| Amy Schumer | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Schumer in 2017 | |
| Birth name | Amy Beth Schumer |
| Born | (1981-06-01)June 1, 1981 (age 43) Upper East Side, New York City, U.S. |
| Medium |
|
| Alma mater | Towson University (BA) |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relative(s) | Chuck Schumer (second cousin once removed) |
| Website | amyschumer |
Amy Beth Schumer[1] (born June 1, 1981) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. Schumer ventured into comedy in the early 2000s before appearing as a contestant on thefifth season of theNBC reality competition seriesLast Comic Standing in 2007. From 2013 to 2016, she was the creator, co-producer, co-writer, and star of theComedy Centralsketch comedy seriesInside Amy Schumer, for which she received aPeabody Award and was nominated for fivePrimetime Emmy Awards, winningOutstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2015.
Schumer wrote and made her film debut in a starring role inTrainwreck (2015) earning a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. She then starred in the comedy filmsSnatched (2017), andI Feel Pretty (2019). She created, produced and starred in theHBO documentary seriesExpecting Amy (2020), and theHulu comedy-drama seriesLife & Beth (2022–2024).
She made herBroadway debut acting inSteve Martin's comedic playMeteor Shower for which she earned aTony Award for Best Actress in a Play nomination. Schumer has earned twoGrammy Award nominations forBest Comedy Album forAmy Schumer: Live at the Apollo, andBest Spoken Word Album for narrating her memoir,The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo (2016).
Schumer was born on June 1, 1981, on theUpper East Side ofManhattan, New York City,[1][2] to Sandra Jane (née Jones) and Gordon David Schumer, who owned a baby furniture company.[2][3][4] Schumer's father was born to aJewish family fromUkraine.[5][6] She is a second cousin, once removed, of U.S. Senator andSenate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer.[7][8][9] Her mother is from aProtestant background and has deepNew England roots, andconverted to Judaism before her marriage.[4][10][11] Schumer was raised Jewish and says she had to deal withantisemitism as a child.[12][13][14] Her mother is ofPuritan ancestry dating back to thecolonial-eraMassachusetts Bay Colony. In 2017, as a guest onFinding Your Roots, Schumer learned that in 1704, three children from her ancestor Thomas Tarbell's family were captured atGroton, Massachusetts, in a French-Abenaki raid and taken toMontreal. The girl was ransomed by a French-Canadian family and ultimately joined a French Catholic convent; the two boys were each adopted byMohawk families atKahnawake and became thoroughly assimilated. They married Mohawk women and some of their descendants became chiefs.[15] There are still Mohawk by the surname Tarbell in Kahnawake andAkwesasne, another village reserve on theSt. Lawrence River founded by the brothers.
Through the success of her father's furniture company in Manhattan, Schumer's household was wealthy during her early years.[16] When she was nine years old her father's business failed and he went bankrupt.[17] He was subsequently diagnosed withmultiple sclerosis. Her parents divorced when she was 12.[7]
Schumer moved toLong Island with her mother and lived inRockville Centre where she attendedSouth Side High School.[18][15] She was voted both "Class Clown" and "Teacher's Worst Nightmare" upon graduation in 1999.[19]
She attended theHebrew school of the Central Synagogue of Nassau County, aReform synagogue in Rockville Centre, where her mother served on the school's board.[20][21]
After graduating from high school, Schumer attendedTowson University inTowson, Maryland, where she graduated with a degree in theater in 2003.[19][22] After graduating from college, she returned to New York City, where she studied at theWilliam Esper Studio[23] for two years and worked as abartender and a waitress.[19] She also lived with her boyfriend, who she characterized as abusive,[24] inSanta Barbara, California, where she worked as apedicab driver.[25] She has a younger sister, Kim Caramele, who is a comedy writer and a producer,[22][26] and a half-brother, Jason Stein,[27] who is a musician inChicago,Illinois.[28][29]
After graduating with a degree in theater fromTowson University in 2003 and moving to New York City, Schumer portrayed a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer in theOff-Off-Broadway black comedyKeeping Abreast.[19] She started doing stand-up comedy on June 1, 2004, when she first performed atGotham Comedy Club.[30] In 2007, she recorded aLive at Gotham episode forComedy Central before appearing onLast Comic Standing; she later recalled that she thought of the episode as her "big break".[31] Rebounding from an unsuccessful audition for an earlier season,[32] she advanced to the finals of thefifth season of the NBC reality television talent showLast Comic Standing and placed fourth.[30] Schumer said in April 2011, "Last Comic was totally fun. I had a great time because there was no pressure on me; I had been doing stand-up around two years. I wasn't supposed to do well. So every time I advanced it was a happy surprise. I kept it honest on the show and it served me well."[33]
Schumer co-starred in the Comedy Central reality showReality Bites Back in 2008.[34] In 2009, she appeared in an advertising campaign forButterfinger.[35] Schumer was a recurring guest onFox News late-night programRed Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld between 2007 and 2012. Her firstComedy Central Presents special aired on April 2, 2010. She served as a co-host ofA Different Spin with Mark Hoppus in 2011, later titledHoppus on Music.[33] She has also written forCosmopolitan.[33] Schumer did an episode (#154) ofWTF with Marc Maron podcast on March 3, 2011, in which she discusses her early life in more detail.[36] Schumer has appeared in roles on the NBC comedy series30 Rock, theAdult Swim mockumentary seriesDelocated, and the two HBO series,Curb Your Enthusiasm andGirls.[37] She was also a frequent guest onThe Howard Stern Show and theOpie and Anthony radio show.[38]
Schumer released a stand-up comedy album,Cutting, in 2011.[39] Her stand-up comedy specialMostly Sex Stuff premiered onComedy Central on August 18, 2012, to positive reviews.[40] Schumer said in February 2012, "I don't like theobservational stuff. I like tackling the stuff nobody else talks about, like the darkest, most serious thing about yourself. I talk about life and sex and personal stories and stuff everybody can relate to, and some can't."[41] She acted in three films in 2012: the independent comedyPrice Check, the comedy-dramaSeeking a Friend for the End of the World, and the independent comedySleepwalk with Me.[42] Schumer also appeared onTheComedy Central Roast ofCharlie Sheen in September 2011, andThe Comedy Central Roast ofRoseanne Barr in August 2012. In June 2012, Schumer began work on asketch comedy series for Comedy Central. The show included single-camera vignettes of Schumer playing "heightened versions" of herself. The vignettes are linked together with footage of Schumer's stand-up.[43]
The TV showInside Amy Schumer premiered onComedy Central on April 30, 2013.Inside Amy Schumer was picked up for a second season that began in 2014. A behind-the-scenes miniseries entitledBehind Amy Schumer premiered in 2012. The third season premiered on April 21, 2015, with a fourth season ordered the same day.[44] In 2014, Schumer embarked on herBack Door Tour to promote the second season of her show.[45] The show was closed byBridget Everett, whom Schumer cites as her favorite live performer.[46] She also appeared as a guest on an episode of comedianJerry Seinfeld's Internet seriesComedians in Cars Getting Coffee in 2014.[47]
She hosted the 2015 MTV Movie Awards, which took place on April 11.[48] Schumer wrote and played her first leading film role inTrainwreck, co-starringBill Hader, which was released on July 17, 2015.[49] In August 2015,Jennifer Lawrence said she and Schumer planned to co-star in a film for which they and Schumer's sister Kim were co-writing a screenplay.[50] However, Schumer later revealed the project was on the "back burner".[51] Schumer performed as opening act forMadonna on three New York City dates of the singer'sRebel Heart Tour in September 2015.[52] On October 17, 2015, Schumer's comedy specialAmy Schumer: Live at the Apollo premiered onHBO.[53][54] In 2016, it was nominated for threePrimetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety Special, Writing, and Directing.[55][56][57] It also garnered her a nomination for theGrammy Award for Best Comedy Album.[58]
Schumer started her first world tour on August 26 in Dublin.[59] Also that year, Schumer wrote a memoir, entitledThe Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.[60] It held the top position onThe New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller list for two weeks in September 2016 and garnered her a nomination for theGrammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.[58][61] Schumer made herBroadway debut in 2017 acting inSteve Martin's comedy playMeteor Shower alongsideKeegan-Michael Key,Laura Benanti andJeremy Shamos. The play revolves around about two couples in 1993 who spend an evening with each other.[62] David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote "Schumer is one of four terrific performers who juice the entertainment of this high-sheen production...which would never have made it this far without Martin’s name behind it, or more crucially, without the marquee draw of Schumer making her Broadway debut."[63] Schumer was nominated for theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play losing toGlenda Jackson for the revival ofEdward Albee'sThree Tall Women.[64][65]
In 2018, she starred in the comedy filmI Feel Pretty which received negative reviews from critics.[66]Spotify released the original podcastAmy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith on June 21, 2018, starring Schumer and her best comedy friendsRachel Feinstein,Bridget Everett andKeith Robinson as they talk about comedy, pop culture, politics and their personal lives.[67] She released her standup specialAmy Schumer: Growing (2019) onNetflix to received positive reviews.[68] Schumer receiving aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special nomination.[69] That same year she appeared as herself in theCBS comedyNo Activity and theHBO seriesCrashing.[70][71]
In May 2020, Schumer alongside her husbandChris Fischer starred in an eight-episode cooking showAmy Schumer Learns to Cook, forFood Network which followed Schumer and Fischer cooking while quarantined during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[72] The series was self-shot and also featured Schumer donating to The Coalition of Immokalee Workers Fair Food Program and domestic violence organizations.[73] It premiered on May 11, 2020.[74] She next appeared in a documentary seriesExpecting Amy, which she also executive produced, following Schumer preparing for a stand-up special while going through a difficult pregnancy forHBO Max, which premiered on July 9, 2020.[75][76]
Schumer appeared in the 2021 filmThe Humans, based uponthe play of the same name directed byStephen Karam.[77] She wrote, directed, and starred inLife & Beth, a 10-episode comedy series forHulu which premiered on March 18, 2022.[78] The revival of her sketch seriesInside Amy Schumer, which had been on hiatus since 2016, was announced in February 2021, with five additional specials to be released throughParamount+.[79] In January 2022, she was cast as a guest role for season two ofOnly Murders in the Building.[80] She co-hosted the94th Academy Awards withRegina Hall andWanda Sykes on March 27, 2022.[81] In June, she joined the cast ofJerry Seinfeld'sUnfrosted.[82] In 2023 her comedy specialEmergency Contact was released.
Schumer's comedic influences includeWendy Liebman,[83]Carol Burnett,[84]Lucille Ball,[84] andJoan Rivers.[85] Additionally, she called actress-producerGoldie Hawn one of her "heroes".[85]
In 2015, Schumer was named one ofTime magazine's100 most influential people.[86] Schumer was named toBarbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People for 2015.[87] Schumer has received praise for addressing various social issues through comedy.[88][89][90][91][92][93]
In June 2015,Monica Heisey ofThe Guardian criticized her for "a shockingly large blind spot around race".[93] Schumer responded on Twitter, stating "I go in and out of playing an irreverent idiot. That includes making dumb jokes involving race ... You can call it a 'blind spot for racism' or 'lazy,' but you are wrong. It is a joke ... I am not racist."[94] Schumer was again criticized in July 2020 by Kyndall Cunningham ofThe Daily Beast for her earlier work, which included "objectifying black men" and callingLatina women "crazy". Cunningham described her "sudden" decision to support theBlack Lives Matter movement as "befuddling and laughable".[95]
Throughout 2015, several of Schumer's skits inInside Amy Schumer wentviral online, sparkingeditorials regarding sex, feminism, andrape culture.[96][97][98][99]
Aftera fatal shooting took place at a showing ofTrainwreck inLouisiana, Schumer advocated for strictergun control laws and increased mental health funding.[100]
In November 2015, Schumer posed nude for a photo by photographerAnnie Leibovitz for the 2016 edition of thePirelli Calendar.[101] Schumer tweeted the photo, writing "Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you."[102]
In January 2016, Schumer was accused of stealing jokes from comediansTammy Pescatelli,Kathleen Madigan,Wendy Liebman, andPatrice O'Neal.[103][104] Schumer denied the allegations.[105][106] Other comedians, such asMarc Maron andDave Rubin, defended Schumer.[107][108] Pescatelli later apologized, stating it had "gone too far" and was probably "parallel thinking".[109] In 2017, a video showcasing all cases of alleged joke thefts were collated in a 26-minute compilation on YouTube byThe Tangerine Show, garnering more than 9.2 million views as of January 2025.[110][non-primary source needed]
On October 4, 2018, Schumer was arrested at theU.S. Capitol while protesting the nomination ofBrett Kavanaugh as an Associate Justice of theU.S. Supreme Court.[111][112]
She has used her role as a comedian to encourage higher voter turnout and spread awareness aboutvoter ID laws.[113][114] Prior to the 2022 midterm elections, Schumer worked with voter ID education and assistance organizationVoteRiders to raise awareness of local ID requirements.[115]
In October 2023, Schumer was one of over 700Hollywood professionals who signed an open letter condemning the terrorist groupHamas and demanding the release ofhostages held inGaza.[116] The letter reads, "As Israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran. We urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of Israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda."[117]
Schumer dated professional wrestler Nic Nemeth, known by his ring nameDolph Ziggler,[118] and comedianAnthony Jeselnik.[119]
On February 13, 2018, Schumer married chef and farmerChris Fischer inMalibu, California.[120][121] In October 2018, she announced that she was expecting their first child.[122] On May 5, 2019, Schumer gave birth to a boy, Gene.[123] Schumer initially gave Gene the middle name Attell, in honor of comedianDave Attell, but changed it to David after realizing that "Gene Attell" sounded like "genital".[124] Her son was born bycaesarean section because of herendometriosis.[125] In September 2021, Schumer had heruterus removed to alleviate symptoms related to the condition.[126] In February 2024, she announced that she had been diagnosed withCushing's syndrome.[127]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sense Memory | Short film | |
| 2012 | Sleepwalk with Me | Amy | Uncredited[128] |
| Price Check | Lila | ||
| Seeking a Friend for the End of the World | Lacey/Woman #1 | ||
| 2015 | Trainwreck | Amy Townsend | Also writer |
| 2017 | Snatched | Emily Middleton | |
| Thank You for Your Service | Amanda Doster | ||
| 2018 | I Feel Pretty | Renee Bennett | Also producer |
| 2021 | The Humans | Aimee Blake | |
| 2022 | Bros | Eleanor Roosevelt | |
| 2023 | Trolls Band Together | Velvet (voice) | |
| 2024 | Unfrosted | Marjorie Post | |
| IF | Gummy Bear (voice) | ||
| 2025 | Kinda Pregnant | Lainy | Also writer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Live at Gotham | Herself | Episode: "2.6" |
| 2007 | Last Comic Standing | Herself | 7 episodes |
| 2008 | Reality Bites Back | Herself | 7 episodes |
| 2009 | Cupid | Heather | Episode: "The Tommy Brown Affair" |
| 2009 | 30 Rock | Stylist | Episode: "Mamma Mia" |
| 2010 | John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show | Herself | Episode: "1.4" |
| 2010 | Comedy Central Presents | Herself | Episode: "14.14" |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Teammate #2 | Episode: "Mister Softee" |
| 2011 | Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen | Roaster | TV special |
| 2012 | Delocated | Trish | 8 episodes |
| 2012 | Louie | Diane (voice) | Episode: "Barney/Never" |
| 2012 | Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne Barr | Roaster | TV special |
| 2012 | The Eric Andre Show | Interviewer | Episode: "Brandi Glanville" |
| 2012 | Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff | Herself | Stand-up special |
| 2012 | Dave's Old Porn | Herself | Episode: "2.3" |
| 2013 | Women Who Kill | Herself | Stand-up special withRachel Feinstein, Marina Franklin andNikki Glaser |
| 2013–14 | Girls | Angie | 2 episodes |
| 2013–16, 2022 | Inside Amy Schumer | Herself, various characters | 44 episodes; also creator, writer, executive producer, director |
| 2015 | 2015 MTV Movie Awards | Herself (host) | TV special |
| 2015 | BoJack Horseman | Irving Jannings (voice) | Episode: "Chickens" |
| 2015–22 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) | 3 episodes[129] |
| 2015 | Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo | Herself | Stand-up special |
| 2016 | The Simpsons | Mrs. Burns (voice) | Episode: "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus" |
| 2016 | Family Guy | Factory Crew Leader (voice) | Episode: "The Boys in the Band" |
| 2016 | Bob's Burgers | Young Lady (voice) | Episode: "Flu-ouise" |
| 2017 | Amy Schumer: The Leather Special | Herself | Stand-up special |
| 2019 | Crashing | Herself | Episode: "The Christian Tour" |
| 2019 | No Activity | Herself | Episode: "Tooth and Nail" |
| 2019 | Amy Schumer: Growing | Herself | Stand-up special |
| 2020 | Amy Schumer Learns to Cook | Herself | 8 episodes; also creator and executive producer |
| 2020 | Expecting Amy | Herself | 3 episodes; also creator and executive producer |
| 2022–24 | Life & Beth | Beth | Also creator, writer, director, and executive producer |
| 2022 | 94th Academy Awards | Herself (co-host) | Television special |
| 2022 | Only Murders in the Building | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Gutsy | Herself | Episode: "Gutsy Women Have the Last Laugh" |
| 2023 | Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact | Herself | Stand-up special |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2018 | Meteor Shower[130] | Corky | Booth Theatre,Broadway |
I was born on the Upper East Side
When Ms. Schumer was 9, her family went bankrupt and her father received a diagnosis ofmultiple sclerosis. Three years later her parents divorced. ... Ms. Schumer, who said she is second cousin to Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York.
He is not my uncle, he is my dad's cousin, I don't even think they are first cousins.
Today, Senator Chuck Schumer joined actress and comedian Amy Schumer, who also happens to be her second cousin once removed, to call for stronger background checks for gun buyers.Requires clicking "Show more text" link.
That's a good question. I don't know. Judaism, for me, is just another area where I didn't feel accepted or like I belonged. I grew up on Long Island, but I grew up in the Irish Catholic mecca of Long Island. I've done some material on being Jewish onstage, and I talk about how the kids used to call me 'Amy Jewmer.' And I really did: even with the parents of my friends, there was a ton of anti-Semitism going on, openly and in front of me. When I went to college, it was the first time I wasn't apologizing for being Jewish, but there's definitely some residual shame that I grew up with because of it.
If a reference pops into my head I'll say it, but my experience of Judaism was this: I went to temple every Friday, and went to Sunday school, you know, Hebrew school, and then I had myBat Mitzvah, and then I think that might be the last time I was in a temple.
was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was just 12 years old.
In a personal blog post for the Religious News Service, Salkin wrote, that the Schumers were very involved in Jewish life — Amy's mother served on the temple board and chaired the education committee. Salkin officiated at Amy's older brother's bar mitzvah.
Technically they're half-siblings, though neither gives much thought to that distinction. Mr. Stein, whose parents divorced when he was 2, lived with his mother and stepfather, Amy's father, on Long Island. (His biological father, with whom Jason spent weekends, died when the boy was 10.)
It was the second time I auditioned for it. The first time they said I hadn't been around long enough, but I made it the second time I auditioned.
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