Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth (born January 12, 1965) is an American actress,

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

, author, and producer.

Early life

Wentworth's mother,

Muffie Cabot Mabel "Muffie" Wentworth Brandon Cabot (née Hobart; born c. 1936) is an American heiress and socialite. During the 1980s she served as social secretary to Nancy Reagan. She is the mother of actress Ali Wentworth. Early life A member of an Am ...

(née Mabel Bryant Hobart), was

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in Ne ...

White House social secretary The White House social secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Function The social ...

from 1981 to 1983. Her father, Eric Wentworth, was a reporter for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

.''''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'
"Bubbled Up"
March 8, 1999, Retrieved April 13, 2020 Her stepfather, Henry Brandon, was the

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

correspondent for ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and her maternal grandmother was Janet Elliott Wulsin, an explorer. Wentworth attended the

Dana Hall School Dana Hall School is an independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 5-12 located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1881 by Henry F. Durant, Dana Hall originally served as Wellesley College's preparatory program. Notable alumnae ...

for Girls in

Wellesley, Massachusetts Wellesley () is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Wellesley is part of Greater Boston. The population was 29,550 at the time of the 2020 census. Wellesley College, Babson College, and a campus of Massachusetts Bay Communit ...

, and studied drama at

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Annandale-on-Hudson is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States, located in the Hudson Valley town of Red Hook, across the Hudson River from Kingston. The hamlet consists mainly of the Bard College campus. Municipal services Emerge ...

before she graduated from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

Career

Wentworth debuted as a cast member on the Fox

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...

series ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in ...

'' from 1992 to 1994. On the program she was known for performing impressions of

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

Amy Fisher Amy Elizabeth Fisher (born August 21, 1974) is an American woman who became known in the media as "the Long Island Lolita" in 1992, when, at the age of 17, she shot and severely wounded Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of Joey Buttafuoco, with whom ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film '' Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a caree ...

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...

, and other characters. Her recurring characters included Candy Cane, a deranged kids' show host who had had a string of bad relationships with her male coworkers, and the promiscuous teenage daughter of Grandpa Jack McGee (

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...

) on ''The Dysfunctional Home Show''. Wentworth made appearances as a correspondent on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

'' and ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

''. In 1995, she played Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend Sheila ("Schmoopie") in the memorable "

Soup Nazi "The Soup Nazi" is the 116th episode of the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which was the sixth episode of the seventh season. It first aired in the United States on November 2, 1995. The Soup Nazi is also the nickname of the eponymous character, Yev K ...

" episode of ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...

.'' She had a recurring role as the boss of the title character on the WB series '' Felicity.'' In 2003, she co-hosted the syndicated talk show '' Living It Up! with Ali & Jack'' with Jack Ford. Since that show's cancellation and before, she has been a regular part of the guest host rotation for ''

Live with Kelly and Ryan ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...

'' when

Kelly Ripa Kelly Ripa (; born October 2, 1970) is an American actress and talk show host. Since 2001, she has been the co-host of the syndicated morning talk show '' Live! with Kelly and Ryan'' in various formats. As an actress, Ripa's best known roles ...

is on vacation or has other commitments. Wentworth starred in the comedy '' Head Case'' on the

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz cons ...

television network. She guest starred on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

show '' The Marriage Ref.'' She hosted ''Daily Shot'', a short daily talk show segment on

Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Mana ...

Shine. In 2016, Wentworth created and starred in '' Nightcap'' as the lead character Staci Cole. The series was broadcast for two seasons. Wentworth appeared as a celebrity guest on the July 23, 2017 episode (S2 E07) of '' The $100,000 Pyramid'', opposite

Kathy Najimy Kathy Ann Najimy ( ; ar, كاثي ان نجيمي ; born February 6, 1957) is an American actress and activist. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Soapdish'' (1991), ''Sister Act'' (1992), '' Hocus Pocus'' (1993), ''Hope Floats'' (1 ...

, helping her contestant partner win the $150,000 grand prize. In 2020, Wentworth launched a podcast ''Go Ask Ali'' in partnership with shondaland audio. In 2022, she published a book, ''Ali's Well That Ends Well'', about finding humor in the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Personal life

Wentworth is married to

George Stephanopoulos George Robert Stephanopoulos ( el, Γεώργιος Στεφανόπουλος ; born February 10, 1961) is an American television host, political commentator, and former Democratic advisor. Stephanopoulos currently is a coanchor with Robin Robe ...

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show '' Good Morning America'', '' ...

chief anchor, correspondent and former political adviser to the

Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over ...

. They met on a

blind date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...

in April 2001 and were engaged two months later. They married on November 20, 2001, at the

Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity The Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, at 319–337 East 74th Street on the Upper East Side in New York City, New York, is a Neo-Byzantine-style Greek Orthodox church. It serves as the national cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Archdioce ...

on New York City's Upper East Side in a lengthy service. They have two daughters: Elliott Anastasia Stephanopoulos (born September 9, 2002) and Harper Andrea Stephanopoulos (born June 2, 2005). In an episode of '' Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'', Wentworth said a "well-known writer" once offered $40,000 to spend a night with her.Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, First Cup: Episode 20, "Ali Wentworth: I'm Going to Take a Percocet"

Bibliography

* ''The WASP Cookbook'', Warner Adult, 1997. . * ''Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales,'' 2012, Harper Collins * ''Happily Ali After: And Other Fairly True Tales'', HarperCollins, 2015. . . * ''Go Ask Ali: Half-Baked Advice (and Free Lemonade)'', Harper, 2018. . * ''Ali's Well that Ends Well'', HarperCollins, 2022.

Screen credits

Actress

*1992: ''

'' ... Various (63 episodes, 1992–1994) *1994: '' Hardball'' ... Lee Emory (unknown episodes) *1995: ''

'' ... Sheila (1 episode, 1995) *1996: ''Life Among the Cannibals'' ... Suicidal Singer *1996: ''Big Packages'' ... Susan *1996: ''

Jerry Maguire ''Jerry Maguire'' is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film written, produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe; it stars Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, and Regina King. Produced in part by James L. Brooks, it was ins ...

'' ... Bobbi Fallon *1997: ''

Trial and Error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (18 ...

'' ... Tiffany Whitfield *1997: '' The Real Blonde'' ... Raina *1997: ''

The Love Bug ''The Love Bug'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and the first in a franchise by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 19 ...

'' (TV) ... Alex Davis *1999: ''

Office Space ''Office Space'' is a 1999 American black comedy film written and directed by Mike Judge. It satirizes the worklife of a typical 1990s software company, focusing on a handful of individuals weary of their jobs. It stars Ron Livingston, Jennife ...

'' ... Anne *1999: '' Felicity'' ... Abby (2 episodes) *2000: '' Meeting Daddy'' ... Melanie Branson *2001: ''

Call Me Claus ''Call Me Claus'' is a 2001 American made-for-television Christmas comedy film directed by Peter Werner and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Nigel Hawthorne. The movie involves Santa Claus (Hawthorne) who needs a replacement Santa after serving his 2 ...

'' ... Lucy *2009: '' It's Complicated'' ... Diane *2016–2017: '' Nightcap'' ... Staci Cole

Self

*2012–14: ''Daily Shot With Ali Wentworth'' ... Host *2014: '' Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'' (Crackle.com) ... Herself (season 5, episode 6) *2015–22: ''

'' ... Guest Host *2022: '' Would I Lie to You? (US)''... Herself (Episode: "Banana Bread") *2022: '' The Parent Test''...Host

Writer / Producer

*2007: '' Head Case'' (28 episodes, 2007–2009)

References

External links

* * *
Alexandra Wentworth in Starz Head CaseHead Games with Ali Wentworth
''tv.com'', Laura Swisher, January 30, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wentworth, Alexandra American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Bard College alumni Living people 1965 births American women comedians 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Washington, D.C. American television personalities American women television personalities Writers from Washington, D.C. American cookbook writers American memoirists Women cookbook writers American women memoirists Comedians from Washington, D.C. 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Dana Hall School alumni