| Judy Tenuta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Judy Lynn Tenuta |
| Born: | November 7, 1949 |
| Birth Hometown: | Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died: | October 6, 2022 (aged 72) |
| Place of death: | Studio City, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Comedienne, Author, Producer, Accordionist |
| Years active: | 1971-2022 |
| Known for: | Her career for music, TV and her stand-up comedy |
| Website/URL: | http://www.judytenuta.com |
Judy Lynn Tenuta (born November 7, 1949; died October 6, 2022) was an American actress, comedienne, author, producer and accordionist.
Early Life[]
One of nine siblings, Judy Lynn was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1949 into a large catholic family to a Polish mother Joann, and an Italian father, Caesar.
Career[]
Tenuta gained notoriety as a wisecracking, accordion-wielding self-proclaimed "Petite Flower and Love Goddess" during the golden age of character comedy in the mid '80s with such notable contemporaries and Sam Kinison and Steven Wright. She has been featured in several productions of "Weird Al" Yankovic, including The Weird Al Show and the music video for Headline News and White & Nerdy. She has also appeared on game shows such as Hollywood Squares and the 1998-99 revival of Match Game. Her most extensive profile came from a series of TV ads for MTV and most notably, Diet Dr. Pepper in the late 1980s, as well as her HBO, Showtime and Lifetime specials which became popular and gained her a loyal following. She was also well-known for her quoted catch phrase "It Could Happen!".
Her use of voice in her act has lent itself to voice-over work in several animated programs. Including the voice of Edna in Duckman, Black Widow in Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and as herself in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.
- 1986: Tenuta appeared on British TV comedy show Saturday Live. (Not to be Confused with Saturday Night Live)
- 1986-90: She made several guest appearances on the show of her favorite female comedian Joan Rivers.
- 1987: She became nationally known in her first HBO special Women of the Night, costarring: Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone and Rita Rudner. She also became the first female stand-up to win the "Best Female Comedienne" at The American Comedy Awards.
- 1987-88: She toured across the country with another of her favorite comedians, comedy legend George Carlin.
- 1988-95: Frequent guest on morning radio show: "Howard Stern".
- 1988: She became the "Spokes-Goddess" in a series of "Diet Dr. Pepper" commercials, and also filmed her second HBO special.
- 1989: Tenuta appeared on Larry King Live and converted him to her signature religion "JUDYISM".
- 1991: She published her first book, The Power of Judyism, following up with an audio CD version in 1999.
- 1994: She was nominated for her first Grammy, for her comedy CD, Attention, Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians.
- 1995: Tenuta was nominated for her second Grammy, for her comedy CD, In Goddess we Trust.
- 1996: Tenuta appeared as a drill sergeant, Sam Rottweiler, to train gay men to defend themselves against bullies in the cult classic film, Butch Camp.
- 1998: She conceived, produced and starred in the film Desperation Boulevard.
- 2001: Tenuta appeared on The View, dishing with Joy Behar, Star Jones and Barbara Walters.
- 2007: She mad a guest appearance as Mrs. Holler, the librarian on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. She also had a pivotal role as "Margo the Cat Lady" in the Hilary Duff film Material Girls.
- 2011: She played Zania, a menacing, aging actress, in the independent film, Going Down in LA-LA Land and the Mother Nun in the independent horror comedy, Sister Mary. She would go on to be nominated for Best Actress at the 2012 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest for her performance.
Comic Persona[]
Tenuta's act was primarily structured around an exaggerated, offbeat persona that was referred to primarily as "The Love Goddess". Other monikers include: "The Petite Flower", "Aphrodite of the Accordion", "Fashion-Plate Saint", "Princess of Panty Shields" and "Empress of Elvis Impersonators". Tenuta's persona encouraged fans to convert to her own personal religion "JUDYISM".
Personal Life[]
Denying rumors that she ever married or dated comedian Emo Philips, (another entertainer with an offbeat comic persona) Tenuta said: "Isn't it weird how rumors start? No, Emo and I used to do shows together".
On October 6, 2022, Tenuta died in Studio City, California at the age of 72 from stage IV ovarian cancer. She was never married nor had any children.
Show Hosted[]
Street Smarts (as co-host in 2004)
Shows Appeared[]
Match Game (Burger)
Hollywood Squares (Bergeron)