Wanda Sykes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wanda Sykes
Sykes at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards
Born	Wanda Yvette Sykes (1964-03-07) March 7, 1964 (age 61) Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Education	Hampton University (BS)
Occupation	Comedian actress
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	Dave Hall ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 1998)​ Alex Niedbalski ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up television film
Genres	Observational comedy surreal humor insult comedy black comedy satire
Subject(s)	American politics African-American culture pop culture racism race relations sexism interpersonal relationships traditions

Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is a famous American comedian, actress, and writer. She first became well-known for her writing on The Chris Rock Show. For this work, she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999.

In 2004, Entertainment Weekly magazine called Wanda Sykes one of the 25 funniest people in America. She is also famous for her roles on TV shows like CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–10) and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2001–2011). She was nominated for Emmy Awards for her roles in ABC's Black-ish (2015–2022) and Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2020). Today, she stars in the Netflix series The Upshaws (2021–) and has appeared in other shows like The Other Two (2019–2023) and The Good Fight (2021).

Besides her TV work, Wanda Sykes has also been in many movies. These include Monster-in-Law (2005), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), and Evan Almighty (2007). She has also lent her voice to characters in animated films. Some of these are Over the Hedge, Barnyard, Brother Bear 2 (all in 2006), Rio (2011), and two Ice Age movies (2012–2016).

Wanda Sykes's Early Life and Family

Wanda Sykes was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. Her family moved to Maryland when she was in third grade. Her mother, Marion Louise, worked as a banker. Her father, Harry Ellsworth Sykes, was a U.S. Army colonel who worked at the Pentagon. Wanda also has an older brother named Harry.

Wanda Sykes's family history was explored on a TV show called Finding Your Roots. Her family line was traced back to the 1600s. This showed a unique history of a Black family that was free for many generations.

Wanda went to Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland. She then graduated from Hampton University with a degree in marketing. She was also part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. After college, her first job was at the National Security Agency (NSA). She worked there for five years.

Wanda Sykes's Career Journey

Starting in Comedy: The 1990s

After working at the NSA, Wanda Sykes started her stand-up comedy career. Her first time performing in front of a live audience was in 1987. This was at a talent show in Washington, D.C.

She kept performing at local places while working at the NSA. In 1992, she moved to New York City. One of her first TV appearances was on Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam. She performed alongside other famous comedians. Her big break came when she opened for Chris Rock at a comedy club.

In 1997, she joined the writing team for The Chris Rock Show. She also appeared on the show many times. The writing team was nominated for four Emmys. In 1999, they won an Emmy for their writing on the show.

Sykes on the cover of Ms. magazine in 2004

After that, she appeared in movies like Pootie Tang and TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2003, she starred in her own TV show called Wanda at Large. That same year, she had a special on Comedy Central called Tongue Untied. Comedy Central also ranked her as one of the top 100 stand-up comedians. She worked as a reporter for HBO's Inside the NFL. She also hosted Comedy Central's Premium Blend. She voiced a character named Gladys on the puppet show Crank Yankers.

Comedy and TV Success: The 2000s

Wanda Sykes wrote a book called Yeah, I Said It in 2004. It was full of her funny thoughts on different topics. In 2006, she got a role as Barb on the TV show The New Adventures of Old Christine. She became a main character on the show in 2008. She also voiced characters in animated movies like Over the Hedge and Barnyard.

Her first HBO comedy special, Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired, came out in 2006. It was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 2008, she performed on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour. This tour supported LGBT rights.

In 2009, Wanda Sykes became the host of her own late-night talk show on Fox. It was called The Wanda Sykes Show. In May 2009, she was the main entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner. She was the first African American woman and the first openly LGBT person to have this role. Her second comedy special, Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me, premiered on HBO in October 2009.

Continued Work: The 2010s and Beyond

In 2010, Wanda Sykes played Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie on stage. In 2012, she voiced the character Granny in the movie Ice Age: Continental Drift. She returned to this role in Ice Age: Collision Course in 2016.

In 2013, Sykes appeared in the political comedy series Alpha House on Amazon. She played Rosalyn DuPeche, a Democratic Senator. In 2018, Sykes became the head writer for the TV show Roseanne. However, she later left the show.

In 2021, Sykes began starring in the Netflix sitcom The Upshaws. She also co-hosted the 94th Academy Awards in March 2022. During this event, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. Sykes later spoke about how she felt about the incident. In January 2023, Sykes was a guest host for The Daily Show.

Wanda Sykes's Personal Life

Sykes in September 2004

Wanda Sykes was married to record producer Dave Hall from 1991 to 1998. In November 2008, she publicly shared that she is a lesbian. She did this at a rally in Las Vegas for same-sex marriage. A month before, Sykes married her wife, Alex Niedbalski, who is French. They met in 2006. In April 2009, they became parents to twins.

Wanda told her parents about her identity in 2004 when she was 40. Her parents, Marion and Harry, found it hard to accept at first. They did not attend her wedding with Alex. However, they have since become close again.

In 2011, Wanda Sykes shared that she had been diagnosed with a very early form of breast cancer. She chose to have surgery to lower her chances of getting breast cancer in the future. Sykes lives in Media, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Grove, New York.

Wanda Sykes's Activism

Wanda Sykes was very upset when California voters passed a law called Proposition 8. This law banned same-sex marriage. She said she could not just stand by and watch. She has continued to be active in supporting same-sex marriage. She hosts events and helps raise money for the cause. She has also worked with PETA to promote laws against chaining dogs.

She has also supported the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit. This organization helps young people who are experiencing homelessness, especially those who are LGBTQ+.

Sykes often uses Twitter to share her thoughts on politics and social issues. She encourages her followers to support important laws and causes.

Wanda Sykes's Film Appearances

Wanda Sykes's Television Appearances

Wanda Sykes's Video Game Work

Wanda Sykes as a Writer

Wanda Sykes's Awards and Nominations

Wanda Sykes has been nominated for many awards. She has received seventeen Primetime Emmy nominations. She won one Emmy in 1999 for "Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music or Program." In 2001, she won the American Comedy Award for "Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic." She also won a Comedy Central Commie Award in 2003 for "Funniest TV Actress." In 2010, she received the GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award for her work supporting the LGBTQ+ community. In 2015, she won the Activism in the Arts honor at the Triumph Awards.

Wanda Sykes's Discography

See also

In Spanish: Wanda Sykes para niños