Retta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Retta
Retta at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards in 2012
Born	Marietta Sangai Sirleaf (1970-04-12) April 12, 1970 (age 55) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	Duke University (BA)
Occupation	Comedian actress television personality singer
Years active	1997–present
Relatives	Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (aunt)

Marietta Sangai Sirleaf (born April 12, 1970), known as Retta, is an American comedian and actress. She is famous for playing Donna Meagle on NBC's Parks and Recreation. She also played Ruby Hill on NBC's Good Girls. Retta has been in many movies and TV shows. She has also performed stand-up comedy on TV.

Early Life and Education

Retta was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her family comes from Liberia. She grew up in Edison and Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey. She finished Matawan Regional High School in 1988. In 1992, Retta graduated from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She studied sociology there.

Retta was raised in the New Apostolic Church. In her church's youth group, she was very good at making people laugh. When Retta entered her first TV comedy contest, people from her church around the world voted for her. This helped her win the contest and start her career.

Retta's Career Journey

After college, Retta first worked as a chemist. In her free time, she performed stand-up comedy in Raleigh, North Carolina. Later, she moved to Los Angeles to focus on comedy. Retta started doing stand-up in 1996. She began earning money from it in 1998, touring colleges. She used to feel nervous before shows, but that feeling went away with more experience. Retta says her comedy often comes from funny stories about her daily life, family, and friends.

Early TV Appearances

Retta has opened shows for other comedians. She has appeared on TV shows like Bravo's Welcome to the Parker and E! Entertainment Television's The Soup. She was also on Freddie, Moesha, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Retta also performed on Premium Blend, a Comedy Central show for new comedians.

Becoming Donna Meagle

In 2009, Retta started appearing on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She played Donna Meagle, who worked in the Parks Department. At first, the show had some tough reviews. This made the acting job stressful because it was unclear how long the show would last. But in the second season, Donna and other characters got more personality and funnier lines. Retta became a full-time cast member in the third season.

Other Acting Roles and Hosting

In 2011, Retta was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress (Comedy)" for the web series Vampire Mob. She also hosted the 3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards in 2013. In 2014, she was a contestant on Hollywood Game Night.

In 2015, Retta narrated parts of the audiobook Welcome to Night Vale. She also appeared in season 2 of Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. From 2018 to 2021, Retta co-starred in the NBC series Good Girls. She played Ruby Hill alongside Christina Hendricks and Mae Whitman.

In 2018, Retta published a book of essays called So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know. In the book, she shares stories about her weight loss journey and her experiences in Hollywood. In 2022, Retta signed a deal with NBCUniversal. Since 2022, Retta has been the host of HGTV's Ugliest House in America.

Personal Life

Retta once dated a man from Georgia. He gave her the nickname "Retta" because her name, Marietta, sounded like his hometown, Marietta.

She is related by marriage to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was once the President of Liberia. Retta is a big fan of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. She has presented awards at the NHL award ceremonies in Las Vegas in 2014 and 2015.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Works and Publications

Retta published a book of essays in 2018. It is called So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know.