Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes used her outspoken style to create one of the most distinctive voices in comedy. A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, after college she went to work for the National Security Agency. She began appearing in comedy clubs around Washington, D.C. and eventually moved to New York to pursue stand-up full time. Her profile jumped in 1995 when she appeared on "HBO Comedy Showcase" (HBO, 1995-97). She was soon hired as a writer on "The Chris Rock Show" (HBO, 1997-2000), which led to her winning an Emmy as part of the show's staff. It also afforded her the opportunity to appear on screen as well. She began acting on a more regular basis, appearing with Eddie Murphy in "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" (2000) and with Rock in "Pootie Tang" (2001). On television, she found success as the comic foil to Larry David in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000-). She also had a recurring role on "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC, 1995-2004) and starred in the sitcom "Wanda at Large" (Fox, 2003). Her distinctive tone made her an in-demand voice actor, and she added her talents to a variety of projects including "Barnyard" (2006), "Over the Hedge" (2006), and "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012). She joined Julia Louis-Dreyfus for "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS, 2006-10). She had her first stand-up special in 2003 with "Tongue Untied" (Comedy Central, 2003). She would add more specials with "Sick & Tired" (HBO, 2006), "I'ma Be Me" (HBO, 2009), and "What Happened Ms. Sykes?" (Epix, 2016). On film, she had a supporting role alongside Steve Carell in "Evan Almighty" (2007), "The Hot Flashes" (2013), and "Bad Moms" (2016). She also had recurring roles on the political comedy "Alpha House" (Amazon, 2013-14) and the sitcom "Black-ish" (ABC, 2014-). She appeared with Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams in the comedy "The Wedding Year" (2019). Sykes brought her stand-up back to centerstage with her special "Wanda Sykes: Not Normal" (Netflix, 2019).