Biography
A groundbreaking pioneer in American comedy, comedienne Phyllis Diller represented the face of the female stand-up comic for a generation of baby boomers. She predated Roseanne Barr's "Domestic Goddess" shtick by more than two decades, shooting to stardom in the 1950s with her eccentric, strangely attired housewife alter ego. An ironic underdog with a head of frazzled hair and excessive make-up, Diller endeared herself to an era of prosperous …
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Career Milestones
1955 | Auditioned at the Purple Onion in San Francisco, CA |
1957 | Made debut as comedienne at the Purple Onion in San Francisco at age 40 |
1961 | Cast in film debut as famed 1920s nightclub hostess Texas Guinan in "Splendor in the Grass" |
1961 | Stage acting debut, "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" |
1965 | Began long professional relationship with Bob Hope as guest on his numerous variety specials; also later traveled with Hope to Vietnam to entertain U.S. troops |
1966 | Made first of three films with Hope, "Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!" |
1966 | TV series debut, "The Pruitts of Southampton" (ABC); later re-named "The Phyllis Diller Show" |
1968 | Headlined the NBC variety series "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show" |
1968 | Starred in the feature "Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?" |
1970 | Starred in "Hello, Dolly!" on Broadway; took over the role after Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, and Betty Grable had played the part of Dolly Gallagher Levi |
1972 | Went public with the first of her numerous plastic surgeries (a facelift), including jokes about it in her comedy routines |
1979 | Acted in the comedy "A Pleasure Doing Business" |
1983 | Appeared on the NBC game shows "Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour" and "Celebrity Hot Potato" |
1987 | Voiced The White Queen in animated feature "Alice Through the Looking Glass" |
1993 | Landed recurring role on the NBC series "Blossom" |
1993 | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame |
1998 | Voiced the Queen in the animated feature "A Bug's Life" |
1999 | Landed recurring guest role on "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS) |
2005 | Wrote memoir Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse |
2006 | Provided guest voice work on Fox animated series "Family Guy" |
2007 | Made a cameo on ABC's "Boston Legal" |
2009 | Featured in the documentary "How to Live Forever" |
Awards
1966 | Golden Globe Award for Actress in a Television Series in The Pruitts of Southampton |