Ashley Nicole Black (born June 15, 1985)[1][2] is an American comedian, actress, writer and producer. She was a writer and correspondent for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (2016–2019), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

Ashley Nicole Black
Born (1985-06-15) June 15, 1985 (age 39)
EducationUniversity of California, Santa Cruz (BA)
Northwestern University (MA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actress
  • writer
Years active2014–present
Known forFull Frontal with Samantha Bee

Black is a writer for Ted Lasso, The Amber Ruffin Show, and A Black Lady Sketch Show, on which she also stars.[3][4][5]

Early life and education

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Black was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Walnut, California.[6]

She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2007 with a degree in theatre arts. She then attended Northwestern University, where she earned a master's degree in performance studies.[7] Black was four years into a PhD program at Northwestern University when she decided to drop out and pursue her dream of working in comedy.[7]

Career

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Black's comedy career began at the Second City, where she first attended an improv class.[4][7]

In 2016, she was hired as a correspondent on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. She worked on the show for three years, during which time she received six total Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning in 2017 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. Her last episode on Full Frontal was on February 13, 2019.

Black has also appeared as an actor on Comedy Central's Drunk History[8] and in the 2014 film An American Education.[citation needed]

In 2019, Black joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging.[9]

She is a cast member and writer on HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show, which debuted in 2019.[10] Black joined Ted Lasso as staff writer and producer for the show's second season and she joined the writing staff of The Amber Ruffin Show in 2021.[11]

In December 2021, she signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios to create and produce programming for HBO Max and other streaming services and cable and broadcast outlets.[12]

She took over as the voice of Ms. Jacobson in the 12th season of Bob's Burgers replacing Melissa Bardin Galsky. Starting in season 13, she also took over the role of Harley, replacing Katie Crown.

Personal life

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Black resides in Los Angeles, California.[10]

Awards and nominations

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References

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  1. ^ Black, Ashley Nicole (June 15, 2018). "It's my birthday. Someone please let me borrow their teleportation machine that can get me an In N Out burger to NY. I know rich people have that and are hiding it from us". @ashleyn1cole. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  2. ^ Fallon, Kevin (June 20, 2017). "Meet Samantha Bee's Army of Trumpster-Confronting Comics". Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Klein, Sandi. "Ashley Nicole Black, Writer/Comedian". Public Radio Exchange. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Russell, John (October 3, 2016). "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee: Ashley Nicole Black on Sharing a Point of View With Her Boss". TV Insider. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  5. ^ Aggarwal-Schifellite, Manisha (January 10, 2017). "These Three Women Are at the Feminist Frontline of Late-Night Television". Elle. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  6. ^ Sanders, Sam (October 24, 2017). "Ashley Nicole Black From "Full Frontal" On Comedy, Improv, and Bridging Political Divides". NPR.
  7. ^ a b c Rudulph, Heather Wood (September 19, 2016). "Get That Life: How I Became an Emmy-Nominated Comedy Writer". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  8. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (February 7, 2018). "Drunk History Celebrates Nichelle Nichols for Breaking Barriers on Star Trek and in Actual Space". Slate.
  9. ^ "Patton Oswalt, David Simon, Danny Zuker, More WGA Members Post Termination Letters". Variety. April 13, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Specter, Emma (August 7, 2020). "A Black Lady Sketch Show's Ashley Nicole Black Couldn't Be More Emmy-Ready". Vogue. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  11. ^ Schneider, Michael (April 13, 2021). "'Amber Ruffin Show' Expands Writing Staff As Peacock Talk Show Heads Toward Year Two (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Porter, Rick (December 14, 2021). "Ashley Nicole Black Inks Warner Bros. TV Overall Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  13. ^ Lisa de Moraes; Amanda N'Duka; Antonia Blyth (September 9, 2017). "Creative Arts Emmy Awards: '13th', Samantha Bee, Leah Remini, RuPaul Charles Among Night 1 Winners — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "Ashley Nicole Black - Filmography | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
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