It’s not secret that the 2010’s were a great decade for women in comedy. Check out some of the brilliant and influential women currently leading the industry and changing the game.
10. Loni Love
Aside from being a stand-up comic, Loni Love is also an author, actress and Emmy-winning talk show host. Prior to her comedy career taking off, Loni was an electrical engineer. The Real co-host has been in a number fo films such as Mother’s Day, Adopt a Highway and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. She currently hosts a show on her Instagram Live called #quarantinewithloni.
9. Ali Wong
Ali Wong does it all, she’s an actress, comic, mom and a wife all in one. Wong currently stars in the ABC sitcom American Housewife beside Carly Hughes and Katy Mixon and in 2019, she worked alongside Randall Park in the Netflix original film Almost Maybe. Check out her stand-up specials Baby Cobra (2016) and Hard Knock Wife (2018) on Netflix today.
8. Taylor Tomlinson
This Orange County girl began he career at the age of 16 when she took a stand-up comedy class at her church; she then began performing at school venues and coffee shops. Taylor Tomlinson was a finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2015 and has appeared on The Tonight Show, Conan and Comedy Central. At just 26-years-old, Tomlinson is still on the up and coming list but there is no doubt in my mind she will quickly make it to stardom. She is currently on her tour titled Codependent alongside fellow comic Whitney Cummings.
7. Fortune Feimster
After moving to Los Angeles in her early 20’s to pursue her dreams, Emily Fortune Feimster worked as an entertainment journalist while trying to make it as a comic. She now wears many hats as a writer, director and actress as well. Feimster is most well known for her role as Collette in The Mindy Project. The southern bell from Belmont, North Carolina often makes appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Conan. Check out her newly released special on Netflix, Sweet and Salty; it’s one of the best stand-up specials of the year.
6. Maya Rudolph
You may know her for her legendary role playing Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live, but that is just one of the many memorable roles Maya Rudolph had played over the years. She has been in a number of hit movies such as Grown Ups, Shrek and Bridesmaids and has made her way to TV as well in shows like The Good Place and Big Mouth. Something not many people know is that aside from being an actress and writer, Maya is also a beautiful singer and has been a member of several bands over the years including a Prince cover band.
5. Chelsea Peretti
You may know her as Gina Linetti from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Chelsea Peretti is a stand-up comic, actress and writer who grew up in Oakland, California before moving to New York City to attend Barnard College. In 2014, Chelsea released a comedy special on Netflix called One of the Greats. Over the years, she has written for a number of shows such as Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live. Chelsea currently plays the role of Cellsea on the Netflix original series Big Mouth.
4. Iliza Shlesinger
After winning NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2008, Iliza Shlesinger quickly made a name for herself. With five comedy specials and her own sketch show, Iliza is taking over Netflix along with a number of other streaming platforms. Aside from her stand-up, the Emerson College graduate has appeared in a number of films including Instant Family, Pieces of a Woman and Spenser Confidential.
3. Tiffany Haddish
What began as a summer hobby attending the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp, ultimately turned into a profitbale career for Tiffany Haddish. Unfortunately, Haddish had many obstacles to overcome before she could make it to fame — including foster care, homelessness and an abusive marriage. Tiffany’s first breakthrough role was in the film Girl’s Trip in 2017. She is also known for her role as Nekeisha on The Carmichael Show. The author and comedian is now starring in The Last O.G alongside Tracy Morgan.
2. Kate McKinnon
Actress, comedian and writer Kate McKinnon graduated from Columbia University in 2006 and six years later made her debut on Saturday Night Live. On the show, she has done a number for impressions including: Hillary Clinton, Jeff Sessions, Ellen Degeneres, Elizabeth Warren and Kellyanne Conway; each one done nearly to perfection. McKinnon has recently starred in a number of films including Yesterday, Bombshell and The Spy Who Dumped Me.
1. Kaitlin Olson
Not to be confused with the Olsen twins, Kaitlin Olson got her start in 1995 on The Drew Carey Show. The mother of two has voiced a number of characters over the years on shows such as The Simpson, Brickleberry, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers. However, the University of Oregon alum is most famous for her run on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia which is about to start its fifteenth season on FX. Kaitlin was also the executive producer and star of her own show, The Mick, which ran from 2017 to 2018 on Fox.
By Blair Krassen @blairlyawake