Over the past decade or two, the number of female comedians has risen across the globe. The likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Wiig, Wanda Sykes, and others have taken the comedy entertainment industry by storm. Every one of these top comediennes has a unique style that sets them apart.
Production companies such as Netflix have recorded an increase in the amount of content created by female comedians in the past few years. Some of the women on this list have amazing stand-up specials to their names. Who is the funniest woman comedian?
Who are the best female comedians of the world?
Here is a look at the ten best female comedians in the world today.
10. Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is among the most talented women comedians of all time. In 2004, BBC granted Tate the rights to her television show named The Catherine Tate Show. It aired for several years until 2007.
Tate’s performances on the show won her a National Television Award, Royal Television Society Award, and 2 British Comedy Awards. Between 2011 and 2013, she played the role of Eleanor Donna on the hit British sitcom, The Office. Donna was a working-class woman who got promoted to a powerful position despite her apparent lack of formal education.
In 2013, Tate appeared as Sarah Postern on Big School, a British sitcom. The show followed the interactions between the teaching staff at Greybridge Secondary School. The show only lasted two seasons, with its content being criticized for being too traditional and inoffensive.
In 2017, Catherine worked on voice work for the US animated series DuckTales. She played the role of sorceress Magica De Spell, one of the show’s antagonists. By 2019, the then 51-year-old Tate made several appearances in American and British productions.
9. Margaret Cho
Who is the best Asian comedian female? The answer to that might vary from one person to the other, but one of the contenders is undoubtedly Margaret Cho. She was born and raised in San Francisco but has Korean roots since her grandfather was Korean.
Soon after Margaret began her comedy career, she won a competition where the grand prize was performing the opening act for the famous Jerry Seinfeld. She then relocated to advance her career in the college circuit.
The comedienne soon became one of Los Angeles’s most sought-after campus entertainers. Within two years of moving to Los Angeles, Cho had performed in more than 300 concerts. Her success on the college circuit pushed her to create her own ABC sitcom titled All-American Girl. The show, while certainly groundbreaking, was marred by controversy and soon canceled after a brief stint.
In 2003, Cho embarked on a national tour titled Revolution, which was widely regarded as her greatest show yet. The recording of the tour received a Grammy Award nomination for the Comedy Album of the Year. In 2007, Cho embarked on the True Colors Tour alongside The Dresden Dolls, The Cliks, Debbie Harry, and Cyndi Lauper. Additionally, the comedian was named among the 100 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time by the Goldsea Asian American Daily.
8. Tiffany Haddish
Tiffany is one of the most gifted female stand-up comedians in the modern day. She embarked on her comedy career soon after graduating from high school. Despite making progress, she made so little money in her early career that she often lived in her car.
Haddish got her big break in 2006 when she participated in the comedy competition show Who’s Got Jokes? A few years later, she appeared on Reality Bites Back and Def Comedy Jam. This was followed by appearances in comedies such as The Janky Promoters (2009) and Meet the Spartans (2008).
In 2013, Haddish gained more fans with her performances in the comedy series Real Husbands of Hollywood, The Carmichael Show, and If Loving You is Wrong. Haddish also became a guest in shows such as The Arsenio Hall Show, The Tonight Show, and Chelsea Lately.
In 2017, Haddish was cast alongside Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and Regina Hall for the hit movie Girls Trip. In 2017, the comedienne published a memoir titled The Last Black Unicorn. Her website has information about her career, tours, books, and bookings.
7. Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg was born in 1955 to Robert James Johnson and Emma Harris. Before beginning her comedy career, she worked as a bricklayer. After doing small performances in Broadway, the comedienne moved to California, where she started working with small improv groups.
Goldberg would then rise to prominence after a one-person show playing the role of Moms Mabley. She is known throughout the entertainment industry for her vociferously liberal views on several issues. Her first major acting role came in 1985 when she was cast to play Celie in The Color Purple. Her performance in the movie earned her an Oscar nomination as well as massive critical acclaim.
Later, Goldberg appeared in films such as Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), The Telephone (1988), and Burglar (1987). In 1990, she appeared in the film Ghost and later won an Oscar Award for her performance in the film. Here are some of the films and television series in which Goldberg appeared:
- Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
- Sister Act (1992)
- Made in America (1993)
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
- How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- Soapdish (1991)
- Eddie (1996)
- The Deep End of the Ocean (1999)
- Rat Race (2001)
- Kingdom Come (2001)
6. Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig was born in 1973 to Laurie Johnston and Jon Wiig. Her parents divorced when Kristen was only nine years old, after which she lived with her mother and older brother, Erik. She made her big-screen debut in the 2007 hot comedy titled Knocked Up, after which she began to make appearances in numerous films and television shows.
Wiig joined the popular television show Saturday Night Live in 2005. She used to play several characters, including Nancy Pelosi, Suze Orman, and Doonese, among others. She earned four Emmy Award nominations for her work on Saturday Night Live.
In 2011, Kristen worked with Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy in writing and creating Bridesmaids, one of the year’s best romantic comedies. Wiig earned two Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. The comedienne regularly posts content on her website.
5. Amy Schumer
Amy is one of the best Comedy Central female comedians. She was born in 1981 and began her comedy career in the mid-2000s. She enjoyed a steady rise to fame and earned the fourth spot on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2007.
In 2011, Amy released her debut stand-up album titled Cutting. This was followed by a further rise to fame with her performance on Comedy Central’s The Roast of Charlie Sheen. She then earned a platform on Comedy Central to host her comedy special titled Mostly Sex Stuff.
In 2013, Comedy Central allowed Amy to host her show titled Inside Amy Schumer, which went on to earn an Emmy Award in 2015 for the Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. In 2015, Amy co-starred in the summer hit film, Trainwreck, alongside Bill Hader.
4. Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman is among the top female comedians on Netflix. She was recently the host of the weekly series titled I Love You America. Currently, the comedienne is working on the musical adaptation of the
