Ruby Wax is an American female comedienne
who made a career in the United Kingdom as part of
the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s.
Originally Wax had been a straight actress, working
at the Royal Shakespeare Company alongside Juliet Stevenson.
Her popularity in terms of comedy came from her interviewing
skills in which she was always forthright, brash and
loud, conforming to the British stereotype of an American.
Her physical appearance conformed to this image, with
large hair and blood-red lipstick.
Many of her early television shows involved her being
put into a situation where she simply met and interviewed
people, mostly extraordinary members of the public
(including a memorable visit to pre-breakup Soviet
Russia in which she first hated and then touchingly
made friends with her female translator, explaining
in ways that words can't the grim situation in the
country at the time).
More recently she's made a career from interviewing
celebrities such as Imelda Marcos and Pamela Anderson,
where she again applies her abrasive and cheeky interviewing
style, often to jaw-dropping effect. She also makes
many guest appearances in Absolutely Fabulous and other
similar sitcoms.
She is married to television producer and director
Ed Bye. |