Janine Garofalo: biography, filmography and personal

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

Janine Garofalo always "puts on" the image of a nerd girl. In large horn-rimmed glasses, dressed casually, shod not in louboutins - she ridicules a society that imposes on a woman the cult of a sold body. But is it true that we see before us only a sharp feminist, an atheist, a cynic, and a vegetarian to boot? No, she's actually pretty. And the horn-rimmed glasses suit her very well. It must also be said that Janine Garofalo is not only an actress. She is also a producer, screenwriter, director, writer and political activist. In the past, she was a stand-up comedian and hosted programs on AirAmerica radio. Let's get to know the witty woman Janine Garofalo. Biography, filmography and her personal life will be covered in this article.

Childhood and education

The future actress was born on September 28, 1964 in Newton, New Jersey. She is an Irish-Italian American. Her father, Carmine Garofalo, used to run Exxon. And Janine's mother, Joan, died when she was twenty-four years old. Because of the father's work, the family often changed their place of residence. Janine Garofalo graduated from high school in Texas, in the town of Katy, which is located near Houston. Then she entered Providence College with a degree in history. However, in her student years, she became interested in the activities of the theater circle. She took part in a comedian competition and won the "Funniest Actor in Rhode Island" nomination. However, Janine did not manage to start her creative career right away. She was forced to help her mother with cancer, and therefore took on any job.

Comedian career

Janine Garofalo began her stage career in the late eighties. Her forte was improvisation, and she managed to win the sympathy of the audience and popularity as a stand-up comedian. She ridiculed social patterns and popular culture. She even went for breast reduction surgery. As she stated, she would like men to listen to her words, and not stare at her bust. Janine soon made a name for herself, and she began to be invited to television shows. And this opened the door to the big movie for the girl.

TV career

She made her debut in 1992 on the Ben Stiller Show and then on Larry Sanders. It was for this last work, the role of Paula, that she received two Emmy awards (in 1996 and 1997). But the real breakthrough for Janine Garofalo wasvery popular in the United States, the program "Saturday Night Live". The actress appeared in this show in 1995-1996. Then she began to be invited to appear in television series. They were Ellen, Seinfeld and Mad About You. She also works for radio and as a correspondent for TV Nation. Janine does not break with television even when the doors of full-length cinema open before her. So, in 2005-2006, she was involved in the West Wing. In this series, she reincarnated as Louise Thornton, an adviser to a fictional Democratic presidential candidate.

Career in big cinema

The first success of the actress on the big screen is her work in the 1994 film Reality Bites. In 1996, she finally got the lead role in the film The Truth About Dogs and Cats. Uma Thurman also participated in the filming. This tape was an unspeakable success among viewers and film critics, but Janine Garofalo herself did not like it. The full filmography of the actress is so extensive (two hundred and eleven works) that it is difficult to present it in one small article. Let's name only the most significant projects. These are Cops (Cindy Bets), Targets (Dale Shelby), The Thin Pink Line (Joysie), Dogma (Liz), Two Hundred Cigarettes (Ellie), Independence (Paloma Fineman), Hot American Summer (Bass), Big Trouble (Monica Romaro), Ratatouille (Colette), Love Wounds (Hanna Rosenblum), High School (Gally Collins). Among the most famous works of recent years aremini-series First Day of Camp (a remake of Hot American Summer) and Blackout's Third Street. It should be said that the actress often refused roles in which it was required to play just a pretty woman. This happened in the projects "Jerry Maguire", "Scream" and "Fight Club". In her opinion, it is better to play not the main, but a characteristic role, even episodic.

What is Janine Garofalo doing now

Films, sharp political shows on television, active citizenship, participation in the activities of non-governmental human rights and feminist organizations - this is what the life of an actress consists of. She opposed the war in Iraq. And now he participates in political discussions with Jello Biafra, Jonah Goldberg, Ralph Nader, Brian Kilmedo and Bill O'Reilly. As a professional entertainer, Janine leads the "Tell Us the Truth" series of performances. As a director, Janine Garofalo is best known for the short film Homeowner, where she also acted as a screenwriter.

Private life

Is feminist and atheist Janine Garofalo married? It turns out yes. Back in 1992, when the actress worked on the Fox channel on the Ben Stiller show, she met actor, director, screenwriter and producer Robert Cohen. Then they went on a trip and visited Las Vegas. To play a trick on their friends, Janine and Robert decided to have a wedding in one of the local chapels, which was in the spirit of two atheists. However, the “newlyweds” liked the prank so much that they lived in such a marriage for several years. However, the couple recently broke up.