Punkie Johnson

Last updated

Punkie Johnson
Punkie Johnson in 2021.jpg
Johnson in 2021
Born
Jessica Williams

(1985-04-29) April 29, 1985 (age 39)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Education Nicholls State University (BA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actress
Years active2015–present

Jessica Williams (born April 29, 1985), [1] known professionally as Punkie Johnson, is an American comedian and actress based in New York City and began her career as a stand-up comedian at The Comedy Store in California. Johnson is best known for being a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for four seasons, joining its 46th season in 2020 and leaving in 2024 after its 49th season. [2]

Contents

Early life, family and education

Johnson, born Jessica Williams, was raised by her mother, Mary Johnson, in New Orleans, Louisiana, attending Catholic and public schools. She graduated in 2003 [1] from McDonogh 35 High School. [1] [3]

Johnson studied at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, where she graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies. [1]

Career

Johnson began her career as a stand-up comedian. She later joined The Comedy Store in Los Angeles as a paid regular. [3] In 2019, Johnson performed at Just for Laughs. [4]

As an actress, Johnson has appeared in various television series such as Space Force , A Black Lady Sketch Show , Corporate , and Adam Ruins Everything . [5] [6]

Saturday Night Live

In 2020, Johnson was cast as a featured player on Saturday Night Live , starting in its forty-sixth season. She was promoted to repertory status in 2022 before the beginning of the 48th season. Johnson is the eighth black female cast member in the show's history, the second black LGBT woman to be a cast member (following Danitra Vance, who was not publicly out during her lifetime), and the seventh LGBT cast member overall. [5] [6] [7] [8] On Thursday, August 1st, 2024, after four years of being a cast member, it was announced that Johnson will not be returning to the show. Her final episode aired on May 18th, 2024, with host Jake Gyllenhaal. [9]

Personal life

Punkie Johnson at the NYC Gay Pride Parade in 2022 Punkie Johnson Pride Parade NYC June 2022.jpg
Punkie Johnson at the NYC Gay Pride Parade in 2022

Johnson is a lesbian as well as identifying with the queer community. She and her wife had been partnered since 2002, [4] but in a 2022 episode of the podcast Films To Be Buried With she revealed she was in the middle of divorce proceedings and had since begun a new relationship. [10] In a 2021 interview with NBC News, Johnson affirmed her LGBTQ identity, stating: "I'm just this little lesbian chick from New Orleans who is just enjoying life doing comedy". [11]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2019The LotPunkie Short film
2020Sixteen Thousand DollarsJo'NiqueShort film
2020The Adventures of WhitDetectiveShort film
2023 Bottoms Rhodes
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2018 Take My Wife Episode: "Episode 205"
2018 Adam Ruins Everything AvaEpisode: "Adam Ruins Guns"
2019 Corporate Taylor the Tattoo ArtistEpisode: "The Fall"
2019 A Black Lady Sketch Show Dance BiterEpisode: "Angela Bassett Is the Baddest Bitch"
2019 Crank Yankers ShastaEpisode: "Jimmy Kimmel, Kathy Griffin & Jeff Ross"
2020Bill Burr Presents: The RingersHerself
2020 Space Force Staff Sergeant Kiki RhodesEpisode: "Space Flag"
2020–2024 Saturday Night Live Various charactersRepertory cast member
2021 Love Life Ida WatkinsSupporting role (season 2)
2022 Ghosts Ally2 episodes

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Art and Creativity Has Absolutely Nothing to do With Gender by Punkie Johnson of MewNowTV.com's TALKIN' POINTS". Film Courage. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ https://deadline.com/2024/08/punkie-johnson-leaving-snl-1236028768/
  3. 1 2 "Punkie Johnson". The Stand NYC. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Reynolds, Daniel (September 16, 2020). "SNL Adds Black Lesbian Cast Member Punkie Johnson". The Advocate .
  5. 1 2 Steinberg, Brian (September 16, 2020). "Jim Carrey to Play Joe Biden in Next Season of 'Saturday Night Live'". Variety .
  6. 1 2 Ryan, Patrick (September 16, 2020). "'SNL': Meet the three new cast members joining Season 46". USA Today .
  7. ↑ White, Peter (September 16, 2020). "'SNL': Jim Carrey Set To Play Joe Biden As NBC Show Adds Three Featured Players & Will Have Limited Audience". Deadline .
  8. ↑ Pierce, Robbie X (August 22, 2016). "A Brief LGBT History of Saturday Night Live". The Advocate. Retrieved September 1, 2022. Danitra Vance, a lesbian, is tied with Sweeney for first LGBT cast member on SNL, though she was not out publicly during her lifetime.
  9. ↑ https://deadline.com/2024/08/punkie-johnson-leaving-snl-1236028768/
  10. ↑ "Punkie Johnson - the Resurrection! • Films to be Buried with Brett Goldstein #195".
  11. ↑ Eugenios, Jillian (June 1, 2021). "Comedian Punkie Johnson on making 'Saturday Night Live' history". NBC News .


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