Actress, comedienne, and paragon of cynicism Janeane Garofalo first tried comedy while studying history at Providence College. It was there that Garofalo entered a comedy talent search sponsored by Showtime, winning the title of “Funniest Person in Rhode Island.” She became a professional stand-up upon graduating college but struggled for a number of years. Upon moving to the Los Angeles, Garofalo met Ben Stiller, who invited her to join the cast of his short-lived but acclaimed Fox television sketch comedy program, “The Ben Stiller Show.” A stint on Garry Shandling’s breakthrough HBO series, “The Larry Sanders Show,” (for which she was nominated for an Emmy award) soon followed, and in 1994, Garofalo reunited with Stiller in the film comedy, “Reality Bites.” That fall, she joined the cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” but exited before the conclusion of the season, disheartened by the show’s increasing drop-off in quality. Garofalo’s breakthrough role then came as she co-starred with Uma Thurman in the 1996 romantic comedy hit, “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.” That same year, she also co-starred with Bill Murray in “Larger Than Life” and appeared briefly in “The Cable Guy” and “Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy.”Garofalo’s prolific output continued in 1997; in addition to starring roles in two comedies, “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion” and “The Matchmaker,” she was featured prominently in James Mangold’s “Cop Land” and Paul Schrader’s “Touch” and remained a fixture of the emerging alternative comedy circuit. In 1998, Garofalo’s career continued to thrive, with starring and supporting roles in a number of films. Some of her more notable work included: “Clay Pigeons,” a black comedy with Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix and “Permanent Midnight,” which marked another collaboration with Stiller. The following year, Garofalo appeared in no less than five films, with a supporting part in the ensemble piece, “200 Cigarettes,” a starring role as an unconventional action heroine called the Bowler in “Mystery Men” and prominent turns in “Dogma,” Hampton Fancher’s psychological thriller, “The Minus Man,” and the satirical comedy, “Can’t Stop Dancing,” in which she acted alongside fellow comedienne Margaret Cho. In 2001, Garofolo took on the role of Catherine Connolly in “The Laramie Project,” HBO’s docudrama chronicling the aftermath of the death of Matthew Shepard, and filmmaker David Wain’s comedy, “Wet Hot American Summer.” The actress joined the cast of Pixar’s “Ratatouille” in 2007 to voice the role of Colette, a talented French chef and appeared on television shows, including “Two and a Half Men,” “24” and “Criminal Minds.” More recent credits include “Little Boxes” and “3rd Street Blackout.” Whether on film, television or radio, Garafolo continues to make her opinions heard and her presence felt.
