Mary Evans Birdsong (born April 18, 1968) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. She has worked in the theater and voiceover work and is a regular cast member on '' Reno 911!''

Early life

Birdsong was born in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

and grew up on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, one of five sisters. She graduated from

Southern Regional High School Southern Regional High School is a regional comprehensive public high school located in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades and operating as part of the So ...

in 1986.

Career

Film and television

Birdsong is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts where she earned a BFA in acting. She made her on-screen debut in the 1996 TV film ''Live On Tape''. She is best known as Deputy Cherisha Kimball on the comedy series '' Reno 911!'' (2005-2007, 2020–present) and it's two spin-off movies in 2007 and 2021. She is also known for playing Nancy McDonald in

Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...

's '' Halloween II'' and Kai Mitchell opposite

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the ot ...

in the

Alexander Payne Constantine Alexander Payne (; born February 10, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for the films ''Citizen Ruth'' (1996), ''Election'' (1999), '' About Schmidt'' (2002), '' Sideways'' (2004), '' The D ...

film '' The Descendants''. She appeared alongside Adrien Brody in the stoner comedy ''

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

'' (2010), playing Mrs. Gordon, a high school dean's promiscuous wife. She has also made numerous cameos on film and television, including in the major productions '' Made of Honor'' and '' Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters'', and the psychological thriller '' Buried''. She is a former correspondent on ''

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form fr ...

'' and '' Crossballs''. As a voice actress, she has appeared in animated series such as ''

Goldie and Bear ''Goldie & Bear'' is an American animated children's television series which began on September 12, 2015. The show was created for Disney Junior by Jorge Aguirre and Rick Gitelson. It was directed by Chris Gilligan and produced using CGI animation ...

'', '' Stroker and Hoop'', '' Little Bill'' (as Dorado's mom in the episode "New Foods"), '' Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law'', '' Tak & the Power of Juju'', '' T.U.F.F. Puppy'' and '' Stroker and Hoop'', as well as the video game '' Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' and '' Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight'', and animated film ''

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe ''Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe'' is a 2022 American adult animated science fiction comedy film directed by John Rice and Albert Calleros and written by Mike Judge, Lew Morton, Guy Maxtone-Graham and Ian Maxtone-Graham. It is the second ...

''.

Broadway and live theater

From July 2006 to January 2007, Birdsong performed in the '' Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me'' comedy musical, alongside

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He ...

, Marc Shaiman, Nicole Parker, Brooks Ashmanskas, and Capathia Jenkins, winning a Theatre World Award for her performance. On January 29, 2008, Birdsong joined the Broadway cast of the musical, '' Hairspray''. She played the role of Velma Von Tussle, the bigoted, pushy stage mother and television producer. Birdsong left the production on April 6, 2008. She then performed her one-woman show ''3 Days in the Tub: A Mama Drama'' in Los Angeles at Comedy Central Stage (September 2010) & the Fake Gallery (November 2010), and in New York City at Joe's Pub (January 2011). before going to San Francisco to play Mona Ramsey in ACT's adaptation of Armistead Maupin's '' Tales of the City''. She is also known for her

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

impression. Together with author

Justin Halpern Justin Samuel Halpern (born September 3, 1980) is the American author of the Twitter feed " Shit My Dad Says" and the best-selling book ''Sh*t My Dad Says''. He was also the co-writer and co-executive producer of a CBS television situation come ...

('' Shit My Dad Says'') and comic Jen Kober ('' American Reunion''), Birdsong performed as a member of the May 2012 cast of ''

Don't Tell My Mother! ''Don't Tell My Mother!'' is a monthly live-storytelling event where writers and performers from film and television share true stories they'd never want their mothers to know. The show was co-created by the show's host, Nikki Levy, and executive ...

'', an LA-based comedy showcase.

References

External links

* *
Interview with WickedInfo.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birdsong, Mary Living people Actresses from New Jersey American comedy musicians People from Florida American film actresses American impressionists (entertainers) American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Women rock singers People from Ocean County, New Jersey Southern Regional High School alumni American women comedians 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American women singers 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Theatre World Award winners 21st-century American singers 1968 births