Rita Rudner Biography
Born: 1956
A favorite of the talk show circuit and a rarity in the age of brassy, outspoken female comics, Rita Rudner has a soft-spoken, low-key style that fronts for an incisive wit unmatched by the majority of her contemporaries. A Miami native who had starry-eyed, childhood dreams of dancing under the bright lights of Broadway, Rudner left home at the age of 15 and bypassed college to seek fame on the stage. Initial exposure in a traveling production of +Zorba preceded Broadway roles in +Annie and +Promises, Promises, and a bid to go solo a few years later sparked an interest in standup comedy. Though the prospect of "dying" on-stage (popular comedian-speak for bombing in front of an audience) frightened Rudner at first, she eventually gathered her nerves and became quite popular; in the years that followed, she gained nationwide exposure on the Johnny_Carson and David_Letterman shows. Her wry brand of observant and insightful comedy was inspired by the early work of Woody_Allen, and in 1990 she received an award for Best Female Standup Comedian. Her unique comic persona also gained a notable following in the U.K., where in 1990 Rudner headlined a short-lived BBC series. While in Britain, Rudner also found love with former BBC comedy writer Martin_Bergmann, who became her frequent writing partner. In addition to penning the screenplay for Kenneth_Branagh's film Peter's_Friends, the two also collaborated in the Bergmann-directed comedy A Weekend in the Country (1996). Though she made history by becoming the first female comic to be invited to a Friar's Club "roast," her frustration with the lack of roles for smart women was often evident in interviews. In 2003, Rudner took a stab at U.S. television with Ask_Rita, a daily talk/advice program. Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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