sykes quipped: "I hope his [Limbaugh's] kidneys fail, how 'bout that? Needs a little waterboarding, that's what he needs."[27]

Her second comedy special, Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me premiered on HBO in October 2009.[26] November 2009 saw the premier of The Wanda Sykes Show, which starts with a monologue and continues with a panel discussion in a similar format to Bill Maher's shows Real Time with Bill Maher and Politically Incorrect.

She appeared as Miss Hannigan in a professional theatre production of Annie at The Media Theatre in Media, PA, a suburb 25 minutes southwest of Philadelphia. Her first appearance in a musical, she played the role from November 23 – December 12, 2010, and again from January 12–23, 2011.[26]

She voices the Witch in the Bubble Guppies episode "Bubble Puppy's Fin-tastic Fairlytale Adventure".

In May 2013, Sykes was a featured entertainer at Olivia Travel's 40th anniversary Music & Comedy Festival in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.[28]

In 2013, Sykes appeared in eight episodes of Amazon's Alpha House, a political comedy series written by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau.[29] Sykes plays Rosalyn DuPeche, a Democratic Senator from Illinois and the next door neighbor of four Republican senators living together in a house on Capitol Hill. Sykes will also appear in Season Two, which is filming over the summer of 2014.

Personal life

Sykes was married to record producer Dave Hall from 1991 to 1998.[7] In November 2008, she publicly came out as gay while at a same-sex marriage rally in Las Vegas regarding Proposition 8.[7][30] A month earlier, Sykes had married her partner Alex Niedbalski, a French woman,[31] whom she had met in 2006. The couple also became parents on April 27, 2009, when Alex gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins, daughter Olivia Lou and son Lucas Claude.[32]

Sykes only came out to her conservative mother Marion and father Harry when she was 40, who both initially had difficulty accepting her homosexuality. They declined to attend her wedding with Alex, which led to a brief period of estrangement, but have since reconciled and are now proud grandparents to the couple's children.[33]

During a September 19, 2011, appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Sykes announced that she had been diagnosed earlier in the year with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Although DCIS is a non-invasive "stage zero breast cancer", Sykes had elected to have a bilateral mastectomy in order to lower her chances of getting breast cancer.[34]

Sykes splits time living in both Los Angeles and Media, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.[35]

Activism

Sykes has publicly expressed being devastated after California voters passed state Proposition 8. She said: "with the legislation that they passed, I can’t sit by and just watch. I just can’t do it."[36][37] She has continued to be active in same-sex marriage issues hosting events and emceeing fundraisers. She has also worked with PETA on promoting dog anti-chaining legislation in her home state.[38]

She has been an outspoken supporter of Detroit's Ruth Ellis Center after the organization's staff sent Sykes a letter asking her to visit during her 2010 tour's stop in Detroit.[39][40][41]

Awards

Sykes has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmys, with one win (in 1999) for "Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special". In 2001, she won the American Comedy Award for "Outstanding Female Stand Up Comic". She won a Comedy Central Commie Award for "Funniest TV Actress in 2003".[42] In 2010 she won the GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award.[43][44] In 2015 she won the Activism in the Arts honor at the Triumph Awards.[45]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1998 Tomorrow Night
2000 Nutty Professor II: The Klumps Chantal
2001 Down to Earth Wanda
Pootie Tang Biggie Shorty
2005 Monster-in-Law Ruby
2006 The Adventures of Brer Rabbit Sister Moon Direct-to-video
Voice
Over the Hedge Stella (skunk) Voice
Nominated – Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production
Clerks II Angry Customer
My Super Ex-Girlfriend Carla Dunkirk
Barnyard Bessy the Cow Voice
Brother Bear 2 Innoko Direct-to-video
Voice
CondomNation Linda
2007 Evan Almighty Rita
License to Wed Nurse Borman uncredited
2011 Rio Chloe (Canada goose) voice
The Muppets Officer Ethel Cameo, Deleted
2012 Ice Age: Continental Drift Granny voice
2013 The Hot Flashes Florine Clarkston
2016 The Angry Birds Movie Poppy voice
Ice Age: Collision Course Granny voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997–2000 The Chris Rock Show Various Characters 7 episodes
1999 Best of the Chris Rock Show TV special
2001 The Downer Channel Various 2 episodes
The Drew Carey Show Christine Watson 3 episodes
2001–2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Wanda 9 episodes
2002–2003 Crank Yankers Gladys/Wanda/Gladys Murphy (voice) 3 episodes
2003 MTV: Reloaded The Oracle TV film
Wanda at Large Wanda Mildred Hawkins 19 episodes
Chappelle's Show Herself Episode: "The Best of Chappelle's Show: Volume 2 Mixtape"
MADtv Season 9 episode 903
2006 Will & Grace Cricket Episode: "Buy, Buy Baby"
2006–2010 The New Adventures of Old Christine Barbara "Barb" Baran 67 episodes
2007–2011 Back at the Barnyard Bessy the Cow (voice) 50 episodes
2009 Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me[26] Herself HBO comedy special
White House Correspondents' Dinner Herself (host) TV special
2009–2010 The Wanda Sykes Show Herself 21 episodes; also creator, writer, executive producer
2011 Drop Dead Diva Judge Episode: "Prom"2011
Bubble Guppies The Witch (voice) Episode: "Bubble Puppy's Fin-tastic Fairytale Adventure"
2012 Futurama Bev the vending machine (voice) Episode: "The Bots and the Bees"[46]
2013 The Simpsons School Therapist/Counselor (voice) Episode: "What Animated Women Want"[47]
Real Husbands of Hollywood Wanda Sykes 2 episodes
2013–2014 Alpha House Senator Rosalyn DuPeche Recurring role
2015 Repeat After Me Herself 1 episode
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Shirley B. Awesome (voice) 2 episodes
2015–2016 Blackish Daphne Lido Recurring role
2016 Bob's Burgers Sofa Queen (voice) Episode: "Sacred Couch"
Animals. Chance (voice) 2 episodes

Writer

Year Title Role Notes
1997–98 The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show Writer 11 episodes
1997-00 The Chris Rock Show Writer Wrote 33 episodes
Co-produced 14 episodes
1998 Comedy Central Presents Herself and writer (as Wanda Sykes-Hall) Episode: "Wanda Sykes-Hall"
2001 Best of the Chris Rock Show: Volume 2 Writer TV special
The Downer Channel Writer Wrote the first 2 episodes
2002 The 74th Annual Academy Awards Special material written by Award show
2002–03 Premium Blend Writer 4 episodes/Stand-up
2003 Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied Writer Documentary
Wanda at Large Creator, writer and producer 19 episodes
2004 Wanda Does It Creator, writer and executive producer 6 episodes
2006 Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired Writer Stand-up
2009 Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me[26] Writer Stand-up

Discography

Year Title Label
2007 Sick & Tired[48] Image Entertainment

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nomination work Result
1998 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program The Chris Rock Show Nominated
1999 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program The Chris Rock Show Won
2000 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program The Chris Rock Show Nominated
2001 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program The Chris Rock Show Nominated
2001 American Comedy Awards Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic Herself Won
2003 Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian Herself Nominated
2003 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actress – Comedy Wanda at Large Nominated
2003 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Breakout Star – Female Wanda at Large Nominated
2004 Satellite Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical Wanda at Large Nominated
2004 BET Comedy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Wanda at Large Nominated
2005 BET Comedy Awards Outstanding Vaudevillian in a Theatrical Film Monster-in-Law Won
2005 Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Curb Your Enthusiasm Nominated
2005 People's Choice Awards Favorite Funny Female Star Herself Nominated
2006 Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Curb Your Enthusiasm Nominated
2006 Black Reel Awards Best Supporting Actress Monster-in-Law Nominated
2007 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired Nominated
2007 Annie Awards Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Over the Hedge Nominated
2008 People's Choice Awards Favorite Funny Female Star Herself Nominated
2009 Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series The New Adventures of Old Christine Nominated
2010 GLAAD Media Awards GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award Herself Won
2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me Nominated
2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me Nominated

References

  1. ^ "The Best of the Rest". Entertainment Weekly. March 19, 2004. Retrieved December 25, 2008.
  2. ^ "Wanda Sykes Official site". Wanda Sykes Returns To Fox. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  3. ^ "The Wanda Sykes Show". The Wanda Sykes Show on Fox. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  4. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (March 19, 2012). "Wanda Sykes Finds Ancestors Thanks to Henry Louis Gates Jr". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b c Katz, Lee Michael. "Funny Girl". Washingtonian.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  6. ^ "Wanda Sykes Biography". Yahoo! Movies. AEC One Group Stop, Inc. 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Karpel, Ari (March 2009). "Black and Gay Like Me". The Advocate. No. 1024.
  8. ^ Felicia R. Lee (March 19, 2012). "Family Tree's Startling Roots". The New York Times.
  9. ^ a b "Wanda Sykes". The Notable Names Database. 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  10. ^ Magadini, Pete. "Formats and Editions of Polyrhythms : the musician's guide". Worldcat.org. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  11. ^ "What's Up?" San Antonio Express-News. January 4, 1999.
  12. ^ "Also Opening". The Washington Post. June 29, 2001. p. T38.
  13. ^ Shales, Tom. "'Curb Your Enthusiasm': We Can't! We Can't! The Washington Post. September 14, 2002. p. C1.
  14. ^ Gillies, Judith S. "From Stand-Up to Sitcom". The Washington Post. March 23, 2003. p. Y7.
  15. ^ Baker, Jim. "TV Plus: Play by Play HBO's NFL series got game". Boston Herald. September 16, 2001.
  16. ^ Morrow, Terry. "Don't look for sweet on Sykes' new Fox sitcom". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. November 22, 2002.
  17. ^ "Television". The Orlando Sentinel. August 22, 2004.
  18. ^ Gonzalez, Erika. "Deadpan and Dead-on Funny: Wanda Sykes Turns the Art of Wisecracks into Comedic Gold". Rocky Mountain News. July 16, 2004.
  19. ^ Miller, Bruce R. "Christine' provides new thrills". Sioux City Journal. March 10, 2006.
  20. ^ Wilson-Combs, Lana K. "Sykes puts sweet smell of success into Stella the skunk". The Oakland Tribune. Friday, May 19, 2006.
  21. ^ Chaney, Jen. "Just Wild About Wanda Sykes". The Washington Post. May 19, 2006. T49.
  22. ^ Complete List of 2007 Emmy Nominations, July 19, 2007, retrieved November 27, 2009 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  23. ^ Juergens, Brian (October 8, 2008). "Hilary Duff and Wanda Sykes on "That's so gay": Knock it off!". After Elton. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  24. ^ "Think before you speak. Don't say "That's So Gay."". Thinkb4youspeak.com. December 21, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  25. ^ "Wanda Returns to Fox!" (Press release). Fox. April 1, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  26. ^ a b c d e Ostrow, Joanne (November 7, 2009). "Wanda Sykes brings her sass to late night". Denver Post. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  27. ^ Bolcer, Julie. "Wanda Sykes Rips Into Rush Limbaugh" The Advocate. May 11, 2009. (Retrieved May 11, 2009)
    Farah, Joseph, "Long Live Rush – And Free Speech", Creators Syndicate, 2009.
  28. ^ "Olivia Launches Milestone 40th Anniversary with Unparalleled Entertainment and Itineraries on Four 2013 Vacations: San Francisco-based lesbian travel company adds second Southern Caribbean cruise and second Punta Cana resort vacation due to high demand" (PDF) (Press release). Olivia. 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  29. ^ Goodman, Tim (November 14, 2013). "Alpha House: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  30. ^ McKinley, Jessie (November 15, 2008), "Across U.S., Big Rallies for Same-Sex Marriage", New York Times, retrieved November 27, 2009
  31. ^ Ted Shaw (April 15, 2015). "Sykes doesn't bring the kids to work; just the stories". Windsor Star. Retrieved July 16, 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ Julie Jordan (May 13, 2009). "Wanda Sykes Becomes Mom of Twins!". People. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  33. ^ "Wanda Sykes fell out with parents after 'coming out'". Express. October 28, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  34. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. "Wanda Sykes: I Had a Double Mastectomy". People. September 23, 2011
  35. ^ "Molly Eichel, "Wanda Sykes loves the small-town life of Media", Philadelphia Daily News, May 1, 2013." [1]
  36. ^ Lisotta, Christopher; Scholibo, Corey (November 15, 2008). "Wanda Sykes Comes Out Amid Passing of Prop. 8". The Advocate. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
  37. ^ Sarah Warn (November 15, 2008). "Wanda Sykes Comes Out as Gay and Married". Retrieved November 22, 2008.
  38. ^ Tracy Agnew,"Celebrity Wants Anti-Chaining Law," Suffolk News Herald, 15 February 2013.
  39. ^ "Wanda Sykes visits Ruth Ellis Center". Between the Lines. July 8, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  40. ^ Mercer, Monica (September 2012). "Q&A: Wanda Sykes, Ruth Ellis Center Fundraiser Host". Hour Detroit.
  41. ^ Broverman, Neal (October 4, 2012). "Detroit's Invaluable LGBT Youth Center Has a Friend in Wanda". The Advocate. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  42. ^ "Wanda Sykes Biography". Comedy Central. May 11, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  43. ^ Wanda Sykes accepts her GLAAD award After Ellen, April 20, 2010.
  44. ^ ""TV Week GLAAD to honor Wanda Sykes", February 2010". Tvweek.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  45. ^ "John Legend, Tyrese Gibson, Wanda Sykes Honored at 2015 Triumph Awards". Good Black News. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  46. ^ "Countdown to Futurama: Bev Character Design". Comedy Centrl [sic]. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  47. ^ "School Counselor". FOX [sic]. May 1, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  48. ^ "Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired". Publisher website. Image Entertainment. January 16, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2010.

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