Jacqueline Laura Hoffman (born November 29, 1960) is an American actress, singer, and comedian known for her one-woman shows of Jewish-themed original songs and monologues.[1] She is a veteran of Chicago's famed The Second City comedy improv group.[2]

Jackie Hoffman
Hoffman in 2022
Born
Jacqueline Laura Hoffman

(1960-11-29) November 29, 1960 (age 63)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • comedian
Years active1992–present
SpouseSteve Smyth

Hoffman was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for her role as Mamacita in the miniseries Feud (2017).

Career edit

Stage edit

Hoffman won the Joseph Jefferson Award, Chicago's venerable theatre award, during her eight-year tenure with the Second City troupe.[2] She starred in the following solo comedy performances: "If You Call This Living", "The Kvetching Continues", "Jackie Hoffman's Hanukkah", "A Chanukah Charol", "Jackie's Kosher Khristmas", and "Jackie's Valentine's Day Massacre", among others. Hoffman also joined the three-woman comic team behind "The J.A.P. Show, Jewish American Princesses of Comedy", at the Actors' Temple in April 2007.[citation needed]

She performed numerous roles in David and Amy Sedaris's 2001 comic play, The Book of Liz, winning an Obie Award. Her other theatrical credits include The Sisters Rosensweig, Straightjacket, Incident at Cobbler's Knob, and One Woman Shoe, for which she won a Jeff Award. In addition, she regularly performs at Joe's Pub in one-woman concerts.[3]

In 2002, Hoffman was cast in the musical Hairspray on Broadway, playing the roles of Prudy Pingleton, Gym Teacher, Matron and Denizen of Baltimore. She won the 2003 Theatre World Award for her performance.[2] She co-starred as Calliope, muse of epic poetry, in the rock musical Xanadu on Broadway, from July 2007 to September 2008.[4] Hoffman starred as Grandmama in the Broadway musical The Addams Family, which opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 8, 2010 and closed on December 31, 2011. In 2010, she also parodied Lady Gaga's hit-single, Alejandro. She played Madame Dilly and other roles in the 2014 Broadway revival of On the Town until the show closed in September 2015. She played Mrs. Teavee in the Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opened on April 23, 2017 and closed January 14, 2018. In the summer of 2018, she joined the cast of the National Yiddish Theatre's production of Fidler Afn Dakh as Yente the matchmaker.

In 2020, Hoffman appeared as Nicky in the musical podcast, Propaganda![5]

Film and television edit

 
Hoffman at the Wall Street Journal's Tony Awards party with Brian Doherty of the AICP

Hoffman has acted in the movies Kissing Jessica Stein, Mo' Money, Garden State, Down, Queer Duck: The Movie, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, and A Dirty Shame, and was the voice of the Water Cooler in Robots.

In addition to cameoing on the television show Curb Your Enthusiasm, she has appeared in many series, including Difficult People, Strangers with Candy, Hope and Faith, Ed, Starved, Cosby, 30 Rock, One Life to Live, The Other Two, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and was the voice of Dilmom on Dilbert.

Hoffman provided the voice of "Mary Phillips, the Talk Radio host", in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Despite her frequent stage banter on her dislike of children, Hoffman did a surprising turn as the voices of the Gate to Fairy-tale Land and the Witch's Magic Wand in the Dora the Explorer movie, Dora's Fairytale Adventure. She has also been a frequent guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

In 2007 she was featured in the film Making Trouble, a tribute to female Jewish comedians, produced by the Jewish Women's Archive.[6] In 2011, Hoffman appeared as a cameo in The Sitter as Mrs. Sapperstein. In 2012, she has had a recurring role in The New Normal. She appeared in a cameo role in the Oscar-winning movie Birdman in 2014.

In 2017, she starred in the first season of the FX series entitled Feud: Bette and Joan in the role of Joan Crawford's housekeeper, Mamacita,[7] for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.[8]

In 2021–2023, she appeared in the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building as supporting character Uma Heller, an amusingly caustic neighbor of the show's principal characters.[9]

In 2023, Hoffman portrayed the role of Assistant Principal McGee in the 10-episode Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.

Discography edit

Jackie Hoffman can be heard on the original Broadway cast recordings of Hairspray, Xanadu, The Addams Family, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the revival Broadway cast recording of On the Town, and the PS Classics' recording of Jackie Hoffman: Live at Joe's Pub released Fall 2008.[10] She also appears on Scott Alan's CD, Dreaming Wide Awake, in a duet with Carly Jibson.[citation needed]

Personal life edit

Hoffman was born in Queens, New York. She is friends with Stephen Colbert and his wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert, jokingly making a scene when she did not catch Evelyn's bouquet at the couple's 1993 wedding.[11]

At age 46, during the run of her show Regrets Only, she was hospitalized for a hysterectomy to remove a benign tumor. She was back in three weeks, with a cot backstage for whenever she was not singing or talking.[4]

She is married to jazz trumpeter Steve Smyth.[12]

Stage credits edit

Year Play Role Theatre
1995 One Woman Shoe Jill La Mama E.T.C., Off-Off-Broadway[13]
1997 Incident at Cobbler's Knob Squirrel Lincoln Center Festival[14]
2000 Straight Jacket Jerry Playhouse 91, Off-Broadway
2001 The Book of Liz Sister Constance Butterworth et al. Greenwich House Theater, Off-Broadway[15]
2002–2004 Hairspray Prudy Pingleton et al. Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway
2006 The Sisters Rosensweig Gorgeous Teitelbaum Old Globe Theatre, Regional
2006–2007 Regrets Only Myra Kesselman New York City Center Stage I, Off-Broadway
2007–2008 Xanadu Calliope/Aphrodite Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
2009–2011 The Addams Family Grandma Oriental-Ford Center for the Arts, Chicago
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway
2012 Chicago Matron "Mama" Morton The Muny, Regional
2014–2015 On the Town Maude P. Dilly et al. Lyric Theatre, Broadway
2015–2016 Once Upon a Mattress Princess Winnifred Abrons Arts Center, Off-Broadway
2017–2018 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mrs. Teavee Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway
2018–2020 Fidler Afn Dakh Yente Edmond J. Safra Hall/Stage 42, Off-Broadway
2021 Fairycakes Moth Greenwich House Theater, Off-Broadway
2022 The Tattooed Lady Ida Gibson Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Regional

Filmography edit

Film edit

Jackie Hoffman film work
Year Film Role
1992 Mo' Money Jill
2001 Kissing Jessica Stein Joan
2001 The Shaft Journalist #3 (Marie-Anne Holland)
2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Dog Spa Receptionist
2004 Garden State Aunt Sylvia Largeman
2004 A Dirty Shame Dora
2005 Robots Water Cooler (voice)
2006 Queer Duck: The Movie Lola Buzzard (voice)
2008 The Entrepreneurs Janet
2009 How to Seduce Difficult Women Book Publisher
2010 The Extra Man Pushy Woman
2011 The Sitter Mrs. Sapperstein
2014 Birdman Lady on Balcony (Mary)
2014 5 Flights Up "Eh" Lady
2015 Decay Neighbor
2019 The Social Ones Amanda
2020 Shiva Baby Susan
2022 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Ma
2023 A Good Person Belinda
2023 You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Irene

Television edit

Jackie Hoffman television work
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Flying Blind Sales Clerk Episode: "Unforgiving"
1995 Freaky Friday Coach Tyser TV movie
1996–1997 Doug (voice) 26 episodes
1998 Soul Man Rope Hoffman Episode: "The Stan Plan"
1998–2001 PB&J Otter Connie Crane (voice) 15 episodes
1999–2000 Dilbert Dilmom (voice) 29 episodes
2000 Strangers with Candy Ms. Plog Episode: "A Price Too High for Riches"
2001 Ed Cookie Mom #2 Episode: "The New World"
2003–2004 Dora the Explorer Various voices 2 episodes
2004 Curb Your Enthusiasm Rhonda Episode: "Ben's Birthday Party"
2004 Hope & Faith Bobbi Episode: "Queer as Hope"
2005 Starved Group Leader 5 episodes
2007 As the World Turns Miranda Episode #1.13124
2009 30 Rock Rochelle Gaulke Episode: "The Funcooker"
2009 One Life to Live Eunice Burns 5 episodes
2010 Late Show with David Letterman Grandmama Addams Episode #17.117
2012 Raising Hope Sylvia Barnes Episode: "I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back"
2012 Submissions Only Auditioner #2 Episode: "Another Interruption"
2012 Melissa & Joey Betty Mueller Episode: "Wherefore Art Thou Lennox"
2012–2013 The New Normal Frances 4 episodes
2013 Inside Amy Schumer Psychic Medium Episode: "Terrible People"
2013 The Good Wife Judge Maria Felletti Episode: "The Next Month"
2013 High School USA! Tamar (voice) 2 episodes
2014 The Michael J. Fox Show Pageant Coordinator Episode: "Sochi"
2015 Girls Shanaz Mensusen Episode: "Tad & Loreen & Avi & Shanaz"
2015–2017 Difficult People Rucchel Epstein 3 episodes
2016 American Dad! Bird Cage Lady / City Councilwoman (voice) Episode: "Roots"
2016 Elementary Female Activist Episode: "Up to Heaven and Down to Hell"
2016 Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Esther 2 episodes
2017 Feud: Bette and Joan Mamacita 8 episodes
Primetime Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
2017–2020 At Home with Amy Sedaris Various 3 episodes
2019 The Other Two Lorraine Episode: "Chase Goes to a High School Dance"
2019–2020 The Politician Sherry Dougal 6 episodes
2021 The Bite Duchess Pavlona 2 episodes
2021–present Only Murders in the Building Uma Heller 11 episodes
2022 Search Party Velma Episode: "Kings"
2022 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Gitta 3 episodes
2023 Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Asst. Principal McGee 10 episodes
2024 Night Court Linda Episode: "Form Fetish"

References edit

  1. ^ Blank, Matthew. "Cue & A: The Addams Family's Jackie Hoffman", Playbill. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Jackie Hoffman – Biography", IMDb. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  3. ^ Schulman, Michael. "Kosher Whine". Tablet Magazine.
  4. ^ a b Parker, Ashley. "An Actress Who Wears Her Uterus on Her Sleeve", The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  5. ^ "Treatman Creative Presents PROPAGANDA! THE PODCAST MUSICAL, BroadwayWorld.com; retrieved October 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Deming, Mark (2012). "Making Trouble: Three Generations of Funny Jewish Women". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 12, 2016). "Ryan Murphy FX Series Feud Sets Tim Minear As Co-Showrunner, Adds Jackie Hoffman To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Wanshel, Elyse (September 18, 2017). "Jackie Hoffman Gave An Emmy-Worthy Performance When She Lost To Laura Dern". HuffPost. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  9. ^ "Only Murders in the Building Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  10. ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Track List Announced for Jackie Hoffman: Live from Joe's Pub Recording". Playbill.
  11. ^ Colbert, Stephen; McGee-Colbert, Evelyn (October 6, 2022). "6 October 2022". The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Season 8. Episode 1312. CBS. Evelyn (laughing w/Stephen): She missed it, and threw herself on the ground. And did a whole big thing... my parents' friends did not know she was an actress, and they thought she was really distraught.
  12. ^ " Kosher Whine ", Tablet Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  13. ^ "Turning the Headlines Sideways into Laughs".
  14. ^ Gates, Anita (July 10, 1997). "A Carnival of Beasts by the Light of the Moon". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Brantley, Ben (March 28, 2001). "THEATER REVIEW; the Courage to Accept That Life is a Cheese Ball". The New York Times.

External links edit