Ilana Glazer (born April 12, 1987)
is an American comedian, director, producer, writer, and actress. She co-created and co-starred, with
Abbi Jacobson
Abbi Jacobson is an American comedian, writer, actress, illustrator and producer. She co-created and co-starred in the Comedy Central series ''Broad City'' (2014–2019) with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the same name. Her ...
, in the
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
series ''
Broad City
''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...
'', which is based on the
web series of the same name.
She was twice nominated for the
for the series. Glazer also starred in the 2017 film ''
Rough Night
''Rough Night'' (released in some countries as ''Girls' Night Out'') is a 2017 American black comedy film directed by Lucia Aniello (in her feature debut) and written by Aniello and Paul W. Downs. It stars Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Ji ...
'' and released her debut stand-up comedy special, ''The Planet Is Burning'', in January 2020. In 2022, she won the
Tony Award for Best Musical for serving as a producer for the Broadway show ''
A Strange Loop
''A Strange Loop'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson, and winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. First produced off-Broadway in 2019, then staged in Washington, D.C. in 2021, ''A Strange Loop'' premiered on Bro ...
''.
Early life
Glazer, born in
New York City, New York,
is the daughter of Sandi and Larry Glazer, who both work in insurance and finance.
She grew up in a
Reform Jewish family in
St. James, New York, on
Long Island and is of
Ashkenazi Jewish
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
descent.
Her brother, Eliot Glazer, is a producer, writer and actor with whom she has worked on shows like ''
The Boys Presents: Diabolical'' and ''Broad City'' where he plays her brother.
Glazer graduated from
New York University in 2009,
majoring in psychology.
Career
Early work
Glazer began taking classes at the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2006, and performed around New York City doing
improv and stand-up for the next several years.
''Broad City''
Development
In 2009, along with co-creator
Abbi Jacobson
Abbi Jacobson is an American comedian, writer, actress, illustrator and producer. She co-created and co-starred in the Comedy Central series ''Broad City'' (2014–2019) with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the same name. Her ...
, Glazer began shooting ''
Broad City
''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...
'', a web series starring the two as fictionalized versions of themselves. The series was nominated for an
ECNY Award for 'Best Web Series'
and was positively received, garnering attention from major media outlets such as ''
Entertainment Weekly'', ''
USA Today'', and ''
The Wall Street Journal''. The series caught the attention of
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy tro ...
, who subsequently met with Glazer and Jacobson to help them shop a pilot script based on the series.
Poehler also agreed to star in the web series finale.
In 2011,
cable network FX, working with Poehler as the producer, purchased a script commitment for the series from Glazer and Jacobson. However, the network did not approve the script and decided not to proceed with development. Glazer and Jacobson then approached
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
, who agreed to purchase the script from FX and order a pilot.
From 2012 to 2014, Glazer co-created the web series ''Chronic Gamer Girl'' with Alex Charak.
Reception and renewal
''
Broad City
''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...
'' made its broadcast television premiere in January 2014 and was received with positive reviews and strong ratings, becoming Comedy Central's highest-rated first season since 2012 among the younger demographics, including adults 18–34, with an average of 1.2 million viewers.
The show has received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. Review aggregation website
Metacritic noted season 1 received "generally favorable reviews", giving it a score of 75 out of 100, based on reviews from 14 critics.
In February 2014, Comedy Central renewed the show for a second season. Season 2 received positive reviews, with Metacritic giving it a score of 89 out of 100, based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
In January 2015, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on February 17, 2016. In January 2016, the series was renewed for a fourth and a final fifth season, which premiered on January 24, 2019.
Film
Glazer starred in the 2013 independent feature film ''How to Follow Strangers''. The film won top prize at the Lower East Side Film Festival. She appears in the 2015 film ''
The Night Before''. Glazer starred alongside
Scarlett Johansson and
Kate McKinnon in the 2017 comedy ''
Rough Night
''Rough Night'' (released in some countries as ''Girls' Night Out'') is a 2017 American black comedy film directed by Lucia Aniello (in her feature debut) and written by Aniello and Paul W. Downs. It stars Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Ji ...
''. Glazer stars in the horror film ''
False Positive'', released on Hulu on June 25, 2021.
Other
Glazer's debut stand-up special ''The Planet Is Burning'' premiered on Amazon Prime in January 2020. It was directed by Ryan Cunningham and Glazer served as an executive producer.
In 2022, Glazer was in the main cast of the
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced d ...
mystery comedy series ''
The Afterparty''.
Activism
Glazer founded the campaign platform
Generator Collective
Generator Collective is a political activism group based in the United States. It was founded in 2016 by actress and screen writer Ilana Glazer and former WeWork
WeWork Inc. is a provider of coworking spaces, including physical and virt ...
in 2016 with Glennis Meagher. The platform promotes female election candidates and general participation in democracy and political discussion.
Personal life
Glazer was once roommates with comedian
Rachel Bloom
Rachel Leah Bloom (born April 3, 1987) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She is best known for co-creating and starring as Rebecca Bunch in The CW musical comedy-drama series ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' (2015– ...
after college in
Brooklyn. In February 2017, Glazer married her longtime boyfriend,
computational biologist
Computational biology refers to the use of data analysis, mathematical modeling and computational simulations to understand biological systems and relationships. An intersection of computer science, biology, and big data, the field also has fou ...
David Rooklin, in a private ceremony. Glazer is
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
and has credited her work on ''Broad City'' with helping her understand her sexuality.
On March 17, 2021, Glazer announced on social media and in a magazine photo shoot that she and Rooklin were expecting a child together. Their first child, a daughter, was born in July 2021.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
* from circa February 2010 onward
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Glazer, Ilana
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American comedians
American stand-up comedians
American women comedians
American women television writers
American television actresses
Jewish American actresses
Jewish American female comedians
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers
People from St. James, New York
New York University alumni
1987 births
Living people
21st-century American screenwriters
LGBT comedians
American LGBT actors
LGBT television directors
LGBT screenwriters
LGBT Jews
LGBT people from New York (state)
LGBT producers
American queer actresses
Queer women
American feminists
21st-century American Jews
Tony Award winners
Jewish American television producers