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Nicole Sullivan, a native New Yorker, has been acting since she was seven. She attended Northwestern University, where she spent four years studying the classics, including Shakespeare and Chekhov. After graduating on the Dean's List, she joined the Greenwich Shakespeare Company.

Sullivan moved to Los Angeles and spent several years honing her waitressing and temping skills until she was hired by MAD TV as their youngest cast member. In the six years she worked on the FOX late-night sketch comedy show, she became known for her many recurring characters -- such as the Vancome Lady -- and her sometimes scathing impersonations of celebrities like Britney Spears and Meg Ryan.

In 2001 Sullivan joined the cast of "King of Queens" as Holly, the dog-walker. Her numerous television guest appearances include such shows as "Scrubs," "Law & Order: SVU," "Monk," "According to Jim" and "Party of Five." She has also been a guest on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."

In addition Sullivan lends her voice talents to a number of animated television shows, among them "Kim Possible," "Family Guy" and "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command."

Sullivan is engaged to actor Jason Packham. They live in the Hollywood Hills with their three rescue dogs, Jackson, Funsies and Donut.
(courtesy of ABC)
Upbeat, high-octane actress and comedienne Nicole Sullivan gravitated to dramatic performance at age seven and reportedly caught the comedy bug from her New York state assemblyman father and antiques dealer mother. After high school, Sullivan enrolled in the prestigious Northwestern University, then studied at London's British American Dramatic Academy for one year before settling in Hollywood in the early '90s. The actress reportedly endured a long string of failed auditions and failed television pilots upon arrival, though she eventually broke through to public recognition as one of the resident performers on the Fox network's revue comedy program MADtv. That only marked the beginning, and within a few years of her MAD debut, Sullivan branched out in innumerable directions, such as voicing Mira Nova in the direct-to-video animated sequel Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000) and making guest appearances on series programs including Crank Yankers, Monk, and Family Guy. Sullivan connected with much steadier work by signing on to play Holly Shumpert on seasons 4-6 of the popular Kevin James sitcom The King of Queens from 2001-2004, then moved into features, including the animated outings The Ant Bully (2006) and Meet the Robinsons (2007), and mirrored these accomplishments on the small screen with voiceover work on the animated series Slacker Cats. In 2008, Sullivan returned to the sitcom format with Rita Rocks; she played Rita Clements, a working wife and mother who moonlights as a rock star. Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

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