Robin Thede facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robin Thede
Thede in 2023
Born	(1979-07-27) July 27, 1979 (age 45) Spencer, Iowa, U.S.
Education	Northwestern University (BA)
Occupation	Comedian actress writer
Years active	2006–present
Parents	Dave Thede (father) Phyllis Thede (mother)

Robin Thede (born July 27, 1979) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. She grew up in Iowa. Robin has also worked as a TV reporter, host, and radio personality.

In 2015, she made history. She became the first African-American woman to be the head writer for a late-night talk show. This show was called The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. Later, from 2017 to 2018, Robin hosted her own show, The Rundown with Robin Thede, on BET. She also created and stars in the HBO series A Black Lady Sketch Show, which has been nominated for an Emmy award.

Robin's Early Life and Education

Robin Thede was born in Spencer, Iowa. Her mother, Phyllis Thede, is African American. Her father, Dave Thede, is German American. Robin was named after the famous comedian Robin Williams. She said her father loved his work.

She grew up in Davenport, Iowa. Her father was a teacher there. Her mother also worked in schools and with a school staff union. Robin has two younger sisters. They all went to local schools in Davenport. Later, her parents moved to Bettendorf, Iowa.

In 2009, her mother, Phyllis, was elected as an Iowa State Representative. She still serves in the legislature today.

Robin went to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She also studied African-American Studies. After college, Robin studied comedy at The Second City theater group in Chicago.

Robin's Career in Comedy and TV

Robin Thede started her career with a sketch comedy group. It was called Cleos Apartment. This group included writers Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin. Their stage show was later turned into an online show. It was picked up by AOL and HBO. The show was called The Message and ran for a year in 2007.

Becoming a Head Writer

Robin was the head writer and a performer on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. From 2015 to 2016, she led the writing team. She was the first African-American woman to be a head writer for a late-night talk show. She was also the second African-American woman to write for a late-night show. Amber Ruffin was the first to join the writing staff for Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Before that, Robin was the head writer for The Queen Latifah Show. She also wrote for the first two seasons of Real Husbands of Hollywood on BET. In 2013, she acted in the comedy movie A Haunted House. She also appeared as "Gail" on the show Second Generation Wayans on BET.

Acting and Writing Roles

Robin often works as both a writer and an actress on TV shows. These include In the Flow with Affion Crockett and Funny Bidness. She also worked on the comedy series Clunkers.

Robin has appeared in many TV shows. Some of these are Key & Peele and Hot In Cleveland. She was also in Chocolate News and Kath & Kim. She was a regular on the BET web series Buppies.

She has also written for many award shows. These include the BET Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. She also wrote for the BET Hip Hop Awards.

Viral Videos and Live Comedy

Robin has created several popular online videos. Her video "... Black Guys Say" became very popular. It got 2.5 million views on YouTube. She also made "Every Little Step" with Wayne Brady and Bobby Brown. Another video was "For Stuffed Colored Girls."

Robin has performed live sketch comedy for many years. She performed at Second City Chicago and Improv Olympic. She is also part of an all-female sketch group. It is called "Elite Delta Force 3." This group won an award in 2009.

She also co-hosted The Voice of Reason radio show. This was on Jamie Foxx's Foxxhole Sirius/XM channel. Robin also worked as a TV reporter for E! News. She reported alongside Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic.

Hosting Her Own Show

In October 2017, Robin Thede started hosting her own late-night TV talk show. It was called The Rundown with Robin Thede on BET. She is one of the few African-American women to host a late-night show.

In June 2019, Variety magazine named her one of their "10 Comics to Watch." Most recently, Robin created, writes, and performs in A Black Lady Sketch Show. This show first aired on HBO in August 2019. The second season came out in April 2021.

In 2020, she signed a deal with Warner Bros. Television. This means she will create more shows for them.

Robin's TV and Movie Roles

Robin Thede has worked on many TV shows and movies. She has been a writer, an actress, or both!

As a Writer

As an Actress

Other TV Appearances

Awards and Nominations

Robin Thede has won several awards for her work.

Emmy Awards

The Emmy Awards celebrate excellence in television.

Mipcom Awards

The Mipcom Diversify TV Excellence Awards celebrate diversity in TV.

TCA Awards

The TCA Awards are given by TV critics for great television.