Sarah Silverman
A boundary-pushing comedian who uses provocative, taboo-shattering humor to dissect social hypocrisy and personal neurosis.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American comedian and actress·Birthday: December 1·Generation X
Biography
Sarah Silverman's comedy is a high-wire act of persona and punchline. Emerging from the New York stand-up scene, her early stint as a writer and performer on 'Saturday Night Live' hinted at a unique voice that network television wasn't quite ready for. She forged her own path, developing a stage character—a sweetly delivered, politically incorrect id—that allowed her to explore racism, sexism, and religion with disarming, often uncomfortable, candor. This persona reached its zenith on 'The Sarah Silverman Program,' a surreal, musical, and deeply personal sitcom she created and starred in. Beyond shock value, her work reveals a sharp writer grappling with identity and morality. In later years, she has balanced stand-up with acclaimed dramatic acting turns and candid writing, revealing the thoughtful woman behind the deliberately outrageous comic facade.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sarah was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sarah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Sarah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
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
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created, wrote, executive produced, and starred in the critically acclaimed Comedy Central series 'The Sarah Silverman Program.'
- Won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2014 for writing the short-form variety special 'Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles.'
- Received widespread critical praise for her dramatic performance in the 2017 film 'The Book of Love.'
- Published the bestselling memoir 'The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee.'
Did You Know?
She is the younger sister of comedian and television host Laura Silverman.
She was fired from 'Saturday Night Live' after just one season as a writer and featured player.
She is a trained vocalist and often incorporates original songs into her comedy specials and TV show.
She was diagnosed with appendicitis live on stage during a 2005 performance and finished her set before going to the hospital.
“"I'm not an activist; I'm a comedian. I just say what I think is funny, and sometimes it has a point."”
