The 1990s were a time of greater diversity in entertainment than the previous decades. For years, comedy was quite often a male-dominated field, with women mostly playing supporting roles. From stand-up comedy to television and film, women began finding a voice and taking the stage more often in the 1980s. By the 1990s, several trailblazing African-American women were regularly making us laugh.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is considered by many to be the most successful black female comedian in modern times. Goldberg was born in New York City in 1955 as Caryn Johnson. As Whoopi Goldberg, she began doing character-based monologues in her stand-up comedy act. Her act got her noticed in the 1980s and Steven Spielberg cast her as the lead in "The Color Purple." Many movie roles followed, and in 1990 Goldberg took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Ghost." She continued to star in movies throughout the 1990s, including "Sister Act."
Jackee Harry
Jackee Harry was born in North Carolina in 1956. Following early small roles in theater and films, she came to fame in the 1980s on the television program "227." In the role of Sandra, Jackee created several memorable moments and catchphrases on the show. She then made movies in the 1990s, including "Lady Bugs," before appearing on the successful sitcom "Sister, Sister" from 1994 to 1999. Jackee went on to appear in many other films and television programs, including "Everybody Hates Chris."
Debra Wilson
Debra Wilson was born in Queens, New York, in 1962. She made her acting debut on "The Apollo Comedy Hour." In 1995, Wilson got her big break when she was cast as one of eight original cast members on the sketch comedy television show "MADtv." She performed on the show for eight seasons and created memorable original characters as well as celebrity impressions such as Oprah Winfrey and Whitney Houston. Wilson left "MADtv" in 2003 and has since done vocal performing for animated comedies like "Clone High" and "Family Guy."
Ellen Cleghorne
Ellen Cleghorne was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1965. Following small roles in movies and on the sketch comedy show "In Loving Color," Cleghorne was hired to be part of the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1991. She was only the second African-American female cast member. She remained with the legendary comedy show for four seasons and played beloved recurring characters like Queen Shenequa. In 1995, Cleghorne left SNL to star in her own sitcom entitled "Cleghorne!" The show only lasted one season on the WB network.
