The filmography of Joan Rivers includes over 25 feature films, numerous television and documentary series, seven filmed comedy specials, game shows, and other media. She began her career as a stand-up comedian, and had a years-long tenure as a host and regular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson from 1965 to 1986.
Rivers's first major film was Rabbit Test (1978), which she had a small part in and also co-wrote and directed. She would later supply the voice of Dot Matrix, the robot in Mel Brooks's Spaceballs (1986), and have a cameo as herself in John Waters's cult comedy-horror film Serial Mom (1994). In 1995, she provided a voice role in the Australian children's film Napoleon, and later appeared as herself in Shrek 2 (2004) and First Daughter (2004). From 2010 until her death in 2014, Rivers hosted the series Fashion Police, a panel series profiling and critiquing the red carpet attire of celebrities.
Films Year Title Role Notes 1951 Mister Universe Teenage Girl in Audience Cameo; uncredited 1965 Hootenanny a Go-Go aka Once Upon a Coffee House Herself As folk singing trio "Jim, Jake and Joan" 1968 The Swimmer Joan Cameo 1978 Rabbit Test Second nurse Cameo, director and writer 1981 Uncle Scam Herself 1984 The Muppets Take Manhattan Perfume Saleswoman Cameo1987 Les Patterson Saves the World President Rivers Uncredited Spaceballs Dot Matrix Voice| 1989 Look Who's Talking Julie Voice; credited under pseudonym of "Baby Guess" 1990 How to Murder a Millionaire Irma Summers 1993 Public Enemy #2 Herself Cameo 1994 Serial Mom Herself Cameo 1995Napoleon Mother Penguin Voice 1997 KnitWits Becky Voice 1999 Goosed Mom / Blanche 2000The Intern Dolly Bellows Whispers: An Elephant's Tale Spike Voice 2002Hip! Edgy! Quirky! Floressa 2004 Shrek 2 Herself Voice First Daughter Herself Cameo 2009 The Hipsters Floressa Malone 2010 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Herself Cameo; uncredited2011 The Smurfs Party Guest Tower Heist Herself Uncredited Growing Up Barnard Herself Short film TMI with Joan Rivers Herself Funny or Die short 2013 Iron Man 3 Herself Cameo 2014 Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? Grandma Doyle (Final film role)
Documentaries Year Title Director Notes Ref. 1990The World of Jewish Humor Rex Bloomstein Television special1994 Stonewall 25: Voices of Pride and Protest John Scagliotti Documentary2002The Making and Meaning of We Are Family Danny SchechterTelevision special 2005Spaceballs: The Documentary Mel Brooks Behind-the-scenes documentaryJohn Candy: Comic Spirit Mel Brooks Behind-the-scenes documentary2007Making Trouble Rachel Talbot Documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project John Landis Documentary special, HBO 2008Every Little Step Adam Del Deo, James D. Stern Television special2009What's the Name of the Dame? Allan Neuwirth Documentary 2010Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg Documentary feature 2013Why We Laugh: Funny Women Bernard Gourley Documentary Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' to Tell You Whoopi Goldberg Documentary Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's Matthew Miele Documentary 2014Women Aren't Funny Bonnie McFarlane Documentary The Story of The Swimmer Chris Innis Behind-the-scenes documentary Where the Sun Kisses the Ocean Rainbeau Mars Poetry.2016Love, Sweat and Tears Scott Jacobs Documentary Joan Rivers: Enter Laughing Dan Karlock Documentary
Television Series + Year Title Role/Notes Episodes1973Here's LucyJoan Reynolds (Juror)Episode: "Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty"Needles and PinsEleanor KarpEpisode: "The Wife You Save May Be Your Own"1978Husbands, Wives & LoversCreator/Writer 10 Eps.America 2-NightHerself Season 1 - Ep. 571983The Love BoatAllison Newman Episode: "Gopher's Daisy/Our Son, the Lawyer/Salvaged Romance"1987The Dame Edna ExperienceHerself Season 1 - Ep. 21988Offshore Television1 Season, 1 Ep.1990227Episode: "You Gotta Have Art"1992RoseanneClaire Episode: "This Old House"1997Another World Meredith Dunston Episode 8374Dr. Katz, Professional TherapistJoan (voice) additional material writerEpisode: "Studio Guy"1998–99Suddenly SusanEdie2 episodes: "Oh, How They Danced", "Ben Rubenstein, Meet Joe Black"2002Curb Your EnthusiasmHerselfEpisode: "The Benadryl Brownie"2004I'm with HerSeason 1 - Eps. 15 and 16Dave the BarbarianZonthara - Empress of Evil (voice)Season 1 - Eps. 3, 16 and 202004–05 2010Nip/TuckHerself Season 2 - Ep. 16, Season 3 - Ep. 7 and Season 6 - Ep. 172005Less than PerfectLouiseEpisode: "Pre-Wedded Bliss"2006Boston LegalHerselfEpisode: "Whose God Is It Anyway?"2006-2007Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley WinksShirley the Sheep (voice)Season 32008–09Z Rock Herself - Aunt Joan (Dina's)Season 1 - Eps. 1, 5, 8, 9 and 10; Season 2 - Ep. 20Spaceballs: The Animated SeriesDot Matrix (voice)1 Season, 11 Eps.2008-11ArthurBubbe/Camel (voice)Season 12 - Ep. 1 and Season 14 - Ep. 182011LouieHerselfEpisode: "Joan"The SimpsonsAnnie Dubinsky (voice)Episode: "The Ten-Per-Cent Solution"2012 Drop Dead Diva"Drop Dead Diva cancelled by Lifetime". CBS News. Accessed 31 August 2015.HerselfEpisode: "Rigged" and Ep. 9 "Ashes to Ashes"Hot in ClevelandAnka2 episodes: "Bye George, I Think He's Got It!", "Some Like It Hot"
Stand-up comedy series + Year Title Episodes/Role Network1984 2006An Audience with...Joan RiversITV2004Just for Laughs21 March 2004 / PerformerRTÉ2004 2007Jack Dee Live at the ApolloPilot / Featured Performer Season 3, Episode 5 / Guest HostBBC One
Documentary series + Year Title Episode Network1993Intimate Portrait"Joan Rivers" (Available on VHS)LifetimeBiography"Vincent Price"A&E1997"Fabulous World of Fabergé"1998"Roddy McDowall: Hollywood's Best Friend"1999The Hollywood Fashion Machine"Hollywood Rocks"American Movie ClassicsHeroes of Comedy"Barry Humphries"Channel 42000Intimate Portrait"Judy Collins"LifetimeBiography"Phyllis Diller"A&EThe Talk Show Story2 Part SeriesBBCE! Mysteries and ScandalsHedy LamarrE!2001Vincent PriceThe Human Face"Beauty"BBCE! True Hollywood StoryJoan Rivers Parody aired April 1E!2002Heroes of Black Comedy"Whoopi Goldberg"Channel 4/Comedy Central"Richard Pryor"Hollywood Greats"Burt Lancaster"BBCE! News Live"September 20th"E!Biography"Bio's 15 Sexiest"A&EThe South Bank Show"Joan Rivers"Bravo!/ITV2003E! True Hollywood Story"Richard Pryor"E!"Hollywood Squares"Heroes of Jewish Comedy5 episodesChannel 4/Comedy CentralWhen I Was a Girl"Singers"We TV2005Favouritism"Julian Clary's Showbiz Hissy Fits"Channel 42006Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy3 Part Series / Full InterviewBBCThe Story of Light Entertainment3 episodesDawn French's More Girls Who Do Comedy1 episode2007E! True Hollywood Story"Kathy Griffin"E!2012E! True Hollywood Story"Joan and Melissa Rivers"E!
Television movies + Year Title Role Notes1973The Girl Most Likely To...Writer of story/teleplayABC Movie of the Week starring Stockard Channing 1977Husbands and WivesWriterSpin-off TV series followed1985Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz Host / WriterShowtime sketch comedy1990How to Murder a MillionaireIrmaStarred with Morgan Fairchild1992Lady BossBibi GrantBased on book by Jackie Collins1994Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers StoryHerselfBiographical teleplay about her and daughter Melissa Rivers1999KnitWits RevisitedBecky (voice)Animated
Stand-up comedy specials + Year Title Role/Notes1978Bernard Manning in Las VegasCameo (UK)1981Lily: Sold OutCameo (CBS)1984Johnny Carson Presents the Tonight Show ComediansPerformer (also featuring Bill Cosby, Steve Martin and Steven Wright)Garry Shandling: Alone in VegasCameo (Showtime)1990Comic Relief IVPerformer (Comic Relief, Inc. HBO charity benefit)1992Joan Rivers: Abroad In LondonStar–Writer–Producer (Showtime)1994The Annual Friars Club Tribute Presents a Salute to Barbara WaltersRoaster (Roast of the legend)2002Just for LaughsPerformer (stand-up festival doc with many comedians)2006Joan Rivers: Before Melissa Pulls the PlugStar–Writer (with comic Jeremy Blaine and publicist Jordan Roberts)2012Joan Rivers: Don't Start With MeStar–Writer–Producer (Showtime)
Documentaries + Year Title Notes Network2002CleavageNarrated by Carmen ElectraA&E2003100 Greatest Sexy MomentsNarrated by Anna ChancellorChannel 4The 100 Greatest MusicalsPresenter Denise van Outen2004Funny Already: A History of Jewish ComedyDirected by Emma CahusacCMT: 40 Greatest Done Me Wrong SongsWriterCMTHappy Birthday Oscar WildeQuoteBBC/RTÉ2005The Comedians' ComedianPresenter Jimmy CarrChannel 4Britain's 50 Greatest Comedy SketchesNarrator Tom Baker50 Questions of Political IncorrectnessPresenter Clive AndersonSky UK2006The 50 Greatest Comedy FilmsNarrator Stephen FryChannel 4The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & BitsDVD 2007PBS2013Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms MableyIntervieweeHBO
Talk shows + Year Title Roles/Notes Episodes1965–86The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonGuest–Host–Writer2231965The Jack Paar ProgramGuest11965–67Girl Talk with Virginia Graham51965–78The Mike Douglas ShowCo-host–Guest361968Frost on SundayGuest11968–69That Show starring Joan RiversHost711968–72The Dick Cavett Show (ABC)Guest41969–72The David Frost Show31970The Irv Kupcinet Show11974The Merv Griffin Show11974–76Dinah!21978The Bob Braun Show1The Joe Franklin Show11978, 1990Donahue21981–87Hour Magazine81982The Regis Philbin Show1The Barbara Walters Special11984Wogan21985America (CBS)11986Joan Rivers: Can We Talk?Host6Late Night with David LettermanGuest11986–87The Late Show Starring Joan RiversHost–Writer (first season)1501987Aspel & CompanyGuest11989The Byron Allen ShowGuest (pilot episode)1The Arsenio Hall ShowGuest21989–91CBS This Morning31989–93The Joan Rivers ShowHost–Writer6001990GeraldoGuest11990–92The Howard Stern Show (WWOR)31991The Full Wax1Alan King: Inside the Comedy Mind1The Dick Cavett Show (PBS)1Tonight with Jonathan Ross11993The Howard Stern Interview11994Des O'Connor Tonight11994–2004Howard Stern141995Clive Anderson Talks Back11995–2005Late Night with Conan O'Brien 41995–2014Can We Shop? Host (QVC style shopping in a talk show format)1996The Daily Show Guest11997The Rosie O'Donnell Show11997, 2010Charlie Rose21999Linehan1The Howard Stern Radio Show12000So Graham Norton12002V Graham Norton22003The Wayne Brady Show12004NY Graham Norton1Film 2004 with Jonathan Ross1Alf's Hit Talk ShowCameoPilotThe Graham Norton EffectGuest12004–06The Joan Rivers PositionHost–Writer182005NigellaGuest1The Big Idea with Donny DeutschGuest1Good Day LiveGuest1The Late Late ShowGuest1Distinguished Artists1Friday Night with Jonathan Ross1The Paul O'Grady Show12005-06The Tony Danza Show32006Tom Green Live!Guest (voice)1Straight TalkHost–Writer (Bravo! pilot)12008Shrink Rap Guest (with host Dr. Pamela Connolly)12010–14Fashion PoliceHost2862013–14In Bed with JoanHost–Writer–Executive producer 72
Variety shows + Year Title Role Episodes1966The Sammy Davis Jr. ShowGuest - Comedienne1The Hollywood Palace11966–70The Ed Sullivan ShowGuest–Comedienne181968The Kraft Music HallGuest–Comedienne3Operation: Entertainment11970–75The Carol Burnett Show31971The Jim Nabors Hour1The Pearl Bailey Show11971–73The Flip Wilson Show31972Dean Martin Presents: The Bobby Darin Amusement Co.11972–76The Electric CompanyNarrator (voice; The Adventures of Letterman segment)601973Stand Up and CheerGuest–Comedienne1The Helen Reddy Show11975Sammy and Company11978The Jim Nabors Show11978The New Laugh-in11979Bonkers!11983Saturday Night LiveHost–Writer1On Stage AmericaGuest–Comedienne1Live ... And in Person11983–86The Bob Monkhouse Show21989–92Sesame StreetNarrator (voice; The Adventures of Letterman segment)31990–91Shalom SesameMicrophone (voice) Herself"Chanukah" "The Aleph-Bet Telethon"1991Square One TelevisionHerself1
Variety/Tribute specials