Ever wonder what happened to that hilariously sarcastic comedian from the ’90s who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind? Let’s dive into the life of Janeane Garofalo – the woman who made self-deprecating humor cool way before it was trendy.
Who Is Janeane Garofalo?
Janeane Marie Garofalo is an American comedian, actress, and writer who’s been making people laugh (and think) since the mid-1980s. Born on September 28, 1964, in Newton, New Jersey, she’s now 60 years old and still going strong in the entertainment world.
You probably know her from shows like “The Ben Stiller Show,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” or maybe even that brief stint on “Saturday Night Live.” But there’s so much more to her story than just the comedy clubs and TV appearances.
Biography
Growing up wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for Janeane. Her family moved around a lot – from New Jersey to California to Texas. She absolutely hated high school in Houston because of the oppressive heat and the superficial focus on looks and sports. Can you blame her?
While studying history at Providence College, she entered a comedy talent search sponsored by Showtime and won the title of “Funniest Person in Rhode Island.” Her big dream back then? Landing a writing gig on “Late Night with David Letterman.” That dream led her to become a professional stand-up comedian right after graduating with degrees in history and American studies.
But life threw her some curveballs early on. Her mother, Joan, who worked as a secretary at Conoco-Phillips, died of cancer in 1998 when Janeane was just 24. Her father Carmine, was an Exxon executive. After college, she had some rough patches and even worked as a bike messenger in Boston before her comedy career took off.
Career
Janeane’s comedy style is unique – she’s not your typical joke-teller. Instead, she brings a notebook filled with clippings and random observations to her acts, sharing witty commentary about culture and especially the pressures women face. Her self-deprecating, laid-back approach was refreshing in a male-dominated comedy scene.
In the early ’90s, she became part of the alternative comedy movement in Los Angeles and even helped create the “Eating It” stand-up comedy show. This was where she really found her voice and started building the fanbase that would follow her throughout her career.
Her big break came in 1990 when she met Ben Stiller, leading to her role on “The Ben Stiller Show” in 1992. From there, things started rolling. She earned Emmy nominations for “The Larry Sanders Show” and later joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” (though that didn’t last long – she’s been pretty vocal about that experience not being great).
Movies
She’s appeared in major films like:
- Reality Bites (her breakout film role)
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs
- Wet Hot American Summer
- Mystery Men
- The Matchmaker
- Clay Pigeons
- The Minus Man
- Steal This Movie!
- The Independent
- Ratatouille (voice work)
- Flora & Ulysses
She’s also known for the roles she turned down. When offered a part in “Jerry Maguire,” she said no because they wanted her to lose weight. She also passed on “Scream” because she thought it would be too violent. Respect for sticking to her principles!
On the small screen, she’s popped up everywhere – from “Seinfeld” and “NewsRadio” to more recent shows like “24,” “The West Wing,” “Billions,” “Younger,” “Broad City,” and “Stumptown.” In 2015, she was part of the Netflix prequel to “Wet Hot American Summer,” and later appeared in “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later,” proving she’s still got it decades later.
In the final season of “Younger,” she played Cass DeKennessy, Dean of The Arts College of New York – a character who had dreamed of becoming an artist but settled into academia and marriage to a much younger wife. When Cass offers the main character a teaching job, her quiet life gets turned upside down.
She’s also tried her hand at writing, co-authoring the comedic book “Feel This Book: An Essential Guide to Self-Empowerment, Spiritual Supremacy, and Sexual Satisfaction” with Ben Stiller in 1999. The book became a New York Times bestseller and was essentially a brilliant spoof of all those cheesy self-help books that were everywhere in the ’90s.
Beyond the book, she’s written her HBO Comedy Half-Hour specials, co-wrote sketches for The Ben Stiller Show, penned an episode of the TV series Head Case, and even wrote and directed a comedy short called “Housekeeping” in 2001. The woman’s got range!
Personal Life
Janeane’s personal life has been quite the journey. Her first marriage was actually an accident! In 1991, she married comedy writer Robert Cohen (who worked on The Ben Stiller Show) in Las Vegas, thinking it was just for fun and not legally binding. They figured it would only be real if they filed paperwork at a courthouse. Plot twist: it was totally legal! They didn’t find this out until years later when Cohen got engaged to Jill Leiderman (a producer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!) and tried to get married. Oops! The “joke” marriage was officially dissolved in 2012.
In 2015, she married Brody Tate, who was born in 1960. The couple has chosen not to have children, treating their pets as their babies instead.
She’s been open about her struggles, including dealing with alcohol issues during the peak of her career in her 30s. She quit drinking in 2001 and has been sober ever since. In 2019, she publicly came out as asexual.
Political Activism
Here’s where Janeane really sets herself apart from other entertainers. Despite growing up in a conservative family, she’s become known for her liberal political views and feminist activism. She’s an atheist who supports secular causes and isn’t afraid to speak truth to power.
She gained significant attention in 2003 for her vocal opposition to the Iraq War, appearing on CNN and Fox News to debate the issue. She participated in Code Pink marches and hosted the “Tell Us the Truth” tour. Organizations like MoveOn.org and Win Without War specifically sought her out because they felt the media wasn’t showing enough anti-war perspectives.
She’s gone head-to-head with conservative commentators like Bill O’Reilly, Brian Kilmeade, and Jonah Goldberg, earning both praise and criticism for her unwavering stance on issues she cares about.
Net Worth
Let’s talk money – because everyone’s curious, right? Janeane Garofalo’s net worth is estimated at around $5 million as of 2023. Not too shabby for someone who’s always marched to the beat of her own drum!
What makes this even more impressive is that she’s built this wealth while consistently turning down roles that didn’t align with her values. Remember, she said no to “Jerry Maguire” when they wanted her to lose weight, and passed on “Scream” because of the violence. That takes guts in Hollywood, where money talks.
Her wealth comes from multiple streams:
- Stand-up comedy (her bread and butter since the ’80s)
- Film roles (over 50 movies and counting)
- Television appearances (168+ projects across various shows)
- Writing (including that bestselling book with Ben Stiller)
- Voice acting (like her work in Ratatouille)
Fun fact: Entertainment Weekly once reported that even in her early career days, she was earning about $2,100 per week, which was pretty decent money back then. Not bad for someone who started as a bike messenger in Boston!
Uncomfortable Truth
Here’s where things get real and a bit heartbreaking. Despite her reputation for rejecting Hollywood’s beauty standards, Janeane has openly admitted to feeling the pressure. In a brutally honest 1996 Elle magazine interview, she revealed she lost over 25 pounds for her role in “The Truth About Cats & Dogs.”
“I’m highly ashamed,” she said at the time. “I want to go on record: I’ve crossed over to the side of the sellouts.”
When asked why, her response was painfully honest: “I was unhappy with the lack of employment, and I realized that as a woman in this business, there is one way to increase my chances of getting hired. Because, miraculously, you become more talented as you become thinner. It’s like this magical thing where the skinnier you get, the more casting directors seem to respond to your talent.”
Looking back on that role in 2016, she was even more candid about how it affected her: “For me, personally, being cast as the Cyrano de Bergerac type, who is so unappealing to the eye that one must hide their identity, fed into all my worst fears about myself. It didn’t feel great to be that person. But it is what it is, and it was a huge opportunity for someone like me.”
This kind of raw honesty about Hollywood’s impossible standards is exactly why people respect her so much – she’s willing to admit the uncomfortable truths that most actors won’t touch.
True to form, Janeane continues to poke fun at herself and societal expectations. She’s been known to joke about her “chosen unruly fashion choices,” saying, “I’m not ready for Eileen Fisher [the loose-fitting classic clothing brand]. I can’t cross that Rubicon.” Even her fashion sense is an act of rebellion!
Awards and Recognition
While Janeane has never been one to chase awards (let’s be honest, she’d probably make fun of award shows), she’s earned some serious recognition for her work. She’s received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award – not bad for someone who’s always stayed true to her alternative comedy roots!
At 60, Janeane Garofalo continues performing comedy and doing performance art in New York City. According to a 2022 New York Times article, she’s still doing stand-up, but here’s the catch – she doesn’t have social media! So if you want to catch one of her shows, you’ll have to do some old-school detective work to find her gigs.
She’s appeared in over 168 projects throughout her career, from indie films to major TV shows. Most recently, you might have caught her in ABC’s “Stumptown,” Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later,” Comedy Central’s “Broad City,” or as Cass DeKennessy in the final season of “Younger” on Paramount+.
Whether you love her politics or not, you’ve got to respect someone who’s built a decades-long career by refusing to compromise her values and always speaking her mind. In an industry full of people trying to please everyone, Janeane Garofalo has always been authentically herself, and that’s probably why she’s still relevant after all these years.