Wanda Sykes
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.
230.7K 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 25 to 48 of 64.
4:51Wanda Sykes Has Made Changes to Last Comic Standing
Jimmy Kimmel
249.9K views
6:59Will Wanda Sykes Get Blackballed For Speaking Out Against Will Smith?
Broderick Dornell Smiley
243.6K views
7:48Mike Epps on Getting His Start in Comedy, Having Six Daughters & The Upshaws with Wanda Sykes
Jimmy Kimmel
235.5K views
55:05Wanda Sykes (FULL EPISODE) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
219.4K views
8:13Wanda Sykes on Raising French Children and Celebrating Thanksgiving
Seth Meyers
218.3K views
0:24"Good for y'all" - Wanda Sykes and maybe the Church of England
Jon Stewart
187.5K views
5:01Wanda Sykes Struggled with Discussing Racism with Her Kids
Seth Meyers
173.1K views
10:07Wanda Sykes on How to Get Along with Kids | Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
146.1K views
2:03Wanda Sykes On Richard Simmons' Risqué Flight Wardrobe | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
139.2K views
3:19Wanda Sykes Wants To Start A Predator Fantasy League | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
133.2K views
1:38Wanda Sykes' Hawaiian Friend Slept Through The False Missile Alert | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
119.8K views
10:41Nick Kroll on Having a Baby, Wanda Sykes in “Big Mouth” & Guest Hosting Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel
88K views
1:07Wanda Sykes was tricked into auditioning for "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
Conan O'Brien
87.3K views
3:06Wanda Sykes Doesn't Like Being Around Larry David | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
86.3K views
4:02Wanda Sykes' Vacation Tip For White People | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
78.7K views
1:37Wanda Sykes Thinks Conan’s Job Is Easy | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
71.4K views
0:07Wanda Sykes feels _____ about being Conan O'Brien's friend.
Conan O'Brien
70.1K views
2:00Wanda Sykes Tells Your Annoying Friends the Truth
Jimmy Kimmel
65.5K views
4:53Stephen Colbert & Wanda Sykes Can't Hide Their Contempt for Regular People | DM CLIPS | Rubin Report
Dave Rubin
60.4K views
0:49Wanda Sykes On Harvey Weinstein's Prison Sentence | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
54.4K views
2:12Wanda Sykes Needs A Podcast | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
50.3K views
16:40Wanda Sykes Full Interview | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
47.9K views
2:18Wanda Sykes On "Visible: Out On Television" | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
31.4K views
41:00Wanda Sykes | Mike's Dream Guest | Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out
Mike Birbiglia
25K viewsChannels on this page: Jimmy Kimmel, Broderick Dornell Smiley, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, Steve Harvey, Dave Rubin, Mike Birbiglia
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
