Thea Vidale facts for kids

Thea R. Vidale (born November 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She is famous for her role as Thea Armstrong-Turrell in the ABC TV show Thea. This show was on air from 1993 to 1994. Thea Vidale made history as the first African American female comedian to have a TV series named after her.

Thea Vidale's Early Life and Journey

Thea Vidale was born in Washington, D.C.. Her family was a military family, so they moved around a lot. She has three sisters. When she was 12, her family moved to Victoria, Texas. She finished high school in Victoria in 1975 or 1976. After school, Thea worked as a waitress in Pasadena, Texas. Her friends saw how funny she was and told her to try comedy.

Thea Vidale's Comedy and Acting Career

Thea Vidale started her comedy journey in 1986. She first performed at amateur comedy nights in Houston. Soon, she was performing in big comedy clubs. She played in cities like Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles.

In 1989, she was on an HBO comedy special called Rodney Dangerfield: Opening Night at Rodney's Place. Other famous comedians like Tim Allen and Jeff Foxworthy were also on that show. Thea also performed on Late Night with David Letterman. She even toured with her comedy shows around the world.

Starring in Her Own TV Show

Thea Vidale's biggest TV role was in the 1993 sitcom Thea. She played the main character, a single mom. The show lasted for one season. Even though it was short, she was nominated for a People's Choice Award. This award was for Favorite Female in a New Series.

Other TV Appearances

Thea Vidale was often a judge on the BET comedy show Comic View. She has also appeared on many other TV shows. These include Ellen, The Wayans Bros., The Drew Carey Show, and My Wife and Kids. In 2007, she played a hairdresser on Ugly Betty. That same year, she was Helen's grandmother on the Drake & Josh episode "Really Big Shrimp".

Thea Vidale also gave her voice to a cartoon character. She voiced Mammy Two Shoes in some Tom and Jerry cartoons. This was from 1989 to 2001. She has also acted in movies like Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995) and Ringmaster (1998).

Later Stand-Up Comedy

In 1999, Thea Vidale went on a national comedy tour. It was called Thea Vidale, Down & Dirty. In 2007, she was on the TV show Last Comic Standing. She made it to the second round of the competition.

In 2009, she was part of the Hot Tamales Live! comedy tour. This show was filmed for Showtime. She also appeared on Standup in Stilettos in 2012. This was a stand-up comedy show on the TV Guide Network. Thea also performed on the Stand Up Revolution series. More recently, in 2022 and 2024, she worked as a comedian for Carnival Cruise Lines.

Other Public Appearances

In 1999, Thea Vidale attended the Philadelphia LGBT Pride Fest. This was her first time at an LGBT event. She was honored by the city's mayor, along with comedian Etta May. The mayor officially named that day "Thea Vidale Day" and "Etta May Day."

Thea Vidale in Professional Wrestling

Thea Vidale even appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2006. She played the role of "Momma Benjamin." This character was the mother of wrestler Shelton Benjamin. Shelton had been having a tough time with his matches.

Her first appearance was on the January 2 episode of Raw. Over the next few weeks, "Momma Benjamin" was in many funny scenes backstage. She even challenged other wrestlers to matches for Shelton. Shelton started winning more matches after she arrived.

On February 6, 2006, Momma Benjamin tried to help Shelton in his match. She tried to interfere in his match against the Big Show. But the Big Show yelled at her. After he won the match, Momma Benjamin fainted. Medical helpers came to her side. The WWE website later said she had a heart problem.

Momma Benjamin came back to Raw the next week. She had an oxygen tank with her. She even used it as a prop in matches. On February 20, she helped Shelton win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. This made both of them "bad guys" in the wrestling story. The last time Momma Benjamin was mentioned was on March 13. Shelton told the crowd she was having heart surgery and would not return to WWE.

Thea Vidale's Personal Life

Thea Vidale has four children. When she was touring for her comedy, she left her children with her ex-husband. She often talks about her strong belief in God.

In 2010, Thea Vidale was a guest on The Howard Stern Show. She shared that she decided to have surgery to help with her type 2 diabetes. She said she wanted to be healthier for her children. She called it a "rebirth."

Thea Vidale's Film and TV Roles

Thea Vidale has been in many films and television shows. Here are some of her notable roles:

Movies

• 1988: Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen (Documentary)
• 1995: Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde as Valerie
• 1998: Ringmaster as Juanita
• 2006: Repos as Coffee's Mama
• 2009: Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (Documentary)

Television Shows

• 1993–1994: Thea as Thea Turrell (19 episodes)
• 1995: Ellen as Technician
• 1997: The Wayans Bros. as Big Mama (2 episodes)
• 2001: The Drew Carey Show as Mimi's Double
• 2002: My Wife and Kids as Aunt Evelyn
• 2006: WWE Raw as Mama Benjamin (10 episodes)
• 2006: Ugly Betty as Cholli
• 2007: Drake & Josh as Lula DuBois