Natasha Leggero

An appealingly brash stand-up comic and actress in the vein of Sarah Silverman, Natasha Leggero enjoyed regular appearances on numerous sitcoms, talk shows and comedy specials throughout the 2000s, including "Chelsea Lately" (E! 2007- ) and "Lucas Bros. Moving Co." (Fox 2013- ). The Illinois native studied acting in New York before heading west to try her hand at the entertainment business. Once in Los Angeles, Leggero's saucy comedy made her a favorite commentator on countless programs, as well as a guest performer of choice on animated and live-action shows.

However, she remained a supporting player until 2014, when Comedy Central picked up not only a new sitcom starring Leggero, but also her second stand-up special for the network. The network's faith in Leggero underscored her status as one of the most popular mainstream comic talents in the business.

Born March 26, 1974 in Rockford, Illinois, Natasha Leggero got her first taste of performing before an audience at the age of 10, when she began acting in Chicago-area plays. After graduating from high school, she studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York while also pursuing a degree in theater criticism from Hunter College.

Leggero then headed for Los Angeles, where she divided her time between acting roles in features like "The Believer" (2001) and stand-up comedy, which led to appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC 1992-2014). Leggero's comedy, which took an unbridled look at issues of sex and male-female relationships, led to a wide variety of brassy television appearances, from a faux reality series contestant on "The Joe Schmo Show" (Spike 2003-04, 2013) to guest turns on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (FX/FXX 2005- ), "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central 2007-2010) and voice-over turns on animated shows like "Ugly Americans" (Comedy Central, 2010-12).

She was also a judge on "Last Comic Standing" (NBC, 2003-2011) and a performer of choice on various pop-culture commentary shows like "Chelsea Lately," comedy roasts and stand-up specials, including her own 2011 special on "Comedy Central Presents" (1998-2011). In 2011 and 2012, she was a featured cast member on two short-lived comedy series, "Free Agents" (NBC 2011) and "Are You There, Chelsea?" (NBC 2012).

During that same period, Comedy Central released her debut album, Coke Money (2011). In 2013, Leggero made headlines for a sarcastic comment about a tweet from the SpaghettiOs brand of canned food about the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. She responded to criticism by not only refusing to apologize for her joke, but suggested that those who took umbrage should donate to Disabled American Veterans.

The controversy appeared to have little negative effect on her career, as Leggero was soon added to the voice-over cast for the alternative comedy animated series "Lucas Bros. Moving Co." while also enjoying steady employ as a guest star and performer on various series. In 2014, Comedy Central green-lit both a sitcom pilot and stand-up special from Leggero.