Lisa Lampanelli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lisa Lampanelli |
|
|---|---|
Lampanelli in 2011
|
|
| Pseudonym | Queen of Mean |
| Birth name | Lisa Marie Lampugnale |
| Born | July 19, 1961 Trumbull, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Genres | Insult comedy, improvisational comedy, observational comedy |
| Subject(s) | Race relations, human ..., everyday life |
| Spouse |
Jimmy Cannizzaro
(m. 2010; div. 2014) |
Lisa Lampanelli (born Lisa Marie Lampugnale; July 19, 1961) is an American former stand-up comedian and actress. She was known for her unique style of comedy, often called "insult comedy," where she would playfully tease or "roast" people.
Early Life and Early Career
Lisa Lampanelli was born in Trumbull, Connecticut, on July 19, 1961. Her family was middle-class. Her mother, Gloria, worked for the local police department. Her father, Leonard, worked for an aircraft company and later became a painter.
Lisa went to Roman Catholic schools. She studied journalism at Boston College and Syracuse University. She also took a special publishing course.
Before becoming a comedian, Lisa worked in journalism. She was a copy editor at Popular Mechanics magazine. She also worked as an assistant at Rolling Stone. She was a fact checker and the first head of research for Spy magazine.
Comedy Career
Lisa Lampanelli started her stand-up comedy career in New York in the early 1990s. She became well-known after performing at a special comedy event in 2002. This event was a "roast" for actor Chevy Chase. A roast is a comedy show where comedians make fun of a special guest in a friendly way.
Roasts and Specials
After the Chevy Chase roast, Lisa became a regular at many other roasts. She performed at roasts for famous people like Denis Leary, Pamela Anderson, Jeff Foxworthy, and Donald Trump. She even hosted a roast for Larry the Cable Guy.
In 2005, Lisa released a comedy special on DVD called Take it Like A Man. She also appeared in movies like Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector (2006) and Delta Farce (2008). She had a small role in the movie Drillbit Taylor with Owen Wilson.
Her comedy special Dirty Girl aired on Comedy Central in 2007. She released a CD and DVD for it. Lisa's humor was inspired by the Dean Martin roasts she watched when she was younger.
In 2009, her first one-hour HBO special, Lisa Lampanelli: Long Live the Queen, aired. She also had another special called Tough Love in 2011. In 2012, her one-woman show, Bring Back the Fat Chick, opened on Broadway.
Her comedy album Back to the Drawing Board was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016.
Retirement from Comedy
In 2018, Lisa Lampanelli announced that she was retiring from stand-up comedy. She explained that she felt her "insult comedy" style was sometimes misunderstood. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
After retiring, Lisa decided to become a life coach. She now shares her personal stories, which she describes as "heartfelt but funny," especially about her journey with food and weight.
The Celebrity Apprentice
Lisa Lampanelli was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice 5 in 2012. On the show, she had some disagreements with other contestants. Despite these challenges, she raised $130,000 for a charity called Gay Men's Health Crisis. She won two challenges as a project manager. She was eliminated from the show on May 6, 2012.
Books
Lisa Lampanelli wrote a book about her life called Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and ... (2009). The book talks about her comedy career and her childhood. It also shares her thoughts on various topics. Reviewers noted that the book was very funny and honest.
Personal Life
Lisa Lampanelli was married in 1991, but that marriage ended soon after. She married Jimmy Cannizzaro on October 2, 2010. He was a former tavern owner. They divorced in May 2014 after three and a half years of marriage.
Lisa is a strong supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2011, when a group planned to protest one of her shows, she promised to donate money to Gay Men's Health Crisis for every protester who showed up. She ended up donating $50,000 to the charity.
