Pamela Adlon | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Adlon atSXSW 2024 | |
| Born | (1966-07-09)July 9, 1966 (age 58)[3] New York City, U.S. |
| Citizenship | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Works | Filmography |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingGideon andOdessa |
| Relatives | Percy Adlon (former-father-in-law) |
Pamela Adlon (/ˈædlɒn/;née Segall) (born July 9, 1966) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She is known for voicingBobby Hill in the animated comedy seriesKing of the Hill (1997–2010),[6] for which she won aPrimetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo inJungle Cubs (1996–1998), the title role in thePajama Sam video game series (1996–2001), Lucky in101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997–1998), Margaret "Moose" Pearson inPepper Ann (1997–2000), Ashley Spinelli inRecess (1997–2001), Otto Osworth inTime Squad (2001–2003), Vidia in theTinkerbell franchise and Brigette Murphy inMilo Murphy's Law (2016–2019), among numerous others.
Adlon is also known for her roles in the comedy-drama seriesCalifornication (2007–2014) andLouie (2010–2015), the latter of which she additionally wrote and produced alongsideLouis C.K.[7] Her work onLouie garnered her fourPrimetime Emmy Award nominations. From 2016 to 2022, Adlon starred as Sam Fox on the acclaimedFX comedy-drama seriesBetter Things, which she also co-created, wrote, produced, and directed. The series won aPeabody Award, and she was nominated twice for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.[8]
Adlon has appeared in numerous films since making her acting debut inGrease 2 (1982). Her most notable films includeSay Anything... (1989),Bed of Roses (1996),Lucky 13 (2005),Conception (2011),I Love You, Daddy (2017),All Square (2018),Bumblebee (2018), andHoller (2020). She made her feature film directorial debut with the comedyBabes (2024).
Adlon was born in New York City.[1][9] She is the daughter of Marina Lucy (née Leece) and Donald Maxwell "Don" Segall, who was a television comedy writer-producer and author of comic books and science fiction pulp novels.[2][10][11][12] Her father producedTheDave Garroway Show, which becameAM New York and thenThe Today Show. He was apage at NBC withGilbert Cates and wrote erotic fiction under various pseudonyms, including Troy Conway.[12] Adlon's mother is English, while her father, an American, was fromBoston.[13] Her father was born to aJewish family ofRussian-Jewish andUkrainian-Jewish descent, and her mother, originally an Anglican,converted to Judaism.[12][14][15] Adlon has said that her parents met at aUSO event in Paris.[6]
As a child, Adlon lived in the Carnegie House at 100 West 57th Street.[16] She has said that she and her family lived bi-coastally, moving between Los Angeles and New York because her father was a journeyman writer and producer for TV. She began performing at age nine; one of her father's friends had a radio studio, so she would do voice-over work there. While in Los Angeles she did TV and film acting work.[6] She attendedSarah Lawrence College for a semester.[12] After moving toLaurel Canyon, Los Angeles, she shared a house withAnna Gunn.[17]
Adlon made her acting debut as Dolores Rebchuck in the 1982 musical sequel filmGrease 2. She had a recurring role as Kelly Affinado in the sitcomThe Facts of Life (1983–1984). This was followed by appearances inBad Manners (1984),Night Court (1984),Willy/Milly (1986),Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989),Say Anything... (1989),Sgt. Bilko (1996), andPlump Fiction (1997). Although successful as a child actress, she struggled to find parts in her 20s. It led her to develop a substantial voice-over career which she cited as saving her career.[10]
Adlon gained further acclaim and recognition for voicing the starring role ofBobby Hill in the animated comedy seriesKing of the Hill (1997–2010), for which she received aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 2002.[18] Adlon also gained recognition for voicing Margaret "Moose" Pearson inPepper Ann (1997–2000), Ashley Spinelli inRecess (1997–2001),[19] Brigette Murphy inMilo Murphy's Law (2016–2019), and the voice of newborn Halley Wolowitz inThe Big Bang Theory.
Adlon is recognizable for her husky voice, which led to her voicing young boys in numerous animated series and films. She voiced Baloo inJungle Cubs (1996–1998), the title role in the video game seriesPajama Sam (1996–2001), Lucky in101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997–1998), Hector McBadger inJakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (2003–2007), and Andy inSquirrel Boy (2006–2007), among numerous others. She was nominated for anAnnie Award for her role as Otto Osworth in theCartoon Network animated comedy seriesTime Squad (2001–2003). She continued to voice characters in films, such asThe Animatrix (2003) and as Vidia in theTinker Bell film series (2008–2015).
Adlon had notable live-action roles as Emma Path in theABC legal drama seriesBoston Legal (2007–2008), Marcy Runkle in theShowtime comedy-drama seriesCalifornication (2007–2014), and as Pamela in the FX comedy seriesLouie (2010–2015). She was also a writer and consulting producer for the lattermost series.[20]
Adlon's professional relationship withLouis C.K. began in 2006 when she played his wife in the short-livedHBO sitcomLucky Louie. She appeared as the friend of Louie (a fictional character based on C.K.) in his FX single-camera seriesLouie. She appeared in every season but the third.[21] Adlon co-wrote seven episodes of the series and became a consulting producer. She earned a total of fourPrimetime Emmy Award nominations for her work onLouie. She earned two nominations as a producer forOutstanding Comedy Series, one nomination forOutstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for co-writing the episode "Daddy's Girlfriend Part 1", and one nomination forOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.[22]
In 2015,FX gave a pilot order toBetter Things, a comedy created by and starring Adlon. She plays an actress raising three daughters. The pilot was written by Adlon and Louis C.K., who also directed it.[23] It was picked up for a 10-episode series on August 7, 2015.[24][25] The show, which premiered on September 8, 2016, is semi-autobiographical.[26] C.K. served as a co-writer and occasional director for the first two seasons, while Adlon has served as director and writer throughout the series' run.
The series received widespread critical acclaim and was honored with aPeabody Award. Adlon received aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the first two seasons ofBetter Things.[27] She also received a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, and four nominations for theTCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy. Adlon was represented by managerDave Becky until November 2017, when she fired him following his involvement in the Louis C.K. sexual harassment scandal.[28]
Adlon had recent live-action roles in the romantic drama filmFirst Girl I Loved (2016), the science fiction action filmBumblebee (2018), and the comedy-drama filmThe King of Staten Island (2020). She had a guest role as Mrs. Wolowitz in theCBS sitcomYoung Sheldon (2017) and a recurring role as Dr. Leigh in the acclaimedNBC drama seriesThis Is Us (2020).
Adlon made her feature directorial debut withBabes.[29][30][31]
In 1996, Adlon marriedFelix Adlon [de], the son of German directorPercy Adlon.[12] Felix Adlon directed Pamela inEat Your Heart Out (1997).[32] They divorced in 2010, and he then moved to Germany.[12] They have three daughters who are actresses:Gideon,Odessa, and Valentine "Rocky" Adlon.[6]
Adlon splits her time between theUpper West Side ofManhattan andLos Angeles.[16]
In January 2020, Adlon became a citizen of theUnited Kingdom.[33][4][5]
Adlon is known for her collaborations withLouis C.K and her performances inLucky Louie (2006),Louie (2010–2015), andBetter Things (2016–2022). She has had major performances inThe Facts of Life (1983–1984) andCalifornication (2007–2014) as well as making guest appearances inThe Jeffersons (1984),Boston Legal (2007–2008),Parenthood (2012), andThis Is Us (2020). She is also a well known voice artist. Her voice credits include the animated programsKiki's Delivery Service (1989),Bobby's World (1992–1998),Rugrats (1992–2004),Recess (1997–2001),King of the Hill (1997–2010),The Oblongs (2001),Bob's Burgers (2012–2020), andBabes (2024).[34]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Better Things | Nominated | [35] |
| 2016 | Peabody Awards | Area of Excellence | Won | [36] | |
| 2002 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | King of the Hill:Bobby Goes Nuts | Won | [37] |
| 2013 | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Daddy's Girlfriend: Part 1 | Louie | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| 2017 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Better Things | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Nominated | ||||
| 2015 | Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producers of Episodic Television | Louie | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Television Critics Association Awards | Individual Achievement in Comedy | Better Things | Nominated | [38] |
| 2018 | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | Nominated | ||||
| 2020 | Nominated | ||||
| 2022 | Nominated | ||||
| 2012 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Comedy Series | Louie | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Won | ||||
| 2015 | Won | ||||
| 2017 | Best New Series | Better Things | Nominated |
