Wendy Liebman (born February 27, 1961 in
Manhasset, New York
Manhasset is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Manhasset area. The population was 8,176 at the 2020 United States ce ...
) is an American
stand-up comedian. Her standup style involves the use of gently paced, subtle wordplay.
[Katz, Leslie (December 22, 2015)]
"Three-timer Wendy Liebman savors her S.F. kosher comedy"
''The San Francisco Examiner
The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863.
Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
''.
Early life
Liebman grew up in
Roslyn, Long Island, New York. Her earliest performances involved her, her sister, and a neighborhood friend performing the play ''
Rumpelstilskin'' in their basement.
In 1983, Liebman graduated from
Wellesley College with a bachelor's degree in psychology. After graduating from college, Liebman did a stint as a psychology researcher at
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
Massachusetts Mental Health Center.
Career
In 1984, after taking a class at the
Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Liebman began performing stand-up comedy in the
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
area.
In 1996, Liebman won the
American Comedy Award
The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films. They began in 1987, billed as the "f ...
for Female Stand-up Comedian of the Year.
Liebman has appeared on ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'' with
Johnny Carson, ''
The Larry Sanders Show'' on
HBO, ''
Dr. Katz - Professional Therapist'', ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', ''
Late Show with David Letterman'', ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' and ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, 2 ...
''.
In November 2011, her
Showtime special, ''Wendy Liebman: Taller On TV'' debuted. In May 2012, it was posted on her website as a $5 DRM-free download, then in 2014 it was released as an audio download.
Liebman is the daughter-in-law of the late
Robert B. Sherman
Robert Bernard Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) was an American songwriter, best known for his work in musical films with his brother, Richard M. Sherman. The Sherman brothers produced more motion picture song scores than any ...
.
In 2014, Liebman and her husband were driving when they were struck by a drunk driver. The accident resulted in damage to seven cars and one fatality. The incident affected Liebman's standup career, and so the following year, to “get back out there in a big way” Liebman decided to be a contestant on season nine of ''
America's Got Talent''.
[ On August 13, 2014, she was eliminated in the quarter-finals, but on August 15, 2014, judge ]Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...
picked Liebman as his wild card for the season, bringing her to the semi-finals. She was eliminated once more on the September 3 episode.
Personal life
Liebman is Jewish. Although she did not grow up with a strong Jewish identity, she developed a greater connection to her Judaism after reading ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture.''[
On April 12, 2003, Liebman married TV producer and writer Jeffrey Sherman, whose father and uncle (the Sherman Brothers) wrote film music for ]Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
in the 1960s. Sherman has two sons from a previous marriage.Studio City
Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...
into a house in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.[
]
Discography
Album
* ''Taller on TV'' (2014) (Image Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...
)
Filmography
Shorts
* '' The Remote'' (2000) directed by Frank Chindamo
* ''50 Greatest'' (2011) (spoof of VH1 countdown shows)
Stand-up Specials
Writer, Performer
* ''Girls' Night Out'' 1994
* '' Women of the Night IV'' 1995
* '' Comic Relief VII'' 1995
* ''HBO Comedy Half-Hour
''HBO Comedy Half-Hour'' is a stand-up comedy television series of specials by various comedians, usually live from The Fillmore in San Francisco, with the format of a single comedian presenting a routine for thirty minutes.
The series ran on ...
'' 1996
* '' Stand-Up Spotlight'' 2002
* '' Green Collar Comedy Show'' 2010
* ''Wendy Liebman: Taller on TV'' 2011 (also director)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liebman, Wendy
1961 births
American stand-up comedians
Living people
American television actresses
American film actresses
People from Roslyn, New York
Wellesley College alumni
American women comedians
Jewish American female comedians
America's Got Talent contestants
People from Manhasset, New York
People from Studio City, Los Angeles
People from West Hills, Los Angeles
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
Comedians from California
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American Jews