Tracey Ullman is a British-American actress who has had an extensive career in television, film, and theatre. She has worked in both comedy and drama. Her sketch comedy television programmes have won her numerous awards in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She began her stage career in the mid-1970s starring in various West End musicals and dramas. Her first television appearance came in 1980 playing Lisa Mackenzie in the British drama series Mackenzie. In 1981, the BBC cast her in two ensemble comedy sketch shows; A Kick Up the Eighties, and Three of a Kind (which also featured Lenny Henry and David Copperfield).[1] In 1983, Ullman launched a brief but successful pop singing career, garnering several chart hits and making several appearances on Top of the Pops. In 1985, she was cast in the ITV sitcom Girls on Top alongside Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Ruby Wax.
She came to the attention of producer James L. Brooks after her critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated performance in the film drama, Plenty (1985). Brooks would go on to create and produce her first American television comedy programme, The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. The show spun-off the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, The Simpsons in 1989. Her first big screen leading role came in 1990 in I Love You to Death. She would go on to star and appear in such films as Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993),[2] Nancy Savoca's Household Saints (1993),[3] Bullets Over Broadway (1994),[4] and Small Time Crooks (2000).
In 1993, she returned to television with the comedy specials Tracey Ullman: A Class Act and Tracey Ullman Takes on New York for HBO in the United States. This led to the creation of Tracey Takes On... and a long career producing and starring in programmes created for American cable television. After a thirty-year absence she returned to the BBC creating the sketch comedy programme Tracey Ullman's Show in 2016.[1] In 2020, she returned in the FX historical drama television miniseries Mrs. America playing Betty Friedan earning herself both critical praise and accolades.
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Mackenzie | Lisa Mackenzie | TV series |
| 1981 | Screenplay | Karen | Episode: "Happy Since I Met You" |
| A Kick Up the Eighties | Various | TV series | |
| 1981–83 | Three of a Kind | Various | TV series |
| 1982 | Four in a Million | Beverly | TV film |
| A Cut Above | Samantha | ||
| 1985 | Girls on Top | Candice Valentine | Series 1, 1 episode in series 2; additional material credit |
| 1987 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (uncredited) | Episode: "Garry Shandling/Los Lobos" "Hollywood Mom" (sketch) |
| 1987–1990 | The Tracey Ullman Show | Various | TV series |
| 1989 | Sesame Street | Herself / Trasha | Episode 2584; Season 20; 6 April 1989 |
| I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood | Tina Wise | TV film | |
| 1991 | The Full Wax | Herself | Episode: #1.4 |
| The Simpsons | Emily Winthrop / Mrs. Winfield (voice) | Episode: "Bart's Dog Gets an 'F'" | |
| Funny Women of Television | Herself | ||
| 1992 | Sibs | Beatrice | Episode: "If I Only Had a Dad" |
| 1993 | Love & War | Dava Levine | Episode: "The Prima Dava" |
| Tracey Ullman: A Class Act | Various | Additional material credit | |
| Tracey Ullman Takes on New York | Various | TV special | |
| 1995 | The Little Lulu Show | Lulu (voice) | Season 1 |
| Women of the Night IV | Herself | ||
| 1996–99 | Tracey Takes On... | Various | Creator, writer, executive producer, second unit director (season 4) |
| 1998–99 | Ally McBeal | Dr. Tracey Clark | 5 episodes |
| 2001–02 | Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty Lines | Herself | TV series |
| 2003 | Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales | Ruby Romaine / Svetlana / Pepper Kane | Directorial debut; writer, executive producer |
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Ann | Episode: "Looking for Mr. Good Enough" |
| 2005 | Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed | Herself | Executive producer, writer |
| Once Upon a Mattress | Princess Winnifred | TV film | |
| 2006 | Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | If It Ain't Stiff | Herself | |
| 2008 | Mumbai Calling | Telephone Voice (voice) | 7 episodes |
| 2008–2010 | Tracey Ullman's State of the Union | Various | Creator, writer, director, executive producer |
| 2011 | Kennedy Center Honors | Herself | Tribute to Meryl Streep |
| 2014 | How I Met Your Mother | Genevieve Scherbatsky | 3 episodes |
| Sofia the First | Marla (voice) | Episode: "Mom's the Word" | |
| 2015 | Shakespeare Uncovered | Herself | Episode: "The Taming of the Shrew With Morgan Freeman" |
| 2016, 2018 | Have I Got News for You | Herself | Guest presenter; 2 episodes |
| 2016–18 | Tracey Ullman's Show | Various | Devised by credit, executive producer |
| 2017 | Girls | Ode Montgomery | Episode: "Painful Evacuation" |
| Tracey Breaks the News | Various | Devised by credit, executive producer | |
| Howards End | Aunt Juley Mund | Miniseries | |
| The President Show | Herself | Episode: "I Came Up with Christmas: A President Show Christmas" | |
| 2017–18 | Tracey Breaks the News | Various | TV series |
| 2018 | Zog | Madame Dragon / Governess (voice) | |
| 2020 | Mrs. America | Betty Friedan | Miniseries |
| Death to 2020 | Queen Elizabeth II | TV special | |
| 2021–24 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Irma Kostroski | 9 episodes |
| 2021 | Death to 2021 | Madison Madison | TV special |
| 2024 | Black Doves † | Alex | TV series |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Give My Regards to Broad Street | Sandra | |
| The Young Visiters | Ethel Monticue | ||
| 1985 | Plenty | Alice Park | Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role |
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Fiona | |
| 1989 | Happily Ever After | Thunberella / Moonbeam (voice) | |
| 1990 | I Love You to Death | Rosalie Boca | |
| 1992 | Death Becomes Her | Toni | Scenes deleted |
| 1993 | Robin Hood: Men in Tights | Latrine | |
| Household Saints | Catherine Falconetti | ||
| 1994 | I'll Do Anything | Beth Hobbs | |
| Bullets Over Broadway | Eden Brent | ||
| Prêt-à-Porter | Nina Scant | ||
| 1996 | Everyone Says I Love You | Scenes deleted | |
| 2000 | Panic | Martha | |
| Small Time Crooks | Frenchy | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | |
| C-Scam | |||
| 2004 | A Dirty Shame | Sylvia Stickles | |
| The Cat That Looked at a King | The Cat (voice) | Video | |
| 2005 | Corpse Bride | Nell Van Dort / Hildegarde (voice) | |
| Kronk's New Groove | Ms. Birdwell (voice) | Video | |
| 2006 | The Queen | Self (uncredited) | Archive footage |
| Flushed Away | — | Creative consultant | |
| 2007 | I Could Never Be Your Woman | Mother Nature | |
| 2008 | The Tale of Despereaux | Mig (voice) | |
| 2014 | Into the Woods | Jack's Mother | |
| 2020 | Onward | Grecklin (voice) | |
| The Prom | Vera Glickman | ||
| 2021 | Highway One | — | Associate producer |
| TBA | The Actor † | Mrs. Malloy / Helen / Deerville Woman | Post-production[5] |
Directing, producing and writing
edit| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Girls on Top | No | No | Yes[a] |
| 1987–1990 | The Tracey Ullman Show | No | No | Yes |
| 1993 | Tracey Ullman: A Class Act | No | No | Yes[a] |
| 1996–99 | Tracey Takes On... | Yes[b] | Executive | Yes |
| 2001–02 | Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty Lines | No | Executive | No |
| 2003 | Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales | Yes | Executive | Yes |
| 2005 | Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed | No | Executive | Yes |
| 2008–2010 | Tracey Ullman's State of the Union | Yes[c] | Executive | Yes |
| 2016–18 | Tracey Ullman's Show | No | Executive | Yes |
| 2017–18 | Tracey Breaks the News | No | Executive | Yes |
| 2021 | Highway One | No | Yes[d] | No |
Theatre
edit| Year | Production | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Gigi | Theater des Westens, Berlin | |
| 1977 | Second Generation | Blackpool and Liverpool | |
| 1977/78 | Aladdin | Liverpool Empire | |
| 1978 | Elvis The Musical | London Astoria | |
| Oh! Boy | London Astoria | ||
| 1979 | Grease | Frenchy | London Astoria |
| The Rocky Horror Show | Janet | Comedy Theatre | |
| 1980 | Talent | Julie | Everyman Theatre |
| It's a Madhouse | Vera | Everyman Theatre | |
| Zack | Sally | Everyman Theatre | |
| Gloo Joo | Irene | ||
| Dracula | Lucy | Young Vic | |
| 1981 | Four in a Million | Beverly | Royal Court Theatre |
| 1981–82 | Dick Whittington | Dick | Theatre Royal, Newcastle |
| 1982 | Rita, Sue and Bob Too | Bob's wife | Royal Court Theatre |
| She Stoops to Conquer | Kate Hardcastle | Lyric Hammersmith | |
| Bows and Arrows | Henrietta | Young Writer's Festival | |
| 1983 | The Grass Widow | Carmen | Royal Court Theatre |
| 1990 | The Taming of the Shrew | Kate | Delacorte Theater |
| 1991 | The Big Love | Florence | The Orpheum Theatre |
| 2005 | Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed | Self | The Fonda Theatre |
| 2011 | My City | Elizabeth | Almeida Theatre |
| 2012 | What About Dick? | Aunt Maggie / Enid Bastar / The Countess von Kunst | The Orpheum Theatre |
| 2014 | The Band Wagon | Lily Martin | New York City Center |
Radio
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–83 | Week Ending | Various | Topical sketch series[6][7] |
| 2021 | Desert Island Discs | Herself | Interviewee[8] |
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Addley, Esther (8 January 2016). "Tracey Ullman Returns to BBC with First Television Series in 30 Years". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ "See the Cast of 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' Then and Now". Screen Crush. Screencrush.com. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ "Household Saints Movie Review (1993)". Roger Ebert. Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ "Movie Review - Bullets Over Broadway (1994) Film Festival Review – Allen's Ode to Theater and, as Always, New York". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ "Shooting of "The Actor" Moving to Budapest This Quarter". Budapest Reporter. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ Week Ending Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
- ^ Week Ending Radio Times entry at the BBC Genome Project
- ^ "Desert Island Discs: Tracey Ullman, actor and comedian". BBC. Retrieved 18 January 2023.