Amy Sedaris
A gleefully subversive humorist who crafts bizarre characters and domestic chaos into a unique brand of off-kilter comedy.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American actress, comedian, and writer·Birthday: March 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Amy Sedaris emerged from a North Carolina childhood marked by creativity and tragedy, channeling a singular, eccentric energy into New York's downtown art scene alongside her brother, David. Her breakthrough came not as a traditional actress, but as the creator and star of Jerri Blank, a deeply flawed 'boozer, user, and loser' on 'Strangers with Candy,' a show that twisted the after-school special into something hilariously profane. Sedaris built a parallel empire celebrating the art of homemaking with a sinister wink, authoring satirical hostess guides and crafting kitschy crafts, proving her talents extend far beyond acting. Her presence, whether in supporting film roles, late-night talk show appearances, or her own whimsically decorated apartment, is a masterclass in finding the strange, sweet, and unsettling in the everyday.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Amy was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Amy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and starred as the indelible Jerri Blank in the cult television series 'Strangers with Candy'.
- Authored the bestselling and subversive entertaining guide 'I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.'
- Portrayed the sharp-tongued Princess Carolyn's assistant, Mia, on the animated series 'BoJack Horseman.'
- Earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for 'The Little Foxes' in 2017.
Did You Know?
She is an expert maker of cheese balls and often demonstrates elaborate craft projects on talk shows.
Sedaris is a licensed cosmetologist.
She and her brother, author David Sedaris, performed as a musical duo called 'The Talent Family' early in their careers.
She has a pet rabbit named Tattletail who sometimes makes appearances in her photos.
“I have a lot of growing up to do. I realized that the other day inside my fort.”
