Meet Our Guests

Sarah Silverman

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Sarah Silverman is featured in:

Season 5, Episode 7: No Laughing Matter

Two-time Emmy Award winner SARAH SILVERMAN is one of the most versatile talents in entertainment. She most recently served as creator, executive producer, and host of the Emmy-nominated I Love You, America. The weekly half-hour topical show sees her looking to connect with people who may not agree with her personal opinions through honesty, humor, genuine interest, and not taking herself too seriously. Additionally, she recently returned as the voice of “Vanellope” in the highly anticipated Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2, set for release on November 21. She also continues to lend her voice to the Emmy Award-winning Fox animated series Bob’s Burgers and is a part of JASH, a comedy collective on YouTube featuring original content by Silverman and friends Michael Cera, Tim & Eric, and Reggie Watts.

On stage, Silverman continues to cement her status as a force in standup comedy. In May 2017, she released her latest standup special A Speck of Dust on Netflix, which culminated in two Emmy Award nominations and a Grammy Award nomination. In 2013, she debuted her hour-long HBO standup special Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles, which earned her the 2014 Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.” The special received an additional Primetime Emmy Awards nomination that year for “Outstanding Variety Special” in addition to a Writers Guild Awards nomination. In September 2014, Silverman released the special as an audio album through Sub Pop Records, which went on to receive a 2015 Grammy Awards nomination for “Best Comedy Album.” Previously, Silverman made an impressive splash with her concert-meets-comedy film Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic, which garnered major attention at the Toronto Film Festival.

In the film world, Silverman was previously seen opposite Emma Stone and Steve Carell in the critically-acclaimed film Battle of the Sexes, which was based on the true story of the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. She also starred in I Smile Back, the film adaptation of the Amy Koppelman novel. The drama premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was later released in theaters by Broad Green Pictures. Silverman received much praise for her role as “Laney Brooks,” culminating in a 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.” Her additional film credits include The Book of Henry, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Ashby, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Take This Waltz, Gravy, Peep World, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, The School of Rock, There’s Something About Mary, The Way of The Gun and the Oscar-nominated smash hit Wreck It Ralph.

In 2010, she released her first book, a memoir called The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee. The book went on to become a New York Times Bestseller.

Silverman was nominated for a 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series” for her portrayal of a fictionalized version of herself in her Comedy Central series The Sarah Silverman Program. This marked Comedy Central’s first ever Emmy nomination in a scripted acting category. Silverman also received a Writers Guild Award nomination for her work on the show. In 2008, Silverman won a Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” for her musical collaboration with Matt Damon. Additionally, she was honored with a Webby Award for “Best Actress” for her online video “The Great Schlep,” in which she persuaded young kids to encourage their grandparents in Florida to vote for President Obama prior to the 2008 Presidential Election.

Silverman has made memorable guest appearances on a number of acclaimed and notable television shows, including Monk, which earned her a 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.” Her additional television work includes buzzed-about roles on Masters of Sex, The Good Wife, The Larry Sanders Show, Seinfeld, and Mr. Show with Bob and David. Silverman has also hosted a number of major awards shows, including the 2007 MTV Movie Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards.

Silverman grew up in New Hampshire and attended one year of New York University. In 1993 she joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and feature performer and has not stopped working since.

She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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Guests From Episode 7 of Season 5

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Episode Guide

Finding Your Roots Season Nine

Today’s most compelling personalities discover the surprising stories in their own family trees. Mixing cutting-edge DNA research and old-school genealogical sleuthing, FINDING YOUR ROOTS uncovers long-buried secrets, hidden identities, and lost ancestors. Tuesdays at 8/7c.

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WETA | Finding Your Roots
with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

New Episodes: Tuesdays at 8/7c