Kathy's Biography

Kathy's Biography Two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin is a towering figure on television, on tour and in publishing. She breaks through the entertainment clutter with her universally recognized brand of pull-no-punches comedy.

Kathy has performed for hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe. Buoyed by her dedicated and engaged fans, Kathy's live standup performances are legendary and in a class of their own. The fiery redhead has sold out to audiences with rave reviews throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia at such iconic venues as the Sydney Opera House, the Mark Taper Forum, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Kathy has also performed for active military servicemen and women in such war zones as Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan. In 2013, Kathy was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for writing and starring in an unprecedented 20 televised stand-up specials - more than any comedian in history. In 2014, Kathy made history with her 6th consecutive Grammy nomination and first win for Best Comedy Album (Kathy Griffin: Calm Down Gurrl), joining Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin as the only other female comedians to ever win Grammy awards for Best Comedy Album.

Kathy’s unrivaled style of humor and prolific comedy pedigree makes her one of television's go-to hosts for premier live events. Kathy drew huge worldwide audiences to CNN's New Year's Eve special, which she co-produced and co-hosted with Anderson Cooper for 10 years. Kathy co-hosted The Billboard Music Awards LIVE three years in a row, the 41st annual Daytime Emmy Awards LIVE and AARP's Movies for Grownups Gala. Griffin's sure-fire hosting success led to her own LIVE late night talk show, Kathy. Griffin won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her hit reality series, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which aired for six years on Bravo. It was nominated every single year of its run. The show also won the GLAAD Media Award for Best Reality Program. Kathy was a cast member on NBC's Suddenly Susan and guest starred on Seinfeld and Law & Order: SVU. She lent her unique voice to animated characters in Shrek Forever After and the award-winning television shows The Simpsons, American Dad, and Dilbert.

Kathy’s influence can also be found in publishing. Her boisterous and revealing memoir, Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Griffin’s much-anticipated second book, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z Index, was also a New York Times Best Seller. Kathy has been prominently featured on the covers of The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, and The Advocate, as well as in-depth profiles in New York Magazine and Forbes.

In addition to performing, writing and producing, Kathy is a renowned speaker and has taken her empowering messages of equality through activism and humor all over the country. Kathy’s passionate advocacy for women, the LGBT community, and other disenfranchised groups have been displayed through numerous candid and intimate conversations with award-winning journalists and moderators from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the Hudson Union Society, 92Y, as well as tech giants Google and AOL.

Griffin's other awards and honors include: The Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality, GLAAD's Vanguard award, The Trevor Life Award from the Trevor Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America's Leadership in Entertainment honor, the Harvard College Distinguished Service Partner Award, Veterans Tickets Foundation Distinguished Donor Award, the Lambda Legal Liberty Award, a two-time Ladies’ Home Journal “Funny Ladies We Love” Recipient, and a Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Lead.