Loni Love

Loni Love

Love in 2009
Born July 12, 1971
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Medium comedienne · television host · actress
Nationality American
Years active 2003–present
Genres Observational comedy
Subject(s) Relationships, current events, American politics[1]
Influences Richard Pryor, Bill Maher, Joan Rivers,[1] Eddie Griffin
Website www.lonilove.com

Loni Love (born July 12, 1971) is an American comedienne and actress. Before quitting her job as an electrical engineer in 2003, Love began to pursue a career in stand up comedy. She was the runner-up on Star Search 2006 and was named among the "Top 10 Comics to Watch" in both Variety and Comedy Central in 2009. She is currently one of the hosts of The Real talk show along with Tamar Braxton, Jeannie Mai, Adrienne Bailon, and Tamera Mowry, which premiered on July 15, 2013.[2]

Life and career

Love was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects.[3] Prior to her career as a comedian, she was an electrical engineer,[4] an experience she talks about in many of her acts.[5] After graduating from high school in 1989, she had worked for a time on the General Motors assembly line putting doors on 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlasses, work which ignited her interest in electrical engineering. Love then received her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Prairie View A&M University in Texas. While at Prairie View, she minored in music and was also a member of the Eta Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.[6][7] It was there that she discovered stand-up comedy after winning a $50 competition and then performed frequently during her college life. After finding work as an engineer at Xerox in California, she continued to do stand-up after work in clubs and became a regular at the Laugh Factory.[3][8] After eight years of working at Xerox, Love resigned to pursue comedy during a layoff to prevent someone else from losing their job.[8] Recently Love did a show on VH1 called I love the 2000s which she gives her view on 2000-2009's pop culture highlights and became a Roundtable panelist for her friend and fellow comic Chelsea Handler.

Love started her comedic career in 2004, after appearing on Star Search, reaching the finals and losing in a close competition to the winner.[9] Since then, she has appeared in films and numerous television shows.[10] She has also acted in dramatic theatre plays.[10] Love was named "Hot Comic" for 2009 in Campus Activity magazine and one of the "Top 10 Comics to Watch" in both Variety and Comedy Central. She was awarded the Jury Prize for best stand-up at the 2003 US Comedy Arts Festival.[3] In 2008 Love became the CNN correspondent for D. L. Hughley Breaks the News and covered the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She also appears regularly in comedy clubs and the college comedy circuit.[10] In late 2009, Love recorded her first one-hour Comedy Central special, America's Sister, which aired on May 8, 2010.[11] In 2013, Loni released her first comedy advice book titled "Love Him Or Leave Him But Don't Get Stuck With The Tab". It was published by Simon and Schuster. In 2015, she appeared in the comedy film Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, with Kevin James, and the action film Bad Asses 3, with Danny Trejo and Danny Glover.[12]

Filmography

Film[10]
Year Film Role Notes
2015 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Donna Ericone
2014 Gutshot Straight Ms. Love
2014 Bad Asses Carmen
2004 Soul Plane Shaniece Supporting
With or Without You Waitress Minor
Television[10]
Year Title Role Notes
2015 American Dad! Iris Guest star (1 episode)
2014 I Love the 2000s Herself
2013–present The Real Co-Host
2012 Bethenny
2011 Whitney Nurse
2011 Kickin' It Marge Recurring
2011–2013 After Lately Herself
2010 The Gossip Queens
2009 Wildest TV Show Moments
D. L. Hughley Breaks the News
2008 GSN Live
Phineas and Ferb Carl's Saleswoman Disguise
2008–2014 Chelsea Lately
2008–2014 TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest...
2008 Chocolate News
Comics Unleashed
2006 Thick and Thin Viola Series regular
2005 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Herself Featured comic
Weekends at the DL Panelist
Cuts Pepper Guest star (1 episode)
2004–2007 Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Lunch Lady Recurring
2004 Girlfriends Guest star (1 episode)
Redlight, Greenlight Herself Series host
Premium Blend
2003–2004 Hollywood Squares
2003 Star Search Finalist
I Love the '70s Series regular
I Love the '80s Strikes Back

References

External links