Janet Varney (born February 16, 1976) is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for voicing

Korra Avatar Korra is the Title character, title lead character in Nickelodeon's List of animated television series, animated television series ''The Legend of Korra'' (a sequel to ''Avatar: The Last Airbender''), in which she is depicted as the curre ...

in the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

animated television series ''

The Legend of Korra ''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelode ...

'', co-starring as Sheriff Evie Barret in the television series '' Stan Against Evil'', her role as Becca Barbara in ''

You're the Worst ''You're the Worst'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Stephen Falk. Originally broadcast by FX, the series moved to its sister channel FXX beginning with the second season. The series follows Jimmy ( Chris Geere), a sel ...

'', hosting the ''JV Club'' podcast and co-hosting the ''Avatar: Braving the Elements'' podcast.

Early life

Varney was born and raised in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. She graduated as

salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is tradi ...

from

Rincon High School Rincon High School is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona. The school serves about 1,100 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). Since 1985, the campus has been shared with University High School, a separate ...

in 1993 and is an alumna of

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...

, where she majored in theater, graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1997. She later pursued a career in interior design before eventually finding her way back into acting. Varney was raised

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, but left the church at 17 and began to identify as an

agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...

. Varney is of English and Scottish descent.

Career

Television projects

Varney was co-host of ''The Hollywood Show'' with

Brian Unger Brian Douglas Unger (born 1965) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and commentator. Biography Born in Dayton, Ohio to Richard ("Rich") Unger and Eleanor ("Ellie") Oprea, Unger grew up in Granville, Ohio. He graduated from Granvill ...

, a recurring player on

Norm Macdonald Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...

's sketch show ''Back to Norm'', and an ensemble player on

Crossballs ''Crossballs: The Debate Show'' is a Comedy Central television show which poked fun at cable news networks' political debate shows, especially CNN's ''Crossfire'' and MSNBC's ''Hardball with Chris Matthews''. In each episode, comedians posing as ...

, all for

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 programming ...

. She also starred in the short-lived

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

comedy ''Happy Hour''. In 2007, Varney appeared in the short films ''Random Acts of Kindness'', ''Die Hardly Working'', ''Eternal Waters'', ''Worldly Possession'', ''The Losers'', ''Keep Off Grass'', and ''Dress for Success'' which were made during the reality show ''

On the Lot ''On the Lot'' is a single season reality show and online competition for filmmaking, produced by Steven Spielberg, Mark Burnett and David Goffin. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, wit ...

''. She has appeared as recurring character Eve in the web series ''Back on Topps'' with

Randy and Jason Sklar Farrell Randal "Randy" Sklar and Jason Nathan Sklar (born January 12, 1972), professionally known as the Sklar Brothers, are American identical twin brother comedians and actors best known for hosting the show '' Cheap Seats'', which aired for ...

. Starting in 2008, she began starring in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

television series ''Entourage'', playing television producer Amy Miller who works alongside

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

and Charlie. Varney was also cast in a movie called ''

Best Player ''Best Player'' is a 2011 comedy television film that aired on Nickelodeon on March 13, 2011. The movie stars Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy, from the show ''iCarly''. Filming started on October 24, 2009 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canad ...

'', starring opposite

Jerry Trainor Gerald William "Jerry" Trainor (born January 21, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for playing Spencer Shay in the teen sitcom ''iCarly'', winning three Kids' Choice Awards for his performance, and reprises the role on its revival series o ...

and

Jennette McCurdy Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy (born June 26, 1992) is an American writer, director, podcaster, singer and former actress. McCurdy's breakthrough role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon sitcom '' iCarly'' (2007–2012) earned her various awards ...

. Varney played opposite

John C. McGinley John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959) is an American actor. His best known roles include Perry Cox in '' Scrubs'', Bob Slydell in ''Office Space'', Captain Hendrix in '' The Rock'', Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's ''Platoon,'' ...

on IFC's '' Stan Against Evil'' as Sheriff Evie Barret. The show was cancelled in 2019 after three seasons. Janet Varney by Gage Skidmore

In 2012, she assisted

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...

and

David Burtka David Michael Burtka (born May 29, 1975) is an American actor and professional chef. He is known for his acting roles in theatre and television shows such as '' How I Met Your Mother'' and ''The Play About the Baby''. After his role on ''How I Met ...

in creating ''

Neil's Puppet Dreams ''Neil's Puppet Dreams'' is a web series created by The Jim Henson Company under its Henson Alternative banner and released on The Nerdist Channel. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris who helped to create the series. Plot This web series feature ...

''. In 2018 she also created, produced and starred in ''Fortune Rookie'', an 8 episode web series presented by IFC. Varney also acts as host on ''ESCAPE!'', a web series broadcast on

Geek & Sundry Geek & Sundry is a commercial YouTube and Twitch channel and multimedia production company. It was launched on April 2, 2012 by actress Felicia Day with Kim Evey and Sheri Bryant as part of YouTube's 100 million dollar original channel initiativ ...

where teams of celebrities work together to get out of an

escape room An escape room, also known as an escape game, puzzle room, exit game, or riddle room is a game in which a team of players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to accomplish a specific goal in a limite ...

''Dinner and a Movie''

In 2005, Varney replaced

Lisa Kushell Lisa Arch ( Kushell; born November 23, 1971) is an American actress and comedian, known for her recurring role on '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'' as Cassie with wife of Larry's cousin, Andy, her roles in the 1997–98 season of the FOX Network comedy ...

as the host of the TBS cooking and entertainment show ''

Dinner and a Movie ''Dinner and a Movie'' is an American cooking and entertainment television program aired on TBS Superstation, TBS from 1995 in television, 1995 to 2011 in television, 2011. Each episode included a movie and the preparation of a creative dinner ...

''. She appeared with

Paul Gilmartin Paul R. Gilmartin (born January 9, 1963) is an American stand up comedian, podcast host and television personality best known as the longtime host of TBS's ''Dinner and a Movie''. Since 2011, he has been the host and executive producer of the pod ...

and Claud Mann in each episode, introducing films and injecting humor during the preparation of a creative dinner for some themes. The series was cancelled in 2011.

RiffTrax

Varney has written and performed several comedic audio commentaries for films along with fellow SF Sketchfest co-founder

Cole Stratton Cole Stratton (born September 21, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, writer and producer, best known as one of the Co-Founders of SF Sketchfest, the San Francisco Comedy Festival and the co-host of the Pop My Culture Podcast. Earl ...

. These appear on the

RiffTrax RiffTrax is an American company that produces scripted humorous commentary tracks which are synced to mostly public domain feature films, education shorts, and television episodes. With the talents of former ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''M ...

website under the ''RiffTrax Presents'' branding, as they are officially sanctioned by RiffTrax founder and ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...

'' alumnus

Michael J. Nelson Michael John Nelson (born October 11, 1964) is an American comedian and writer, most known for his work on the television series '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K''). Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's origi ...

. She has performed in Rifftrax commentaries for the following films: *''

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

'' *''

Poltergeist In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descr ...

'' *''

Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'' *''

Dirty Dancing ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman ...

'' *''

Jaws 3-D ''Jaws 3-D'' (titled ''Jaws III'' in its 2-D form) is a 1983 American thriller film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr. It is the second sequel to Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws'' and th ...

'' *''

Flatliners ''Flatliners'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Michael Douglas and Rick Bieber, and written by Peter Filardi. It stars Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, and Ke ...

'' *''

The Lost Boys ''The Lost Boys'' is a 1987 American supernatural black comedy horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Harvey Bernhard with a screenplay written by Jeffrey Boam, Janice Fischer and James Jeremias, from a story by Fischer and Jerem ...

'' *'' Dreamscape'' *''

Batman vs Superman ''Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Distributed by Warner Bros., it is a follow-up to the 2013 film ''Man of Steel (film), Man of Steel'' and the secon ...

Janet Varney in 2021 in San Diego (sq cropped)

Other professional projects

Varney is the co-founder, creative director and producer of

SF Sketchfest SF Sketchfest, or The San Francisco Comedy Festival, is an American comedy festival founded in 2002 by Bay Area actor-comedians David Owen, Janet Varney and Cole Stratton. It takes place every January and February in a variety of Bay Area venues a ...

, the San Francisco Comedy Festival, and is also the co-founder of the San Francisco sketch group Totally False People. She is a core member of the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

based improv group ''Theme Park Improv''. She performed with the

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

-based group Sequel 4000. In March 2012, she launched a podcast entitled ''The JV Club'', hosted on Nerdist.com from 2012 to 2018. In November 2018, it was announced that ''The JV Club'' would be moving to the

Maximum Fun Maximum Fun is an independent podcast and radio show production organization founded and run by Jesse Thorn. The organization originated with Thorn's college radio show ''The Sound of Young America'' which continued in an adapted format and with ...

network. Varney has participated on a regular basis on the improv comedy podcast ''

Spontaneanation ''Spontaneanation with Paul F. Tompkins'' (stylized as ''SPONTANEANATION with Paul F. Tompkins'') was an improv comedy podcast hosted by Paul F. Tompkins on the Earwolf network. Based upon an interview with a special guest, Tompkins and several ...

'' with Paul F. Tompkins, where she is referred to as "Little Janet" Varney. She is also one of the core cast members of the improvised SciFi podcast ''Voyage to the Stars'', and the podcast ''

Thrilling Adventure Hour ''The Thrilling Adventure Hour'' was a staged production and podcast in the style of old time radio that was held monthly at Largo, a Los Angeles nightclub located in the former Coronet Theatre. The show ran from March 2005 to April 2015. Each ...

''. She also appeared on '' Hello from the Magic Tavern'' as Braidwynn the Warrior Elf and Crone Bakeress.

Personal life

Varney was married to comedian

Chris Hardwick Christopher Ryan Hardwick (born November 23, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, television and podcast host, writer, and producer. He hosts ''Talking Dead'', an hourlong aftershow on AMC affiliated with the network's zombie drama series '' The ...

from 2004 to 2011. In 2018, she married fellow writer, Brandon Reynolds. In 2018, Varney came out as bisexual. In young adulthood, Varney was diagnosed with

depersonalization disorder Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DPDR, DPD) is a mental disorder in which the person has persistent or recurrent feelings of depersonalization or derealization. Depersonalization is described as feeling disconnected or detached from one ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official Website
*
''Dinner and a Movie'' website on tbs.com''Rifftrax Presents'' website at Rifftrax.comPodcast Interview
on The Gentlemen's Club with Caleb Bacon {{DEFAULTSORT:Varney, Janet 1976 births Living people 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American comedians Actresses from Tucson, Arizona American agnostics American film actresses American former Christians American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent American podcasters American television actresses American television hosts American voice actresses American women comedians American women podcasters Bisexual actresses Former Latter Day Saints Bisexual comedians LGBT people from Arizona San Francisco State University alumni American women television presenters American bisexual actors