Tammy Pescatelli (born Tammy Gillespie, May 15, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian.

Tammy Pescatelli
Pescatelli in August 2012
Birth nameTammy Gillespie[1]
Born (1969-05-15) May 15, 1969 (age 54)
Perry, Ohio, U.S.[2]
MediumStand-up comedy, television, film
GenresObservational comedy
Subject(s)Interpersonal relationships, everyday life
SpouseLuca Palanca

Life and career edit

Pescatelli was born in Perry, Ohio, and spent her childhood summers in her mother's hometown of Meadville, Pennsylvania.[3] Pescatelli worked as a morning radio show co-host, performer, TV spokeswoman and basketball cheerleader from 1990 to 1995 in the Quad Cities area of southeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois.[4] Pescatelli's comedic career took off after appearing on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2004.[5]

Pescatelli married Luca Palanca on February 11, 2008. Palanca and Pescatelli moved to Meadville in 2009 after their son was born.[3] Both Pescatelli and Palanca are of Italian descent, and her extended family lives in Meadville. She is often on the road as a stand-up comedian, so in Meadville her extended family helps look after their son. Part of her show's humor originates from the interactions with her and her husband's families.[3]

In 2010, Pescatelli won Comedy Central's Standup Showdown.[6] In 2004, she was a finalist on the second and third seasons of Last Comic Standing. She was one of the Final Five on NBC's Last Comic Standing.

Pescatelli co-created, executive produced, wrote and starred in a reality television show on WE tv called A Standup Mother (2011), related to Pescatelli's life as a mother, wife, and comedian.[7]

Her comedy special Finding the Funny was released with Netflix in 2013.[8] It was selected "New and Noteworthy" by iTunes editors and hit number 3 on the charts.[9]

In 2011, Pescatelli was diagnosed with stage 2 ovarian cancer. She underwent surgery, was told she was "free and clear" of cancer and did not have to go through chemotherapy.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ Felton, Chad (March 14, 2018). "Perry High grad returns to school to film Netflix comedy special". The News-Herald.
  2. ^ Koestner, Mark (January 24, 2011). "Perry Native Goes from 'Last Comic Standing' to One 'Stand Up Mother'". The News-Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Owen, Rob (January 25, 2011). "Comedian and Meadville star in reality show 'A Stand Up Mother'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Burke, David (June 2, 2011). "Pescatelli tries to find humor in tough year". Quad-City Times. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "Tammy Pescatelli". Shippensburg Comedy Club. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. ^ HAYTCHER, BRIAN. "Ashtabula native releases new comedy special". Star Beacon. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  7. ^ "A Stand Up Mother". WEtv. Womens Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  8. ^ "Tammy Pescatelli - Artist Profile". eventseeker.com. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  9. ^ "Official Biography | Tammy Pescatelli". Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.

External links edit