Rita Rudner (born September 17, 1953) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Beginning her career as a Broadway actress, Rudner noticed the lack of female comedians in New York City and turned to stand-up comedy, where she has performed for over three decades. Her performance on a variety of HBO specials and numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson helped establish Rudner as one of the notable comics to emerge from the comedy boom of the 1980s.
Early life Rudner was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Frances an Orthodox Jewish homemaker from Brooklyn, and Abe Rudner, a lawyer from the Catskills. Rudner grew up in a Jewish family in Coconut Grove. She began taking ballet lessons at age four. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was 13 and her father remarried. She struggled to get along with her stepmother and felt a desire to become independent.
After graduating from high school at 15, Rudner left Miami and went to New York City to embark on a career as a dancer. Beginning with a small role in Promises, Promises (joining the production in 1970), she appeared in several Broadway shows, including the now-legendary original productions of Follies (1971) and Mack & Mabel (1974). She took over the role of Lily St. Regis in the long-running musical Annie circa 1980 and stayed with the company for over a year, leaving in 1981.
Career After starting her stand-up career in the late 1970s, Rudner made her network television debut on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982. She appeared frequently on television shows both in the US and the UK (recording a six-part series on BBC2 in 1990 in the latter), and often appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as well as the HBO special Rodney Dangerfield's Young Comedians Special. She has recorded several award-winning comedy specials, most notably Rita Rudner: Born to Be Mild and Rita Rudner: Married Without Children for HBO and Rita Rudner: Live From Las Vegas for PBS in 2008.
Rudner and her husband wrote the screenplay of the 1992 film Peter's Friends, in which she also acted. She also has a role as the character "Bunny" in her husband's 2011 film Thanks, which had its world premiere at the 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
Rudner is the author of the books I Still Have It; I Just Can't Remember Where I Put It, Naked Beneath My Clothes and the novels Tickled Pink and Turning The Tables. She has written several screenplays and plays with her husband. In January 2016, she appeared in a new play titled Act 3... alongside Charles Shaughnessy at the Laguna Playhouse, directed by Martin Bergman.
Since 2001, Rudner has performed almost exclusively in Las Vegas, selling almost two million tickets and becoming the city's longest-running solo comedy show. She moved to a larger theater at The Venetian in January 2011. She also created and hosted the syndicated improvisational comedy show Ask Rita, which mimicked the format of a talk/advice show. For this she received a Gracie Allen Award from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM). In May 2009 she performed for Senator Harry Reid and President Barack Obama at Caesars Palace alongside Bette Midler and Sheryl Crow.
Personal life Rudner is married to Martin Bergman, a British producer. They have an adopted daughter.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1988The Wrong Guys Pam1989Gleaming the CubeMrs. Yabbo1989That's AdequateFrieda Philby1992Peter's FriendsCarol Bensonalso writer1995Goldilocks and the Three BearsUrsula2009Love HurtsLisa Levanthorp2011ThanksBunny
Television Year Title Role Notes1994Tales from the CryptRolanda"Whirlpool" episode1995Dr. Katz, Professional TherapistRita (voice)"Real Estate" episode, also additional material writer1996A Weekend in the CountrySally SheltonTV movie, also writer1997Something So RightBrooke"Something About New Beds and Old Friends" episode1998-99The NannyMargot / Rita Rudner"The Dummy Twins" and "Making Whoopi" episodes2000V.I.P.Bidder at Art Auction"Dangerous Beauty" episode2000Hollywood Off-Ramp"Unfunny Girl" episode2000As Told by GingerMrs. Fleming (voice)"Of Lice and Friends" episode2008Victor Borge: 100 Years of Music & Laughter!Narrator (voice)TV movie2011RuPaul's Drag RaceHerself"Ru Ha Ha" episode2012Melissa & JoeyMonica Burke"Mother of All Problems" episode2016DiceRita Rudner"Prestige" episode2019This Is Not HappeningHerself1 episode, also writer2022Magnum P.I.Patty"Welcome to Paradise, Now Die" episode
Writer Year Title Notes1990Rita RudnerTV series (6 episodes)200173rd Academy AwardsSpecial material200274th Academy AwardsSpecial material2003Ask RitaTV series (10 episodes)200375th Academy AwardsSpecial material
Comedy specials Year Title Studio Formats 1987 Appears on On Location: Women of the Night HBO Broadcast/VHS 1989 One Night Stand HBO Broadcast/VHS/streaming 1990 Born to Be Mild HBO Broadcast/VHS 1995 Married Without Children HBO Broadcast/VHS 2008 Live from Las Vegas PBS Broadcast/DVD/download/streaming 2012 Rita Rudner and 3 Potential Ex-Husbands Showtime/LOLflix Broadcast/download/streaming 2018 A Tale of Two Dresses Comedy Dynamics Audio & video download/streaming 2020 Laugh Out Loud Flix LOLflix Streaming
Bibliography Year Title Publisher Formats 1993 Naked Beneath My Clothes: Tales of a Revealing Nature Penguin Books Print: Hardcover/Paperback, Audiobook: Cassette/CD 1994 Rita Rudner's Guide To Men Viking Adult Hardcover/Paperback 2001 Tickled Pink: A Comic Novel Atria Books Print: Hardcover/Large Print/Paperback/E-book, Audiobook: CD/download/streaming 2006 Turning the Tables: A Novel Crown Hardcover 2009 I Still Have It... I Just Can't Remember Where I Put It: Confessions of a Fiftysomething Crown Hardcover/Large Print/Paperback/E-book 2022 My Life in Dog Years Renaissance Literary & Talent Hardcover
References
External links
2011 Interview