Tracey Ullman performances

Last updated

Ullman at the 46th Primetime Emmy Awards Tracey Ullman at 1994 Emmy Awards.jpg
Ullman at the 46th Primetime Emmy Awards

Tracey Ullman is a British-American actress who has had an extensive career in television, film, and theatre. She has worked in both comedy and drama. Her sketch comedy television programmes have won her numerous awards in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She began her stage career in the mid-1970s starring in various West End musicals and dramas. Her first television appearance came in 1980 playing Lisa Mackenzie in the British drama series Mackenzie. In 1981, the BBC cast her in two ensemble comedy sketch shows; A Kick Up the Eighties , and Three of a Kind (which also featured Lenny Henry and David Copperfield). [1] In 1983, Ullman launched a brief but successful pop singing career, garnering several chart hits and making several appearances on Top of the Pops . In 1985, she was cast in the ITV sitcom Girls on Top alongside Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Ruby Wax.

Contents

She came to the attention of producer James L. Brooks after her critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated performance in the film drama, Plenty (1985). Brooks would go on to create and produce her first American television comedy programme, The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. The show spun-off the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, The Simpsons in 1989. Her first big screen leading role came in 1990 in I Love You to Death . She would go on to star and appear in such films as Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), [2] Nancy Savoca's Household Saints (1993), [3] Bullets Over Broadway (1994), [4] and Small Time Crooks (2000).

In 1993, she returned to television with the comedy specials Tracey Ullman: A Class Act and Tracey Ullman Takes on New York for HBO in the United States. This led to the creation of Tracey Takes On... and a long career producing and starring in programmes created for American cable television. After a thirty-year absence she returned to the BBC creating the sketch comedy programme Tracey Ullman's Show in 2016. [1] In 2020, she returned in the FX historical drama television miniseries Mrs. America playing Betty Friedan earning herself both critical praise and accolades.

Filmography

Key
Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980MackenzieLisa MackenzieTelevision series
1981ScreenplayKarenEpisode: "Happy Since I Met You"
A Kick Up the Eighties VariousTelevision series
1981–83 Three of a Kind VariousTelevision series
1982Four in a MillionBeverlyTelevision film
A Cut AboveSamantha
1985 Girls on Top Candice ValentineSeries 1, 1 episode in series 2; additional material credit
1987 Saturday Night Live Herself (uncredited)Episode: "Garry Shandling/Los Lobos"
"Hollywood Mom" (sketch)
1987–1990 The Tracey Ullman Show VariousTelevision series
1989 Sesame Street Herself / TrashaEpisode 2584; Season 20; 6 April 1989
I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood Tina WiseTelevision film
1991The Full WaxHerselfEpisode: #1.4
The Simpsons Emily Winthrop / Mrs. Winfield (voice)Episode: "Bart's Dog Gets an 'F' "
Funny Women of TelevisionHerself
1992 Sibs BeatriceEpisode: "If I Only Had a Dad"
1993 Love & War Dava LevineEpisode: "The Prima Dava"
Tracey Ullman: A Class Act VariousAdditional material credit
Tracey Ullman Takes on New York VariousTelevision special
1995 The Little Lulu Show Lulu (voice)Season 1
Women of the Night IVHerself
1996–99 Tracey Takes On... VariousCreator, writer, executive producer, second unit director (season 4)
1998–99 Ally McBeal Dr. Tracey Clark5 episodes
2001–02 Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty Lines HerselfTelevision series
2003 Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales Ruby Romaine / Svetlana / Pepper KaneDirectorial debut; writer, executive producer
2004 Will & Grace AnnEpisode: "Looking for Mr. Good Enough"
2005 Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed HerselfExecutive producer, writer
Once Upon a Mattress Princess WinnifredTelevision film
2006 Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy Herself3 episodes
2007If It Ain't StiffHerself
2008 Mumbai Calling Telephone Voice (voice)7 episodes
2008–2010 Tracey Ullman's State of the Union VariousCreator, writer, director, executive producer
2011 Kennedy Center Honors HerselfTribute to Meryl Streep
2014 How I Met Your Mother Genevieve Scherbatsky3 episodes
Sofia the First Marla (voice)Episode: "Mom's the Word"
2015Shakespeare UncoveredHerselfEpisode: "The Taming of the Shrew With Morgan Freeman"
2016, 2018 Have I Got News for You HerselfGuest presenter; 2 episodes
2016–18 Tracey Ullman's Show VariousDevised by credit, executive producer
2017 Girls Ode MontgomeryEpisode: "Painful Evacuation"
Tracey Breaks the News VariousDevised by credit, executive producer
Howards End Aunt Juley MundMiniseries
The President Show HerselfEpisode: "I Came Up with Christmas: A President Show Christmas"
2017–18 Tracey Breaks the News VariousTelevision series
2018 Zog Madame Dragon / Governess (voice)
2020 Mrs. America Betty Friedan Miniseries
Death to 2020 Queen Elizabeth II Television special
2021–24 Curb Your Enthusiasm Irma Kostroski9 episodes
2021 Death to 2021 Madison MadisonTelevision special
2024 Black Doves Alex ClarkTelevision series

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 Give My Regards to Broad Street Sandra
The Young Visiters Ethel Monticue
1985 Plenty Alice ParkNominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash Fiona
1989 Happily Ever After Thunberella / Moonbeam (voice)
1990 I Love You to Death Rosalie Boca
1992 Death Becomes Her ToniScenes deleted
1993 Robin Hood: Men in Tights Latrine
Household Saints Catherine Falconetti
1994 I'll Do Anything Beth Hobbs
Bullets Over Broadway Eden Brent
Prêt-à-Porter Nina Scant
1996 Everyone Says I Love You Scenes deleted
2000 Panic Martha
Small Time Crooks FrenchyNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
C-Scam
2004 A Dirty Shame Sylvia Stickles
The Cat That Looked at a King The Cat (voice)Video
2005 Corpse Bride Nell Van Dort / Hildegarde (voice)
Kronk's New Groove Ms. Birdwell (voice)Video
2006 The Queen Self (uncredited)Archive footage
Flushed Away Creative consultant
2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman Mother Nature
2008 The Tale of Despereaux Mig (voice)
2014 Into the Woods Jack's Mother
2020 Onward Grecklin (voice)
The Prom Vera Glickman
2021Highway OneAssociate producer
TBA The Actor Mrs. Malloy / Helen / Deerville WomanPost-production [5]

Directing, producing and writing

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriter
1985Girls on TopNoNoYes [a]
1987–1990The Tracey Ullman ShowNoNoYes
1993Tracey Ullman: A Class ActNoNoYes [a]
1996–99Tracey Takes On...Yes [b] ExecutiveYes
2001–02Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty LinesNoExecutiveNo
2003Tracey Ullman in the Trailer TalesYesExecutiveYes
2005Tracey Ullman: Live and ExposedNoExecutiveYes
2008–2010Tracey Ullman's State of the UnionYes [c] ExecutiveYes
2016–18Tracey Ullman's ShowNoExecutiveYes
2017–18Tracey Breaks the NewsNoExecutiveYes
2021Highway OneNoYes [d] No

Theatre

YearProductionRoleLocation
1976 Gigi Theater des Westens, Berlin
1977Second GenerationBlackpool and Liverpool
1977/78 Aladdin Liverpool Empire
1978 Elvis The Musical London Astoria
Oh! BoyLondon Astoria
1979 Grease FrenchyLondon Astoria
The Rocky Horror Show Janet Comedy Theatre
1980TalentJulie Everyman Theatre
It's a MadhouseVeraEveryman Theatre
ZackSallyEveryman Theatre
Gloo JooIrene
Dracula Lucy Young Vic
1981Four in a MillionBeverly Royal Court Theatre
1981–82 Dick Whittington Dick Theatre Royal, Newcastle
1982Rita, Sue and Bob TooBob's wifeRoyal Court Theatre
She Stoops to Conquer Kate Hardcastle Lyric Hammersmith
Bows and ArrowsHenriettaYoung Writer's Festival
1983The Grass WidowCarmenRoyal Court Theatre
1990 The Taming of the Shrew Kate Delacorte Theater
1991 The Big Love Florence The Orpheum Theatre
2005 Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed Self The Fonda Theatre
2011My CityElizabeth Almeida Theatre
2012 What About Dick? Aunt Maggie / Enid Bastar / The Countess von KunstThe Orpheum Theatre
2014 The Band Wagon Lily Martin New York City Center

Radio

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981–83 Week Ending VariousTopical sketch series [6] [7]
2021 Desert Island Discs HerselfInterviewee [8]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Additional material credit.
  2. Second unit director (season 4).
  3. Season 3 only.
  4. Associate producer.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracey Ullman</span> British-American actress, comedian, singer, dancer, director, producer and writer

Tracey Ullman is a British-American actress, comedian, singer, dancer, screenwriter, producer, and director. Critics have lauded her ability to shift seamlessly in and out of character and accents, with many dubbing her the "female Peter Sellers". Her earliest mainstream appearances were on British television sketch comedy shows A Kick Up the Eighties and Three of a Kind. After a brief singing career, she appeared as Candice Valentine in Girls on Top with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Saunders</span> English comedian (b. 1958)

Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English actress, comedian, singer, and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner, Dawn French. With French, she co-wrote and starred in their eponymous sketch show, French and Saunders, for which they jointly received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009. Saunders later received acclaim in the 1990s for writing and playing her character Edina Monsoon in her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Kavner</span> American actress (born 1950)

Julie Deborah Kavner is an American actress. Before becoming well-known for her voice role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, Kavner attracted notice for her role as Brenda Morgenstern, the younger sister of Valerie Harper's title character in the sitcom Rhoda, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also voices other characters for The Simpsons, including Marge's mother, Jacqueline Bouvier, sisters Patty and Selma Bouvier, and half-step-great-aunt Eunice Bouvier.

<i>The Tracey Ullman Show</i> American television sketch comedy variety show

The Tracey Ullman Show is an American television sketch comedy variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987, as the network's second original primetime series to air, following Married... with Children, and ran for four seasons and 81 episodes until May 26, 1990. It was produced by Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The show blended sketch comedy with musical numbers and dance routines, choreographed by Paula Abdul, along with animated shorts. The format was conceived by co-creator and executive producer James L. Brooks, who was looking to showcase the show's multitalented star. Brooks likened the show to producing three pilots a week. Ullman was the first British woman to be offered her own television sketch show in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanne Tripplehorn</span> American actress

Jeanne Marie Tripplehorn is an American actress. She began her career on stage, acting in several plays throughout the early 1990s, including Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters on Broadway. Her film career began with the role of a police psychologist in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct (1992). Her other film roles include The Firm (1993), Waterworld (1995) and Sliding Doors (1998). On television, she starred as Barbara Henrickson on the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011) and as Dr. Alex Blake on the CBS police drama Criminal Minds (2012–2014), and she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her performance as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the 2009 HBO movie Grey Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy-Ann Oberman</span> English actress, playwright, writer and narrator (born 1966)

Tracy-Ann Oberman is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Val" in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020).

Tracey Takes On... is an American sketch comedy series starring Tracey Ullman. The show ran for four seasons on HBO and was commissioned following the success of the 1993 comedy special Tracey Ullman Takes on New York. Each episode focuses on a specific subject, in which Ullman and her cast of characters comment or experience through a series of sketches and monologues.

<i>A Kick Up the Eighties</i> Television series

A Kick Up the Eighties is a British comedy sketch show originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1981 to 1984. It starred Robbie Coltrane, Tracey Ullman, Richard Stilgoe, Miriam Margolyes, Rik Mayall, Ron Bain and Roger Sloman.

Three of a Kind is a British comedy sketch show starring comedians Lenny Henry, Tracey Ullman and David Copperfield. Three series were made by the BBC between 1981 and 1983.

Gail Parent is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author.

Maddie Corman is an American actress. She has appeared in over 25 films, including Seven Minutes in Heaven, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

<i>Tracey Ullmans State of the Union</i> Television series

Tracey Ullman's State of the Union is an American sketch comedy television series starring Tracey Ullman. The series was written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner. Gail Parent and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the series' first season. The show ran for three seasons on Showtime. On May 17, 2010, it was announced that the show would not be returning for a fourth season.

<i>Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed</i> 2005 American TV series or program

Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed is an HBO comedy special starring Tracey Ullman. The stage show documents Ullman's rise to fame with reenactments of her childhood as well as her career as a performer. Many of her television characters also appear, along with their origin stories. The characters are performed with no makeup and little costuming.

<i>Tracey Ullman: A Class Act</i> 1993 comedy television special

Tracey Ullman: A Class Act is an ITV sketch comedy television special starring Tracey Ullman, along with Michael Palin, playing a variety of original characters.

<i>Tracey Ullman Takes on New York</i> 1993 American TV series or program

Tracey Ullman Takes on New York is an HBO television special starring Tracey Ullman. The show was Ullman's first project for network; it led to the creation of the sketch comedy series Tracey Takes On...

Kim Fuller is an English writer for film, radio and television. He is the brother of music manager and Idols series creator Simon Fuller.

<i>Tracey Ullmans Visible Panty Lines</i> 2001 American TV series or program

Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty Lines is American talk show and reality television series hosted by Tracey Ullman. The show focuses on fashion and individual style. Each episode consists of makeovers and celebrity guests. Celebrities reveal what's in their wardrobe and present childhood mementos. The show was inspired by Ullman's online fashion boutique Purple Skirt. The series was originally set to air on 13 September 2001, but due to the September 11 attacks the show was bumped to September 20. On the morning of September 11, Tracey made a live appearance on NBC's Today to promote the show just hours before the attacks began.

<i>Tracey Ullmans Show</i> 2016 British TV series or programme

Tracey Ullman's Show is a British sketch comedy television series starring Tracey Ullman. Tracey Ullman's Show premiered on BBC One on 11 January 2016. The programme marks her first project for the broadcaster in over 30 years, and her first original project for British television in 22 years.

<i>Tracey Breaks the News</i> 2017 British TV series or programme

Tracey Breaks the News is a British topical comedy programme starring Tracey Ullman. It premiered on BBC One on 27 October 2017 following a one-off special that aired on 23 June.

"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the British comedy series Tracey Breaks the News starring comedian Tracey Ullman. The series was commissioned by the BBC for BBC One. It is thematically inspired by the aftermath 2017 United Kingdom general election, as well as the one year anniversary of the Brexit vote, and was recorded shortly thereafter. The special is a reformatted version of Tracey Ullman's Show. "Tracey Breaks the News" is the second special Ullman has done for British television; her first since 1993's Tracey Ullman: A Class Act, and her fifth overall. The show aired on 23 June.

References

  1. 1 2 Addley, Esther (8 January 2016). "Tracey Ullman Returns to BBC with First Television Series in 30 Years". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  2. "See the Cast of 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' Then and Now". Screen Crush. Screencrush.com. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  3. "Household Saints Movie Review (1993)". Roger Ebert. Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  4. "Movie Review - Bullets Over Broadway (1994) Film Festival Review – Allen's Ode to Theater and, as Always, New York". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  5. "Shooting of "The Actor" Moving to Budapest This Quarter". Budapest Reporter. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  6. Week Ending Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  7. Week Ending Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
  8. "Desert Island Discs: Tracey Ullman, actor and comedian". BBC. Retrieved 18 January 2023.