Iliza Shlesinger

Iliza Vie Shlesinger, born on February 22, 1983, is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and television host. She rose to prominence as the winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2008. Following her victory, she hosted the syndicated dating show Excused from 2011 to 2013. Additionally, Shlesinger served as the host of the TBS game show Separation Anxiety.
In 2017, she ventured into hosting her own late-night talk show titled Truth & Iliza on Freeform. By 2022, Shlesinger had released six comedy specials on Netflix, showcasing her unique comedic style and wit. One of her notable projects includes The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show, a sketch comedy series that premiered on Netflix in April 2020, further solidifying her presence in the comedy scene.

Iliza Vie Shlesinger was born on February 22, 1983, in New York City, into a Jewish family. However, her family relocated to Dallas, Texas, when she was just a baby. She grew up in Dallas and attended the private Greenhill School in Addison, Texas. During her time at Greenhill, she studied Spanish and was involved in the school's improvisation team.
After completing her high school education, Shlesinger briefly attended the University of Kansas for one year before participating in a Semester at Sea program. She then transferred to Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, where she pursued a major in film. At Emerson, she honed her writing and editing skills and became a member of one of the campus's comedy sketch groups, Jimmy's Traveling All Stars.


After graduating from Emerson College, Shlesinger moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. She quickly became one of the most popular members of a group of comedians in Los Angeles known as "whiteboy comedy." Her talent brought her to the stage at The Improv in Hollywood, where she competed in the "Last Comic Standing" competition.
In 2007, Shlesinger won Myspace's So You Think You're Funny contest and was featured as the G4 network's Myspace Girl of the Week. The following year, in 2008, she made history by becoming the first woman and the youngest winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing, during the series' sixth season. She impressed both audiences and fellow comedians, winning each head-to-head elimination she participated in. Shlesinger also toured with The Last Comic Standing Tour following her victory.


In addition to her stand-up success, Shlesinger collaborated with Lewis Black on the History Channel holiday special Surviving the Holidays and narrated the 2009 documentary Imagine It!² The Power of Imagination. She released an on-demand comedy video titled Man Up and Act Like a Lady and an on-demand comedy album, iliza LIVE, on her website in 2010.
Shlesinger ventured into hosting with The Weakly News on TheStream.tv from July 2007 to April 2012. She later hosted Excused, a syndicated American reality-based dating competition series, from 2011 to 2013. Additionally, she co-starred in the 2013 film Paradise.


In August 2014, Shlesinger launched an advice podcast called Truth and Iliza, which continued to gain popularity. The podcast features celebrity guests and personal friends discussing various topics that interest Shlesinger and her guests.
She also co-hosted an episode of StarTalk Radio Show with Neil DeGrasse Tyson in May 2016 and premiered her short-form digital comedy series, Forever 31, on ABC's streaming service in July 2016. In September 2016, a late-night show starring Shlesinger was put into development for the cable channel Freeform. Truth & Iliza, her late-night talk show, aired six episodes starting from May 2, 2017.


Iliza Shlesinger's career in comedy has been marked by a series of successful stand-up specials, many of which premiered on Netflix. Her first comedy album and video, War Paint, was recorded in Dallas, Texas, and released on Netflix in September 2013. This was followed by her second stand-up special, Freezing Hot, which premiered on Netflix in January 2015.
Her third stand-up special, Confirmed Kills, was recorded in Chicago, Illinois, and premiered on Netflix in September 2016. Shlesinger continued her streak with Elder Millennial, her fourth stand-up special, which was recorded aboard USS Hornet in Alameda, California, and premiered on Netflix in July 2018. Her fifth stand-up special, Unveiled, was recorded in Nashville and premiered on Netflix in November 2019.


In addition to her stand-up work, Shlesinger has ventured into acting. She starred in the Netflix film Spenser Confidential, released in March 2020. She also created, starred in, and executive produced The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show, which premiered on Netflix in April 2020.
Shlesinger's versatility is evident in her roles, as she played Anita Weiss in the critically acclaimed film Pieces of a Woman, released on Netflix in January 2021. She also wrote, starred in, and executive produced the romantic comedy film Good on Paper, which premiered on Netflix in June 2021.
Continuing her success in comedy, Shlesinger released her sixth stand-up special, Iliza Shlesinger: Hot Forever, which premiered on Netflix in October 2022. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated her ability to connect with diverse audiences through her humor and storytelling.

References

1.  Rogan, Joe; Shlesinger, Iliza (April 21, 2014). "Joe Rogan Experience #488 - Iliza Shlesinger". The Joe Rogan Experience. Episode 488. Event occurs at 0:09:24. Retrieved May 13, 2020. At this timestamp, Rogan and Shlesinger discuss the pronunciation of name.
2. ^ Vanity Fair; Shlesinger, Iliza (May 12, 2020). Amateurs Try to Make a Comedian Laugh in 20 Seconds (feat. Iliza Shlesinger) (video). Vanity Fair. Event occurs at 0:00:01. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
3. ^ Strause, Jackie (May 2, 2017). "How Iliza Shlesinger Plans to Bring Digestible Feminism to Late-Night TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
4. ^ Host: Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (January 30, 2024). "Hold the Laughter". Finding Your Roots. Season 10. Episode 5. PBS.
5. ^ Schwartz, Michael S. (contributing photographer) (March 12, 2008). "Hollywood-March 12: Iliza Vie Shlesinger poses..." WireImage.com. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
6. ^ AllMovie Staff. "Iliza Shlesinger". AllMovie.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
7. a b Torok, Ryan (October 13, 2016). "Comedian Iliza Shlesinger's success is a laughing matter". The Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020.
8. ^ Martindale, David (April 28, 2017). "Iliza Shlesinger has a few things she wants to say in 'Truth & Iliza'". Dallas Star-Telegram. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
9. ^ Host: Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (January 30, 2024). "Hold the Laughter". Finding Your Roots. Season 10. Episode 5. PBS.
10. Kar, Meena (June 5, 2010). "Iliza Shlesinger Has Her Own Half Hour Special After Winning Last Comic Standing". ThaindianNews. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013. [Complete text of source.]
11. ^ Shlesinger, Iliza (December 2, 2016). "About Iliza". www.iliza.com. Archived from the original (self-published autobiography) on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
12. ^ Shlesinger, Iliza & LACS Staff (2004). "Comic Profiles: Iliza Shlesinger". whiteboy comedy productions. Los Angeles, CA: LA Comedy Showcase. Archived from the original (self-published autobiography) on January 1, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018. [Complete text of source.]
13. ^ Brown, Joe (August 18, 2008). "Last Comic Standing joins 'Jubilee!' on Sunday". Las Vegas Sun.
14. ^ Kohen, Yael (2012). We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy. Macmillan. p. xxxii. ISBN 9781466828117.