Casey Wilson
Casey Wilson | |
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![]() Wilson at the PaleyFest Fall TV Previews 2014 for Marry Me | |
Born | Cathryn Rose Wilson October 24, 1980 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
Alma mater | New York University Stella Adler Studio of Acting |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2002–present |
Known for | Happy Endings Saturday Night Live Black Monday The Shrink Next Door |
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson[1] (born October 24, 1980)[2][3] is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter.
Originally known for her performances with the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe in New York City, Wilson's first major television appearances came during her two-season stint as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2009. Following SNL, she starred as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series Happy Endings for which she was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and has since starred in comedies such as Showtime's Black Monday, Apple TV's The Shrink Next Door, Hulu's The Hotwives and Marry Me on NBC.
Other notable work includes supporting roles in films such as
Early life and background
Casey Wilson was born and raised in
She is of
Her father, Paul O. Wilson, is a political strategist and consultant who runs campaigns for Republican party candidates.[10] Her mother, Kathy Higdon, was a women's rights advocate and served as the chairwoman of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) throughout the 1980s.[5] Under Higdon's leadership, the NWPC endorsed Walter Mondale in the 1984 presidential election.[5]
Kathy Higdon Wilson retired from politics in the late 1980s; switching to a career in early childhood education, she began serving as the director of childcare and development centers in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1991.[5] She died of heart failure at age 54 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on September 1, 2005.[5] Casey Wilson and her family have since continued to run the Kathy Wilson Foundation, a charitable organization honoring her mother's work in helping children with disabilities.[11]
Wilson's passion for performing began at an early age, and she has said that her first memorable exposure to theater came when her father took her to New York City to see a production of Cats, inspiring her to create her own plays.[12]
When Wilson was nine years old, her father built her a homemade stage in the family's backyard, where she put on plays with other children from the neighborhood. From there, she started taking singing and acting lessons as a teenager. She became involved in her high school's theater program, starring in (and occasionally directing) many of the school's plays and musicals, including a production of The Sound of Music, in which she played the lead role of Maria.[13]
While studying acting at the Stella Adler School of Dramatic Arts, Wilson originally set out to be a dramatic actress, but later started to focus on comedy at the suggestion of an acting teacher.[14]
After graduating from NYU in 2002, Wilson and her best friend from college,
Wilson has cited her biggest influences as Catherine O'Hara, Diane Keaton, Madeline Kahn, Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Molly Shannon, Cheri Oteri, Debra Winger, and Shirley MacLaine.[3][12][16]
Career
Wilson started her comedy career writing and performing with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB) in New York and later in Los Angeles.[7] At UCB, she was a member of the Harold improv teams "Mr. and Mrs. All-Star", "Sentimental Lady", and "Hey, Uncle Gary!".[17]
Among her best-known work at UCB was the long-running two-woman sketch show Rode Hard and Put Away Wet, written and performed alongside her comedy partner and best friend June Diane Raphael; the show ran from 2003 to 2006 in New York and Los Angeles and was an official selection at 2005's
Wilson and Raphael's comedic partnership has since branched out into an active writing career in film and television. They co-wrote their first screenplay for the comedy Bride Wars, in which they also played supporting roles.[19] They landed a development deal with UPN in 2005 to create a half-hour comedy pilot. In 2007 they worked as writers and story editors on the Americanized version of Creature Comforts on CBS.[citation needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Casey_Wilson_2013_1.jpg/241px-Casey_Wilson_2013_1.jpg)
Wilson made her film acting debut as an acting student in the final scene of the 2006
Wilson continues to collaborate with writing partner June Diane Raphael on scripts for film and television. They have worked on numerous script rewrites for films in development, such as projects with Anna Faris and America Ferrera attached to star.[20] As writer-performers, Wilson and Raphael also continue to generate material for themselves. They wrote and starred together in the comedy Ass Backwards, which co-stars Alicia Silverstone, Jon Cryer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Paul Scheer, and Bob Odenkirk. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2013.[21] Wilson and Raphael are working on a second film to star in together, produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's company Gary Sanchez Productions.[22]
Wilson's theater and stage work includes joining the 2010 rotating cast of the Off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore (written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron) at Manhattan's Westside Theatre.[23] She also contributed short stories to the 2010 book Worst Laid Plans, based on the long-running stage show, in which she co-starred. Wilson and June Diane Raphael created their newest comedic stage show The Realest Real Housewives, which they star in alongside Jessica St. Clair, Melissa Rauch, Danielle Schneider and Morgan Walsh. The show began running at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2011.[24]
From April 2011 to May 2013, Wilson starred as Penny Hartz in the
Wilson again collaborated with her husband
Wilson's other television credits include guest appearances on
In 2019, Wilson wrote and directed the short film Daddio starring Michael McKean, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2019.[citation needed]
In 2021, Wilson starred alongside Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Kathryn Hahn in the Apple TV+ mini-series The Shrink Next Door, based on the popular Wondery podcast of the same name. In addition, her book of humorous essays, The Wreckage of My Presence was published on May 4, 2021, by HarperCollins and made the New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction works.[citation needed] In 2024, Wilson and Jessica St. Clair wrote and narrated the audiobook The Art of Small Talk, which includes interviews with Amy Poehler, Colin Quinn, Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Hale, and June Diane Raphael, and others.[27]
In 2024, Wilson took over for Ellie Kemper as host of season 7 of The Great American Baking Show on The Roku Channel, after also hosting the "Celebrity Holiday Special" in 2023.
Saturday Night Live
After auditioning in late 2007, Wilson was hired in January 2008 to join the cast of
Notable characters on SNL
Wilson has performed as a number of notable characters on Saturday Night Live:
- Dusty Velvet, a strip club dancer who was left paralyzed from the neck down following a freak Tilt-A-Whirl accident, and refuses to let it stop her from performing her act. She is only able to perform her "erotic moves" with the assistance of Donnie (played by Ashton Kutcher) the strip club manager.
- Nora Maharelle, part of the singing sisterly quartet The Maharelle Sisters who are regularly featured on The Lawrence Welk Show. Their otherwise flawless performances are always ruined by the fourth sister, Dooneese (played by Kristen Wiig), because of her off-key singing and freakish appearance.
- Toni Ward, one of the cougars who co-hosts The Cougar Den. She is distinguished by her deep voice and offbeat methods for pursuing younger men. For example, she says that for Valentine's Day: "I'm going to suck down some Jello shooters and wander around USC's campus wearing a T-shirt that says: 'I'll pay you and this won't get messy.'"
Celebrity impressions
- Chelsea Clinton
- Christina Hendricks
- Elizabeth Dole
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Ginnifer Goodwin
- Jennifer Aniston
- Karen Dotrice
- Katy Perry
- Mariam Budia
- Robin Coleman
Podcasting
On December 2, 2015, Wilson and comedian
Personal life
Wilson lives in
Wilson shares her family's interest in politics. She was a supporter of
Wilson and her family maintain the charitable Kathy Wilson Foundation, established in 2005, which focuses on children with disabilities. The foundation screens three- and four-year-olds in the Alexandria community for disabilities. Her father Paul Wilson serves as president, with Wilson and her brother Fletcher serving as vice presidents.[11] The foundation distributes donations and grants to local area preschools and childcare centers in Virginia every year.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Virgin | Girlfriend | |
2006 | Derek & Simon: A Bee and a Cigarette
|
Anna | Short film |
2006 | For Your Consideration | Young Actress | |
2007 | The Brothers Solomon | Fertility Clinic Worker | |
2007 | The Definition of Sex | Abby | Short film |
2008 | The Great Buck Howard | Charity | |
2009 | Bride Wars | Stacey Kindred | Also screenwriter |
2009 | Julie & Julia | Regina | |
2010 | Killers | Kristen | |
2011 | Freak Dance | Rich Lady | |
2012 | The Guilt Trip | Amanda | |
2013 | C.O.G. | Martha | |
2013 | Ass Backwards | Chloë West | Also screenwriter, executive producer |
2014 | Jason Nash Is Married | Rose | |
2014 | Gone Girl | Noëlle Hawthorne | |
2015 | The Breakup Girl | Catherine “Kate” Lanley | |
2015 | Bad Night | Tattoo Artist | |
2016 | Me Him Her | Cynthia | |
2016 | The Meddler | Trish | |
2016 | Why Him? | Missy Pederman | |
2017 | Don't Mess with Julie Whitfield | Julie Whitfield | Short film |
2017 | The Disaster Artist | Casting Director #2 | |
2018 | The Long Dumb Road | Sharon Richards | |
2019 | Always Be My Maybe | Chloë | |
2019 | Daddio | Abby | Short film; also director and screenwriter |
2020 | Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia | TBA | |
2021 | Long Weekend | Rachel | |
2022 | Family Squares | Katie Worth | |
2022 | The Listener | Ruby | |
2024 | Adult Best Friends | TBA |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Ed | Student | Episode: "Memory Lane" |
2005 | Sports Central | Correspondent | Comedy Central pilot |
2007 | Creature Comforts America
|
Interviewer (voice) | Episode: "Working/For the Birds/Love, Animal Style" Writer and story editor |
Human Giant | Young Mom | Episode: "Let's Go" | |
Revenge | Sarah | FOX sitcom pilot | |
The Right Now! Show | Cast Member | FOX sketch show pilot | |
The Very Funny Show | Cast Member | TBS sketch comedy web series | |
2008–09 | Saturday Night Live | Cast Member | 30 episodes (2 seasons) |
2008 | Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday | Various | 2 episodes |
2009 | Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | Neighbor Lady ("Pie Sniffer" sketch) | Episode #1.26 |
2010 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Various voices | 2 episodes |
The Life & Times of Tim | Various voices | 2 episodes | |
2011 | Bored to Death | Patti Stevenson | Episode: "Two Large Pearls and a Bar of Gold" |
NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Ghost Gabber | Episode: "One Cabeza, Two Cabeza, Three Cabeza... Dead!" | |
Retired at 35 | Amy Robbins | Episode: "Pilot" | |
2011–13 | Happy Endings | Penny Hartz | Main role, 57 episodes |
2012 | Chelsea Lately | Guest host | Episode #6.184 |
First Dates with Toby Harris | Naomi | Episode: "Drinking" | |
Happy Endings: Happy Rides | Penny Hartz | Web series | |
2012–13 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Herself / Eugenia Clemente | 2 episodes |
2013 | Burning Love
|
Aunt Pam (voice) | 4 episodes |
How I Met Your Mother | Krirsten | Episode: "Something New" | |
The Jeselnik Offensive | Panelist | Episode: "Adam Pally and Casey Wilson" | |
Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Freda (voice) | Episode: "Freda" | |
Filthy Sexy Teen$
|
Meg Berg | Adult Swim TV special | |
The Millers
|
Beth | Episode: "The Talk" | |
2013–14 | Drunk History | Dolly Parton / Dolley Madison | 2 episodes |
2014 | The Middle | Reverend Tammy
|
Episode: "Stormy Moon" |
The Birthday Boys | Officer Jill Vickers | Episode: "Women Are Funny" | |
2014–15 | Marry Me | Annie Fletcher | Main role, 18 episodes |
The Hotwives | Tawny St. John / Jenfer Beudon | Main role, 14 episodes | |
2015 | Kroll Show | Genie | 2 episodes |
Turbo FAST
|
Ember (voice) | Episode: "Crow Pox/Faking Amends" | |
The League | Claire | Episode: "The Block" | |
2015–16 | One Mississippi | Brooke | Recurring; 3 episodes |
2015–23 | American Dad! | Trish / various voices | 12 episodes |
2016 | Grey's Anatomy | Courtney Hall | Episode: "Odd Man Out" |
Fresh Off the Boat | Helen | Episode: "Doing It Right" | |
Animals.
|
Queen Ant (voice) | Episode: "Squirrels Part II" | |
Hail Mary | Mary Wolf | ABC sitcom pilot | |
Littlest Pet Shop | Felina Meow (voice) | 2 episodes | |
Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ | Jen | Episode: "Victoria Awakens" | |
2017 | Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special | Herself | Variety special |
Throwing Shade
|
Sally Baker | Episode #1.1 | |
Drive Share | Paisley | Episode: "New Parents" | |
Black-ish | Patrice | Episode: "ToysRn'tUs" | |
The Mindy Project | Elena | Episode: "Mindy's Best Friend" | |
The Sackett Sisters | Sutton Sackett | NBC sitcom pilot | |
Curb Your Enthusiasm | Marie Deschamps / Jenny Johnson | Episode: "Fatwa!" | |
2018–23 | Family Guy | Jess Schlotz / Dottie / various voices | 5 episodes |
2018 | Heathers | Lexi Anne | 2 episodes |
Atypical | Ms. Whitaker | 6 episodes | |
Champaign ILL | Jen | Episode: "Loop De Loop Fastballs" | |
2019 | Mrs. Fletcher | Jane Rosen | 5 episodes |
2019–21 | Archibald's Next Big Thing | Wendi Powers (voice) | 11 episodes |
Black Monday | Tiffany Georgina | Main role, 24 episodes | |
2020 | Delilah | Margaret Childs-Austin | HBO Max pilot |
Katy Keene | Casey Wilson | Episode: "Chapter Eleven: Who Can I Turn To?" | |
2020–22 | Grace and Frankie | Taneth Fairlight | 2 episodes |
2021 | Solar Opposites | Jen, Stacey Grabowski (voice) | Episode: "The Rad Awesome Terrific Ray" |
The Shrink Next Door | Bonnie Herschkopf | Main role, 8 episodes | |
2022 | Human Resources | Empathy Mulholland (voice) | Episode: "Training Day" |
Better Things | Yancey | Episode: "Jesus Saves" | |
Home Economics | Harmony | 2 episodes | |
The Santa Clauses | Adult Sara | Episode: "Chapter One: Good to Ho" | |
2023 | Harley Quinn | Betty (voice) | Episode: "A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special" |
History of the World, Part II | Mother Mary
|
2 episodes | |
The Righteous Gemstones | Kristy Downes | 2 episodes | |
Physical | Deb | 5 episodes | |
2023–24 | The Great American Baking Show | Host | Roku Channel |
Discography
Podcast
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009–2021 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Herself | 9 episodes |
2010–2019 | How Did This Get Made? | Herself | 4 episodes |
2015–present | Bitch Sesh | Co-host | |
2017 | With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus | Tracy | 1 episode |
2017–2018 | Womp It Up! | Marissa Willard | 2 episodes |
2022 | Fed Up | Host | 6 episodes |
2023 | Garbage Sesh | Co-host |
References
- ^ "Raphael Interviews Wilson". Funny or Die. May 29, 2008. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Casey Wilson: Penny on ABC's 'Happy Endings'". ABC Medianet. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
Birthdate: October 24
- ^ a b Dean, David (December 9, 2010). "Casey Wilson Is Your Dream Girl, You Just Might Not Know It Yet". Archived from the original on March 18, 2012.
I just turned 30....
- ^ "The JV Club #61: Casey Wilson". Nerdist.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ a b c d e f Holley, Joe (September 7, 2005). "Kathy Wilson Dies; Led Women's Political Caucus". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ a b Ann, Mary (2011-04-10). "Alexandria's Casey Wilson Continues to Give Back - Old Town Alexandria, VA Patch". Oldtownalexandria.patch.com. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
- ^ Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Archived from the originalon May 22, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ "Casey Wilson on the "You Made It Weird" podcast". Nerdist.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "Casey Wilson: Happy Endings - The Treatment on KCRW 89.9 FM | Internet Public Radio Station Streaming Live Independent Music & NPR News Online from Los Angeles, CA". Kcrw.com. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "Chelsea Lately: Casey Wilson". YouTube. December 5, 2011. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Kathy Wilson Foundation official website". Kathywilsonfoundation.org. 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ a b "June Raphael & Casey Wilson, Rode Hard and Put Away Wet". Actorslife. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ "A Comedian and a Candidate Share a Big 'Saturday Night'". Washington Post. February 25, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "T.C.'s Casey Wilson making her mark writing, producing, performing". Connection Newspapers. October 22, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "Casey Wilson brings sketch comedy show to Alexandria to honor her late mother". Connection Newspapers. April 27, 2006. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "Celebrity Scoop: Casey Wilson". Zap2it. December 14, 2011. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ "Exclusive Interview: Casey Wilson, Newest 'SNL' Cast Member". Gawker.com. 2008-02-22. Archived from the original on 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
- ^ Farley, Christopher John (September 23, 2011). "Casey Wilson on Why 'Happy Endings' Almost Didn't Have One". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (November 12, 2006). ""Bride" nears the altar". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
- ^ "Rising Star: Casey Wilson". Access Hollywood. May 22, 2008. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ Sragow, Michael (June 3, 2010). "Casey Wilson on the Fast Laugh Track". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ Yamato, Jen (2013-11-18). "Gary Sanchez Springs For June Diane Raphael & Casey Wilson Feature Pitch". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore announces new rotating cast members". Newyorktheatreguide.com. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "The Realest Real Housewives at UCB: A Celebration of the Best Show Ever". LA Weekly. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 14, 2020). "'Happy Endings' Cast Reunites For Pandemic-Themed Zoom Charity Special". Deadline. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Happy Endings Special Charity Event". YouTube. July 21, 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ Barilla, Chris (2024-03-21). "Casey Wilson and Jessica St. Clair's Trailer for The Art of Small Talk Audiobook". People.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ "Casey Wilson Talks Up North County Super Show". Independent.com. 2009-10-05. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ Wright, Tom (December 15, 2016). "The 10 Best Comedy Podcasts of 2016". Vulture. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ Wellen, Brianna (December 5, 2016). "Our favorite podcasts of 2016". A.V. Club. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ Sadlier, Allison (December 22, 2016). "The 10 Best Podcasts of 2016". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (2022-05-12). "Wondery, Amazon Music Unveil Upcoming Podcast Slate (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ Duggins, Alexi; Richardson, Hollie; Verdier, Hannah; Braidwood, Ella (2022-08-04). "Best podcasts of the week: How one of history's biggest call centre scams was exposed". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ Mallozzi, Vincent (May 24, 2014). "Their Life Is a Laugh Riot". New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^ McRady, Rachel (May 26, 2014). "Casey Wilson Married! Happy Endings Star Wed David Caspe in Intimate California Wedding". Us Weekly. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^ Marquina, Sierra (May 21, 2015). "Casey Wilson Gives Birth to First Child". Us Weekly. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ Fernandez, Alexia (August 24, 2017). "Casey Wilson Welcomes Son Henry Bear One Month Before Due Date: 'He's Perfectly Fine'". People. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- OCLC 794712888. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Casey Wilson at IMDb
- Casey Wilson on X
- Casey Wilson on FunnyOrDie Archived 2018-04-05 at the Wayback Machine