Line #31 Creator/JaneaneGarofalo


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/janene_garafolo.jpg]]
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3	->''"Is being an idiot like being high all the time?"''
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5	Janeane Garafalo (born September 28, 1964 in Newton, UsefulNotes/NewJersey) is an American comedienne, actress, and ''the'' quintessential [[TheNineties Gen X]] chick. Often cited as the real-life WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}.[[note]]Contrary to common assumption, she did ''not'' provide the character's voice. The voice of Daria on her actual show is the same one from when she was a supporting character on ''Beavis and Butthead'': Tracy Grandstaff.[[/note]]
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7	A [[RecordedAndStandUpComedy stand up comic]] by trade, she was first discovered during a comedy talent search by Creator/{{Showtime}}. Her TV debut was on ''Series/TheBenStillerShow'' ([[Creator/{{Fox}} the second one]]), which resulted in Garofalo and Creator/BenStiller [[RomanceOnTheSet getting cozy]] for a while. A lucky break landed her the role of Paula on ''Series/TheLarrySandersShow'', netting her two Emmy nominations.
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9	Garofalo joined ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' during the show's 1994-95 season, which was fraught with SeasonalRot the likes of which haven't been seen on the show since the 1980-1981 season [[note]]and to a lesser extent, the 1985-1986 season[[/note]]. Garofalo hated her time on the show, describing the sketches as "juvenile" and "homophobic" and referring to the male-dominated cast and writing staff as an "immature boys' club." Garofalo quit midseason (her last episode was a February 1995 episode hosted by Creator/GeorgeClooney) and was replaced by Molly Shannon. Garofalo's short time on ''SNL'' yielded no recurring characters and only thirteen celebrity impressions: Pamela Anderson (as C.J. Parker from ''Baywatch''), Kathleen Gingrich[[note]]Newt Gingrich's mother[[/note]], Hilary Clinton (with Bill Clinton played by Creator/MichaelMcKean), Jackie Stallone, Joan Embery, Jodie Foster, Madonna, Juliette Lewis, Martha Stewart, Mary Lou Retton, Susan Sarandon, Susan Molinari, and Sherry Stringfield (as Susan Lewis from ''E.R.'').
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11	Her other notable 90s roles include Jerry's DistaffCounterpart on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', a snarky Gap manager in ''Film/RealityBites'', and starring alongside Creator/UmaThurman in ''Film/TheTruthAboutCatsAndDogs''. She continues to act on television.
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13	In the 2000s, her acting largely took a backseat to work as a liberal political pundit, most prominently as host of her own show on the short-lived Air America Radio. Today, though her acting career is virtually nonexistent, Garofalo circulates around the New York comedy club scene, performing [[RecordedAndStandUpComedy stand-up]] for live audiences. Despite being a household name in the '90s, she's become known for keeping a remarkably low profile in recent years, leading to her developing something of a reputation as a ReclusiveArtist: she doesn't have any official social media accounts, and her [[http://www.janeanegarofalo.com/ official website]] is brazenly minimalistic and hardly ever updated--often making her club appearances surprisingly hard to find, since they're seldom advertised or promoted.
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15	!!Notable film roles:
16	* Counter Girl in ''Film/LateForDinner'' (1991)
17	* Vicky Milner in ''Film/RealityBites'' (1994)
18	* Lucille in ''Film/ByeByeLove'' (1995)
19	* "Serving Wench" in ''Film/TheCableGuy'' (1996)
20	-->''[deadpan]'' "There were no utensils in medieval times, hence there are no utensils ''at'' Medieval Times™. [[TheThemeParkVersion Would you like a refill of that Pepsi?]]"
21	* Abby Barnes in ''Film/TheTruthAboutCatsAndDogs'' (1996)
22	* Mo in ''Film/LargerThanLife'' (1996)
23	* Heather Mooney in ''Film/RomyAndMichelesHighSchoolReunion'' (1997)
24	* Deputy Cindy Betts in ''Film/CopLand'' (1997)
25	* Liz in ''Film/{{Dogma}}'' (1997)
26	* The Bowler in ''Film/MysteryMen'' (1999)
27	* Paloma Fineman in ''Film/TheIndependent'' (2000)
28	* Stith (voice) in ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'' (2000)
29	* Beth in ''Film/WetHotAmericanSummer'' (2001)
30	* Officer Monica Romero in ''Film/BigTrouble'' (2002)
31	* Bridget (voice) in ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'' (2006)
32	* Colette Tatou (voice) in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' (2007)
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34	!!Notable television roles:
35	* Paula on ''Series/TheLarrySandersShow'' (1992-96)
36	* ''Series/TheBenStillerShow'' (1992-93)
37	* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (1994-95)
38	* Jeannie on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' (2 episodes, 1996)
39	* Herself on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' (Episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E15TheLastTemptationOfKrust The Last Temptation of Krust]]", 1998)
40	* [[TimeSkip Adult]] Mabel on ''Series/MadAboutYou'' (series finale, 1999)
41	* Herself on ''Series/TheSopranos'' ("D-Girl", 2000)
42	* Sheila (voice) on ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' ("Cheap Saks", 2003)
43	* Louise Thornton on ''Series/TheWestWing'' (2005-06)
44	* Abigail Remeltintdric (voice) on ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' (2006-13)
45	* Janis Gold on ''Series/TwentyFour'' (2009)
46	* Tilly on ''Series/{{Ideal}}'' (2011)
47	* Beth Griffith on ''Series/CriminalMindsSuspectBehavior'' (2011)
48	* Lyla on ''Series/GirlfriendsGuideToDivorce'' (2015-18)
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50	----
51	!! Janeane Garofalo's work provides examples of:
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53	* BrainyBrunette: She often plays intelligent characters and almost always sports her naturally black hair.
54	* DeadpanSnarker: Her comedic style is based around a flat delivery of barbed witticisms.
55	* DemotedToExtra:
56	** Her role in ''Film/SouthlandTales'' was cut down to a single second in a crowd shot, with no dialogue.
57	** Her cameo in ''[[Series/TheKidsInTheHall Brain Candy]]'' was nearly all cut.
58	* MoneyDearBoy: Her cited reason for working on ''24'' -- that and being flattered that they wanted to work with her. Whether by coincidence or not, she got to play something of a SoapboxSadie character, ''and'' coincided with a shift in the show's tone away from the JackBauerInterrogationTechnique (or at least towards a {{deconstruction}} of same).
59	* NerdsAreSexy: Her characters are usually very intelligent, and they are sometimes allowed to be presented as attractive, though not always.
60	* OldShame:
61	** Her brief tenure on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (which she described on an Creator/{{HBO}} special as "...being the Indian who was given the smallpox-infested blankets by the white settlers") is something that she (and most ''SNL'' fans) would like to forget.
62	** Her highest-grossing film, ironically enough. Garofalo liked ''Film/TheTruthAboutCatsAndDogs'' better when it was still a small indie production, in which her character [[TrueArtIsAngsty ended up loveless and alone at the end]].
63	* OverlyNarrowSuperlative: She often refers to herself as "the Funniest Person in Rhode Island."
64	* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: In ''Series/CriminalMindsSuspectBehavior'' her character Beth isn't even in the promotional stills.
65	* TheSnarkKnight: Her characters and comedic persona are usually very jaded and pessimistic, using humor to cope.
66	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
67	** She has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in ''Film/{{Dogma}}'' as Bethany's friend. In the DVD commentary for the film, Creator/KevinSmith castigates himself for not casting Garofalo in the lead instead, citing Creator/LindaFiorentino being [[SmallNameBigEgo impossible to direct]].
68	** On the strength of her success in ''Film/TheTruthAboutCatsAndDogs'', Garofalo was offered the leading lady role in ''Film/JerryMaguire''. By the time she had gotten in shape for the role, Creator/ReneeZellweger was cast in her place.
69	** Garofalo later received an offer to play Gale in ''Film/{{Scream\|1996}}'' (played by Creator/CourteneyCox in the film) and was Creator/DavidFincher's first choice to play Marla in ''Film/FightClub''; she turned both down.
70	** She played Princess Fiona opposite Chris Farley in the first soundtrack for ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1''. After [[DiedDuringProduction Farley's death]], both parts were completely changed and Janeane's sarcastic princess no longer worked.

Context Creator / JaneaneGarofalo