Sarah Silverman

Background

Sarah Silverman was born on December 1, 1970, in Bedford, New Hampshire, to parents Beth Ann and Donald Silverman. Her father had a clothes business, while her mother worked as a photographer and theater director. Following their parents’ divorce, she and her three elder sisters were reared in Manchester, New Hampshire for a time. Her father encouraged her use of vulgarity for his own entertainment, while her mother instilled in her a spirit of distrust and curiosity, according to Silverman. She began acting in neighborhood theater and school shows as a young teen, always rambunctious and eager to perform. She did, however, suffer from depression from an early age and had a bed-wetting issue that persisted into her adolescence.

At an early age, she tried stand-up comedy in a Boston club. Silverman began performing in New York City comedy clubs after enrolling at New York University to study theater. Encouraged by her father, she dropped out of school after a year and concentrated on comedy. Silverman was then recruited by “Saturday Night Live,” but she was sacked after just appearing in a few bits and without having written a single aired sketch. Silverman persevered, and she eventually appeared on the sketch comedy show “Mr. Show with Bob and David.” Silverman perfected her brazenly nasty approach to comedy in bars and on talk shows. During her performances, she would frequently adopt a gleefully egotistical character, delivering lines about race and sex in an ironically vapid tone.

She’s had romantic relationships with several actors and co-stars. Her five-year relationship with Jimmy Kimmel was a success. The pair broke up, only to reunite for a year before splitting up again.