Iliza Shlesinger
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Iliza Vie Shlesinger ( ; born ) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and television host. She was the 2008 winner of
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's ''
Last Comic Standing ''Last Comic Standing'' is an American reality television talent competition show on NBC that aired from June 1, 2003, to August 9, 2010, and again in 2014 and 2015. Each season a comedian from an initially large group of hopefuls was picked as ...
'' and went on to host the syndicated dating show '' Excused'' from 2011 to 2013. She has hosted the TBS game show ''
Separation Anxiety Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is an anxiety disorder in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home and/or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment (e.g., a parent, caregive ...
''. In 2017, Shlesinger hosted her own late-night talk show called '' Truth & Iliza'' on Freeform. As of 2022, she has released six comedy specials on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
. Her sketch comedy show '' The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show'' premiered on Netflix in April 2020.


Early life

Iliza Vie Shlesinger was born on in New York City to a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family. She was raised in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, where her family moved when she was a baby. She attended the private Greenhill School in
Addison, Texas Addison is an incorporated town in Dallas County, Texas, United States. The 2020 census population was 16,661. Addison is immediately north of Dallas. Addison and Flower Mound were the only two Texas municipalities labeled "towns" with a popul ...
, where she studied Spanish and participated in the school's improvisation team. Shlesinger studied at the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
for one year, and participated in a Semester at Sea program. She transferred to
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...
in
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, where she majored in film. There, she became a member of one of the campus's comedy sketch groups, Jimmy's Traveling All Stars.


Career

Shlesinger performed with the ComedySportz Dallas, and after graduating from Emerson, moved to Los Angeles to pursue
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
. She was one of the most popular members of a group of standup comedians in Los Angeles, whiteboy comedy, which brought her to the stage at
The Improv The Improv is a comedy club franchise. It was founded as a single venue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City in 1963, and expanded into a chain of venues in the late 1970s. History Originally, it was a 50-seat single venue (whic ...
in Hollywood for the "Last Comic Standing" competition. In 2007, Shlesinger won
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's ''So You Think You're Funny'' contest, and was featured as the G4 network's ''Myspace Girl of the Week''. In 2008, she became the first woman, and the youngest, winner of
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's ''
Last Comic Standing ''Last Comic Standing'' is an American reality television talent competition show on NBC that aired from June 1, 2003, to August 9, 2010, and again in 2014 and 2015. Each season a comedian from an initially large group of hopefuls was picked as ...
'', in the series' sixth season. She was twice selected by other comedians to compete in the head-to-head eliminations, winning each time. She appeared in The Last Comic Standing Tour. Shlesinger worked with
Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion and cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series ''Lewis Black's ...
to contribute to ''Surviving the Holidays'', a
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
holiday special, and narrated the 2009 documentary ''Imagine It!² The Power of Imagination''. In 2010, she released an on-demand comedy video, ''Man Up and Act Like a Lady'', and an on-demand comedy album, ''iliza LIVE'', on her website, via The ConneXtion. Around the time of these releases, Shlesinger appeared in a business comedy video series for ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
''. Shlesinger hosted ''The Weakly News'' on TheStream.tv from July 2007 to April 2012. She also hosted '' Excused'', a syndicated American reality-based dating competition series, which ran from 2011 to 2013. She co-starred in the 2013 film ''
Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
''. As of April 2023, she was continuing an advice podcast called ''Truth and Iliza'', which she began in August 2014. Featuring celebrity guests and personal friends, the semi-weekly podcast is a forum for discussing matters which bother her and those on the show, with a punk theme song performed by Being Mean to Pixley. Shlesinger was comic co-host of '' StarTalk Radio Show'' with
Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysics, astrophysicist, author, and science communication, science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia Univ ...
for season 7, episode 12 titled ''Cosmic Queries: Galactic Grab Bag'' on May 20, 2016. On July 13, 2016, the ABC's streaming service premiered Shlesinger's "new short-form digital comedy series", ''Forever 31''. The series was created, written, and executive produced by, and starred Shlesinger. A late night show for Shlesinger was placed into development in September 2016 for the cable channel Freeform. '' Truth & Iliza'' began airing on May 2, 2017, and ran for six episodes. In March 2024, through the
Auckland High Court The Auckland High Court is a Gothic Revival courthouse in central Auckland, New Zealand. It is one of three locations nationwide used by the High Court of New Zealand. It is registered as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand. ...
in New Zealand, Shlesinger successfully liquidated a New Zealand production company 'Stripe Studios (Comedy)' for a payment that she was owed. Stripe Studios (Comedy) is a subsidiary of the larger 'Stripe Media Group' which was owned by British New Zealand producer
Alex Breingan Alex Breingan is a UK-born New Zealand television executive producer, television writer and former radio producer and host. Starting his career in UK commercial radio and later as a producer at the BBC, Breingan moved to New Zealand in 2002, wh ...
. The larger company was also put into liquidation, owing large amounts of money to debtors and actors, including
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on the soap ...
.


Netflix

Shlesinger's first comedy album and video, ''War Paint'', was recorded on December 1, 2012, at The Lakewood Theater in Dallas, Texas, and released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
on September 1, 2013. Her second stand-up special, ''Freezing Hot,'' was recorded in
Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, and premiered on Netflix on January 23, 2015. Her third Netflix stand-up special, titled ''Confirmed Kills'', was recorded at
The Vic Theatre The Vic Theatre is a music venue located in Chicago, Illinois. Vic Theatre can easily accommodate 1,400 people or with a seated capacity of 1,000. History Vic Theatre, designed by architect John Eberson, opened in 1912 as the Victoria Theatre. ...
in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, and premiered on Netflix on September 23, 2016. Her fourth Netflix stand-up special, ''Elder Millennial'', was recorded aboard , at the USS ''Hornet'' Sea, Air & Space Museum in
Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is built on an informal archipe ...
, on February 23, 2018, and premiered on Netflix on July 24, 2018. Her fifth Netflix stand-up special, ''Unveiled'' was recorded in
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
and premiered on Netflix on Nov 19, 2019. Shlesinger also stars in the March 2020 Netflix film ''
Spenser Confidential ''Spenser Confidential'' is a 2020 American action comedy film directed by Peter Berg, with a screenplay written by Sean O'Keefe and Brian Helgeland, and based on characters created by Robert B. Parker. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke ...
'', and '' The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show'', which premiered April 1, 2020. Shlesinger has stated that she intentionally hired a diverse team of writers so her sketches would appeal to a racially diverse audience, also intending her comedy was not "just for women." Released on Netflix on January 7, 2021, following its world premiere on September 4, 2020, at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, Shlesinger played Anita Weiss in ''
Pieces of a Woman ''Pieces of a Woman'' is a 2020 melodrama film directed by Kornél Mundruczó, from a screenplay by Kata Wéber. The film stars Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Jimmie Fails, and Ellen B ...
'', the sister to Martha, the main character. She starred, wrote, and executive produced the romantic comedy film '' Good on Paper'', which premiered on Netflix on June 23, 2021. Her sixth stand-up comedy special ''Iliza Shlesinger: Hot Forever'' premiered on Netflix in October 2022.


Amazon Prime

Shlesinger's first comedy special for
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...
, "A Different Animal," was recorded at the
Eccles Theater The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater (commonly shortened to the Eccles Theater) is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Opened in 2016, it hosts touring Broadway shows, concerts, and other entertainment events. The primary "Delta Performanc ...
in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
and debuted March 11, 2025. It is listed as the first part of a series for the streaming service.


Other television credits

Shlesinger's television credits include
E! Network E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies. ...
's ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
Celebrity 100'',
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
's ''America's Next Top Producer'', ''
Comedy Central Presents ''Comedy Central Presents'' is an American stand-up comedy television series created for Comedy Central. It is the network's main half-hour program which highlights either one or a series of stand-up comedians each episode. In 2011, the series ...
'', ''
John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show ''John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show'' is a stand-up comedy television series that aired on Comedy Central in the United States. Hosted by British-American comedian John Oliver, the show featured new material by both up-and-coming and establishe ...
'',
Byron Allen Byron Allen (born Byron Allen Folks on April 22, 1961) is an American businessman, film and television producer, and comedian. He is the founder of the American media company Allen Media Group (formerly Entertainment Studios), which has intere ...
's ''
Comics Unleashed ''Comics Unleashed'' is a half-hour comedy talk show produced by the Entertainment Studios production company and hosted by Byron Allen, with John Cramer as announcer and DJ Cobra or sometimes DJ A1 providing music support. It originally ran fr ...
'', and
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
's ''History of a Joke''. Shlesinger also had her own show on GOTV's mobile network.


Writing

Shlesinger has written for
Heavy.com Heavy (stylized as Heavy.com and heavy.) is a sports news website based in New York City. It publishes sports news and information for an American audience, with a focus on the NFL, NBA and MLB. History Heavy was founded by Simon Assaad and Da ...
. On November 7, 2017, Weinstein Books published Shlesinger's book ''Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity'' with an introduction by
Mayim Bialik Mayim Chaya Bialik ( ; born December 12, 1975) is an American actress, author, and former game show host. From 1991 to 1995, she played the title character of the NBC sitcom ''Blossom (American TV series), Blossom''. From 2010 to 2019, she play ...
. Shlesinger published her second book, ''All Things Aside: Absolutely Correct Opinions'', on October 11 2022.


Politics

Shlesinger describes herself as liberal, and has spoken publicly in support of abortion rights, trans rights, and the
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
movement. She is a vocal supporter of
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, signing an open letter by
Creative Community for Peace Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a pro-Israel organization which works to counter anti-Israel sentiment in the entertainment industry. It was founded in 2011 by David Renzer, Steve Schnur, and Ran Geffen-Lifshitz. CCFP is strongly oppose ...
following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, which called for the entertainment community to stand with the nation as "it defends itself against a terrorist regime in Gaza that seeks Israel's destruction. Later that month, Shlesinger wrote an article in ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' denouncing the rise in
Antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
following the attack, and claiming that "if Israel put down their guns, no one else would, and there would be no more Israel." In January 2024, Shlesinger,
Chelsea Handler Chelsea Joy Handler (born February 25, 1975) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, television host, and producer. She hosted the late-night talk show '' Chelsea Lately'' on the E! network from 2007 to 2014 and released a documenta ...
and Mayim Bialik spearheaded a fundraiser for the organization United Hatzalah of Israel.


Personal life

In December 2017, it was reported Shlesinger was sued by a man who was denied admission to one of her girls-only shows. The initial complaint was dismissed and then refiled as a class action suit. Shlesinger married chef Noah Galuten on May 12, 2018, in a Jewish ceremony in Los Angeles. They had a daughter in 2022, and a son in 2024.


Video works


Comedy specials


Television


Film


References


External links

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Iliza Shlesinger
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shlesinger, Iliza 1983 births Living people 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American screenwriters Comedians from New York City Comedians from Dallas Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Texas Actresses from New York City Actresses from Dallas American television actresses American film actresses American sketch comedians American stand-up comedians American television writers American women screenwriters American women comedians American women television writers Jewish American actresses Jewish American comedians Jewish women comedians Greenhill School alumni Emerson College alumni University of Kansas alumni American feminists Last Comic Standing winners