Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman Headshot

Actress • Comedian • Writer

Birth Name: Trace Ullman

Birth Date: December 30, 1959

Age: 64 years old

Birth Place: Slough, Berkshire, England, UK

Born in Buckinghamshire, England in 1959, multi-talented Tracey Ullman found success as both a singer and an actress. Her unique eye on the world was formed early. Her father died in front of her when she was six years old, making it a struggle for her family to make ends meet.

Ever the performer, Ullman won a scholarship to the Italia Conti Academy where she trained as an actress. At sixteen, a random audition led to a short-lived contract dancing with a German ballet company. Her first onscreen credit came in 1980, when she played a recurring role on "Mackenzie" (BBC, 1980), but her career solidified the next year when she starred in the sketch comedy show "Three of a Kind" (BBC1, 1981-1983).

As that show wrapped up, Ullman tried her hand at a music career releasing the album You Broke My Heart in 17 Places in 1983, and You Caught Me Out the next year. She ended up with a number of hit songs including "They Don't Know" which reached number 2 in the UK and number 8 in the United States, but quickly decided that the music industry wasn't for her.

She made a triumphant return to television with the sitcom "Girls On Top" (ITV, 1985-86) in 1985, which brought her to the attention of executives at the fledgling Fox network. In 1987, her variety show "The Tracey Ullman Show" (Fox, 1987-1990) became one of the networks first scripted series. The show featured Ullman playing an array of roles from irascible office worker Kay, to Dr. Alexander Gibson.

It was a critical smash, earning eleven Emmy awards over it's four seasons including two wins for Outstanding Variety, Music of Comedy program and the first of four individual Emmys for Ullman. It was also the launching pad for "The Simpsons" (Fox, 1989-), which began as short cartoons within episodes of the show.

Exhausted from performing her show in front of a live audience, Ullman decided to end it in 1990, the same year she made her feature film debut in "I Love You To Death" (1990). Her husband convinced her to create the sketch special "Tracey Ullman: A Class Act" (1993), this time shot on location with no studio audience, which ultimately turned into the HBO series "Tracey Takes On" (HBO, 1996-99).

In 2000, Ullman was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in Woody Allen's film "Small Time Crooks" (2000). She returned again to playing multiple characters on the sketch comedy series "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" (Showtime, 2008-2010). In 2016 Ullman returned to the BBC, bringing yet another sketch show, "Tracey Ullman's Show" (BBC One, 2016-), as well as playing in the miniseries adaptation "Howard's End" (BBC One, 2017), and "Tracey Breaks the News" (BBC One, 2017-)

Credits

Black DovesStream

Actor
Alex
Series
2024
94%

Death to 2021Stream

Actor
Special
2021

Death to 2020Stream

Actor
The Queen
Movie
2020
45%

Mrs. AmericaStream

Actor
Betty Friedan
Series
2020
96%

OnwardStream

Voice
Grecklin
Movie
2020
88%

The PromStream

Actor
Vera
Movie
2020
54%

Zog

Voice
Madame Dragon
Movie
2019

Zog

Voice
Madam Dragon
Show
2018

Howards EndStream

Actor
Aunt Juley Mund
Miniseries
2017
87%

Tracey Breaks the News

Actor
Show
2017

Tracey Breaks the News

Writer
Show
2017

Tracey Breaks the News

Actor
Show
2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

Guest
Talk
2017

Today's Take

Guest
Show
2016

Celebrity PageStream

Guest
News
2016

Tracey Ullman's Show

Actor
Various
Series
2016
95%

Tracey Ullman's Show

Executive Producer
Series
2016
95%

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

Guest
Talk
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

The Late Late Show With James Corden

Guest
Talk
2015

The South Bank Show

Guest
Show
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
Talk
2014

Into the WoodsStream

Actor
Jack's Mother
Movie
2014
71%

Sofia the FirstStream

Guest Star
Marla
Series
2012

Sofia the FirstStream

Guest Voice
Marla
Series
2012

What About Dick?

Actor
Aunt Maggie
Show
2012

Shakespeare UncoveredStream

Guest
Series
2012

GirlsStream

Guest Star
Ode Montgomery
Series
2012
89%

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

Guest
Show
2010

Lopez Tonight

Guest
Show
2009

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

Guest
Talk
2009

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Guest
Talk
2009

Tracey Ullman's State of the Union

Actor
Series
2008

The Tale of Despereaux

Voice
Mig
Movie
2008

The Graham Norton ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2007

I Could Never Be Your WomanStream

Actor
Mother Nature
Movie
2007
67%

If It Ain't Stiff

Actor
Show
2006

How I Met Your MotherStream

Guest Star
Genevieve Scherbatsky
Series
2005
84%

Tracey Ullman: Live & Exposed

Producer
Show
2005

Tracey Ullman: Live & Exposed

Self
Show
2005

Kronk's New Groove

Voice
Ms. Birdwell
Movie
2005

Corpse BrideStream

Voice
Nell Van Dort/Hildegarde
Movie
2005
84%

Once Upon a Mattress

Actor
Princess Winnifred
Movie
2005

Tavis Smiley

Guest
Talk
2004

A Dirty ShameStream

Actor
Sylvia Stickles
Movie
2004
54%

Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales

Actor
Show
2003

Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales

Director
Show
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Live With Regis and Kelly

Guest
Show
2001

Curb Your EnthusiasmStream

Guest Star
Irma Kostroski
Series
2000
92%

Small Time CrooksStream

Actor
Francis 'Frenchy' Fox Winkler
Movie
2000
66%

Panic

Actor
Martha
Movie
2000

The Early Show

Guest
Show
1999

The Life and Trials of Ally McBeal

Guest Star
Show
1999

The Daily Show With Jon StewartStream

Guest
Talk
1999

Will & GraceStream

Guest Star
Ann
Series
1998

Ally McBealStream

Guest Star
Series
1997
61%

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Have I Got News for You

Guest
Game Show
1997

Tracey Takes On...

Actor
Series
1996

The Little Lulu Show

Voice
Lulu
Show
1995

I'll Do Anything

Actor
Beth Hobbs
Movie
1994

Bullets over BroadwayStream

Actor
Eden Brent
Movie
1994
95%

Ready to WearStream

Actor
Nina Scant
Movie
1994
24%

Happily Ever After

Voice
Thunderella AND Moonbeam
Movie
1993

Robin Hood: Men in TightsStream

Actor
Latrine
Movie
1993
42%

Household Saints

Actor
Catherine Falconetti
Movie
1993

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Guest
Talk
1992

I Love You to Death

Actor
Rosalie Boca
Movie
1990

The SimpsonsStream

Guest Voice
Emily Winthrop/Mrs. Winfield
Series
1989
85%

The Tracey Ullman Show

Actor
Series
1987

American MastersStream

Guest
Franchise
1986

Jumpin' Jack FlashStream

Actor
Fiona
Movie
1986
27%

Girls on Top

Actor
Candice Valentine
Show
1985

Plenty

Actor
Alice Park
Movie
1985

The Young Visiters

Actor
Ethel Monticue
Movie
1984

Sesame StreetStream

Guest Star
Series
1969

The Dick Cavett ShowStream

Guest
Talk
1968

News aboutTracey Ullman