Kathleen Mary Griffin, born November 4, 1960, is an American comedian and actress. She is best known for her reality TV show My Life on the D List and she guest-starred on Glee.
Personal Life[]
Griffin was born the youngest child of John Griffin and Maggie Corbally in Oak Park, Illinois.[1] She has three brothers, Gary (deceased), John, Kenny (deceased), and one sister, Joyce.[2] Her brother, Gary, died in January 2014 from Cancer at age 64.[3]
Griffin in an interview, with Entertainment Tonight in 2009, talked about her late older brother Kenny: "My brother Kenny who is now passed away and was a pedophile and went to prison and obviously wreaked a lot of havoc on my parents and the family...had an extremely profound impact on me. Maybe in some ways, the most influential relationship of my life. Meaning, when you grow up in a house with someone with that, I don't know if you call it energy, but he was violent. I saw him beat his wife right in front of me. You know, he was a pedophile. He was extremely sexually inappropriate with me ever since I was a teeny kid. It kind of shapes the way you see the world. For me, it is definitely tied into my trust issues I have with guys. [...] In a way, it maybe even contributed to me having a really dark sense of humor."[4]
Griffin used dramatic attempts to lose weight including diet pills, day-long aerobics classes, bulimia, and even Speed.[5]
She moved to California, from her native Chicago, and joining the famed Los Angeles Groundlings comedy improvisational troupe.[6]
She was in relationships with Jack Black, Quentin Tarantino,[4] Steve Wozniak.,[7][8] and a man Griffin didn't identify but said "he regular guy with a regular job."[9]
Griffin was married to Matt Moline for four years that ended in divorce in May 2006.[10]
She has a memoir titled Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin that was published in 2010.[11]
Career[]
Griffin had guest-starring roles on ER and Seinfeld, and she had a recurring role on Suddenly Susan for four years.
She hosted her own reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List for five years (and six seasons) till 2010. The show was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program in the first, fourth and fifth season, and Kathy won that Emmy in the second and third season.[6]
Griffin performed many successful stand-up specials for Bravo including "Kathy Griffin...Is Not Nicole Kidman," "Strong Black Woman," "Kathy Griffin-Straight to Hell", "Kathy Griffin; She'll Cut a Bitch", "Kathy Griffin: Balls of Steal," and "Kathy Does The Bible Belt."
She released her first comedy album "For Your Consideration" in June 2008 and her first Christmas album called "Suckin' It for the Holidays" in 2009.[6] For Your Consideration received a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album and garnered Kathy the acclaim of being the first female comedian ever to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart.[6] She was nominated for a Grammy in 2010 for Best Comedy Album for "Kathy Griffin Does the Bible Belt."[6]
Griffin guest-starred on Glee in 2011.
Griffin was named the new host of E!'s Fashion Police in December 2014[12], however she announced her departure after seven episodes through Twitter in March 2015.[13]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Fade to Black | Grauman's Chinese Theater Extra | uncredited |
| Battle Beyond the Stars | Alien Extra | ||
| 1984 | Streets of Fire | Concertgoer | |
| 1988 | On the Fritz | Wife | TV Movie |
| 1989 | On the Television | Various | ("Beauty and the Beet") |
| 1990 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Melissa Klein | ("Not with My Pig, You Don't") |
| 1991 | Shakes the Clown | Lucy | |
| The Unborn | Connie Chicago | ||
| 1992 | Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful | Taffy | TV Movie |
| 1993 | Dream On | Dawn | ("The French Conception") |
| Civil Wars | Yvonne | ("Watt, Me Worry?") | |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Hit-and-run Witness | |
| 1995 | Big News | TV Movie | |
| Mad About Youl | Brenda | ("New Year's Eve") | |
| The Barefoot Executive | Mary | TV Movie | |
| Dweebs | Sheila | ("The Birthday Party Show") | |
| Four Rooms | Betty | ||
| ER | Dolores Minky | ("Motherhood") | |
| Ned and Stacey | Jeannie/Jeanne | 1995 - 1996 ("Loganberry's Run" and "Accountus Interruptus") | |
| 1996 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Kathy | voice ("Koppleman and Katz") |
| The Cable Guy | Cable Boy's Mother | ||
| Saturday Night Special | Various | (5 episodes) | |
| Caroline in the City | DMV Clerk | ("Caroline and the Movie") | |
| Partners | Michelle | ("Can We Keep Her, Dad?") | |
| Ellen | Peggy | ("Oh, Sweet Rapture") | |
| Suddenly Susan | Vicki Groener | 1996 - 2000 (93 episodes) | |
| Seinfeld | Sally | 1996 - 1998 ("The Cartoon" and "The Doll") | |
| 1997 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Mary | ("The New Barefoot Executive") |
| Who's the Caboose? | Katty | ||
| Courting Courtney | Ona Miller | ||
| The Big Fall | Sally | video | |
| Trojan War | Cashier | ||
| 1999 | Dilbert | Alice | 1999 - 2000, voice and uncredited (18 episodes) |
| Muppets from Space | Female Armed Guard | ||
| Dill Scallion | Tina | ||
| Can't Stop Dancing | Modeling Agent | ||
| 2000 | Eminem: E | Nurse | video (segment "The Real Slim Shady") |
| A Diva's Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Past | TV Movie | |
| Enemies of Laughter | Cindy | ||
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Kathy Griffin | ("The Pants Tent") | |
| Lion of Oz | Caroline | voice | |
| The X-Files | Betty Templeton / Lulu Pfeiffer | ("Fight Club") | |
| Intern | Cornelia Crisp | ||
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Matchmaker | ("Silent Epidemic") |
| The Simpsons | Francine | voice ("Bye Bye Nerdie") | |
| On Edge | Karen Katz | ||
| 2002 | The Drew Carey Show | Kathy | ("The Eagle Has Landed") |
| 2003 | Beethoven's 5th | Evie Kling | video |
| Crank Yankers | Maria | voice ("Episode #2.20") | |
| Spider-Man | Roxanne Gaines | voice ("Mind Games: Part 1" and "Mind Games: Part 2") | |
| What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Luis Agent Autumn Summerfield | voice ("The Unnatural") | |
| 2004 | Half & Half | Dr. Morgan | ("The Big Labor of Love Episode") |
| Stripperella | The Bridesmaid | voice ("The Bridesmaid") | |
| 2005 | Love Wrecked | Belinda | |
| Days of Our Lives | Limo Driver | ("Episode #1.10152") | |
| Her Minor Thing | Maggie | ||
| Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone | Rhoga | voice | |
| Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker | Rae Prado | ("1995 SuperDogs! Superjocks!") | |
| Dirty Love | Madame Belly | ||
| Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Herself/Host | 2005 - 2010 (48 episodes) | |
| 2006 | Bachelor Party Vegas | She-Elvis | uncredited and video |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Fashion TV Anchor | ("In or Out") |
| 2009 | Privileged | Olivia | ("All About a Brand New You!") |
| 2010 | A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures | Vera | voice |
| Shrek Forever After | Dancing Witch / Wagon Witch # 1 | voice | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Babs Duffy | ("P.C.") | |
| 2011 | Drop Dead Diva | Jenna Kaswell-Bailey | ("He Said, She Said") |
| Glee | Tammy Jean Albertson | ("Original Song") | |
| The Defenders | Sally Scott | ('Nevada v. Greene") | |
| 2012 | American Dad! | Kelly | voice ("The Kidney Stays in the Picture") |
| Whitney | Lindsay | ("Codependence Day") | |
| 2015 | E!'s Fashion Police | Herself, Host |
Trivia[]
- She starred in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, as did other Glee star Darren Criss.
- She supports the LGBT rights and she is a proud spoken person for the group.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin. Pages 7 and 11.
- ↑ Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin. Page 13.
- ↑ Kathy Griffin's 'Hero' Brother Dies of Cancer
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kathy Griffin On Her Pedophile Brother, Jack Black's 'Shifty Eyes' and Dating Quentin Tarantino
- ↑ Kathy Griffin's Autobiography Namedrops Bulimia and Speed
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Kathy Website Bio
- ↑ Tom Green's House Tonight, episode dated February 6, 2008.
- ↑ The Today Show, episode dated June 5, 2008.
- ↑ Kathy Griffin March 2011 Interview
- ↑ Kathy Griffin Divorce
- ↑ Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin (Paperback)
- ↑ Kathy Griffin Named New Host of E!'s Fashion Police
- ↑ Kathy Griffin Flees 'Fashion Police' After Seven Episodes