Vanessa Bayer
Vanessa Bayer | |
---|---|
Born | Orange, Ohio,U.S. | November 14, 1981
Education | University of Pennsylvania(BA) |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2002–present |
Vanessa Bayer(born November 14, 1981) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on theNBCsketch comedyseriesSaturday Night Livefrom 2010 to 2017, for which she was nominated for anEmmy.She co-created, co-executive produced, and had the lead role in theShowtimecomedyI Love That for You,loosely based on her experience as a survivor ofchildhood leukemia.She has appeared in such films asTrainwreck(2015),Office Christmas Party(2016),Carrie Pilby(2016),Ibiza(2018) andWander Darkly(2020).
Early life and education
[edit]Bayer was born on November 14, 1981,[1]inOrange, Ohio,a suburb ofCleveland,and raised in nearbyMoreland Hills.[2][3]She is the daughter of Carolyn and Todd Bayer.[4]Bayer's family isJewish,and she has stated that her Jewish upbringing "influenced [her] life and comedy".[5]She has a brother, Jonah, who is a music journalist and the guitarist of the punk supergroupUnited Nations.[6][7]
At age 15, Bayer was diagnosed withacute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL). She stated that while battling the disease, she discovered the meaning ofcomic relief."I don't know if it made me funnier, but it was so amazing, how it made everything be O.K.", she said.[8]
Bayer is a 2000 graduate ofOrange High School.[9]In 2004, she graduated from theAnnenberg School for Communicationof theUniversity of Pennsylvania,where she majored in communication and French.[4][10][11]
While attending college, she interned on the television showsSesame StreetandLate Night with Conan O'Brienand participated in the cast of Bloomers, an all-female musical and sketch comedy troupe.[12]
Career
[edit]As of 2012[update],Bayer was collaborating with her brother Jonah on theweb seriesSound AdviceforAbove Average,where she stars as Janessa Slater, a media coach who helps famous musicians change their images.[13][14][15]She was part of the all-Jewish cast ofThe Second City's stage showJewsical: The Musical,a musical that presented a comedic take on Jewish life and culture.[16]She played Kate Clark in the Chicago-based feature comedyOff the Cuff.[citation needed]She performedimprovisationalcomedy at Chicago'sImprovOlympic,where she trained withSNLcastmatePaul Brittain,[3]and at theAnnoyance Theatreand The Second City.[17]
Saturday Night Live
[edit]Bayer joined the cast ofSaturday Night Liveas a featured player on September 25, 2010. She was promoted to repertory status for the 2012–2013 seasons. In 2014, she was nominated for anAmerican Comedy Awardfor her work on the show,[citation needed]and in 2017, was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[18]She departedSNLon May 20, 2017, after seven years there.[19][20]
Her recurring characters included:
- Laura Parsons, a child actress always performing roles originally played by adults, including fromForrest Gump,The Wolf of Wall Street,Brokeback MountainandDallas Buyers Club
- Brecky, a former porn star who creates homemade commercials to obtain free luxury items (withCecily Strong)
- Rebecca Stern-Markowicz, a co-host ofJ-Pop America Fun Time Now,which celebrates Japanese culture, (withTaran KillamandJason Sudeikis)
- Rosa, a housemaid, in "The Californians"
- Miss Meadows, an unrealistically perky poetry teacher trying to connect with her delinquent students
- An unnamed director of talk showMornin' Miami
- Jacob theBar MitzvahBoy, who appears onWeekend Updateto perform a rehearsed speech with forced jokes about a given subject
- One of three workshop elves who perform their jobs poorly in the hope that their master will "punish" them (withKenan Thompson)
- Dawn Lazarus, an inept meteorologist who appears onWeekend Updateand struggles to discuss the weather
- A housewife who cooks for her husband and his friends in a series of increasingly absurdTotino'scommercials
- One of twoWeekend Updateguests who claim to be "best friends" with various world dictators, and gossip about petty drama in their social circle (withFred Armisen)
Celebrity impressions
[edit]- Amelia Earhart
- Dianna Agron
- Diane Keaton
- Elisabeth Hasselbeck
- Hillary Clinton
- Ivanka Trump
- Jennifer Aniston
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Keri Russell
- Kourtney Kardashian
- Lady Gaga
- Margaret Thatcher
- Mary-Louise Parker
- Michelle Friedland
- Miley Cyrus
- Molly Ringwald
- Rachel Dolezal
- Sara Gilbert
- Susan Lucci
- Zosia Mamet
Post-SNLcareer
[edit]Bayer appeared on ABC'sSingle Parentsin 2019 in a recurring role as Mia Cooper, the ex-wife ofTaran Killam's character.
Starting in 2018, she had a recurring role on NBC'sWill & Graceas Amy, a former baker who loses her job because of Karen and subsequently works for Karen's baseball team.
Bayer is the co-creator, co-executive producer and star of theShowtimecomedyI Love That for You,which premiered on May 1, 2022, and is loosely based on her life as a survivor of childhood leukemia.[21][22][23]
Bayer has appeared in two episodes ofWhat We Do in the Shadows,as Evie Summers, an Emotional Vampire, who drains energy from humans by resorting to passive aggressive and wholly fabricated stories of various horrible things that supposedly happened to her. She has a rivalry with energy Vampire Colin Robinson, played byMark Proksch,who uses boring long-winded explanations to get the same result.[24]
Philanthropy
[edit]After Bayer was diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager, theMake-A-Wish Foundationgranted her wish to send her family on vacation toHawaii.In gratitude and recognition, Bayer is involved with the foundation. In 2015, she hosted its Evening of Wishes Dinner to help raise funds for wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.[25]
In June 2019, she published the children's bookHow Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear?,which teaches children how to support friends with long-term illnesses.[26]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Off the Cuff | Kate Clark | |
2010 | Stages of Emily | Jocelyn | Short film |
2012 | Adventures in the Sin Bin | Superdawg Waitress | |
2013 | Despicable Me 2 | Flight Attendant | Voice role |
2015 | Trainwreck | Nikki | |
2016 | Carrie Pilby | Tara | |
Office Christmas Party | Allison Parker | ||
2017 | The Polka King | Bitsy Bear | |
2018 | Ibiza | Nikki | |
2020 | Wander Darkly | Maggie | |
2021 | Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar | Debbie | |
2022 | DC League of Super-Pets | PB | Voice role |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010–17 | Saturday Night Live | Various | Series regular Nominated –2014 American Comedy Award for Comedy Supporting Actress – TV Nominated – 2014 Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Female Performance in a Fiction Program Nominated – 2015 Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Female Performance in a Fiction Program Nominated –Primetime Emmy AwardforOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series |
2011 | I Wanna Have Your Baby | Connie | Episode: "Corrine & Jerry" |
2012 | Sugarboy | Chip's wife | |
2013 | The Mindy Project | Mary | Episode: "Sk8er Man" |
2014 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Susan Armhold | Episode: "Patton Oswalt Wears a Black Blazer & Dress Shoes" |
2014 | Wallykazam! | Rockelle (voice) | Episode: "The Rock Can Talk" |
2014–17 | Portlandia | Various | Episodes: "Sharing Finances", "Late in Life Drug Use", "You Can Call Me Al" and "The Storytellers" |
2015 | Man Seeking Woman | Laura | Episodes: "Traib" and "Lizard" |
2015 | The Awesomes | Dr. Jill Stein-Awesome-Kaplan (voice) | 4 episodes |
2016 | Modern Family | Marjorie | Episode: "Snow Ball" |
2016–19 | Drunk History | Various | 3 episodes |
2017 | The Simpsons | Dr. Clarity Hoffman-Roth (voice) | Episode: "A Father's Watch" |
2017 | Crashing | Herself | Episode: "Julie" |
2018 | Love | Sarah | Episode: "Sarah from College" |
2018–20 | Will & Grace | Amy / Friday | 6 episodes |
2019–20 | Single Parents | Mia | 3 episodes |
2019–23 | What We Do in the Shadows | Evie Russell | Episodes: "Werewolf Feud", "The Campaign" |
2019 | I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson | Brenda | Episode: "Instagram" |
2019 | Trolls: The Beat Goes On! | Baha (voice) | Episode: "Troll Playing Game/Finn Cascade" |
2019 | Helpsters | Rita Reader | Episode: "Rita Reader/Cody Gets a Cold" |
2020 | Shrill | Justine | Episode: "WAHAM" |
2020 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Officer Debbie Fogle | Recurring role (season 7); episodes "Manhunter",[27]"The Jimmy Jab Games II",and"Debbie"[28] |
2022–24 | Alice's Wonderland Bakery | Tweedle Do (voice) | Recurring role |
2022 | I Love That for You | Joanna Gold | Series regular; also creator and executive producer |
2022 | Barry | Morgan Dawn-Cherry | Episode: "710N" |
2024 | City Island | Ms. Webster (voice) | Episode: "The Internet" |
References
[edit]- ^"Thank you to my bro and everyone for the birthday wishes!!".Twitter: Vanessa Bayer (official account).November 14, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2022.RetrievedJune 4,2022.
Happy 40th birthday to my little sister, podcasting partner and favorite comedian @vanessabayer!
- ^Bayer, Vanessa; Bayer, Jonah."Remember VHS Tapes? (With Michelle Zauner)".How Did We Get Weird with Vanessa Bayer and Jonah Bayer.Big Money Players Network and iHeartPodcasts.Archivedfrom the original on July 18, 2022.RetrievedJuly 18,2022.
- ^abMoynihan, Rob. "SNL's Fab Four ",TV Guide,March 7, 2011, Pages 44-45
- ^abWolff, Carlo (November 20, 2012)."For Saturday Night Live's Bayer, humor a family affair".Cleveland Jewish News.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2023.RetrievedOctober 3,2013.
- ^Rosenberg, Madeline (January 27, 2020)."Former 'SNL' Star Vanessa Bayer Talks Comedy, Jewish Identity".The Cornell Daily Sun.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2022.RetrievedJuly 1,2022.
- ^Eakin, Marah (July 8, 2015)."Jonah and Vanessa Bayer on Sound Advice, sibling rivalries, and childhood bribery".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2017.RetrievedDecember 20,2017.
- ^"Watch Vanessa Bayer Roast United Nations".Stereogum.August 6, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2017.RetrievedDecember 20,2017.
- ^Correal, Annie (May 7, 2016)."The (Very Lazy) Sunday Routine of Vanessa Bayer of 'Saturday Night Live'".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on May 28, 2016.RetrievedOctober 30,2016.
- ^"'Saturday Night Live' regular Vanessa Bayer, a Moreland Hills native, returns home to perform Sunday at the Improv ".cleveland.com. November 22, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2017.RetrievedOctober 3,2013.
- ^Swartz, Tracy (May 16, 2018)."'SNL' alum Vanessa Bayer returns to Second City for charity event ".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2022.RetrievedJune 4,2022.
- ^"Saturday Night Live's Vanessa Bayer talks to Penn Undergrads".Annenberg School for Communication.May 26, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on July 31, 2022.RetrievedJuly 31,2022– via YouTube.
- ^"All-Female Musical and Sketch Comedy at the University of Pennsylvania".Bloomers Comedy.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 22,2012.
- ^"Penn Gazette | Alumni: Profiles".Upenn.edu.Archivedfrom the original on October 5, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 22,2012.
- ^"Jonah Bayer".Jonahbayer.wordpress.com. September 21, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on September 23, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 22,2012.
- ^"An Interview with a Guy Who Hung Out with Drake for Two Hours Once".Noisey.October 16, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on October 17, 2017.RetrievedOctober 17,2017.
- ^"Jews in the News: Rachel Specter, Grammys & Barbra Streisand".Letmypeoplegrow.org.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 22,2012.
- ^"NBC'S 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE' PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 25 WITH SNL ALUM AMY POEHLER & CHART-TOPPING MUSICAL GUEST KATY PERRY".NBC-Universal Press Release. September 17, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon March 11, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 22,2012.
- ^"Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – 2017".Los Angeles:Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.Archivedfrom the original on July 16, 2017.RetrievedJuly 13,2017.
- ^Hughes, William (May 20, 2017)."Vanessa Bayer is leaving SNL".Archivedfrom the original on October 12, 2017.RetrievedDecember 29,2017.
- ^"Vanessa Bayer leaving 'SNL'".CNN. May 21, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on May 21, 2017.RetrievedMay 22,2017.
- ^Curto, Justin (July 12, 2021)."Showtime Would Love to See Vanessa Bayer's I Love This for You as a Series".Vulture.Archivedfrom the original on June 4, 2022.RetrievedJune 4,2022.
- ^Stacy, Lambe (April 27, 2022)."How Vanessa Bayer's Childhood Battle With Leukemia Inspired 'I Love That for You' (Exclusive)".WKYC.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2023.RetrievedJune 4,2022.
- ^Carlin, Shannon (May 10, 2022)."Vanessa Bayer on Channeling Her Childhood Cancer Experience in Showtime's I Love That for You".Time.RetrievedJune 4,2022.
- ^"What We do in the Shadows: Every Guest Star Appearance, Ranked".July 25, 2022.
- ^Daley, Megan (June 22, 2015)."Vanessa Bayer talks to People about her childhood struggle with leukemia".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedSeptember 19,2016.
- ^"How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear?".Macmillan.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2019.RetrievedMarch 28,2018.
- ^Ferguson, LaToya (February 6, 2020)."It's a 'Manhunt' (andTraveling PantsSituation) to StartBrooklyn Nine-Nine's Seventh Season ".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 7,2020.
- ^Ferguson, LaToya (February 28, 2020)."A Coke-FueledBrooklyn Nine-NineGets into the Mind of a Loose Cannon ".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on February 28, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 28,2020.
External links
[edit]- 1981 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American actresses
- 21st-century American comedians
- 21st-century American Jews
- Actresses from Cleveland
- American film actresses
- American impressionists (entertainers)
- American television actresses
- American women comedians
- American sketch comedians
- American voice actresses
- Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania alumni
- Comedians from Ohio
- Jewish American actresses
- Jewish American comedians
- Jewish female comedians
- People from Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Jews from Ohio