Kathleen Madigan

A sardonic and well-liked presence on the stand-up circuit since the 1980s, Kathleen Madigan parlayed her dry wit and blue-collar perspective into a lengthy and popular career as a comedian on stage and television. The Missouri native dabbled in comedy while working for a newspaper chain in St. Louis, but shifted gears to pursue a fulltime career as a comic after landing a contract with a national chain of clubs.

Madigan soon advanced to television specials and talk shows, where she quickly amassed a devoted following that helped to name her "Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic" in 1996. Unlike many of her peers, Madigan eschewed acting in favor of performance on a variety of TV efforts, including "Last Comic Standing" (NBC, 2003-2010), and various writing and producing efforts for Garry Shandling and longtime friend Lewis Black. Her dedication to stand-up comedy and consistently solid material underscored her status as one of the best and hardest-working comic talents in the country.

Born September 30, 1965 in the St. Louis suburb of Florissant, Missouri, Kathleen Madigan was one of seven children by her lawyer father, Jack Madigan, and his wife, Vicki, a nurse. She was educated in several private Catholic schools before graduating from McCluer North High School in 1983. Madigan attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis for two years before transferring to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism.

After graduation, Madigan worked for the St. Louis-area Suburban Journals publication group while performing at open-mic nights in various comedy clubs. She soon developed a regional following, which led to an offer of steady work from The Funny Bone, a national chain of comedy clubs. With the encouragement of her father - who often served as the inspiration for her stand-up material - Madigan left journalism and pursued a full-time career in comedy. After making her television debut in 1988 on VH-1's "Stand-Up Spotlight" (1988- ), Madigan worked steadily on comedy specials and talk shows, where her dry take on working-class issues earned her critical praise and a substantial following.

She was named "Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic" at the American Comedy Awards in 1996, shortly before earning her own "HBO Comedy Half-Hour" (1994- ) in 1997. By the new millennium, Madigan was performing on major television specials and at festivals around the world, including the Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival in 2001 and on various USO tours. She was also a staple of comedy and game show programming, including the revived "Hollywood Squares" (syndicated, 1998-2004), and penned material for Garry Shandling's stint as the host of the Emmy Awards in 2004 and 2005.

During that same period, Madigan gained national exposure as a finalist on the second and third seasons of the reality series "Last Comic Standing." She later returned as a talent scout for the show following its return to the airwaves in 2007. Madigan also maintained a busy schedule as a touring stand-up.