Amy Sedaris (born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, author, and comedian. She is perhaps best known as Jerri Blank from the Comedy Central television series Strangers with Candy; she is also the younger sister of (and sometimes-collaborator with) author David Sedaris.

Biography

Personal life

Amy Sedaris was born in Endicott, New York, daughter of Sharon and Lou Sedaris. She is the younger sister of humorist David Sedaris. They grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is of half Greek descent; her father was Greek Orthodox and her mother was Protestant, and she was raised in her father's faith.

Amy Sedaris lives in Greenwich Village with her mini rex rabbit Dusty and is very involved with the House Rabbit Society. As part of a running joke during public appearances, she frequently alludes to her imaginary boyfriend, Ricky. During an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman (October 6, 2006), she claimed Ricky had been murdered and she now lives with Ricky's ghost.

Career

A former member of Chicago-based Second City and Annoyance Theatre comedy troupes, she is known for her role as Jerri Blank in the television series Strangers with Candy. The show, which she co-wrote with Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert (both of whom also starred with her in the short-lived sketch show, Exit 57, on Comedy Central), was based on Sedaris's impression of 1970s motivational speaker Florrie Fisher. Sedaris has appeared in the movies Elf, School of Rock, Maid in Manhattan, the film version of Bewitched and is featured in David Munro's upcoming Full Grown Men. She also starred in the 2006 film adaptation of Strangers with Candy. In addition to acting, she runs a cupcake and cheese ball business ("Dusty Food Cupcakes") out of her kitchen.

Sedaris also hosted the series Film Fanatic on Trio. She coauthored the text-and-picture novel Wigfield with Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, published in 2003. As of 2005, Sedaris writes a monthly advice column in The Believer. She has written a guide to entertaining titled I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, published in October 2006 by Warner Books. That light-hearted approach to cooking stayed on the New York Times best-sellers list for over 12 weeks, and currently has over 350,000 copies in print.

Along with her brother, author and essayist David Sedaris, Amy has co-authored several plays under the name "The Talent Family." These include: Stump the Host (1993), Stitches (1994), One Woman Shoe (1995), Incident at Cobblers Knob (1997) and The Little Frieda Mysteries (1997) which were all produced and presented by Meryl Vladimer, when she was the artistic director of "the CLUB" at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club Incident at Kobblers Knob was presented and produced by David Rockwell at the Lincoln Center Festival. She co-authored the play The Book of Liz with her brother. She played the stage manager in Paul Rudnick's play The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.

Sedaris appeared in two episodes of Rescue Me, two episodes of Monk, an episode of Wonder Showzen, on Just Shoot Me! as a female version of David Spade's character, and as Carrie Bradshaw's book publisher in Sex and the City. She also played Paulie the Penis in the online comedy sketch 'The Puberty Pals'. She guest-starred as Randy's cat-obsessed girlfriend in an October 2006 episode of My Name Is Earl. She has also made a guest appearance on Sesame Street as a flustered Snow White who keeps losing her dwarves.

In 2007, Sedaris was featured in Dolly Parton's first mainstream country music video in 17 years, "Better Get to Livin'."

In 2008, Sedaris stars as principal Abby Hoffman in Nickelodeon TV's Gym Teacher: The Movie directed by her Strangers with Candy co-star Paul Dinello.

Bibliography

• Sedaris, Colbert, Dinello. Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That Just May Not (Hyperion, May 19, 2004) ISBN 0-7868-8696-X
• I Like You : Hospitality Under The Influence (Warner Books, October 16 2006) ISBN 0-446-57884-3

Selected filmography

• Gym Teacher: The Movie (2008)
• Tanner Hall (2008)
• Puberty: The Movie (2007) (voice)
• Dedication (2007)
• Snow Angels (2007)
• Shrek the Third (2007) (voice)
• Strangers with Candy (2006)
• I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006)
• Full Grown Men (2006)
• Chicken Little (2005) (voice)
• Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
• Bewitched (2005)
• My Baby's Daddy (2004)
• Elf (2003)
• School of Rock (2003)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002)
• Jump Tomorrow {2001}
• Strangers with Candy (1999) (TV series)
• Six Days Seven Nights (1998)

References

External links

• Amy Sedaris at the Internet Movie Database
• AmySedaris.com, "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence" by Amy Sedaris
• November 2001 interview from Paper magazine
• NPR's Weekend Edition interview with Amy Sedaris
• This American Life Episode 35 narrating a story with her brother, David Sedaris.
• Amy Sedaris shares her favorite NY places at ontheinside.info