Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes has been called “one of the funniest stand up comics” by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest People in America. Her smart-witted stand up has sent her career in many different areas.

Sykes was previously seen on several television shows these past 2 years. On her own late night talk show on FOX, “The Wanda Sykes Show”. In October of 2009 for her second HBO stand up special “I’ma Be Me.” And in the CBS comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine” as Barb.

Her first HBO comedy special “Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired” debuted in October 2006 and was nominated for a 2007 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. It was taped before a live audience at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, “Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired”, features material from her recent national tour.Among the topics covered are: politics, gay marriage, karma, healthcare, racial profiling, the pressure of being a woman and the perks of getting older.

Sykes starred and produced the Comedy Central show “Wanda Does It” where she tried various non-showbiz jobs. Her first book titled “Yeah, I Said It,” published by Simon and Schuster, hit bookstores in September 2004. “Yeah, I Said It” is a hilarious collection of essays touching on life, family and current events.

In the fall of 2003 she was seen on Fox’s “Wanda at Large” which she wrote, produced and starred in. She also has a one hour Comedy Central special called “Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied.” In addition, she can be seen on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” or heard on ComedyCentral’s “Crank Yankers” as the voice of Gladys Murphy.

Wanda was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in Maryland. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University. Her stand-up career began at a Coors Light Super talent Showcase in Washington, DC where she performed for the first time in front of a live audience.

She spent 5 years as part of the HBO’s critically acclaimed “Chris Rock Show.” As a performer and writer on the show, she was nominated for three Primetime Emmys and in 1999 won the Emmy 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 three more Emmys, in 2002, 2004 and 2005 , for her work on “Inside the NFL” for “Outstanding Studio Show - Weekly- Inside The NFL.”

In 2003, Wanda earned a Comedy Central Commie Award for “Funniest TV Actress.” Other writing credits include: the “MTV 1999 Music Video Awards,” “The MTV Movie Awards” the “74th Annual Academy Awards,” “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” and “Wanda at Large.”