Laraine Newman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laraine Newman
Newman in 2011
Born	(1952-03-02) March 2, 1952 (age 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress comedian writer
Years active	1975–present
Known for	Saturday Night Live
Spouse(s)	Chad Einbinder ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 2016)​
Children	2, including Hannah Einbinder

Laraine Newman is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She was a key part of the original cast of the TV show Saturday Night Live (SNL). She worked on SNL from its start in 1975 until 1980. Newman is also well-known for her voice acting in many animated movies and TV shows.

She has appeared in films like Stardust Memories, Problem Child 2, Coneheads, and The Flintstones. Her voice can be heard in popular Pixar films such as Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Up, and Inside Out. In 2021, she released her memoir, May You Live in Interesting Times, as an audiobook.

Laraine Newman is the younger sister of writer and musician Tracy Newman. She is also the mother of actress and comedian Hannah Einbinder and actor Spike Einbinder.

About Laraine Newman

Early Life and Family

Laraine Newman was born on March 2, 1952, in Los Angeles, California. Her family is Jewish. She is the youngest of four children and has a twin brother named Paul. Her sister, Tracy Newman, is a television writer who has won an Emmy Award. Newman went to Beverly Hills High School and finished in 1970.

Starting Her Career

Newman became interested in improv when she was 15 years old. After high school, she tried to get into acting schools in England but was not accepted. So, she went to Paris to study mime with the famous Marcel Marceau for a year.

When she was 19, Newman returned to Los Angeles. She became a founding member of a new comedy improv group called The Groundlings. Newman has said that comedians like Eve Arden, Madeline Kahn, and Richard Pryor greatly influenced her. She credits them with helping her understand "The Art of Play" and leading her into a life of comedy.

Her Time on Saturday Night Live

In 1974, Lorne Michaels hired Newman for a TV special starring Lily Tomlin. Michaels was impressed by Newman's work with The Groundlings. The next year, Newman became one of the first cast members of NBC's Saturday Night Live. She was on the show from 1975 to 1980.

During her five years on SNL, she became good friends with fellow cast member Gilda Radner. The show became very popular very quickly, and Newman became famous. She even met John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York City, who introduced themselves to her.

Newman created several memorable characters on SNL. These include Connie Conehead, a character named Sherry (who was like an early "Valley girl"), and Christie Christina. Christie Christina was the silly co-host of a public-access TV show with E. Buzz Miller, played by Dan Aykroyd. Newman also played a TV news reporter for the Weekend Update segment. In 2017, she and the other original SNL cast members were honored by the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Later Career and Voice Acting

After leaving Saturday Night Live, Laraine Newman continued her acting career in both movies and TV shows. She also became a very busy voice actor.

Film Appearances

In the 1980s, Newman appeared in films such as Wholly Moses, Perfect, and Invaders from Mars. She also had a small part in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories. In 1991, she played a main character in Problem Child 2. She also appeared in the 1993 movie Coneheads, where she played Connie Conehead's aunt Laarta. In 1994, she was in The Flintstones.

Television Roles

Newman made guest appearances on many TV shows. These include Laverne & Shirley, St. Elsewhere, Amazing Stories, Friends, 3rd Rock from the Sun, 7th Heaven, Entourage, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2023, she appeared in an episode of Ghosts. In 2025, she made a guest appearance during the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special.

Voice Acting Highlights

Newman has lent her voice to many animated characters in movies and TV shows.

• Movies: She provided voices for films like Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, WALL-E, Up!, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Wreck-It Ralph, Inside Out, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing. She also voiced the Wicked Witch of the West in Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz.
• TV Shows: Her voice work on TV includes The Tick, Histeria!, CatDog, Rugrats, As Told by Ginger, The Fairly OddParents (as Queen Jipjorrulac), Danny Phantom, Avatar: The Last Airbender, SpongeBob SquarePants (as Plankton's grandmother), Doc McStuffins, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, and The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants.

Writing Career

Besides acting, Newman is also a writer and editor. She has written for online magazines like One For The Table and the Huffington Post. She has also contributed articles to the Los Angeles Times, The Believer, and McSweeney's. She wrote the introduction for the book version of the UCB Production Worst ... Plans.

Awards and Recognition

Laraine Newman has been nominated for several awards throughout her career.

• In 1979, she was nominated for an Emmy Award as a writer for Saturday Night Live.
• In 2017, she and the other original cast members of Saturday Night Live were honored and inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Live-action

Film

Television

Voice roles

Film

Television

Video games

Web

Accolades

Newman has been nominated for awards numerous times, most notably for an Emmy in 1979 as a cast member of Saturday Night Live.

See also

In Spanish: Laraine Newman para niños