Debra Wilson

Early life

Wilson was born and raised in New York City, in the neighborhood of Ozone Park, Queens, and attended the New York City High School of the Performing Arts. After graduation, she studied television and radio broadcasting at Syracuse University. She worked as a preschool teacher during the 1980s for the All Saints Church, in Sunnyside, Queens.

Wilson made her television acting debut on The Apollo Comedy Hour and The Uptown Comedy Club, where she became a series regular. She co-hosted Can We Shop? with Joan Rivers. She continued her work in television working as a spokesperson for Burger King, and guest-starring in New York Undercover.

Career

''Mad TV''

Wilson was one of the original eight cast members of Mad TV when the series aired in 1995. Wilson came to the show with a background in sketch comedy, improv, and television.

Wilson was credited for creating some of the most popular recurring characters on the show. Among her characters were Latina bimbo Melina (Lida and Melina), Reality Check Tovah McQueen, Stick Chick Autumn, Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sister Hayden Brooks, Alexis Duvane (Prehistoric Glamazon Huntresses), blaxploitation actress Cocoa Latette (Son of Dolemite), Lowered Expectations Host and Ms. Not Nice (Jenny Jones). Perhaps her best known character was the fast-talking "Black American Princess" Bunifa Latifah Halifah Sharifa Jackson.

Wilson's most recognized impressions on the show were of Oprah Winfrey and Whitney Houston. She has also played Oprah or Oprah-like characters in other media, most notably Scary Movie 4 and The Proud Family.

Television

Since her debut on MADtv, Wilson has done voice acting on episodes on numerous television shows, landing some recurring roles on such shows as Clone High, Family Guy, and did puppeteer work on The Mr. Potato Head Show. She voiced Captain Lisa Cusak in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Sound of Her Voice".

Wilson has made numerous independent films, including Naked Angel, Jane White Is Sick and Twisted, Skin Deep, and Soulmates. She was also in an episode of Without a Trace as a doctor, and appeared three times as a working girl, Divine, in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

She and MADtv co-star Nicole Sullivan have done commercials for Pepsi's Sierra Mist. She appeared as herself on the February 15, 1999, episode of WCW Monday Nitro accompanying MADtv castmate Will Sasso in his professional wrestling match against Bret Hart. She also appeared on the British Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

She was the co-host of TV Guide Channel's TV Watercooler with John Fugelsang, until she was replaced by Teresa Strasser in October 2006. She was also a co-host on GSN Live until she left in January 2010.

Wilson is the announcer of the revival of the NBC game show Weakest Link hosted by Jane Lynch.

In July 2022, Nickelodeon announced that Wilson would voice the character Headless Headmistress Bloodgood in the 2022 animated reboot series Monster High.

Theater

Wilson performed off-Broadway with the improvisational comedy troupe Noo Yawk Tawk directed by Richmond Shepard at The Village Gate Theater (1988–1991).

Video games

Wilson has voiced many video game characters, such as her role as Grace Walker in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and her role as Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. She also appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as General Lyons. Her other video game voice work includes The Outer Worlds, Gears 5, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Rage 2, Days Gone, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 76, and Far Cry New Dawn. She is the voice of Draka in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. She is the voice of Savathûn in Destiny 2 and the Harbinger in Halo Infinite. She also plays The Doctor in Death Stranding 2. More recently, she voiced Sifuu in Palia and The Houndmaster in Dead by Daylight.

Personal life

Wilson married writer and director Cliff Skelton in April 2006. They separated in 2010, citing irreconcilable differences.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Web series

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

1. West, Diane. (October 1, 2006). "Debra Wilson On Success, Snakes and Spirituality".
2. "Debra Wilson Biography".
3. Fischer, Paul. (April 19, 2003). "Debra Gets Twisted".
4. "New York Undercover Season 2, Episode 1 Cast".
5. Greiving, Tim. (May 18, 2016). "An Oral History of MADtv, the Sketch Show That Never Quite Changed Comedy". Vulture.
6. Pantoja, Kevin. (May 27, 2019). "10 Funniest Cast Members of MadTV (And Where They Are Now)".
7. Carter, Alan. (July 2002). "Laugh In".
8. Persaud, Christine. (May 28, 2019). "Where Are They Now? The Cast of MadTV".
9. Mar, Pollo Del. (January 27, 2017). "Debra Wilson Talks Queer Legacy of MADtv Whitney Houston Parodies, New Series 'My Sister Is So Gay'".
10. Voger, Mark. (April 12, 2013). "'Veep,' 'Madtv' on home video".
11. Punter, Jennie. (April 14, 2006). "Scary Movie 4 **½". The Globe and Mail.
12. Rorke, Robert. (July 14, 2010). "Oprah comic shuns TV role". The New York Post.
13. Bastién, Angelica Jade. (January 4, 2018). "The Best Episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ranked".
14. Cordero, Rosy. (July 13, 2022). "'Monster High': Tony Revolori, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green & Kausar Mohammed Among 9 Cast In Nickelodeon Series".
15. Shanley, Patrick. (November 13, 2019). "'Star Wars' Actor Debra Wilson Is a Prolific Force Among Video Game Performers".
16. (September 3, 2020). "Watch Shadowlands Afterlives: Maldraxxus".
17. "This Week At Bungie – 8/26/2021 > News".
18. "Every voice actor in Palia".
19. (October 5, 2011). ""MADTV" STAR Headed for Divorce Court".
20. "Debra Wilson (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
21. Couch, Aaron. (June 16, 2021). "Animated 'Mortal Kombat Legends' Sequel Arriving This Summer (Exclusive)".
22. Fallon, Sean. (November 3, 2022). "Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind Movie Release Date and 4K Blu-Ray Pre-Order Details".
23. Rooney, David. (2023-07-19). "''Cobweb'' Review: Lizzy Caplan in a Haunted House Thriller That Starts Strong but Falls Apart".
24. "Pre Ph.D, Based on a Novel by Sapphire". imdb.com.
25. Otterson, Joe. (April 4, 2024). "'Among Us' Animated Series Casts Patton Oswalt, Debra Wilson, Phil LaMarr, Wayne Knight".
26. (2010). "Dead to Rights: Retribution". [[Bandai Namco Entertainment.
27. Clayton, Peter. (August 6, 2019). "Indivisible Cast List Revealed". Indivisible.
28. "Persona 5 Strikers (2021 Video Game)".
29. Macgregor, Jody. (October 17, 2021). "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League trailer has a bunch of callbacks to the Arkham games". PC Gamer.
30. "Rivals of Aether 2 credits". Giant bomb.
31. (7 March 2024). "20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". [[BAFTA]].