"People who shop in health food stores never look healthy." -- Amy Sedaris
Amy Sedaris (born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, author and comedian. She is perhaps best known for playing the character Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central television series Strangers with Candy. Sedaris regularly collaborates with her older brother, humorist and author David Sedaris. She is recognized as a frequent guest on The Late Show with David Letterman.
"Books are challenging and inspirational to me.""But I always like to play ugly people who think they're pretty.""But I love how people who are musical, they know how to dress.""David and Dad didn't get along too well growing up. I mean we all got along, but it was harder on David, because David wasn't going to be the son that Dad wanted. But now they're like best friends.""I always find something to keep me busy.""I always got along with all types of people - popular people as well as drug addicts.""I choose to do unattractive people, because then I can pretend they think they're attractive.""I failed first grade, which is my biggest problem. You always feel like a failure, like you're stupid.""I hate playing pretty or sane people. Most people are not attractive or all there.""I have always wanted a bunny and I'll always have a rabbit the rest of my life.""I have no desire to carry a movie.""I just like to have the ideas. Other people can help see them through.""I live in the moment.""I really don't like going out. I don't like restaurants because I don't like the idea of someone, a waitress, being responsible for my evening. I like seconds, and more, and lots of conversation, and I've always hated the idea that in a restaurant an evening just ends. I find that incredibly depressing.""I stayed in New York City for the first time, I'd always wanted to do that.""I swear I want to be a food model.""I'd rather have a part where you walk into a room and you leave. That's perfect for me.""I'm gonna do the whole bedroom in camel color - it's an old lady color.""I'm not a first-place person.""I'm not ambitious.""It was more of their quirky show. It was more like a cult show. The ratings weren't really that high.""More men than women like 'Strangers With Candy'. Pretty girls don't like the show. They don't like to see an ugly lady.""My characters always like themselves.""My father and I have a very good relationship. We always got along. But I always scold him.""My kitchen's pink, like skin-tone pink, and I lowered my spice rack so it's eye level - it's true! - and my phone, so I can reach it when I fall, it's right there.""My mom used to say that Greek Easter was later because then you get stuff cheaper.""They just expected it to you know... Paul, Steve and I could have hired our own publicist, if we wanted to, but I kind of liked the way it was more of a cult thing and those that liked it, liked it, you know what I mean?""Well I went to New Orleans to cover the jazz festival for Trio, it's this new arts channel, it's really great.""Whenever I do your show, sometimes I get a little check in the mail and then I take that check and buy a new pair of shoes, and then I wear those shoes the next time I do your show.""You know when you watch old movies, it's always the small parts you remember, the character actors who come in like a breath of fresh air."
Sedaris was born in Endicott, New York, the daughter of Sharon and Lou Sedaris, and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina with her brother - the author, humorist, and playwright David Sedaris. She is of half Greek descent; her father was Greek Orthodox and her mother was Protestant, and she remains Greek Orthodox.
Sedaris resides in Greenwich Village, New York City, 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. In an appearance on May 21, 2009, she spoke of a recent marriage to her husband, Glenn (who is imaginary; Amy is not married in real life).
Sedaris and her Strangers with Candy co-star Paul Dinello dated for eight years. Though their relationship ended, they have remained very close friends.
A former member of Chicago-based Second City and Annoyance Theatre comedy troupes, her first major foray into television began in 1995 on the Comedy Central sketch show, Exit 57, which also starred Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello. The show was cancelled after three seasons.
Beginning in 1999, Sedaris portrayed Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central series Strangers with Candy. The show, which she co-wrote with Dinello and Colbert, was based on Sedaris's impression of 1970s motivational speaker Florrie Fisher. The show ran for three seasons and would later inspire a full-length movie.
Sedaris has made numerous guest appearances on a number of different TV programs, including Rescue Me, Monk, Wonder Showzen, Just Shoot Me!, Sex and the City, My Name Is Earl, The Closer,The Middle and Sesame Street. Sedaris also hosted the series Film Fanatic on Trio.
Sedaris has appeared on many talk shows, including The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. In 2008 Sedaris appearared on Chelsea Lately during which she gave host Chelsea Handler a presentation concerning vaginal hygiene with the aid of a plush vagina created by fashion designer Todd Oldham.
In 2007, Sedaris was featured in Dolly Parton's first mainstream country music video in 14 years, "Better Get to Livin'."
It was announced in October 2008 that Sedaris would be getting her own sitcom, produced by 20th Century Fox, which she will be creating, writing and starring in. Also in late 2008, Sedaris did voiceovers in several commercials for the discount hair salon SuperCuts.
In January 2009, Sedaris narrated the PBS special Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, a six-hour documentary on comedians and comedy in American history.
In 2010, she will appear as a supporting character in the Canadian comedy series The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour. She also voiced Ms. Davis, the Woodview School's debate club teacher in the WordGirl episode "Cleanup on Aisle Eleven"
Film
Sedaris has had small roles in a number of films, including Elf, School of Rock, Maid in Manhattan, Bewitched, Snow Angels, Full Grown Men, Shrek the Third, and Chicken Little. She also starred in the 2006 film adaptation of Strangers with Candy.She also voiced Cinderella in Shrek the Third and reprised her role in Shrek Forever After.In 2008, Sedaris starred as principal Abby Hofman in Nickelodeon TV's The Movie, directed by her Strangers with Candy co-star Paul Dinello.
Print and other work
Her new book, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People! (2010). She coauthored the text-and-picture novel Wigfield with Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert, published in 2003. , 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 more than 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": Stump the Host (1993), Stitches (1994), One Woman Shoe (1995), Incident at Cobblers Knob (1997) and The Little Frieda Mysteries. 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.
In addition to acting and writing, she runs a cupcake and cheese ball business, Dusty Food Cupcakes, out of her home kitchen.
She was the host at the Annual Microsoft Company Meeting held at Safeco field in Seattle on September 28, 2010.
