Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller Headshot

Comedian • Actress • Writer • Musician

Birth Date: July 17, 1917

Death Date: August 20, 2012

Birth Place: Lima, Ohio

A groundbreaking pioneer in American comedy, comedienne Phyllis Diller represented the face of the female stand-up comic for a generation of baby boomers. She predated Roseanne Barr's "Domestic Goddess" stand-up routines by more than two decades, shooting to stardom in the 1950s with her eccentric, strangely attired housewife alter ego. An ironic underdog with a head of frazzled hair and excessive make-up, Diller endeared herself to an era of prosperous post-war middle Americans through stand-up, as well as musical and comedy routines. Her countless television appearances made Diller a household name, and she was forever seen in daytime talk shows and comedy-driven game shows like "The Hollywood Squares" (NBC, 1966-1980; 1983-84) and "The Gong Show" (NBC, 1976-1989) as a comic personality, forever puffing smoke from a long cigarette holder, and shooting off rapid-fire punch lines punctuated with her trademark loud, distinctive cackle.

Born into the world as Phyllis Ada Driver on July 17, 1917 in Lima, OH, this future queen of comedy entered the field with years of nonstop performing at San Francisco's historic Purple Onion Club. Prior to that, she was a housewife, mother and worked as an advertising copywriter. During her early years playing comedy clubs in the San Francisco Bay area, her material centered on her less-than-charmed home life. Her act relied heavily on self-deprecating humor and jokes made at the expense of her family, especially her husband, an inept, boorish fellow nicknamed "Fang." Though not quite as abrasive as Joan Rivers on the subject, Diller set the standard for a comedic archetype - that of the loud, brassy American housewife. In later years, other female comics such as Roseanne Barr, Brett Butler and Rita Rudner rose to fame, taking up Diller's banner with their own brand of post-modern, male-bashing brand of humor. At the time, however, the trailblazer shared stages with fellow future stars Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers.

Following a breakthrough appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jack Paar, (NBC, 1957-1962), Diller landed her first major exposure as a contestant on the venerated game show, "You Bet Your Life" (NBC, 1950-1961), hosted by Groucho Marx. Managed at the time by Svengali-esque first husband, Sherwood Diller, Diller parlayed her improvisational one-liner genius into a full-time career as a stand-up comedienne. In between stand-up gigs, Diller maintained a modest side career on the screen, portraying vaudeville personality Texas Guinan in the Natalie Wood/Warren Beatty drama "Splendor in the Grass" (1961) and finding her niche in low-brow film comedies "Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!" (1966), "Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?" (1968) and "The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell" (1968), all co-starring buddy Bob Hope.

While Diller starred on two short-lived television series - the sitcom "The Pruitts of Southampton" (ABC, 1966-67) and the variety show "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show" (NBC, 1968) - her enduring fame stemmed mostly from her endless appearances on TV specials, notably half a dozen of her own variety specials and every Bob Hope Christmas Special from 1965 through 1994. Unscripted Diller proved to be the most entertaining Diller, and for decades she was a mainstay on such shows as "I've Got a Secret" (CBS, 1952-1967), "The Hollywood Squares" and "The Gong Show," as well as countless variety specials and daytime talk shows. In 1970, Diller gave a worthy stab at filling the shoes of Carol Channing on Broadway in "Hello, Dolly!"Later in the decade, the aging Diller discovered a new vein of self-deprecating, exploitable humor - her plastic surgery. Thumbing her nose at the vain Hollywood establishment, she openly copped to her numerous facelifts, nose jobs and tummy-tucks, becoming a de facto pitchwoman for the cosmetic surgery profession with such testaments as, "I used to be young and ugly. Now, I'm old and gorgeous." Diller's career began to slow in the 1980s, with the actress limiting herself to a few guest appearances in episodes of "The Love Boat" (ABC, 1977-1986) and the horror anthology "Tales from the Darkside" (syndicated, 1984-88). Now a campy legend worthy of bringing old school comedy cred to a new breed of low budget comedy filmmakers, she also showed up in "Dr. Hackenstein" (1988) and "Silence of the Hams" (1994). In 1998, she landed her highest profile role in years when she was cast the voice of the Queen in Pixar's smash hit comedy, "A Bug's Life."

Diller's career awoke again at the dawn of the new millennium, with a recurring role as an obnoxious spinster-turned-fan favorite on the long-running drama "7th Heaven" (The WB/The CW, 1997-2006). A short time later, Diller won a recurring role on her favorite daytime soap "The Bold & the Beautiful" (CBS, 1987- ) as beloved comic relief character, Gladys Pope, an old-time make-up artist from the 1950s. She enjoyed a spot on the soap until 2004, after which she released the memoir Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse. Resurfacing on the movie screen in two very different documentaries, Diller first contributed to "The Aristocrats" (2005), an in-depth look at a legendary dirty joke beloved by a wide range of comedians, before extolling the virtues of alternative energy in the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" (2006).

Nearing her nineties, Diller offered supporting dramatic performances in straight-to-video indies "The Still Life" (2007) and "The Last Place on Earth" (2006), as well as lending her vocals to irony-laden animated series like "Robot Chicken" (Adult Swim, 2005- ) and "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999-2002; 2005-). In 2009, a collection of Diller's stand-up material and sketch routines was compiled in the DVD "Phyllis Diller: Not Just Another Pretty Face" and included in the DVD box set "Comic Legends," which also included discs devoted to Dick Van Dyke, Tim Conway, Redd Foxx and Groucho Marx. The beloved comic passed away on Aug. 20, 2012 in her sleep at her Los Angeles home, surrounded by loved ones.

Credits

Pat Rocco Dared

Self
Movie
2021

Phyllis Diller: Kitchen & Fridge

Music Performer
Show
2020

Phyllis Diller: Mother-In-Law

Music Performer
Show
2020

Phyllis Diller: World's Worst Driver

Music Performer
Show
2020

Garage Sale Documentary

Actor
Show
2013

When the World Breaks

Actor
Movie
2010

How to Live Forever

Actor
Movie
2009

Amazing Cats

Actor
Movie
2008

Forget About It

Actor
Mrs. Hertzberg
Movie
2006

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Actor
Movie
2006

Casper's Scare School

Voice
Aunt Spitzy
Movie
2006

Unbeatable Harold

Actor
Mrs. Clancy
Movie
2006

Heroes of Comedy

Guest Star
Show
2005

Robot ChickenStream

Guest Voice
Series
2005

The Writer's Hot List

Guest
Show
2004

Quintuplets

Guest Star
Show
2004

Life With Bonnie

Guest Star
Series
2002

The Last Place on Earth

Actor
Mrs. Baskin
Movie
2002

Kiss My Act

Self
Movie
2001

Titus

Guest Star
Series
2000

Every Woman

Guest
Show
1999

Family Guy

Guest Voice
Thelma
Show
1999

Family GuyStream

Guest Voice
Thelma Griffin
Series
1999

The Nuttiest Nutcracker

Voice
Sugar Plum Fairy
Movie
1999

The Wild ThornberrysStream

Guest Voice
Series
1998

A Bug's LifeStream

Voice
Queen
Movie
1998
92%

King of the HillStream

Guest Voice
Lillian
Series
1997

Hey Arnold!Stream

Guest Voice
Series
1996

7th HeavenStream

Guest Star
Series
1996

Arli$$Stream

Guest Star
Series
1996
62%

The Drew Carey ShowStream

Guest Star
Series
1995

CybillStream

Guest Star
Series
1995

Diagnosis MurderStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

Boy Meets WorldStream

Guest Star
Madame Ouspenskaya
Series
1993

Happily Ever After

Voice
Mother Nature
Movie
1993

The Perfect Man

Actor
Mother
Movie
1993

BlossomStream

Guest Star
Series
1991

The Nutcracker Prince

Voice
Mousequeen
Movie
1990

The Boneyard

Actor
Miss Poopinplatz
Movie
1990

Full HouseStream

Self
Series
1987

The Bold and the BeautifulStream

Guest Star
Soap
1987

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Voice
The White Queen
Movie
1987

Funny

Self
Show
1986

227Stream

Guest Star
Series
1985

Night Heat

Guest Star
Show
1985

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Actor
Movie
1985

Super PasswordStream

Actor
Game Show
1984

Super PasswordStream

Guest
Game Show
1984

Pink Motel

Actor
Margaret
Movie
1983

Password PlusStream

Guest
Game Show
1979

The Comedy ShopStream

Guest
Series
1978

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: George Burns

Actor
Show
1978

CHiPsStream

Guest Star
Series
1977

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Valerie Harper

Guest
Show
1975

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Michael Landon

Guest
Show
1975

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Sammy Davis Jr.

Guest
Show
1975

The JeffersonsStream

Guest Star
Herself
Series
1975

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Telly Savalas

Guest
Show
1974

TattletalesStream

Guest
Game Show
1974

The Bobby Darin Show

Guest
Show
1973

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour

Guest
Variety Show
1971

Night Gallery

Actor
Series
1970

Night Gallery

Guest Star
Series
1970

Love, American Style

Actor
Series
1969

The Adding Machine

Actor
Mrs. Zero
Movie
1969

The Good Guys

Guest Star
Lili Resphighi
Show
1968

Showtime

Host
Show
1968

The Dick Cavett ShowStream

Guest
Talk
1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InStream

Guest
Variety Show
1968

Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?

Actor
Agatha Knabenshu
Movie
1968

The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell

Actor
Nurse Nellie Krause
Movie
1968

The Carol Burnett ShowStream

Guest
Variety Show
1967

The Bob Hope Christmas Special

Guest
Show
1967

Celebrity Billiards

Self
Show
1967

Eight on the Lam

Actor
Golda
Movie
1967

Mad Monster Party?Stream

Voice
The Monster's Mate
Movie
1967
70%

The Pruitts of Southampton

Actor
Phyllis Pruitt
Series
1966

The Phyllis Diller Show

Actor
Phyllis Pruitt
Show
1966

Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!

Actor
Lily
Movie
1966

The Fat Spy

Actor
Camille Salamander
Movie
1966

Show Street

Actor
Show
1964

Splendor in the GrassStream

Actor
Texas Guinan
Movie
1961
73%

I've Got a SecretStream

Guest
Game Show
1952

The Red Skelton ShowStream

Actor
Variety Show
1951

The Red Skelton ShowStream

Guest
Variety Show
1951

What's My Line?Stream

Guest
Game Show
1950