Wanda Sykes
Stand-up comedian from United States 🇺🇸
About Wanda Sykes
Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on The Chris Rock Show, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999, and in 2004 Entertainment Weekly named her one of the 25 funniest people in America. She is known for her recurring roles on CBS's The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006-10) and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2001-2011), and she stars in The Upshaws (2021-2026) on Netflix.
Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, to a banker mother and a U.S. Army colonel father, Sykes attended Arundel High School in Maryland and graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. After college, her first job was working for five years as a contracting specialist for the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland. She began her stand-up career at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, D.C., in 1987, performing on nights and weekends until 1992, when she moved to New York City, with an early TV appearance on Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam.
Her first big break came when opening for Chris Rock at Caroline's Comedy Club. In 1997 she joined the writing team on The Chris Rock Show, winning the 1999 Emmy for Outstanding Writing. She has had a film career including Monster-in-Law (2005), Evan Almighty (2007) and License to Wed (2007), and voiced characters in animated films such as Over the Hedge (2006), Rio (2011) and the Ice Age series. Her first HBO comedy special, Sick & Tired, premiered on October 14, 2006, and she received the GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award.
Videos (35)
Videos 1 to 24 of 35.
4:273,200 Gay Men. One Unforgettable Cruise.
230.8K views
2:01Wanda Sykes' Final Wishes
18.3K views
4:19Couples Will Fight Over This Wanda Sykes Joke
17.2K views
3:28The Real Reason Wanda Sykes Won't Swim with Dolphins
11.8K views
2:18Parenthood, Wanda Sykes Style
11.5K views
1:57Why I Drew the Line at Science
11.1K views
3:29Wanda Sykes Says What Everyone Thinks About Sex
6.1K views
5:19Wanda Sykes: Imagine the Freedom of Leaving "It" at Home (The Detachable V Joke)
4K views
2:23Why Calling Men "Dogs" Is Actually an Insult to Dogs
3K views
0:30Chris Rock gave Wanda Sykes advice before recording her first comedy special
2.5K views
2:22Wanda Sykes Makes Strip Clubs Make Sense (Almost)
2.5K views
1:21Wanda Sykes Not Normal premiered 5 years ago on Netflix!
2.1K views
1:11Wanda is not gonna lie lobster mac and cheese should not be a thing!
2K views
1:12It’s always good to see my dear friend Sherri Happy premiere week!
2K views
0:52Listen to Esther Wanda Sykes Legacy
2K views
0:22Watch LEGACY my new special streaming May 19th on Netflix
1.9K views
1:34Wanda Sykes Breaks Down Women’s Thoughts Perfectly
1.8K views
1:41Wanda Sykes Explains Why "Perfect" Boobs Are Always Fake
1.7K views
1:02Cut and run Wanda Sykes: Legacy on Netflix @netflixisajoke
1.7K views
1:08Took a red eye last night, just got up from a nap to this amazing news!
1.7K views
0:26Everything was different but just the same. streaming on Netflix.
1.6K views
0:51Fair response from this kid Wanda Sykes: Legacy on Netflix @netflixisajoke
1.6K views
0:41Congrats Team Golden Tempo!
1.4K views
0:12LEGACY streaming on @Netflix
1.2K viewsGuest appearances (64)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Wanda Sykes.
Guest appearances 1 to 24 of 64.
11:36Wanda Sykes on Trump Winning the Election, Her Message to Young People & Thanksgiving Plans
Jimmy Kimmel
1.9M views
11:55Guest Host Wanda Sykes on Trump Praising Hitler, Republicans Refusing Vaccines & Gay Couches!
Jimmy Kimmel
1.8M views
11:49Wanda Sykes Tackles Trump's Awkward Eulogy & Biden's Classified Documents | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.7M views
3:31Wanda Sykes On Her "Finding Your Roots" Surprises | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
1.6M views
13:00Wanda Sykes on Trump Farting in Court During Trial, Turning 60 & True Crime Obsession Going Too Far
Jimmy Kimmel
1.4M views
14:53Wanda Sykes on Liz Cheney’s Great Hair, Returning to Society After Quarantine & “The Upshaws”
Jimmy Kimmel
738K views
19:43The Best of Wanda Sykes as Guest Host | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
734.5K views
14:08Wanda Sykes Wants Eyes on Trump!
Jimmy Kimmel
686.3K views
13:53Wanda Sykes Helps White People Find Black Friends
Jimmy Kimmel
655.9K views
11:49Wanda Sykes on Seeing Beyoncé, Being Mistaken for Lenny Kravitz & Amazing Impression of Her Wife
Jimmy Kimmel
619.3K views
0:53Godfrey REACTS to Bill Maher at the Golden Globes Getting Roasted by Wanda Sykes
Godfrey
599.9K views
1:21Wanda Sykes On Bill Cosby | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
599.5K views
12:47Guest Host Wanda Sykes on 4th of July, CDC Diarrhea Warning & Getting Rid of Annoying People
Jimmy Kimmel
586K views
4:56Wanda Sykes Knows "Pootie Tang" Fans Are Stoners | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
549.9K views
9:08Wanda Sykes Covers Swifties Taking On Ticketmaster & Splash Mountain's Closing | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
495.1K views
3:36Wanda Sykes Tackles More George Santos Lies as His Supporters Release Ad in Support | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
493.8K views
12:13Wanda Sykes on Mystery Balloons in the Sky, Top Secret Security Clearance & The Upshaws in French
Jimmy Kimmel
444.2K views
10:38Wanda Sykes on Being Our Guest the Night We Got Suspended, How Trump’s Doing & New Comedy Special
Jimmy Kimmel
431.6K views
2:04Wanda Sykes Is Not A Trump Fan | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
427.9K views
11:57Wanda Sykes on Hosting the Oscars with Amy Schumer & Regina Hall and Writing with Mel Brooks
Jimmy Kimmel
398.2K views
7:34Wanda Sykes on Black Lives Matter, Quarantine with Her Twins & Twitter Feud with Scott Baio
Jimmy Kimmel
377.9K views
2:51Wanda Sykes Doesn’t Want Her Kids To See “Pootie Tang” | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
338.3K views
6:22Wanda Sykes Is Competing with Beyoncé for an Emmy
Seth Meyers
304.1K views
2:57Wanda Sykes' Family Speaks French to Conspire Against Her
Seth Meyers
278.4K viewsChannels on this page: Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Godfrey, Seth Meyers
Frequently asked questions
What is Wanda Sykes known for?
She is an American stand-up comedian, actress and writer, first recognized for her writing on The Chris Rock Show and known for roles on The New Adventures of Old Christine and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
What Emmy Award did Wanda Sykes win?
She won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999 for Outstanding Writing for her work on The Chris Rock Show.
What did Wanda Sykes do before comedy?
Her first job after graduating from Hampton University was working for five years as a contracting specialist for the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland.
When did Wanda Sykes start stand-up?
She began her stand-up career at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, D.C., in 1987, performing on nights and weekends until she moved to New York City in 1992.
Has Wanda Sykes done voice acting?
Yes, she has voiced characters in animated films including Over the Hedge (2006), Rio (2011), and the Ice Age series.
Comedians similar to Wanda Sykes
Same comedic style, across countries
