This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Wanda Sykes.
Wanda Sykes, who will be performing at Treasure Island Theatre, Friday, June 21st at 9 p.m. is considered “one of the funniest stand up comics" by her peers and ranked among Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America.
Sykes began her stand-up career performing at the Coors Light Super Talent showcase in Washington D.C. and quickly rose to superstar status. She spent five years as a performer and writer for HBO’s critically acclaimed “Chris Rock Show” where she won an Emmy® Award for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special” in 1999. The gig opened the door to appearances on television shows including “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Crank Yankers,” for which she voiced the character Gladys Murphy. She wrote, produced and starred in her own show “Wanda at Large,” which premiered on FOX in 2003.
In 2004, Sykes released her first book “Yeah, I Said It,”- a hilarious collection of essays touching on life, family and current events.
Her first HBO comedy special, “Wanda Sykes; Sick and Tired,” debuted in 2006 and was nominated for a 2007 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. Sykes second HBO special “I’ma Be Me,” premiered in 2009 where she tackled topics like the first black president, being a new mom and aging. The special was nominated for two 2010 Emmys®: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special. Later that year, Sykes went on to star on her own late night talk show on FOX, “The Wanda Sykes Show.”
Her acting credits include co-starring in feature films such as “Evan Almighty,” “Monster-In-Law” and “My Super Ex-Girlfriend.” Sykes has lent her voice to several animated features including “Over the Hedge, “The Barnyard” and most recently portrayed ‘Granny’ in “Ice Age: Continental Drift.”