Meet Sarah Silverman [Culture]

Sarah Kate Silverman was born December 1, 1970 in Bedford, NH. Silverman is a comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Though she does not come from a religious background, the comedian is ethnically Jewish. “I have no religion. But culturally I can’t escape it; I’m very Jewish,” she said. Her comedy focuses on social taboos and controversial topics like racism, sexism, and religion. And while she’s open about her bed-wetting problems and bouts with depression, her relationships are off limits.

At just 17 years old, Silverman was performing in nightclubs in New Hampshire. After graduating from New York University, Silverman stayed in the area doing stand-up in Greenwich Village. She first got national attention during the 1993-1994 season of Saturday Night Live, though only one of her sketches made it to dress rehearsal, and none of them aired. Silverman was fired after one year. She got the news via fax message.

In 2005, she released the film Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic, which documents her stand-up routine of the same name. The film grossed more than $1.3 million dollars in 57 theaters. The Sarah Silverman Program, a television sitcom based on Sarah and her friends, debuted on Comedy Central in 2007. Her acting got her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Silverman wrote a book in 2010. The comic memoir The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee was a New York Time’s bestseller.

Her latest work has her back on screen, playing a dramatic role alongside Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen in the film Take This Waltz. The film, which was well received at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, has been picked up by Magnolia for a Summer 2012 distribution. The movie features a full-frontal nude scene from Silverman. In interviews she warned fans not to expect too much.

Sarah says…

“I don’t set out to offend or shock, but I also don’t do anything to avoid it.”

“I graduated from High School and they got the big drug slogan, ‘Just say no’, Nancy Reagan wrote it, a brilliant mind of our time. It doesn’t work, I think it’s really lame. If we’re going to have a big anti-drug slogan I think it should be some thing much cooler. Like uh, ‘Just say… I’m good for now’. That would work. ‘I’m all set, thank you’. That’s another good one. Much cooler.”

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