Tracey Ullman

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Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman in 1990
(photo by Alan Light)
Born December 30, 1959 (1959-12-30) (age 48)
Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire), United Kingdom
Years active 1980 - present
Spouse(s) Allan McKeown (1983-)

Tracey Ullman (born December 30, 1959) is a British-born, naturalized U.S. citizen, comedienne, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter, and author, who is best known to audiences for being the host of The Tracey Ullman Show, a television variety show from 1987 until 1990.

Her early appearances were on such British TV sketch comedy shows as A Kick Up the Eighties (with Rik Mayall) and Three of a Kind (with Lenny Henry and David Copperfield). She also appeared as Candice Valentine in Girls On Top with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

She emigrated to the U.S. and ended up having her own network television series, The Tracey Ullman Show, from which The Simpsons was spun off in 1989.

She later found even greater success producing programs for HBO, including Tracey Takes On..., for which she has won numerous awards. She has also appeared in many feature films.

She currently stars in her newest sketch-comedy creation, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union, for Showtime.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Tracey Ullman was born in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) to Antony Ullman, her Polish Roman Catholic father, and Dorin Ullman, her British mother, who was of Roma heritage. Antony had been a Polish soldier who was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940. Ullman's father sold furniture, booked travel, and brokered marriages. He also translated amongst the Polish community in the UK. When Ullman was six years old, her father died of a heart attack. At the time of the heart attack, he had been reading Ullman a bedtime story. She had to run downstairs to tell her mother what had happened. He was fifty years old. In an effort to cheer the family up, Tracey recounted putting on shows in her mother's bedroom, performing alongside her older sister, Patty. That first show was entitled, The Patty Ullman Show.

"I was a spin-off!" recalled Ullman. In her nightly performances Tracey was able to mimic anyone and everyone, including neighbors, family members, friends, even celebrities. Soon after, Ullman's mother remarried.

When she was 12, one of Tracey's headmasters took notice of the young star's future potential, and recommended her to the Italia Conti Academy stage school. Although the school gave Ullman her first taste of the stage, she does not look back at the period as being a joyous one. Ullman's biggest drawback was her dark features. During auditions, they would line the children up, and select them for roles. Young Ullman, ethnically, did not fit the criteria.

At age 16, Ullman began to find jobs as a dancer. One of her big breaks came when she landed a role in Gigi in Berlin[1]. Upon returning to England, she joined the "Second Generation" dance troupe[2]. She also began to appear in variety shows.

The exposure led to her being cast in numerous West End theatre musicals, including Grease, and The Rocky Horror Show[3]. During this time Ullman learned of a competition at London's Royal Court Theatre[4] for an improvised play about club acts. Deciding to enter, Ullman created the character Beverly, a born-again Christian chanteuse. Ullman proved to be a big hit and won the title of Best Newcomer Award[5]. At this point, the BBC became interested, and offered her her own show.

[edit] Music career

In 1983, Ullman succeeded as a singer on the legendary punk label Stiff Records[6], although her style was more comic romantic than punk[7]. She had six songs in the British Top 100 in less than two years, including her first hit "Breakaway" (famous for her performance with a hairbrush as a microphone); the international hit cover version of label-mate Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know," which went to #2 in the UK (#8, U.S. - MacColl also sang backing vocals on Ullman's version), and which became the theme song to most of Ullman's later television series; the follow-up single "Move Over Darling", which reached #8 in the UK; and the cover of Madness's "My Girl," which Ullman changed to "My Guy's Mad At Me." [8] (The "My Guy" video featured the British politician Neil Kinnock, at the time the Leader of the Opposition)[9].)

Her songs were over-the-top evocations of 1960s and 1970s pop music with a 1980s edge, "somewhere between Minnie Mouse and The Supremes" as Britain's Melody Maker put it, or "retro before retro was cool", as a retrospective reviewer wrote in 2002. Her career received another boost when the video for "They Don't Know" featured a cameo from Paul McCartney[10]; at the time Ullman was filming a minor role in McCartney's film Give My Regards To Broad Street[11]. Her final hit was Sunglasses (1984) whose video featured Adrian Edmondson. During this time, she also appeared as a guest VJ on MTV in the United States[12].

In October 2006, Ullman recounted her music days in the BBC Four documentary series, If It Ain't Stiff.[13]

[edit] Television career

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[edit] Early years

Along with her stint in the music world, Ullman worked in television. She began by starring in sketch comedies for the BBC, A Kick Up the Eighties, and Three of a Kind (with Lenny Henry and David Copperfield). In 1985, she donned a blonde wig and took the role of a promiscuous gold digger named "Candice Valentine" on the ITV sitcom Girls On Top, but jumped ship after one season.

At this point, US television beckoned, and renowned television producer James L. Brooks came calling. The two had discussed working together previously, but it wasn't until 1987 that they created The Tracey Ullman Show. Ullman played a variety of characters, completely unrecognizable with the help of makeup, prosthetics, and padding. The show was the first commercial hit for then unknown FOX channel. Ullman proved to be a triple threat - she could act, sing, and dance, as well as providing realistic accents for some of her characters (Tracey is one of the few non-Australian actors who can deliver lines in a believable Australian accent). Paula Abdul began her career with the series, serving as the show's choreographer. The then mostly unknown Abdul even used her early music recordings for the series' strenuous dance numbers.

The Tracey Ullman Show earned four Emmys and spawned The Simpsons, which was featured in quite simple cartoon shorts (created by cartoonist Matt Groening at the behest of Ullman Show producer James L. Brooks).

In 1992 Ullman filed a lawsuit against Twentieth Century Fox in Los Angeles Superior Court over profits from the later half hour incarnation of The Simpsons for $2.5 million of the estimated $50,000,000 USD in profits reaped from merchandising. Several years after her show went off the air, she said jokingly in a late night television interview that she hoped to one day have a regular 2-minute spot on The Simpsons. In 1991 Ullman had provided the voice of "Emily Winthrop", a British dog trainer on The Simpsons episode Bart's Dog Gets an F.

As Ullman had continued her professional relationship with former producer Brooks, only the studio and not Brooks was named in the suit. In fact, Brooks was allowed to videotape his testimony because in an only-in-Hollywood twist he was at that time directing Ullman in the musical I'll Do Anything, which was released as a non musical film. A settlement was reached whereby Ullman would receive a portion of the profits made from the show, although no amount was ever publicly disclosed.

[edit] HBO

Ullman dove back into television in 1993, but this time, cable television. Two specials were created allowing Ullman to bring life to a host of new characters. The first, Tracey Ullman: A Class Act, took a humorous jab at the British class system, and co-starred Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin.[14] For the second, Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, Ullman decided to take on a more American topic, New York City.[15] Both specials drew praise and awards. HBO became interested in doing a Tracey Takes On series, and Ullman and her husband, Allan McKeown, set up production in Los Angeles in 1995.

Al Hirschfeld portrait of Tracey Ullman and Tracey Takes On...
Al Hirschfeld portrait of Tracey Ullman and Tracey Takes On...

Tracey Takes On... premiered 24 January 1996, on HBO. Each episode would focus on a topic for Ullman to 'take on' and examine. The series would have two to three long sketches, and many small interview-styled bits, with her many characters commenting on that week's topic. Unlike the FOX show, Tracey Takes On... was shot on location, not filmed in front of a live audience. Making the switch to cable produced a show quite different from Ullman's previous programs.

Nothing was off limits, and a kiss with Tracey Ullman Show alum, Julie Kavner, kicked off the series' first episode.[16] Ullman played both men and women of many ethnicities during the series' run, including an Asian donut shop owner, a (male) cab driver from the Middle East, and an African-American airport security guard.[17] The series went on to win eight Emmys, numerous CableACE, and a host other media awards, and was critically acclaimed. In 1997, it won the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series Emmy Award for the episode Vegas.[18] In 1998 it was published in book form by Ullman. The series was also awarded GLAAD awards.

Tracey returned to HBO in the summer of 2005, with a special of her autobiographical one-woman stage show Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed,[19] which garnered her another Emmy nomination.[20] On 26 December 2005, Tracey Takes On... The Complete First Season was released on DVD from HBO Home Video. The Complete Second Season of Tracey Takes On... was released 27 June 2006. Both sets contain commentary, extended footage, as well as the original pilot.

[edit] Showtime

Upon her induction into United States citizenship, it was announced in April 2007, that she would be making the move from her 14-year working relationship with cable network, HBO, to the rival, Showtime[21]. Ullman was to create a brand new series for the network, that would be inspired in part by her recently gained nationalization.[22] The series would focus on America, "the good, the bad, and the absolutely ridiculous", which also served as the series tag line.

Tongue poster promoting the series.
Tongue poster promoting the series.

Ullman credits senior programmer, Robert Greenblatt, as a big influence in her decision for the move, and the network's budding roster of hit shows.[23] Greenblatt was a young development director during her Tracey Ullman Show days, and was enthusiastic to get her over to, Showtime.[24] Five episodes were ordered for the first season.

For the first time since the early years of her career at the BBC, Ullman was not only creating a new lineup of original characters, but rather, also impersonating famous ones.[25] Tracey Ullman's State of the Union debuted on, March 30, 2008.

The critical response to "State of the Union" was overwhelmingly positive.[26][27][28] One critic pointed out a change in Ullman's humor:

"It’s been fascinating to watch Ullman evolve from, say, Imogene Coca and Carol Burnett to something leaner and meaner, like a young Whoopi Goldberg. Or Lenny Bruce, with his surreal jive and need to shock. Or Lily Tomlin, signaling in coded transmissions through a worm hole to some parallel universe. Or Anna Deavere Smith, chameleon and exorcist, seeing around corners and speaking in tongues. Or, of course, Robin Williams, before all the bad movies and worse career choices, a brilliant mind unmade of equal parts politics and paranoia, music video and psychotherapy, a scrambled shaman egghead and Jack–in–a–Pandora’s box. Think of America as performance art."[29]

Ullman has commented that the United States is, "now able to laugh at itself more," embracing more satiric humor, rather than deeming it "unpatriotic". This is a big shift from the comedy styling she found twenty-five years prior, when she first arrived in the country. Now that she's an official citizen, Ullman joked that she, "won't end up in Guantanamo Bay,"[30] for speaking her mind.

Ullman hoped to continue the series, after season one.[31] Showtime announced that it had greenlighted a second season for 2009.[32]

[edit] Other notable work

Ullman was the modern-day cartoon voice of Little Lulu[33]. She also had a recurring role as Ally McBeal's unconventional psychotherapist, a role which won her an American Comedy Award[34].

Ullman co-starred with Carol Burnett in the television adaptation of Once Upon a Mattress. Ullman played Princess Winnifred, a role originally made famous by Burnett on Broadway, who took on the role of the evil Queen.[35]

On 5 December 2006, Tracey was inducted into the Museum of Television and Radio along with likes of Carol Burnett, Lesley Visser, Lesley Stahl, Jane Pauley, and Betty White, in the She Made It category.[36]

To date Ullman has seven Emmy wins.

In 2006, Ullman released a bestselling knitting book called Knit 2 Together [37], with friend Mel Clark.[38]

[edit] Movie career

Along with her television work, Tracey has featured in many films throughout her career. After the cancellation of The Tracey Ullman Show in 1990, she made her starring debut alongside Kevin Kline, River Phoenix and Joan Plowright in I Love You To Death. Ullman has also appeared in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Nancy Savoca's Household Saints, Small Time Crooks, A Dirty Shame, and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. She had a small role in Paul McCartney's film "Give My Regards to Broad Street"

Ullman portrayed "Mother Nature" in the 2007 romantic-comedy film, I Could Never Be Your Woman, starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Ullman acted as creative consultant on the 2006 Dreamworks feature, Flushed Away. [39]

Tracey has signed on to voice along with such actors as Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Lloyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Emma Watson in the computer-animated The Tale of Despereaux.[40]

Ullman also had a bit part as an interviewee from stock footage in the movie The Queen with Helen Mirren.[41] The footage was used without her permission.

[edit] Personal life

Ullman is married to producer Allan McKeown; they have two children, Mabel Ellen McKeown (b. April 1986) and John Albert Victor McKeown (b. August 1, 1991 in Santa Monica).

Ullman announced in 2005 her intention of becoming an American citizen; she became one in December 2006 [42]. In 2006, Ullman topped the list for the "Wealthiest British Comedians", with an estimated wealth of £75 million. [43]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Discography

  • You Broke My Heart in Seventeen Places UK #12 US #34
  • You Caught Me Out UK #92

[edit] Charting Singles

  • Breakaway (1983) UK #4 US #70
  • They Don't Know (1983) UK #2 US #8
  • Move Over Darling (1983) UK #8
  • My Guy (1984) UK #23
  • Sunglasses (1984) UK #18
  • Helpless (1984) UK #61
  • Terry (1985) UK #81

[edit] Awards

  • London Critics' Circle Award Most Promising New Actress "Four in a Million" 1981
  • BAFTA Award Best Light Entertainment Performance "Three of a Kind" and "A Kick Up the Eighties" 1983
  • Golden Globe Award Best Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical) 1987
  • Emmy Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program "Tracey Ullman Show" 1988 - 89
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Performer of the Year 1988
  • Emmy Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program "Tracey Ullman Show" 1989 - 90
  • Emmy Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program "The Best of the Tracey Ullman Show" 1989 - 90
  • Theatre World Special Award 1991
  • Emmy Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series "Love & War" 1992 - 93
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Performer in a Television Special "Funny Women of Television" 1992
  • Emmy Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program "Tracey Ullman: Takes on New York" 1993 - 94
  • CableACE Award Best Performance in a Comedy Series "Tracey Ullman: Takes on New York" 1994
  • Emmy Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series "Tracey Takes On . . . " 1996 - 97
  • CableACE Award Best Actress in a Comedy Series "Tracey Takes On ..." 1996
  • CableACE Award Best Variety Special or Series "Tracey Takes On ..." 1996
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Performer in a Television Special "Women of the Night IV" 1996
  • Golden Satellite Best Actress in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) "Tracey Takes On ..." 1997
  • The Actor Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series "Tracey Takes On ..." 1998
  • Emmy Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series "Ally McBeal" 1998 - 99
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series "Tracey Takes On ..." 1998
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a Television Series "Ally McBeal" 1999
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series "Tracey Takes On ..." 1999
  • American Comedy Award Funniest Female Leading Performer in a Television Series "Tracey Takes On ..." 2000

[edit] Bibliography

  • Knit 2 Together: Patterns and Stories for Serious Knitting Fun by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark (released October 2006)
  • Tracey Takes On by Tracey Ullman

[edit] References

Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 7th Edition
Archive of an Entertainment Weekly story by Frank Spotnitz on 1992 lawsuit.
Tracey Ullman TV.com "Awards".

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ [1]. " TELEVISION REVIEW;A Case of Multiple Personalities". Retrieved April 1 2007.
  2. ^ [2]. "Tracking Tracey". Retrieved April 1 2007
  3. ^ [3]. "History Of The RHPS". Retrieved April 1 2007
  4. ^ [4]. "Portman Films: Tracey Takes On". Retrieved April 1 2007.
  5. ^ [5]. "The BPI Awards 1984". Retrieve April 1 2007.
  6. ^ [6]. Stiff Records Official Web Site. Retrieved April 2 2007.
  7. ^ [7]. YouTube: Tracey Ullman: "My Guy" music video.
  8. ^ [8]. Youtube: Tracey Ullman: "My Guy" music video.
  9. ^ [9]. "A Decade Of Revolution The Thatcher Years" Retrieved April 2 2007.
  10. ^ [10]. "Biography".
  11. ^ [11]. "Biography".
  12. ^ [12]. Promo Poster of Tracey Ullman MTV Guest VJ.
  13. ^ [13]. Independent Online. " Stiff Records: If it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a debt". September 15 2006. Retrieved March 14 2007.
  14. ^ [14]. BBC Comedy Guide. Retried March 14 2007.
  15. ^ [15]. BBC Comedy Guide. Retrieved March 14 2007.
  16. ^ [16]. Glaad. "GLAAD Commends Tracey Ullman Series for Inclusivity". January 24 1996. Retrieved March 14 2007.
  17. ^ [17]. "The Characters". Retrieved March 14 2007.
  18. ^ [18]. Tracey Ullman. Retrieved March 14 2007.
  19. ^ [19]. HBO.com. "Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed". Retrieved March 14 2007.
  20. ^ [20]. HBO.com. "2005 Emmy Nominations". Retrieved March 14 2007.
  21. ^ [21]. "A KING, A COMEDY QUEEN & A RADIO ACE: SHOWTIME DEALS A ROYAL FLUSH". Sho.com Announcements. April 16, 2007.
  22. ^ [22]. "Q&A: Tracey Ullman". Wall Street Journal. Lyneka Little. March 21, 2008.
  23. ^ [23]. USA Weekend. "Tracey Ullman on Ira Glass and becoming a citizen". January 31, 2008.
  24. ^ [24]. "Showtime Picks Up Tracy Ullman Sketch Comedy". Broadcasting & Cable. Alex Weprin. January 18, 2008.
  25. ^ [25]. Comic turns celebs into recurring characters". Variety. Cynthia Littleton. March 7, 2008.
  26. ^ [26]. "Tracey Ullman State of the Union". Variety. Brian Lowry. March 20, 2008.
  27. ^ [27]. "State of Tracey Ullman's 'Union' is strong". USA Today. Robert Bianco. March 27, 2008.
  28. ^ [28]. "Jonathan Storm: Tracey Ullman takes her licks at the U.S.". Philadelphia Inquirer. Janathan Storm. March 29, 2008.
  29. ^ [29]. "America (The Cable Show)". New York Magazine. John Leonard. March 24, 2008.
  30. ^ [30]. Canadian Press. "Tracey Ullman plays characters real and imagined on 'State of the Union'". March 25, 2008.
  31. ^ [31]. "Tracey Ullman targets celebrities like Dina Lohan, David Beckham in new show". Canadian Press. March 27, 2008.
  32. ^ [32]. "Showtime imports Marc Wootton Tracey Ullman renewed for second season". Josef Adalian. Variety. May 2, 2008.
  33. ^ [33]. "HBO Family: The Little Lulu Show". Retrieved April 1 2007
  34. ^ [34]. "E! Online Features - Awards - Emmys '99 - Blow By Blow". Retrieved April 1 2007.
  35. ^ [35]. "Once Upon a Mattress Review". NYTimes.com. Retrieved April 1 2007.
  36. ^ [36]. Ventura County Star.
  37. ^ Amazon.com: Knit 2 Together: Patterns and Stories for Serious Knitting Fun: Tracey Ullman,Mel Clark,Eric Axene: Books
  38. ^ [37]. "Knit 2, Purl 1, Laugh, Together." Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  39. ^ [38]. Mlive.com.
  40. ^ [39]. Coming Soon. Retrieved March 14 2007.
  41. ^ [40]. James Sanford on Film. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  42. ^ [41] Daily fishbowlLA, September 10 2007. Retrieved September 16 2007
  43. ^ [42]. Chortle. December 2006.

[edit] External links

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Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series

Cloris Leachman (1975) · Beah Richards (1988) · Colleen Dewhurst (1989) · Swoosie Kurtz (1990) · Colleen Dewhurst (1991) · Tracey Ullman (1993) · Eileen Heckart (1994) · Cyndi Lauper (1995) · Betty White (1996) · Carol Burnett (1997) · Emma Thompson (1998) · Tracey Ullman (1999) · Jean Smart (2000)
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Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program

Harvey Korman / Brenda Vaccaro (1974) · Jack Albertson / Cloris Leachman (1975) · Chevy Chase / Vicki Lawrence (1976) · Tim Conway / Rita Moreno (1977) · Tim Conway / Gilda Radner (1978) · George Hearn (1985) · Whitney Houston (1986) · Robin Williams (1987) · Robin Williams (1988) · Linda Ronstadt (1989) · Tracey Ullman (1990) · Billy Crystal (1991) · Billy Crystal (1992) · Dana Carvey (1993) · Tracey Ullman (1994) · Barbra Streisand (1995) · Tony Bennett (1996) · Bette Midler (1997) · Billy Crystal (1998) · John Leguizamo (1999) · Eddie Izzard (2000)
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