Misplaced Pages

Tracey Ullman

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Antandrus (talk | contribs) at 21:39, 10 November 2006 (Reverted edits by 132.228.195.206 (talk) to last version by Dbalbert). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 21:39, 10 November 2006 by Antandrus (talk | contribs) (Reverted edits by 132.228.195.206 (talk) to last version by Dbalbert)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
File:Tracullman.jpg
Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman (born December 30, 1959) is an English comedian, actress, singer, dancer, screenwriter, and author, who is most famous for being the host of a variety television show bearing her name. Ullman has an extraordinary ability to mimic accents, with her numerous characters rarely sounding anything like her normal accent.

Her early appearances were in British TV sketch comedy shows with Rik Mayall in, A Kick Up the Eighties, and Three of a Kind with Lenny Henry, and the English comedian, David Copperfield. She also appeared with French and Saunders and Ruby Wax in Girls On Top. Her career skyrocketed in America, having her own network television series, The Tracey Ullman Show, which also spun off The Simpsons.

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

Early life

Tracey Ullman was born on December 30, 1959, in Slough, Berkshire, England, to a Polish Catholic immigrant father, and to an English mother, with Roma heritage. When she was six, Ullman's father died. In an effort to cheer the family up, she would put on shows in her mother's bedroom, and perform, along with her sister. The show was, The Patty Ullman Show, Patty Ullman being Tracey's sister. "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.

One day, as the family was trying to sell their house, a woman knocked on the door. The woman immediately introduced herself as being a psychic. Once she saw young Ullman, she said, "You have a star above your head." She foretold Ullman becoming famous, and having tremendous success, "especially in America."

At age 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. The criteria being blonde-haired, and blue-eyed.

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. Upon returning to England, she joined the "Second Generation" dance troop. 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 Picture Show. During this time Ullman learned of a competition at London's Royal Court Theatre 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. At this point, the BBC became interested, and offered her her own show.

Music career

In 1983, Ullman succeeded as a singer on the legendary punk label Stiff Records, although her style was more comic romantic than punk. 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 "They Don't Know" (which got to #2 and was written by label-mate Kirsty MacColl, who also sang backing vocals), and the Madness cover version "My Guy" (whose video featured the British politician Neil Kinnock, at the time the Leader of the Opposition).

Her songs were over-the-top evocations of 1960s and 1970s pop music with an 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. The video for "They Don't Know" featured a cameo from Paul McCartney; at the time Ullman was filming a minor role in McCartney's film Give My Regards To Broad Street. Her final hit was "Sunglasses" at the end of 1984. During this time, she was also a guest VJ on MTV in the United States.

Television career

Along with her stint in the music world, Ullman also moved into television. She began starring in sketch comedies for the BBC, A Kick Up the Eighties, and Three of a Kind. In 1985, she donned a blonde wig and took the role of a promiscuous gold digger named Candice Valentine in the ITV sitcom Girls On Top, but jumped ship after one series.

At this point, US television beckoned, and television producer, legend, James L. Brooks, came calling. The two had discussed working together previously, but it wasn't until 1987 that the two formally got together and created The Tracey Ullman Show. Ullman played a variety of characters, completely disguised with the help of makeup, prosthetics, and even padding. The show was the first commercial hit for then unknown FOX channel. Ullman proved to be a triple treat. She could act, sing, and dance. Paula Abdul made her mark with the series, serving as the show's choreographer. The then practically 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 very 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 out of the estimated $50 million in profits reaped from merchandising. 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. Despite the lawsuit, Ullman would later provide the voice of Emily Winthrop, the dog trainer in 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 his later de-musicalized film I'll Do Anything. Ullman was unsuccessful and viewed by some as trying to greedily cash in on a project that she could not show in court that she had any hand in creating. However, supporters point out that she only sought a small portion of merchandising from the studio's slice that she felt her contract for the cancelled show entitled her to (a 12 page contract that was hastily signed only hours before filming on the first The Tracey Ullman Show was to commence).

It wasn't until 1993 that Ullman dove back into television, 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 alum Michael Palin. For the second, Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, Ullman decided to take on a more American topic, New York. Both specials drew critical praise, and even awards. HBO became interested in doing a 'Takes On' series, and Tracey and her husband set up production in Los Angeles in 1995.

File:Hirschshow.gif
Al Hirschfeld portrait of Tracey Ullman and Tracey Takes On...

Tracey Takes On... premiered January 24 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. The added freedom, and no censorship, cable television provided, fared well with Ullman. Nothing was off limits, and a lesbian kiss with Tracey Ullman Show alum, Julie Kavner, kicked off the series' first episode. Ullman played both men and women of many ethnicities during the series' run, including an Asian donut shop owner, a Middle-Eastern cab driver, and an African-American airport security guard. The series went onto win 8 Emmys, numerous CableACE, and a host other media awards, and was critcally acclaimed. In 1997, it won the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series Emmy Award for the episode "Vegas." In 1998, it was also published in book form by Ullman. The series was also awarded GLADD awards for its portrayal of gay and lesbian characters.

Besides, Takes On, she was also the modern-day cartoon voice of Little Lulu. She also had a recurring role as Ally's unconventional therapist on the television series Ally McBeal, a role which won her an American Comedy Award.

Tracey returned to HBO in the summer of 2005, with a special of her autobiographical one-woman stage show Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed, which ganered her another Emmy nomination.

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, who was now playing the evil Queen.

On December 26, 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 June 27, 2006. Both sets contain commentary, extended footage, as well as the original HBO pilot.

Ullman currently has seven Emmy wins.

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 along side Kevin Kline in, I Love You To Death. Ullman has also appeared in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Household Saints, Small Time Crooks, A Dirty Shame, and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Currently

In 2005, she announced her intention to attain full US citizenship on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In 2006, on Martha, she announced that she would be sworn in, in October 2006.

Ullman published a knitting book, with co-author, Mel Clark, Knit 2 Together: Patterns and Stories for Serious Knitting Fun, in October 2006.

Tracey co-stars, as Mother Nature, in the upcoming 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". Archive footage of Ullman was used by Granada Films in the movie, "The Queen" with the condition that the company would donate money to a charity of Ullman's choice.

Tracey has signed on to voice along with such actors as, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanly Tucci, Christopher Llyod, Sigourney Weaver, in the computer-animated, The Tale of Despereaux.

Ullman is married to producer Allan McKeown. They have two children, Mabel and Johnny.

Filmography

Discography

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

UK Top 40 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

Awards

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

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

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".

External links

Categories: