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Retta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeRetta (disambiguation).
Retta
Retta at the 71st AnnualPeabody Awardsin 2012
Born
Marietta Sangai Sirleaf

(1970-04-12)April 12, 1970(age 54)
Newark, New Jersey,U.S.
EducationDuke University(BA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actress
  • television personality
  • singer
Years active1997–present
RelativesEllen Johnson Sirleaf(aunt)

Marietta Sangai Sirleaf[1][2](born April 12, 1970), known professionally asRetta,is an Americanstand-upcomedian and actress. She is best known for her roles ofDonna MeagleonNBC'sParks and Recreationand Ruby Hill on NBC'sGood Girls.[3]She has appeared in several films and television shows, and has performed stand-up onComedy Central'sPremium Blend.

Early life and education

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Retta was born inNewark, New Jersey.[2]She is ofLiberian descent.[4]She grew up around New Jersey, specifically inEdisonandCliffwood Beach.

In 1988, Retta graduated fromMatawan Regional High SchoolinAberdeen Township, New Jersey.[5][6]In 1992, Retta graduated fromDuke UniversityinDurham, North Carolina,where she waspre-medand graduated with a degree in sociology.

Retta was raised as a member of theNew Apostolic Church.In the youth group of her church, her ability to make others laugh was a major talent. When Retta competed in her first TV comedy contest, members from all over the world from the New Apostolic Church voted for her. This contributed to her winning the contest and helped to further her career. In that contest she mentioned her faith and spiritual upbringing.[5][7][8]

Career

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After graduating from Duke, Retta worked as a chemist. In her spare time, she did stand-up at Charlie Goodnights Comedy Club inRaleigh, North Carolina.[9]Eventually, she moved toLos Angelesto pursue a career in comedy.[10]Retta said onWait Wait... Don't Tell Me!that when she started performing stand-up comedy, she decided to call herself Retta rather than explain her name.[11]She started doing standup in 1996, although she said she did not start "earning money" until 1998, when she began touring on the college circuit. Retta said she used to get "really nauseated" before a performance, but that the feeling passed with experience.[12]Retta has said her stand-up material tends to be slightly embellished stories from her regular everyday life, family, and friends.[10][13]

Retta has served as the opening act for such comedians asShirley Hemphilland Bobby Collins.[12]She has made television appearances onBravo'sWelcome to the Parker,E! Entertainment Television'sThe Soup,[13]Freddie,Moesha,It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,[14]and the "Comedy Divas Showcase" segment ofThe Jenny Jones Show.[15]Retta has also performed onPremium Blend,aComedy Centralshow featuring up-and-coming comedians.[12]

In 2009, Retta started making regular guest appearances on theNBCcomedy seriesParks and RecreationasDonna Meagle,an employee in the Parks Department of the fictional town,Pawnee, Indiana.During a stand-up performance at theUniversity of Illinois at Springfield,Retta said the acting job on the show was stressful because it was unclear how long the show would stay on the air, due to the poor reviews it received during thefirst season.[13]Alan Sepinwall,a television columnist withThe Star-Ledger,saidseason 2episodes ofParks and Recreationafforded more personality and funnier jokes to Donna and other minor characters.[16]She was upgraded to a full-time regular cast member in the third season.[17]

Late 2011, she received a "Best Supporting Actress (Comedy)" nomination at the3rd Indie Soap Awardsforindieweb seriesVampire Mob.[18]

Retta also hosted the3rd Critics' Choice Television Awardsin 2013.[19]In 2014, she appeared onHollywood Game Nightas a contestant along with the other celebritiesPaget Brewster,Michael Chiklis,Mario Lopez,Thomas Lennon,andAlyssa Milano.[20]

In 2015, Retta was one of the audiobook narrators forWelcome to Night Vale,a novel tie-in to theeponymous podcast seriesin which she is the voice of Old Woman Josie.[17]The same year she appeared in season 2 ofBravo'sGirlfriends' Guide to Divorce.[17]

In 2018, Retta co-starred in theNBCseries,Good Girls,oppositeChristina HendricksandMae Whitman.[3]

In 2018, Retta published a series of essays in a book calledSo Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know.[21]Where she talks about her journey with weight loss with "bestie" and the joys and adventures of being in the "Hollywood Scene!"

In 2022, Retta signed atalent holding dealwithNBCUniversal.[22]

In 2022, Retta hosted seasons 1-5 ofHGTV's Ugliest House in America..

Personal life

[edit]

OnWait Wait... Don't Tell Me!,she said she dated a man fromGeorgiawho nicknamed her Retta because her name Marietta sounded like wherehe came from.[11]

She is a niece by marriage of the formerLiberian presidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf.[4]

Retta is a fan of theLos Angeles Kingshockey team, and presented awards at theNHLaward ceremonies inLas Vegas,in 2014 and 2015.[23][24][25][26][27]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 Ringmaster Additional voices
2002 Slackers Bruna
2003 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Sad Eye Sadie
2007 Fracture Evidence Room Cop
2007 Sex and Death 101 Ethel
2008 First Sunday Roberta
2014 Sex Ed Sydney
2015 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip Party Planner
2016 Other People Nina
Operator Pauline "Roger" Rogers
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life Ida Stricker
2017 To the Bone Lobo
Band Aid Carol
The Lego Ninjago Movie Maggie the Cheerleader Voice
Where's the Money Roberta
Father Figures Annie
2019 Good Boys Lucas' Mom
2023 80 for Brady Herself
Hit Man Claudette
2024 The Greatest Hits Dr. Evelyn Bartlett

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Moesha Hostess Episode: "Double Date" (Season 3, Episode 12)
2004 $5.15/Hr Joy
2005 Freddie Joan Episode: "Rich Man, Poor Girl"
2006 Rodney Tanya Evans Episode: "When Rodney Comes Marching Home"
2008 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Hardware Store Clerk Episode: "The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition"
2009–15, 2020 Parks and Recreation Donna Meagle Recurring (seasons 1–2); Starring/main (seasons 3–7)[a]
2009 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Heckler Episode: "#7.46"
2014, 2015 Kroll Show TSA #1, Lara Episodes: "Krolling Around with Nick Klown" and "Body Bouncers"
2014 Drunk History Sylvia Robinson Episode: "American Music"
2014 Key & Peele The Woman Episode: "Sex Addict Wendell"
2015–18 Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Barbara Recurring (season 2); Main (season 3–5)
2018–2021 Good Girls Ruby Hill Main cast
2019 Pinky Malinky Mrs. Malinky Episode: "Snack"
Where's Waldo? Wizard Nightingale Episode: "Vienna Voice-Versa"
Big Mouth Duke's Mother Episode: "Duke"
2020–21 DuckTales Mystical Harp 2 episodes
2020 Home Movie: The Princess Bride The Mother Episode: "Chapter One: As You Wish"[28]
2021 Duncanville Makeover Station Employee Episode: "Das Banana Boot"
2022 Bubble Guppies General Yuck Episode: “Don’t Yuck My Yum!”
2022 Tuca & Bertie Voice Episode: "Fledging Day"
2022–present Ugliest House in America Host [29]
2023 The Morning Show Herself
2024 Elsbeth Margo Clarke Episode: "Love Knocked Off"

Works and publications

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  • Retta (2018).So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know.New York: St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-1-250-10934-7.OCLC1001333805.

Notes

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  1. ^ForParks and Recreation,Retta was credited after the opening title sequence with star billing for seasons 3-5, and was part of the opening title sequence as a main in seasons 6-7

References

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  1. ^Jung, E. Alex."Retta Has a Story to Tell".Vulture.com, May 23, 2018. [Archivedhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180523214634/https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/retta-has-a-story-to-tell.html] on 05-23-2018
  2. ^abRetta.Edge.
  3. ^abRead, Bridget (26 February 2018)."Retta Moves on From Parks and Recreation in Good Girls, But Never Say Never".Vogue.
  4. ^abChaney, Jen (8 October 2011)."What's the connection between a Nobel Prize winner and 'Parks and Recreation'?".The Washington Post.
  5. ^abFeuer, Ryan (16 July 2015)."Comedian Retta talks Jersey roots, 'Parks and Rec' and 'Geeks Who Drink'".NJ.com.
  6. ^Pillar 1998(PDF).Matawan Regional High School.1988. pp. 99, 125, 144, 208, 224.
  7. ^Fishbein, Anne (25 September 2014)."Chatting With" Parks and Recreation's "Retta Sirleaf '92".Duke Magazine.Duke University.
  8. ^Sangweni, Yolanda (20 September 2012)."7 Reasons You Should Know Parks and Recreation Star, Retta".Essence.
  9. ^Holder, Christina (25 February 2015)."Retta Sirleaf Returns to Duke"(includes video).Duke Today.Duke University.
  10. ^abAzzi, Amy (January 28, 2009)."Comedian took long route to comedy".Royal Purple News.University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.RetrievedNovember 17,2009.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ab"Best of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me"(Audio podcast).NPR.24 August 2019.
  12. ^abcEells, Kelly Feser (June 6, 2003)."T-150 seats down for stand-up guys".Ojai Valley News.Archived fromthe originalon July 23, 2011.RetrievedNovember 17,2009.
  13. ^abcDunn, Valeree (October 14, 2009)."Performer Spotlight on... Retta".UIS Journal.Archived fromthe originalon June 8, 2011.RetrievedNovember 17,2009.
  14. ^Haynes, Robert (November 17, 2009). "Comedian Retta brings glee to bear country".The Echo.University of Central Arkansas.
  15. ^Ory, Marie (March 15, 2001)."Laughter -- the medicine of life".The Nicholls Worth.Archived fromthe originalon July 17, 2011.RetrievedNovember 17,2009.
  16. ^Sepinwall, Alan (November 5, 2009)."Parks and Recreation," Ron and Tammy ": Megan Mullally guests".The Star-Ledger.New Jersey On-Line.RetrievedNovember 6,2009.
  17. ^abcFeuer, Ryan (16 July 2015)."Comedian Retta talks Jersey roots, 'Parks and Rec' and 'Geeks Who Drink'".Nj.com.Retrieved13 December2015.
  18. ^"NOMINATIONS: 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards".Indie Series Awards.We Love Soaps.2011.RetrievedJune 10,2024.
  19. ^"Awards News: Critics' Choice Nominations".CBS.Retrieved13 December2015.
  20. ^Snetiker, Marc (15 January 2014)."Retta takes on Mario Lopez in the Olympics on 'Hollywood Game Night' -- EXCLUSIVE".Ew.com.Retrieved13 December2015.
  21. ^Retta (2018).So Close to Being the Sh*T, Y'all Don't Even Know.New York: St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-1-250-10934-7.OCLC1001333805.
  22. ^Porter, Rick (January 27, 2022)."Retta Inks Holding Deal at NBCUniversal".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 28,2022.
  23. ^"Retta: How I Became a Hockey Fan".Retrieved9 December2016.
  24. ^"Hey, Retta, this Tumblr is teaching you all about hockey".The Daily Dot.15 April 2013.Retrieved9 December2016.
  25. ^"How I Became a Hockey Fan".11 May 2016.Retrieved9 December2016.
  26. ^"NHL Awards 2015".Retrieved9 December2016.
  27. ^"NHL releases lineup of presenters and performers for awards show".22 June 2014.Retrieved9 December2016.
  28. ^Starner, Nina (June 26, 2020)."Quibi just announced a Princess Bride remake you never expected to see".Looper.com.RetrievedJune 26,2020.
  29. ^Piazza, Bianca (January 7, 2022)."Retta Is Here to Hunt Down the" Ugliest House in America "— How Many Episodes Is the Show?".Distractify.RetrievedJanuary 24,2022.
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