Kathy Griffin

November 4, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Kathy Griffin, born on November 4, 1960, started her career in the late 1990s as part of an improvisation group before she became a stand-up comedian. She was the host of a hit reality show produced by Bravo, which earned her two Emmy Awards. She has also released six Grammy-nominated comedy albums, one of which won the award in 2013. Let’s celebrate this very talented comedian’s birthday, right here!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Kathleen Mary Griffin

Nickname:

Kathy

Birth date:

November 4, 1960

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 2"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$35 million

Background

Kathy Griffin was born Kathleen Mary Griffin on November 4, 1960 in Oak Park, Illinois. She is a prominent actress and comedian known for her funny quips on various topics. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio and she is of Irish-American descent. She is the daughter of Mary Margaret and John Patrick Griffin and has four older siblings.

She attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in 1978. Griffin’s comedy career began in the 90s when she joined the improvisational comedy troupe called “The Groundlings.” She later graduated to stand-up comedy. Her stand-up act, “Hot Cup of Talk,” became a solo special on H.B.O. in 1998. Her hit reality show “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” premiered in 2005 and went on till 2010. It won two Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Reality Program” in 2007 and 2008.

Griffin released her first comedy album “For Your Consideration” (2008), which was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2009, her autobiography titled “Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin” was released, ranking number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list. The comedian went on to release five more comedy albums, all nominated for a Grammy. She finally won the award in 2013 for “Calm Down Gurrl.” Her comedy collections also made her the first female comedian to be at the top of Billboard’s “Top Comedy Albums Chart.” Griffin embarked on a comedy tour around the world in 2017. She is well known for her support of LGBTQ+ rights and is a patron of many charities, especially “Aid for AIDS.” In 2020, Griffin married Randy Bick, a marketing executive.

Career timeline

1990

[The T.V. Debut

Griffin plays Susan Klein in an episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

1998

The First Comedy Special

The comedian hosts an H.B.O. solo special called “A Cup of Talk.”

2005

The Hit Reality Show

Griffin hosts “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” which airs on Bravo.

2007

The Emmy Award

The reality show wins the first of two Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Reality Program.”

2009

Griffin Turns Author

Her autobiography “Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin” is released and tops the New York Times Best Sellers list.

2017

The Comedy Tour

The comedian embarks on a worldwide comedy tour aptly titled “Laugh Your Head Off.”

Why We Love Kathy Griffin

She is brave
Griffin has been known to target people in her stand-up performances. No matter what the backlash is, she doesn’t let it deter her from doing her thing, which is, cracking jokes.
She is genuinely funny
Griffin’s jokes are hilarious. Her timing in delivering her lines is perfect. We can see why she has such a big following! Her best ones are where she calls out certain people for their beliefs and uses the opportunity to urge her audience to think differently for once.
She has risen above life’s difficulties
She has faced a lot of difficulties in life. Her family experienced many tragedies and Griffin herself has struggled mentally. However, she used these difficult times to overcome whatever flaws she may have had. One thing is sure: she never gave up on her career or her dreams.

5 Surprising Facts

Griffin doesn’t drink
She is unshakable when it comes to not consuming alcohol.
She was a talkative child
Griffin revealed that when she was a kid, she used to be very talkative and didn’t stop speaking until she had made her point.
She has a decorative sword
The comedian was gifted with a huge sword in her house, which is displayed strictly for decorative purposes.
An eating disorder
Griffin once revealed that she once had a binge eating disorder; she said she would hide the garbage from her binges in the neighbors’ trash can.
Recovery from lung cancer
Griffin is now cancer-free after undergoing surgery in 2021 for stage-one lung cancer; half of her left lung has been removed.