Background
Janeane Garofalo is of Italian/Irish descent, the child of Carmine Garofalo, a former oil executive, and Joan Garofalo, a secretary who died of cancer when Janeane was 24. While studying history at Providence College, Garofalo entered a comedy talent search sponsored by the Showtime cable network, winning the title of "Funniest Person in Rhode Island." Her original gimmick was to read off her hand, which was not successful in subsequent performances. Dreaming of earning a slot on the writing staff of the ''Late Night With David Letterman'' program, she became a professional standup upon graduating college with degrees in History and American Studies but struggled for a number of years, working briefly as a bike messenger in Boston.Entertainment career
Comedy
The winner of numerous comedy awards and recognitions, she officially began her career in stand-up comedy in the late 1980s during the pre-grunge era. Her appearance was often in line with very late 1980s style: disheveled with thick black glasses and unkempt hair. Her comedy is often self-deprecating; she made fun of popular culture and the pressures put on women to live up to media-created body image ideals.When in San Francisco, Garofalo was a frequent guest at the San Francisco Comedy Condo.
Garofalo is a self-described pessimist: "I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth." http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/janeanegar163727.html
Garofalo's comedy shows involve her and her notebook, which is filled with years' worth of article clippings and random observations that she uses for reference during her act for direct quotes, as with new articles, and to enhance the unprepared, fully conversational nature of her standup. Garofalo feels she does not tell jokes but makes observations and hopes to get laughs.
Garofalo and comedian Marc Maron helped organize the weekly alternative "Eating It" standup comedy show, with different line-ups each week, which played for years at the Luna Lounge in New York's Lower East Side before the bar was finally razed. Later Garofalo and Maron would work together again to create a liberal radio network.
In April 2004 she was selected as #99 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time.
On July 15, 2006 she appeared as the "Not My Job" guest on NPR's news quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. Audio of this appearance is available at here down for the link to "Not My Job: Janeane Garofalo". (Real Audio file).
Television
Her television series debut was on the short-lived ''The Ben Stiller Show'' on Fox in 1992, on which she was a cast member alongside longtime friends Ben Stiller, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Dick, and David Cross (who was a bit player). A chance meeting on the set of the show led her to be offered the role of Paula on ''The Larry Sanders Show'' on HBO, earning her two Emmy Award nominations in 1996 and 1997.Following ''The Ben Stiller Show'''s cancellation, Garofalo joined the cast of ''Saturday Night Live'' in its ill-fated 1994-95 season. As detailed in Tom Shales' book ''Live from Saturday Night'' and mentioned in Jay Mohr's ''Gasping for Airtime : Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live'' Upon arrival at the show, she gave an interview in which she called fellow cast member Adam Sandler's comedy "childish." Writers on the show expressed dismay at what they perceived as Garofalo's negative attitude towards the show. According to them, Garofalo was insecure, and she rarely assisted in writing sketches, never doing an "all-nighter" for a skit as many crewmembers did. The bitter atmosphere caused discomfort and displeasure for Garofalo. She left in January 1995, mid-season, after only being on the show 6 months, claiming the material was weak and a sexist attitude was pervasive on the show. The material on ''SNL'' at this time was widely criticized as mediocre, and other writers, such as Bruce Vilanch, have stated in interviews that many male members of the show frown upon women and homosexuals. Reliably outspoken on issues of sexism, Garofalo was later asked in an interview if SNL deserves the reputation of overt sexist treatment of women writers and cast members, but she said "everyone" was unhappy during her tenure, not just women.
Garofalo has been offered many television series roles but has accepted few, including turning down the role of Monica, for which she was the first actress offered, on the hit NBC sitcom ''Friends''. Two Garofalo-starring television pilots, an ABC show called ''Slice O'Life'', in 2003, about a reporter sentenced to sappy human interest stories that appear at the end of news broadcast, and an NBC program called ''All In'', in 2005, based on the family life and professional successes of poker star Annie Duke, were not picked up by their respective networks. Her persona, via her ''Larry Sanders'' character, was also the basis for the lead role on Steven Levitan's ''Just Shoot Me!'', though the part was taken by Laura San Giacomo.
Throughout the 2005-2006 television season Garofalo appeared on ''The West Wing'' as Louise Thornton, a controversial campaign adviser to the fictional Democratic presidential nominee. Garofalo participated in the series' first live episode, most of which was a debate televised live on the East Coast and then reshot live for the West. Garofalo's character can be seen walking backstage with her advisee before the start of each debate.
Movies
Garofalo's first critically-acclaimed starring role in film was in 1996 in ''The Truth About Cats and Dogs'', a variation on ''Cyrano de Bergerac '' which featured Uma Thurman in the top-billed but smaller role as a beautiful but vapid model, while Garofalo played a highly intelligent radio host. Initially an independent film, it became a studio movie when Uma Thurman was signed to play the shallow model. The film was a modest hit, but she detests it to this day, calling it anti-feminist (and admitting discomfort at being cast in the "ugly duckling" role). Based on the success of this film, director Cameron Crowe then offered her the leading lady role in ''Jerry Maguire'' with Tom Cruise if she could lose weight, but after trimming down, she learned that Renee Zellweger had won the part instead in what was to become a career-launching smash hit.The mid-1990s were what Garofalo has termed the height of her popularity. Before ''The Truth About Cats and Dogs'', she was visible from television work and memorable supporting roles in films such as ''Reality Bites'', ''Bye Bye Love'' and ''Now and Then'' and a leading role in ''I Shot a Man in Vegas''. Garofalo has had a variety of leading, supporting, and cameo roles in films as diverse as ''Cop Land'', ''Wet Hot American Summer'', ''Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion'', ''Dogma'', ''The Cable Guy'', ''Mystery Men'', ''The Wild'', ''Clay Pigeons'' among others. A puppet version of Garofalo appeared (and was rather graphically killed off) in the movie ''Team America: World Police'', although it is stated in the credits that she did not authorise or endorse this screen appearance at the time, and apparently she was rather upset at how she was depicted.
Politics
Garofalo has been open and outspoken regarding her liberal political views, appearing in the past with figures such as Ralph Nader (whom she supported in 2000, but opposed in 2004) and Jello Biafra at various events. She has expressed feminist views in interviews throughout her career, and more recently, advocated pacifism.She became more prominent as an activist when she voiced opposition to what became the 2003 Iraq War, appearing on CNN and Fox News to discuss it. She said that she was approached by groups such as MoveOn.org and Win Without War to go on TV, because these organizations claim that the networks weren't allowing antiwar voices to be heard. Garofalo and the other celebrities who appeared at the time said they thought their fame could lend attention to a side they believed was being ignored by the corporate media. Her appearances on cable news prior to the war garnered her praise from the left and spots on the cover of Ms. and Venus magazines. Garofalo has had frequent on-air political disputes with Bill O'Reilly, Brian Kilmeade and Jonah Goldberg. http://www.nationalreview.com/goldberg/goldberg022803.asp
In March 2003, she took part in the Code Pink antiwar march in Washington, D.C. That fall, she served as mc at several stops on the "Tell Us the Truth" tour, a political-themed concert series featuring Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Tom Morello, and others. Throughout the year, Garofalo also actively campaigned for Howard Dean.
Following the 9/11 disaster she was quoted as saying (in the November 2001 issue of ''Commentary'' magazine), "Who would have thought that I'd be angry on behalf of my country? I'm used to being angry at my country."
Air America Radio
In late March 2004 she became a co-host for Air America Radio's new show ''The Majority Report'' alongside Sam Seder. Garofalo once said getting on the radio was an early career goal of hers. A program advertisement: "The battle to reclaim America from the forces of darkness continues with hosts Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder." The early days of Air America Radio are chronicled in the documentary ''Left of the Dial'', which includes a debate between Janeane and her conservative father Carmine, who was initially a regular guest on ''The Majority Report.''Garofalo came under fire from her listeners for her comments on her April 28, 2006 show supporting Scientology-linked "New York Rescue Worker's Detoxification Program,http://nydetox.org/ a questioned treatment for workers now suffering ailments from 9/11 clean-up efforts in New York City.
Garofalo announced that she would be leaving her co-host position on ''The Majority Report'' on the broadcast of Friday, July 14, 2006. On the Wednesday, July 19 broadcast, while Seder and Garofalo were interviewing Jason Bateman, Garofalo cited her reason for leaving the show as precipitated by several "unrecoverable" on-air arguments with Seder (a longtime friend and fellow comedian); she also said that she regards Seder as a better radio broadcaster than she, and therefore a better choice to continue ''The Majority Report''. Her endorsement of a controversial Scientology program also put a wedge between her and Seder as well. Her long stint on''The West Wing'' allowed Sam to make the program his own, and she acknowledged that this had a part to play in her decision to leave. Her last broadcast as co-host of ''The Majority Report'' aired on July 21, 2006.
Filmography
Movies
*''Kiki's Delivery Service'' (1989) (voice)*''Late for Dinner'' (1991)
*''That's What Women Want'' (1992)
*''Reality Bites'' (1994)
*''Bye Bye Love'' (1995)
*''I Shot A Man In Vegas'' (1995)
*''Coldblooded'' (1995)
*''Now And Then'' (1995)
*''Sweethearts'' (1996)
*''Truth About Cats and Dogs'' (1996) (Abbey Barnes)
*''The Cable Guy'' (1996)
*''Larger Than Life'' (1996)
*''Touch'' (1997)
*''Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'' (1997) (Heather Mooney)
*''The Matchmaker'' (1997) (Marcy Tizard)
*''Cop Land'' (1997)
*''Clay Pigeons'' (1998)
*''Thick as Thieves'' (1998)
*''Permanent Midnight'' (1998)
*''Half Baked'' (1998)
*''The Thin Pink Line'' (1998)
*''The Bumblebee Flies Anyway'' (1999)
*''Torrance Rises'' (1999)
*''Can't Stop Dancing'' (1999)
*''Mystery Men'' (1999) (The Bowler)
*''Dogma'' (1999)
*''The Independent'' (1999)
*''200 Cigarettes'' (1999)
*''The Minus Man'' (1999)
*''Dog Park'' (2000)
*''Steal This Movie'' (2000) (Anita Hoffman)
*''Titan A.E.'' (2000)
*''The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle'' (2000)
*''What Planet Are You From?'' (2000)
*''The Laramie Project'' (2001)
*''The Search For John Gissing'' (2001)
*''Wet Hot American Summer'' (2001) (Beth)
*''Martin & Orloff'' (2002)
*''Big Trouble'' (2002)
*''The Laramie Project'', HBO; (2002)
*''Manhood'' (Showtime; 2003)
*''Wonderland'' (2003)
*''Nobody Knows Anything!'' (2003)
*''Team America: World Police'' (2004)
*''Jiminy Glick in Lalawood'' (2004)
*''Duane Hopwood'' (2005)
*''Nadine in Date Land'', Oxygen Network; (2005) (Nadine Barnes)
*''Stay'' (2005) (Dr. Beth Levy)
*''Southland Tales'' (2005)
*''Ratatouille'' (2007)
Short films
*''Suspicious'' (1994)*''The Cherry Picker'' (2000)
*''Housekeeping'' (2001)
*''Junebug and Hurricane'' (2004)
Documentaries
*''Left of the Dial'' (2005), HBO*''Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks'' (2003)
*''Dangerous Living: Coming Out In The Developing World'' (2003)
*"Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)" 2003
*''New York: A Documentary Film'' (1999)
Television
*''TV Nation'', NBC, Fox*''The Chris Rock Show'', HBO
*''The Larry Sanders Show'', HBO (Paula)
*''The Ben Stiller Show'', Fox
*''Saturday Night Live'', NBC
*''Seinfeld'', NBC
*''The Simpsons'' (Herself)
*''Newsradio'', NBC
*''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', Cartoon Network
*''Law & Order'', NBC
*''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''
*''Now with Bill Moyers'', PBS
*''The Daily Show''
*''Janeane Garofalo'', HBO (1997) (hour-long standup special)
*''The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn''
*''The King of Queens'', CBS
*''Shorties Watching Shorties'', Comedy Central
*''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', NBC
*''Primetime Glick'', Comedy Central
*''Mad About You'' (series finale) (Mabel)
*''Home Improvement''
*''The Belzer Connection'', SciFi Channel
*''Pilot Season''
*''Tanner On Tanner'', Sundance Channel (Herself)
*''Stella'', Comedy Central
*''Felicity''
*''Hannity & Colmes'', Fox News
*''Real Time with Bill Maher'', HBO
*''Comic Remix''
*''Jimmy Kimmel Live'', ABC
*''The Rosie O'Donnel Show''
*''Dennis Miller Live''
*''The Sopranos'', HBO (Herself)
*''King of the Hill'', Fox
*''Ellen'', ABC
*''Dinner for Five'', IFC
*'''', HBO (1996)
*''The West Wing'', NBC (2005) (Louise Thornton)
*''In the Life'', PBS (2005)
Bibliography
*''Feel This Book: An Essential Guide to Self-Empowerment, Spiritual Supremacy, and Sexual Satisfaction'' ISBN 0694521469 (w/ Ben Stiller)References
External links
* The Majority Report Weblog* MoveLeft Media articles re Janeane Garofalo
* Janeane Garofalo's political donations
* Independent Air America Radio IRC Chat channel (chat room) on Undernet
Biography courtesy of the brilliant Wikipedia!
