Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykesis an American comedian, writer, actress and voice artist. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on The Chris Rock Show, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named Sykes as one of the 25 funniest people in America. She is also known for her role as Barb Baran on CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine and for appearances on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth7 March 1964
CityPortsmouth, VA
CountryUnited States of America
I got the job by walking into the director's office, ... I saw this guy behind a desk and said, 'Where is the director, little boy? What is this -- bring-your-kid-to-work day?'
I don't know if it's a woman's tone of voice or training. Maybe guys are like, When I go home, I have to hear it. Right now I'm at work.
I watch Jay. I watch 'Letterman'. I flip back and forth between 'Conan' and 'Letterman', especially the top of the show for those guys.
I love Costas. He's knows too much, but he's a good guy.
A woman would pitch a joke. Nothing. Then a guy would pitch it and everybody would laugh.
Of course, my mother would love for me to work clean,
But I understand that relationship; I understand how the mother-in-law, daughter-in-law relationship has so many conflicts because it's so forced.
Monster-in-Law, I'm not going to say anything bad about that girl. Everybody picks on her. And she doesn't deserve it.
When I'm not on T.V. or working on a movie, I'm on the road doing stand-up. That's my roots.
There is a double standard out there. Comedy is a male business; it's not ladylike what we're doing. But at the end of the day, if it's funny, it's funny, and funny tends to quiet the criticisms.
We have to get out there and touch the people and let them know that you are thinking about them and to try and lift their spirits and get awareness out there to the rest of the country.
Back then, I was doing more of my impression of what a comic is supposed to do.
I'm shy. I am. I mean, if I get around, you know, in a room of a bunch of people especially I - you know, I don't know or - it takes me a while to warm up. I'm - and the real me, I'm not as witty as, you know, as the comic Wanda. The comic, she's had time to work on some things.
If I did a talk show, this would allow me to speak on what's happening at that moment. I can be current, and I get to flex my stand-up muscle but stay at home without doing the traveling.