Debra Wilson

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Debra Wilson

Birth name Debra Renee Wilson
Born April 26, 1962 (age 44)
New York, New York, United States
Other name(s) Debra Wilson
Spouse(s) Cliff Skelton
Notable roles Cast member in MADtv, Seasons 1-8

Debra Renee Wilson Skelton (born April 26, 1962) is an American comedian and actress. Wilson is most notable for being one of the original cast members on sketch comedy series MADtv.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Debra Wilson was born and raised in New York City in the neighborhood of Ozone Park, Queens. Wilson attended the New York City High School of the Performing Arts. After graduation, she continued her studies at Syracuse University, working in television and radio broadcasting. Her acting debut was on the television pilot "The Apollo Comedy Hour." Following this success she became a series regular on "The Uptown Comedy Club" and co-hosted Can We Shop? with Joan Rivers. She is currently hosting various programming on the TV Guide Channel.

[edit] Career

[edit] MADtv

Debra Wilson as Ms. Bunifa Latifah Halifa Sharifa Jackson.
Debra Wilson as Ms. Bunifa Latifah Halifa Sharifa Jackson.

Wilson was one of the original nine cast members of MADtv when the series aired in 1995. Unlike some of her fellow original repertory performers on MADtv, Wilson came to the show with limited sketch comedy experience and hardly any television background. However, she did have a well established background in stand-up comedy, which aided her ability to captivate audiences with her humor.

Wilson was credited for creating some of the most popular recurring characters on the show. Among her characters were Latina bimbo Melina (Lida and Melina), Reality Check's Tovah McQueen, Stick Chick Autumn , Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sister Hayden Brooks, Alexis Dubane (Prehistoric Glamazon Huntresses), blaxploitation actress Cocoa Latite (Son of Dolemite), Lowered Expectations Host and Ms. Not Nice (Jenny Jones). Perhaps her best known character was the fast talking "Black American Princess" Bunifa Latifah Halifa Sharifa Jackson. The character makes extensive use of the ebonic language when speaking, and quickly accuses other characters' most basic assertions as motivated by racism. An early form of this character appeared in season one, but she was more articulate and a doctor.

Debra Wilson as Whitney Houston.
Debra Wilson as Whitney Houston.

However, Wilson would find her forte with impressions of today's megalomanical divas/celebrities. She frequently appeared as Oprah Winfrey, often paired up with Michael McDonald as supposed lover Dr. Phil McGraw, or Aries Spears as long-time companion Steadman Graham. Most of these sketches would end in Oprah evolving into an evil supernatural being with powers after being provoked by an audience member. The Oprah character would be reprised in Scary Movie 4, which spoofed the Tom Cruise couch-jumping incident in 2005.

Her most well known and acclaimed impersonation that Wilson found success in would be R&B diva Whitney Houston. Wilson would parody Houston's reported frequent fights with her husband Bobby Brown, and her reported drug use (in the Christmas 2002 episode, Wilson portrayed Houston with frequent facial tics, suggesting that she had withdrawn out from using cocaine).

Other impressions Wilson surprised audiences with included Beyoncé Knowles, Brandy, Chris Tucker, Condoleezza Rice, Downtown Julie Brown, Lil' Kim, Macy Gray, Mariah Carey, Rosie Perez, and Whoopi Goldberg.

When Nicole Sullivan left MADtv in 2001, Wilson became the last original cast member on the show. For the next two years, she served as the matriarch of the MADtv family by providing a strong sense of continuity between the old era of the show and the new cast members. After eight seasons as a cast member, Wilson retired in 2003 as a repertory player on the show. She and Nicole Sullivan were the only two cast members to be given a special recognition by the other cast members at their last show as a current cast member. At the time of her departure, Wilson held the record for the longest serving MADtv cast member. However, since her departure, both Aries Spears and Michael McDonald have tied her record eight year tenure. Wilson, along with Sullivan, would reappear in the 2004-2005 season, both reprising some of their famous characters.

[edit] Characters

  • Alexis Dubane (Prehistoric Glamazon Huntresses)
  • Audience Member (The Wayne Brady Show)
  • Autumn (Stick Chicks)
  • Beth
  • Bunifa Latifah Halifa Sharifa Jackson
  • Cocoa Latite (Son of Dolemite)
  • Hayden Brooks (Sorority Row)
  • Lowered Expectations Host (Lowered Expectations)
  • Melina Hascinto (Lida and Melina)
  • Miss Sylvia
  • Miss Not Nice (The Jenny Jones Show)
  • Nautica Brown (Real Mother****ing Talk)
  • Rosa Marticorena (News at Six)
  • Thelma (Big Carl/John's Shirt and Tie Barn)
  • Tukah, Queen of the Chinese (Rocket Revengers)
  • Tovah McQueen (Reality Check)
  • Vicky the Dog Girl

[edit] Impressions

[edit] Catch phrases

  • "Oh no you di'int!" - Bunifa Latifa Halifa Sharifa Jackson
  • "I said..." - Bunifa Latifa Halifa Sharifa Jackson
  • "What did I do?" - Bunifa Latifa Halifa Sharifa Jackson
  • "You need to learn how to respect a sista" - Bunifa Latifa Halifa Sharifa Jackson
  • "Let me tell you something girlfriend!" - Oprah Winfrey
  • "My butthole is an ATM!" - Oprah Winfrey
  • "Hey that's mine now!"- Tovah McQueen
  • "BOBBAY!" - Whitney Houston
  • "Merry Crystal Meth-Mas!" - Whitney Houston
  • "I'm Nippy, Queen of the night I am!" - Whitney Houston

[edit] Television projects

Since her debut on MADtv, Wilson has done voice acting on episodes on numerous television shows, landing some recurring roles on such shows as Clone High, Family Guy, and The Mr. Potato Head Show. Wilson has made numerous independent films, including Jane White Is Sick and Twisted, Skin Deep, and Soulmates. She does commercials with fellow MADtv alumnus Nicole Sullivan for Pepsi's Sierra Mist. She was also in a Without a Trace episode as a nurse. She was the co-host of TV Guide Channel's "TV Watercooler" with John Fugelsang, until she was replaced by Teresa Strasser in October of 2006. She will also be starring in Celebrity Paranormal Project, where she becomes the first contestant to have a spirit attempt to possess her.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Other notes
2006 If I Had Known I Was a Genius Teresa (post-production)
2006 Whitepaddy Aunt Tiny (post-production)
2006 Knight to F4 Security Guard (post-production)
2006 Over the Hedge Debbie
2006 Scary Movie 4 Oprah Winfrey
2006 Danny Roane: First Time Director Rehab Nurse
2005 Bringing Up BayBay Pam/BayBay Girl
2004 Target Nolan
2003 Skin Deep Alex
2002 Jane White Is Sick & Twisted Chi-Chi
2000 Rubbernecking Julia
1998 Star Trek the Experience: The Klingon Encounter Security Officer
1997 Asylum Belinda Davis
1997 Soulmates Jennifer Williams
1997 B*A*P*S Flight Attendant
1997 Gridlock'd Medicaid Woman #2
1997 Sleeping Together Wendy
1996 Girl 6 Salesgirl #3
1995 Blue in the Face Statistician
1995 New Jersey Drive Not of This Earth
1994 Cracking Up

[edit] Television

Year Title Role Other notes
2006 Celebrity Paranormal Project Herself Filmed in 2005
2006 In Justice Detective Powell
2005 Amazing Animal Inventions Host
2005 Studio House Vicky
2005 Second Time Around Deonne
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Divine
2004 Nine Lives Lisa
2004 That's So Raven Maisha
2004 I'm with Her Brenda
2004 Without a Trace Doctor
2003 The Parkers Zorah
2000 Gary & Mike
1998 The Mr. Potato Head Show Queenie
1995 New York Undercover Shanna
1995 - 2003 MADtv Various Characters Sketch Comedy
1992 - 1993 Uptown Comedy Club Various Characters

[edit] Voice acting and video game appearances

Year Title Role Other notes
2006 X-Men: The Official Game Storm Video Game
2006 The Adventures of Brer Rabbit Sister Buzzard
2005 American Dad! Whitney Houston Animated Comedy TV Series
2005 The Chosen One Akia May TV Series
2002, 2003 The Proud Family Oprah Winfrey, Basil/Tobasco TV Series
2002, 2003 Clone High Various Characters
2003 Min'na no gorufu 4 Various Characters Video Game
2002 Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe In Santa Great Grandma TV Series
2001 The Oblongs... Various Character
2000, 2001 Family Guy Janet/Mrs. Kanner/Nurse/Sandy Belford Animated Comedy TV Series
1998 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Capt. Lisa Cusak TV Series

[edit] External links

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