Michaela_Watkins

Michaela Watkins

Michaela Watkins

American actress (born 1971)

Michaela Watkins (born December 14, 1971)[1] is an American actress and comedian. After several years performing with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Watkins achieved widespread attention for her brief stint as a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live during its 34th season between 2008 and 2009. Since leaving SNL, she has starred on the Hulu series Casual and on the short-lived sitcoms The Unicorn and Trophy Wife. Watkins has also had recurring roles on other television series, such as The New Adventures of Old Christine, Catastrophe, Enlightened and Search Party and appeared in films such as The Back-up Plan (2010), Wanderlust (2012), Enough Said (2013) and Sword of Trust (2019).

Quick Facts Born, Education ...

Early life

Watkins was born in 1971 in Syracuse, New York, the daughter of former Latin teacher mother[2] Myrna Watkins and Syracuse University mathematician father Mark Watkins.[3][4][5] She has two sisters, Rebecca Kent and Sarah Fitts.[3]

Watkins was raised in DeWitt, New York,[6] a suburb of Syracuse, in a Jewish family.[2] After her parents' divorce, Watkins' mother obtained a marketing degree and relocated the family to Boston when Watkins was 15.[2][7]

Watkins attended Moses DeWitt Elementary School and Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She graduated from Boston University, where she studied theater and acting. Watkins auditioned for a part in a British farce at a community theater when she was 15, and got the part. Joan Rivers was one of her inspirations to go into show business.[2]

Career

Theater

After theater school, Watkins lived and worked in New York City for a year but struggled to build her career. She moved with a friend to Portland, Oregon.[8] She lived there from 1996 to 2000 and appeared onstage with Portland Center Stage and the defunct improv group Toad City Productions.[9] She traveled around the country doing regional theater, then decided to move to Los Angeles.[8]

She was active in Los Angeles Theatre for many years, taking on roles with Circle X Theatre[10] and 2100 Square Feet.[11]

Regional theater

  • Portland Center Stage: Hamlet (1999), Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (1999), Bus Stop (2000)
  • Portland Repertory Theatre: Arcadia
  • Artist Repertory Theatre: The Misanthrope, How I Learned To Drive as well as Merchant of Venice, The Winter's Tale
  • triangle productions: Angels in America, The Food Chain
  • Circle X Theatre: Laura Comstock's Bag Punching Dog (2002) – LA Weekly award,[12] Sperm (2004)
  • Vineyard Playhouse: Fighting Words by Sunil Kuruvilla (2003)[13]

Improv

She became a regular performer at The Groundlings,[14] where she was discovered by Saturday Night Live.[15] Watkins said the appeal of sketch work is that she can write her own material.[2]

Television

Saturday Night Live

In November 2008, Watkins joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Watkins said (at that time) that she was the oldest woman they ever hired.[2] Watkins has since been surpassed by Leslie Jones, who was 47 when she joined SNL. Watkins made her first major appearance on the show as Arianna Huffington on the November 22nd Weekend Update.[16][17] Watkins remained on SNL as a featured player throughout the rest of the 2008–2009 season, up to the season finale on May 16, 2009.

However, while SNL was on summer hiatus, the news broke in early September 2009 that Watkins, along with fellow castmate Casey Wilson, were both to be let go from the show[18][19] and would not be returning for the 2009–10 season.[20][21]

Recurring character on SNL
  • Angie Tempura: A geeky, iced coffee-drinking computer nerd who snarks on celebrities and movies and is the creator of the snarky website "Bitch Pleeze" (www.bitchpleeze.com, which redirects to the SNL site). Though she insults celebrities, Angie was revealed to have a crush on Zac Efron.

Later TV credits

She recurred as Lucy opposite Hamish Linklater in the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, as well as appearing in recurring roles in the comedy programs Enlightened, New Girl, and Anger Management. She has also made guest appearances on shows such as Hung, Childrens Hospital, Kroll Show, Key & Peele, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Modern Family.

Watkins also starred alongside Malin Åkerman, Bradley Whitford, and Marcia Gay Harden in the short-lived, but well-received[22] ABC sitcom Trophy Wife.[23][24] The series aired for one season from September 2013 to May 2014.[25]

In 2015, it was announced that Watkins would star in the Hulu series produced by Jason Reitman called Casual, which would be executive produced by Liz Tigelaar.[26]

In 2018, she recurred on season two of the Amazon Prime series Catastrophe, playing the sister of lead character Rob Norris (Rob Delaney).[27] From 2019 to 2021, she has co-starred on the CBS sitcom The Unicorn.

Producing, writing

Watkins co-created (with writing partner and fellow Groundling, Damon Jones)[28] the short-lived 2014 USA Network comedy series Benched.[29] The series starred Eliza Coupe and Jay Harrington and premiered on October 28, 2014.[30] Watkins and Jones were also executive producers on the show.[31]

Film

Watkins has appeared in supporting roles in films such as Enough Said, In a World...,[32] Afternoon Delight, The Back-Up Plan, Wanderlust, They Came Together and Lazy Eye.

Podcasts

In 2020, Watkins appeared in the supporting role of Irene O'Connor in the musical podcast In Strange Woods.[33][34]

Personal life

Watkins is married to Fred Kramer, who is a founding partner of Reason Ventures and General Manager of Critical Mass Studios, Inc.[35] Kramer used to be Executive Director of the Jewish World Watch organization, a Los Angeles-based anti-genocide non-profit, focused on the situations in Sudan and Congo.[36]

Filmography

Film

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Television

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Podcasts

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References

  1. [1]
    "Today's Birthdays, Dec. 14: Vanessa Hudgens". 14 December 2015.
  2. [2]
    Rivers, Joan (April 2, 2014). "In Bed With Joan – Episode 51: Michaela Watkins". In Bed With Joan. Archived from the original (Video interview) on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  3. [3]
    Watkins, Mark E. "Mark E. Watkins – My Biography" (PDF). Webpage of Mark E. Watkins, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  4. [4]
    "Mark Watkins, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics". Syracuse University. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  5. [5]
    "She's got characters". Boston Globe. March 21, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
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    Herbert, Geoff (September 24, 2013). "'Trophy Wife': Syracuse native Michaela Watkins stars on new ABC TV show". Syracuse Post-Standard. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  7. [7]
    Gilmartin, Paul (June 22, 2012). "Episode 66: Michaela Watkins". The Mental Illness Happy Hour. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  8. [8]
    Hoffman, David (August 30, 2012). "The Groundlings Podcast: 04: Michaela Watkins". The Groundlings. Archived from the original (Audio interview – mp3) on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  9. [9]
    Hughley, Marty (November 14, 2008). "Former Portlander Michaela Watkins to join "SNL" cast". Oregon Live. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  10. [10]
    Schwartz, Jonas (March 9, 2004). "Circle X Theatre". Theater Mania. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
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    Mikulan, Steven (January 20, 2005). "As I Die Lying: Tuning family heartstrings in the ICU". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
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    "Productions". Circle X Theatre. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
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    Kuruvilla, Sunil. "Fighting Words". The Vineyard Playhouse. Archived from the original on June 20, 2006. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
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    "Performers: Michaela Watkins – Main Company". Groundlings. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  15. [15]
    Miller, Julie (June 5, 2014). "40 Years of Improv Comedy: An Oral History of the Groundlings". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
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    "Update: Arianna Huffington – Video – Saturday Night Live". NBC. November 22, 2008. Archived from the original on May 21, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
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    Itzkoff, Dave (September 4, 2009). "Michaela Watkins on Her 'Saturday Night Live' Exit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  20. [20]
    McCarthy, Sean L. (September 4, 2009). "Addition through subtraction: SNL fires Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson!?". The Comic's Comic. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  21. [21]
    Holmes, Linda (September 9, 2009). "SNL's Michaela Watkins 'Just Too Classically Pretty To Be Hilarious'?". Monkey See (blog). NPR. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  22. [22]
    Heisler, Steve (1 April 2014). "Trophy Wife's Michaela Watkins on Her Brief SNL Stint, Modern Divorce, and Crazy Ladies". New York. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  23. [23]
    Shattuck, Kathryn (6 September 2013). "Defying Expectations, TV Actors Try Different Roles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
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    Rodman, Sarah (24 September 2013). "Michaela Watkins is 'Wife' material". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  25. [25]
    Sepinwall, Alan (May 9, 2014). "ABC reportedly cancels 'Trophy Wife' & 'Mixology'". HitFix. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  26. [26]
    Goldberg, Lesley. "Michaela Watkins to Star in Hulu's Jason Reitman Comedy 'Casual'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  27. [27]
    Singer, Jenny (June 27, 2018). "'Catastrophe' Snags Jewish Comedy Gem Michaela Watkins For Season 4". The Forward. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  28. [28]
    Katz, Jessie; Kirby, Brandon (April 30, 2014). "'Off the Cuff' Podcast: Michaela Watkins Explains Why Her 'Tropphy Wife' Costumes are a 'Fashion Jam'" (Podcast interview). The Hollywood Reporter. Pret-a-Reporter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  29. [29]
    Goldberg, Lesley (February 21, 2014). "'Under the Dome' Alum Boards USA's 'Benched' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  30. [30]
    Goldberg, Lesley (January 24, 2014). "USA Orders Eliza Coupe Comedy 'Benched' to Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  31. [31]
    Peikert, Mark (February 11, 2014). "Spotlight On: Michaela Watkins, ABC's 'Trophy Wife'". Backstage. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  32. [32]
    Smith, Krista (January 21, 2013). "Lake Bell and Michaela Watkins on "In a World"" (Video interview). Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  33. [33]
    Gannon, Fallon Marie (December 11, 2020). "Atypical Artists Release Trailer for New Podcast IN STRANGE WOODS". Geek Girl Authority. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  34. [34]
    "Michaela Watkins – IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  35. [35]
    "Team: Fred Kramer, Founding Member/Partner". Reason Ventures. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  36. [36]
    Berrin, Danielle (May 15, 2012). "New world view". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
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