Melinda Hill: Difference between revisions
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== Education == |
== Education == |
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Hill won a theatre scholarship to [[Wichita State University]] where she did plays and took writing classes.<ref name=wtf/> After her freshman year she transferred to the [[University of Kansas]] where she stayed for another year, before moving to California to study acting with [[Joanne Baron]], [[Lesly Kahn]] |
Hill won a theatre scholarship to [[Wichita State University]] where she did plays and took writing classes.<ref name=wtf/> After her freshman year she transferred to the [[University of Kansas]] where she stayed for another year, before moving to California to study acting with [[Joanne Baron]], [[Lesly Kahn]] and[[Sandra Seacat]].<ref name=wtf/> When finishing acting school, one of her teachers advised her to go into comedy.<ref name=SD>{{Cite web|last=Downs|first=Gordon|date=2011-03-08|title=Interview: Melinda Hill|url=https://www.sandiego.com/articles/2011-03-08/interview-melinda-hill|access-date=2020-10-29|website=www.sandiego.com|language=en}}</ref> Hill joined [[The Groundlings]] with no previous comedy experience.<ref name=wtf/> She took classes, learned to write sketches and advanced through all levels before starting stand-up, incorporating all she'd learned about character based comedy writing at the Groundlings. Her classmates included [[Mikey Day]], Brian Keith Etheridge and [[Kristen Wiig]].<ref name=wtf/><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Confessions of a Tooth Fairy written and performed by Kristen Wiig & Melinda Hill|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m72GNRrvc88|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-29|website=}}</ref> |
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== Stand-up comedy == |
== Stand-up comedy == |
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Revision as of 20:09, 10 November 2020
| Melinda Hill | |
|---|---|
 Hill in costume on the set of "Romantic Encounters with Melinda Hill," 2012 | |
| Born | December 22, 1972 |
| Medium | stand-up, television, film |
| Nationality | American |
| Website | http://www.melindahill.com/ |
Melinda Hill (born December 22, 1972) is an American comedian, actress, and screenwriter best known for her stand-up comedy work and appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Bonnie Hunt Show, Comics Unleashed, and Who Wants to Date a Comedian?, and as a host on Comedy TV.
Early life
Hill was born in Hutchinson, Kansas but spent her formative years in Colorado Springs, which she considers home.[1] Before her parents met, her father was in the Navy.[1] When she was growing up the family moved 27 times, which Hill credits in part to her father's military background, and in part to the fact that "he was bipolar and he loved to move on a bipolar high."[1] She has two younger brothers. She credits this childhood with helping give her the exact skill set to navigate the bipolar nature of entertainment.[1] She left home three days after finishing high school at age 18.[1]
Education
Hill won a theatre scholarship to Wichita State University where she did plays and took writing classes.[1] After her freshman year she transferred to the University of Kansas where she stayed for another year, before moving to California to study acting with Joanne Baron, Lesly Kahn andSandra Seacat.[1] When finishing acting school, one of her teachers advised her to go into comedy.[2] Hill joined The Groundlings with no previous comedy experience.[1] She took classes, learned to write sketches and advanced through all levels before starting stand-up, incorporating all she'd learned about character based comedy writing at the Groundlings. Her classmates included Mikey Day, Brian Keith Etheridge and Kristen Wiig.[1][3]
Stand-up comedy
In addition to becoming a regular at the Hollywood Improv and storytelling shows such as Jill Solloway and Maggie Rowe's Sit N Spin at Comedy Central Stage, Hill was made a paid regular comedian at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles in 2012 and her name was painted on the wall.[2]
With Maria Bamford and Natasha Leggero, she cofounded the critically acclaimed stand-up comedy show What's Up, Tiger Lily? at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), which ran for 10 years and was known for frequent celebrity drop-ins.[4] Hill has performed for U.S. military troops in Hawaii, Guam, Singapore, Okinawa, Marshall Islands, Honduras, Bahamas, Guantanamo Bay, Curaçao and Greenland.
She has released several comedy albums, including Accidental Bisexual (2011) and Six Ways to Bomb on America's Got Talent (2013).[5]
Her comedy special Inappropriate premiered on 20 October 2020 and was also released as a comedy album and audiobook.[6]
Television and film
As an actress, Hill has appeared on television in Lady Dynamite, Reno 911!, The Sarah Silverman Program, Glory Daze, and Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, produced by Adam Sandler. She is also in the film Bright Day opposite Bill Maher. As a voice actress, she can be heard in Adventure Time and in the Emmy Award-winning Citibank commercial "Outfit."
Hill created, wrote, and starred in the award-winning digital series Romantic Encounterswhich gained millions of views on multiple platforms and hosted an interview series in an alley behind her comedy show called All Growz Up with Melinda Hill.[7][8] In 2014, with Bamford, she co-created, wrote, and starred in The Program (Funny or Die Productions),[9][10] which was named one of LA Weekly's "10 Best Web Series of 2014.”[11] Her script Ghosted was recognized as one of 2017's top TV pilot scripts by women on advocacy group WeForShe's WriteHer list.[12]
In 2019, Hill was cast in the romantic comedy Love, Weddings & Other Disasters (2020) playing the role of Svetlana.[13]
She launched her podcast Let's Process This in April 2020.[14]
Personal life
She lives in Los Angeles with her cat Stardust.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Episode 1170 - Melinda Hill". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ a b Downs, Gordon (2011-03-08). "Interview: Melinda Hill". www.sandiego.com. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ "Confessions of a Tooth Fairy written and performed by Kristen Wiig & Melinda Hill". Retrieved 2020-10-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "What's Up, Tiger Lily? Stand-Up Comedy". UCB Theatre. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ "Melinda Hill – The Serious Comedy Site". Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ "Melinda Hill's 'INAPPROPRIATE' out October 20 on Comedy Dynamics". Shark Party Media. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ "Video Licks: We are Obsessed with Melinda Hill's 'All Growz Up' Web Series". Comedy Cake. 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ^ "Karen Kilgariff Reveals What She Wanted to Be When She Grew Up, During Interview in an Alley After a Comedy Show". The Comedy Bureau - LA Comedy and Open Mics. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ "Maria Bamford, Melinda Hill Team Up For 'The Program' On Funny Or Die". Tubefilter. 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ^ "Maria Bamford and Melinda Hill Star in New 12-Step Funny or Die Series 'The Program'". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ Carrie, Stephanie (2014-07-18). "Maria Bamford and Melinda Hill's New Comedy About Going Into Debt". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
- ^ McNary, Dave (2017-02-07). "Advocacy Group WeForShe Unveils Top TV Pilot Scripts by Women (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-09-30). "Comedian Melinda Hill Joins Diane Keaton & Jeremy Irons Comedy 'Love, Weddings & Other Disasters'". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ "Let's Process This with Melinda Hill". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2020-10-29.