Susie Essman

A tough-as-nails New York stand-up comedienne, Susie Essman broke into showbiz with a small role in "Punchline" (1988), for which she also served as a comedy advisor. Notching memorable cameos onscreen and building a reputation as a sharp-tongued, quick-witted comic on the stage, Essman finally achieved stardom as Susie Greene, Jeff Garlin's foul-mouthed wife on Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000- ). With her unique ability to turn her character's expletive-laden, devastatingly caustic rants into hilariously profane brilliance, Essman stole all her scenes and emerged as one of the long-running show's most popular characters. She furthered her career with turns on the prank-call comedy show "Crank Yankers" (Comedy Central, 2002-05; MTV2, 2007) and by voicing the streetwise cat Mittens in Disney's animated superdog hit "Bolt" (2008). A proud alumna of multiple comedy specials and celebrity roasts, Essman also penned an autobiographical book of comedic essays, "What Would Susie Say? Bullsh*t Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy." Although she may not have become a household name per se, Susie Essman enjoyed a reputation as a respected, talented comedienne who electrified any project with her dangerous and abrasive sense of humor.