When you’re feeling low and looking for a good laugh, there’s no better way to flip your mood than to watch a talented stand-up comedian talk their way into making people laugh. A good stand-up comedian, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, or nationality, always bases their content of the situations and experiences life offers up. The best stand-up comedians pick up on the nuances of the same, and present them back to the world in words, tones, accents, and gestures that can provoke a laugh even in the most hard-hearted people.
A few decades ago though, you’d be hard-pressed to find women ranking among these best of the best stand-up comedians. Like in most fields, women have had to undertake a long, hard struggle to make it to the best stand-up stages in the world and to get signed for everything from stand-up specials to hosting globally reputed award functions. Now, all of us are familiar with women stand-up comedians who have gained immense respect and popularity within the field. Let’s celebrate a few of these contemporary funny ladies who have managed to not only make us laugh but also steal our hearts!
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman had her first stand-up gig at the age of 17 years, and has had a successful career since. Like many American stand-up comedians, Silverman joined the cast and crew of Saturday Night Live in 1993, but was fired after one season. This didn’t dampen her stand-up career, and she went on to show off her funny side on television and movies alike—which even won her an Emmy Award in 2008.
Ali Wong
You might know Alexandra Dawn Wong as the lead in the popular movie, Always Be My Maybe, but there’s more to this hilarious lady than just a few roles in films and television. Check out her stand-up specials on Netflix, Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, if you don’t believe us. Wong started her stand-up career in 2011, worked with big names in comedy like Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver, and quickly became a woman to watch out for.
Ellen DeGeneres
If you don’t know the icon of comedy that Ellen DeGeneres is, here’s what you should . DeGeneres started her stand-up comedy career in the early 1980s, and has since starred in three television shows in her own name: Ellen (1994-1998), The Ellen Show (2001-2002) and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003-present, but the show is ending soon). In 1997, she came out as lesbian during an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show, and became a global LGBTQIA+ icon too.
Amy Poehler
You might know Amy Poehler as a Golden Globes host or that funny woman from SNL and Parks and Recreation, but this lady has been a stand-up comedy role model for decades now. She studied improv (and even founded an improv troupe called Upright Citizens Brigade), and joined the SNL cast in 2001. For her many roles in comedies, Poehler has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and even earned a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
Aditi Mittal
One of the first Indian women to make it big in the stand-up comedy industry, Aditi Mittal is one of the most well-known faces of Indian stand-up comedy. First making it to the stand-up stage in New York while she was working there, Mittal moved to India, where she quickly became well known across stand-up comedy circles. Apart from featuring in her own comedy specials, Mittal has also featured in roasts, sketches and shows by other comedians and comedian groups.
Tina Fey
Though best known for her work in SNL as a head writer and performer—especially her parody of Sarah Palin—Tina Fey started out as a member of the Chicago-based improve comedy group, The Second City. Fey is also known for creating the popular comedy series 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Her contributions have won her many accolades, including nine Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and seven Writers Guild of America Awards.
Sumukhi Suresh
Sumukhi Suresh is one of the best-known female comedians of India today, but she started out as a chef in a food lab in Bengaluru. She began her stand-up comedy career in 2013 when she joined The Improv, a show based out of her city. In 2015, she quit her job to pursue comedy full time, and soon broke out as one of the most popular comedians due to sketch characters like Behti Naak. Apart from stand-up specials, Suresh also has writing credits to her name for creating the semi-autobiographical series, Pushpavalli.
Lilly Singh
Lilly Singh, also known as Superwoman, her YouTube username, is an Indian-Canadian comedian who rose to popularity since she started making extremely relatable and funny videos in 2010. By 2017, she was a household name across the globe, and one of the highest earning YouTubers. Addressing issues ranging from racism to discrimination against women, Singh soon caught the attention of network television, and became the first woman of Indian origin to host a late-night American talk shows in 2019 with A Little Late with Lilly Singh.