Susie Youssef is an Australian writer, actor and comedian who works in television, on radio and stage. She is best known for her appearances in the television series The Project, Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia, and Rosehaven, and has performed stand-up comedy at various Australian and international festivals.
Early life and education Susie Youssef is the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She grew up with five sisters and she often uses her family for comedy inspiration.
Youssef began comedy writing in high school, where she wrote her own plays. She began studying education, to become a teacher. A friend took her to an improvisational comedy show at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown in Sydney, which sparked a more serious interest in comedy.
She quit college and attended iO Chicago, in the United States, where she studied improvisational performance and comedy.
Career Youssef began her comedy career as a writer for The Ronnie Johns Half Hour in 2006, and made her acting debut in the short film Clicked in the role of Lina in 2011.
Stage In 2014, Youssef played the lead role of Sarah in the Hayloft Project's stage play The Boat People.
She started performing improvisational comedy live, and later became a member of the Improv Theatre Sydney ensemble.Improv Theatre Sydney
Youssef made her solo debut in her sketch comedy show Sketchual Chocolate at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals. In 2015, she returned to the comedy festival circuit with her comedy show Owl Eyes On You and in 2016 made her debut in London and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her stand-up show Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef. She has also performed at the Australian musical festival Homebake.
In 2017, Youssef toured with her comedy show Behave Youssef. In the same year, she hosted season two of the comedy TV series Stand and Deliver on ABC ME, which featured comedic acts from Australia and overseas.
In September–October 2018, she performed with the Sydney Theatre Company at the Sydney Opera House in Dario Fo's political comedy Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Later that year, she co-wrote and performed The Smallest Hour with writer and comedian Phil Spencer at the Griffin in Sydney, a "comedy about broken dreams, second chances and velcro pants". in a sold-out season.
In February 2025 Youssef played MP Ruth Mandour in the State Theatre Company South Australia political satire Housework, written by Emily Steel and directed by Shannon Rush, with Emily Taheny playing her chief-of-staff. The play was well-reviewed, with Catherine Campbell, writing in The Conversation, calling it "a future Australian classic – a Housework is a future Australian classic – a Don's Party for our time".
TV appearances In 2015, she appeared in other television series, including Community Kitchen, About Tonight, The Checkout and Game Night. She had recurring roles in the television comedy series How Not to Behave, Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia, No Activity and Rosehaven, and a guest role in Here Come the Habibs in 2016.
She has also been a guest on The Project, All Star Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game, Have You Been Paying Attention?, and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.
In August 2024, the second 10-episode series of Julia Zemiro's Great Australian Walks launched, co-hosted by Youssef and Gina Chick owing to other commitments by Zemiro. Youssef covers walks in Victoria and South Australia.
Youssef will appear in the Australian adaptation of The Office, which is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 18 October 2024.
Recognition In 2014, Youssef won the Best on Stage award at the FBi SMAC Awards, for her role as Sarah in The Boat People.
In 2020, Youssef was selected as one of ten Australian comedians to compete for $100,000 on the experimental reality television series Last One Laughing Australia hosted by Rebel Wilson and screening on Amazon Prime in June.
Stand-up comedy tours + Tours Year Title Notes Role2014Sketchual ChocolateDebut solo stand-up show at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals and Sydney Fringe FestivalWriter/performer2015Owl Eyes on YouMelbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy FestivalWriter/performer2016Check Youssef Before You Wreck YoussefEdinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival and Brisbane Comedy FestivalWriter/performer2017Behave Youssef Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy FestivalWriter/performer
Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes2011 ClickedLinaActor2014 Kevin Needs to Make New Friends: Because Everyone Hates Him for Some Reason JaneActor2016 Scare BNBKseniaActor2018 The Call BackSamActor
Television appearances Year Title Role Notes2006The Ronnie Johns Half HourWriter4 episodes2015Game NightPlayer Number 31 episode2015We Live to Science Another DaySusie1 episode2016Here Come the HabibsMarie1 episode2016Miles Holbeck: The MemberSophie1 episode2016No ActivityAnousha3 episodes2016–2021RosehavenGez10 episodes2017Get Krack!nEgg Woman1 episode2018SquintersSimoni6 episodes2021Making It AustraliaHost 2023DeadlochAleyna Rahme8 episodes2024The OfficeGeorgia1 episode
Television self appearances +YearTitleRoleNotes2020Last One LaughingHerself6 episodes2019–presentThe ProjectHerself2018–2019Hughesy, We Have a ProblemHerself5 episodes2019Celebrity Name GameHerself5 episodes2017Screen TimeHerself1 episodeAll Star Family FeudHerself1 episode2017–2019Have You Been Paying Attention?Herself11 episodes2016–2017Whose Line Is It Anyway? AustraliaHerself5 episodesComedy Up LateHerself11 episodes2015How Not to BehaveHerself15 episodesThe Chaser's Media CircusHerself1 episodeCommunity KitchenHerself2 episodesAbout TonightHerself2 episodesThe CheckoutHerself1 episode
Theatre + Theatre Year Title Role Notes2014The Boat PeopleSarahHayloft Project (Best on Stage, FBi SMAC Awards)2020Home, I'm DarlingFranSouthbank Theatre, Melbourne
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