Dannah Phirman (born Dannah Feinglass) is an American actress, comedian, and writer best known for co-starring as Narge Hemingway in the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
series ''
Newsreaders
''Newsreaders'' is an American television comedy that aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. ''Newsreaders'' is a spin-off of '' Childrens Hospital'', presented as the fictional television news magazine program ''Ne ...
''. She is also the co-creator and co-star of the
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television seri ...
reality TV parody series ''
The Hotwives
''The Hotwives'' is an American sitcom that premiered on July 15, 2014, on the video streaming website Hulu. Developed by Paramount Digital Entertainment as a parody of ''The Real Housewives'' reality television franchise broadcast on Bravo, the ...
''. She was a member of the long-running sketch comedy troupe
Respecto Montalban
Respecto Montalban was an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe associated with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City from 1998 until September 2005.
Respecto Montalban came together in July 1998 during the Del Close Improv M ...
, one of the original improv groups at the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (shorter UCB Theatre) is an American improvisational theatre company and training center founded by the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh.
Prior t ...
.
Biography
Phirman majored in theater at
SUNY Geneseo
The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is a public liberal arts college in Geneseo, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The coll ...
and graduated in 1997. After moving to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
in 1998 she became involved with the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (shorter UCB Theatre) is an American improvisational theatre company and training center founded by the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh.
Prior to ...
where she was a part of the improv sketch group
Respecto Montalban
Respecto Montalban was an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe associated with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City from 1998 until September 2005.
Respecto Montalban came together in July 1998 during the Del Close Improv M ...
. Phirman teaches sketch comedy writing and improv, and has performed in two-person shows like ''Eye Candy'' (with
Danielle Schneider
Danielle Caroline Schneider (born January 1, 1975) is an American actress, writer, and improvisational comedian from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She co-created and starred in the Hulu reality TV parody series '' The Hotwives'' and curren ...
), which went to the 2002
U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and ''Special Delivery'' (with
Paul Scheer
Paul Christian Scheer (born January 31, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and podcaster.
Scheer is a SAG award-winning actor known for his roles in Showtime's comedy series ''Black Monday'' and FX/ FXX's ''The L ...
), a parody of a British children's show in which postal workers rummage through people's mail in search of heartwarming lessons and edibles. She and Scheer won a 2004 Nightlife Award for ''Automatic Vaudeville'', called "the best
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a com ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
" by ''
Time Out New York
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition beca ...
''. She has since collaborated with creative partner
Danielle Schneider
Danielle Caroline Schneider (born January 1, 1975) is an American actress, writer, and improvisational comedian from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She co-created and starred in the Hulu reality TV parody series '' The Hotwives'' and curren ...
on other sketch shows such as ''Let's Get Awkward'' and ''Dead Heiresses'' at 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 wor ...
UCB, as well as a five-woman improv show ''Mother F#$@er''. ''Dead Heiresses'' was also developed as a pilot 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 program ...
in 2007.
Acting
Dannah Phirman was a cast member on Fox’s MADtv from 2000-2001, where she notably portrayed
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
,
Debi Mazar
Deborah Anne Mazar Corcos (; born August 13, 1964) is an American actress and television personality, known for playing sharp-tongued women. She began her career with supporting roles in '' Goodfellas'' (1990), '' Little Man Tate'' (1991) and '' ...
,
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
and
Shirley Temple. Phirman is also a voice actress, providing the voice of
the title character as well as her alter ego, Becky Botsford, in the
PBS Kids animated series, ''
WordGirl
''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ...
'',Penny, the side-kick to
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 trou ...
's Bessie Higgenbottom in
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 ...
's ''
The Mighty B!
''The Mighty B!'' (stylized in all caps) is an American animated television series created by Amy Poehler, Cynthia True, and Erik Wiese for Nickelodeon. The series centers on Bessie Higgenbottom, an ambitious Honeybee girl scout who believes ...
'',
Zaria on the Nickelodeon original series, ''
Tak and the Power of Juju
''Tak and the Power of Juju'' is an action-adventure platforming video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game control ...
'', was a contributing voice to
Current TV
Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a smalle ...
's ''
SuperNews!'' show and has recently provided voices for the video game ''
Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univer ...
'' as well as ''
White Knight Chronicles: International Edition''.
Writing
Phirman has written episodes of ''
WordGirl
''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ...
'' and ''
The Mighty B!
''The Mighty B!'' (stylized in all caps) is an American animated television series created by Amy Poehler, Cynthia True, and Erik Wiese for Nickelodeon. The series centers on Bessie Higgenbottom, an ambitious Honeybee girl scout who believes ...
'', and the direct-to-video sequel to ''
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' is a 2008 American comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the first in the ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' series. It is directed by Raja Gosnell and was released on October 3, 2008. The films stars Piper Perabo, ...
'' with her writing partner
Danielle Schneider
Danielle Caroline Schneider (born January 1, 1975) is an American actress, writer, and improvisational comedian from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She co-created and starred in the Hulu reality TV parody series '' The Hotwives'' and curren ...
. Phirman and Schneider are currently working on scripts for the upcoming movies ''Catfight'' for
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
and ''
Boys Are Stupid, Throw Rocks at Them'' for
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
.
Phirman and Schneider created the
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television seri ...
reality TV parody series ''
The Hotwives
''The Hotwives'' is an American sitcom that premiered on July 15, 2014, on the video streaming website Hulu. Developed by Paramount Digital Entertainment as a parody of ''The Real Housewives'' reality television franchise broadcast on Bravo, the ...
'' and were writers on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
sitcoms ''
Marry Me'' and ''
Telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ( ...
''. In 2017, Phirman and Schneider worked as writers and producers on ''
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Charlie ...
'' as well as on the
TruTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows.
The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that f ...
sitcom ''
I'm Sorry''.
Personal life
Dannah (pronounced "Donna") is married to musical comedian Mike Phirman (the "Phirm" half of the comedy duo
Hard 'n Phirm). Their son Milo Phirman was born on September 4, 2009.
Filmography
*''
The Fairly OddParents
''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who grant h ...
'' - Missy
*''
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness'' - Xiao Niao
*''
The Mighty B!
''The Mighty B!'' (stylized in all caps) is an American animated television series created by Amy Poehler, Cynthia True, and Erik Wiese for Nickelodeon. The series centers on Bessie Higgenbottom, an ambitious Honeybee girl scout who believes ...
'' - Penny
*''
My Gym Partner's A Monkey
''My Gym Partner's a Monkey'' is an American animated television series created by Tim Cahill and Julie McNally Cahill for Cartoon Network. It aired from December 26, 2005, to November 27, 2008, ending with a total of four seasons and 56 episode ...
'' - Possum Girl
*''
Phineas and Ferb
''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast a ...
'' - Teenage Milly ("Act Your Age")
*''
Tak and the Power of Juju
''Tak and the Power of Juju'' is an action-adventure platforming video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game control ...
'' - Zaria
*''
Mass Effect
''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univer ...
'' - Avina
*''
WordGirl
''WordGirl'' (stylized as ''W✪RD GIRL'') is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled ...
'' -
WordGirl/Becky Botsford, Claire McCallister, Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy's Mother, Edith Von Hoosinghaus, Pretty Princess (season 1-8), Female Police Officers
*''
MADtv
''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...
'' - various characters (credited as Dannah Feinglass)
*''
White Knight Chronicles
''White Knight Chronicles'' is a fantasy role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is Level-5's first project for the system. As of August 8, 2009 it has so ...
'' - Yulie
*''
White Knight Chronicles II
''White Knight Chronicles II'' is a video game developed by Level-5 (video game company), Level-5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan and Europe and by D3 Publisher in North America for the PlayStation 3. The game is a direct sequ ...
'' - Yulie
*''
Talking Tom and Friends'' - Ben's Mom, Mother, Moon
*''
Childrens Hospital
''Childrens Hospital'' (originally titled ''Children's Hospital'' as webisodes) is an American black comedy television series and web series that parodies the medical drama genre, created by and starring actor/comedian Rob Corddry. The series b ...
'' (TV series) - Appalled Mom
*''
Pencilmation'' - Pencilmiss Brett (2012-2020)
*''The Northside Show'' - Pencilmiss Brett (primarily season 9)
*''My Life'' - Additional Voices
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phirman, Dannah
Living people
Actresses from New York (state)
American infotainers
American sketch comedians
American television actresses
American television personalities
American television writers
American voice actresses
Place of birth missing (living people)
American women comedians
American women screenwriters
American women television personalities
American women television writers
Comedians from New York (state)
Jewish American actresses
Jewish American comedians
Jewish American female comedians
Jewish American writers
People from Long Island
State University of New York at Geneseo alumni
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American screenwriters
Year of birth missing (living people)