:Patti Harrison
{{Short description|American actress and comedian}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{for multi|the English model and photographer|Pattie Boyd|the American feminist comedian|Patty Harrison}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Patti Harrison
| image = Patti harrison.png
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|10|31}}
| birth_place = Orient, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|comedian}}
| years_active = 2015–present
}}
Patti Harrison (born October 31, 1990) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her roles in comedy series such as Shrill (2019–2021) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present), as well as the comedy film Together Together (2021), with the latter earning her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.
Early life
Harrison was born in Orient, Ohio, on October 31, 1990,{{Cite web |title=Patti Harrison |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8773928/ |website=IMDb |access-date=May 19, 2021}} the youngest of seven children of a Vietnamese mother and a White American father. Her father, from Detroit, was in the U.S. Army and met her mother during the Vietnam War when she was working as a janitor in his barracks.{{cite podcast |title=Patti Harrison |url=https://www.dontasktig.org/episode/2022/02/09/patti-harrison |website=Don't Ask Tig |date=February 9, 2022 |access-date=June 12, 2022}} He died of a heart attack when Harrison was six years old.{{Cite web |last=Escandon |first=Rosa |date=February 16, 2019 |title=28-Year-Old Patti Harrison Makes Filthy Jokes With Heart |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rosaescandon/2019/02/16/28-year-old-patti-harrison-makes-filthy-jokes-with-heart/ |website=Forbes |language=en |access-date=April 26, 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Read |first=Bridget |date=February 27, 2018 |title=Patti Harrison—Trans Comedian, Beauty Icon—*Sometimes* Washes Her Hair |url=https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/patti-harrison-trans-comedian-activist |website=Vogue |language=en |access-date=April 26, 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Heidecker |first=Tim |date=April 2, 2019 |title=Comedian Patti Harrison Asks Tim Heidecker for Tips on Allergies and Anxiety |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/patti-harrison-and-tim-heidecker-hulu-shrill |website=Interview Magazine |language=en-US |access-date=April 26, 2019}} Her first involvement in comedy came from her participation in an improv team during her time at Ohio University, from which she did not graduate.{{Cite magazine |last=Syme |first=Rachel |date=February 20, 2022 |title=Patti Harrison Means It (Except When She Doesn't) |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/patti-harrison-means-it-except-when-she-doesnt |magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US |access-date=February 21, 2022}}
Career
Harrison moved to New York City to pursue a comedy career in 2015, but later moved to Los Angeles. She has said that her stand-up comedy style has changed drastically since her early days of performing, having initially felt anxious about making jokes about sex and her sexuality due to internalized transphobia stemming from being a trans woman. In an interview with Vogue, she described her comedic persona: "I'm a nasty, stupid person—that's my voice. I'm an evil, shitty person on stage, in a very conscious way—the evil is punching up."
In 2017, Harrison gained wider prominence for her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she made jokes about then-President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people in the military. Since then, she has appeared in the television shows High Maintenance, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Broad City, and Search Party, as well as the film A Simple Favor. In 2019, she began playing Ruthie in the Hulu comedy series Shrill after the show's co-creator and star Aidy Bryant contacted her through Instagram and encouraged her to audition.{{Cite web |last=Dommu |first=Rose |date=March 27, 2019 |title=Patti Harrison on 'Shrill' and the Art of Being Mean |url=https://www.out.com/television/2019/3/27/patti-harrison-shrill-and-art-being-mean |website=Out |language=en |access-date=April 26, 2019}} She later joined the team of writers for the animated comedy series Big Mouth during its fourth season.{{Cite news |last=Hawgood |first=Alex |date=May 1, 2019 |title=Patti Harrison Bucks Transgender Stereotypes, One Joke at a Time |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/style/patti-harrison-trans-actress-comedian.html|work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=January 21, 2021}}
Harrison was named one of Variety magazine's "10 Comics to Watch" in 2019.{{Cite magazine |last=Reghay |first=Nayomi |date=October 13, 2017 |title=Meet Trans Comedian Making Fart Jokes an Act of Resistance |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/patti-harrison-meet-the-trans-comedian-making-fart-jokes-an-act-of-resistance-196357/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |access-date=April 26, 2019}}{{Cite web |title=Variety Announces 10 Comics to Watch for 2019 |url=https://variety.com/2019/legit/features/10-comics-to-watch-2019-variety-1203242713/ |website=Variety |date=June 13, 2019 |access-date=September 23, 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Baritaux |first=Zio |date=October 10, 2017 |title=patti harrison is the trans comic we need desperately right now |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/evpw3k/patti-harrison-is-the-trans-comic-we-need-desperately-right-now |website=Vice
In February 2021, Harrison was banned from Twitter after a stunt in which she impersonated the account of Nilla Wafers in a parody of corporate pinkwashing, and in particular a tweet from the Oreo brand of cookies.{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Megh |date=May 20, 2021 |title=Patti Harrison Apologizes to Bisexual People Who Love Nilla Wafers |url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/05/patti-harrison-twitter-suspension-jimmy-kimmel.html |website=Vulture |language=en-us |access-date=February 21, 2022}} The controversy led to her appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to discuss it. Later that year, she became the first transgender actor to take part in a Disney animated film when she voiced Tail Chief in Raya and the Last Dragon.{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Michelle |date=March 8, 2021 |title=Patti Harrison Is the First Known Trans Actor Cast in a Disney Animated Movie {{!}} them. |url=http://www.them.us/story/patti-harrison-cast-raya-and-the-last-dragon-disney |website=www.them.us |access-date=March 27, 2021}} She also made her debut feature film leading role in Together Together,{{Cite web |last=Galuppo |first=Mia |date=December 16, 2020 |title=Bleecker Street Grabs Sundance Competition Title 'Together Together' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-bleecker-street-grabs-competition-title-together-together |archive-url= |archive-date= |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en |access-date=January 21, 2021}} for which she earned a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.
Influences
Harrison has said one of her early comedic influences was Mad TV which she enjoyed watching during her childhood and admired the female comedians on the show, especially Mo Collins, Nicole Sullivan, and Debra Wilson. She has also said Kristen Wiig and Lisa Kudrow are her idols and her favorite movies as a child were the Scary Movie film series.{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2022 |title=Patti Harrison interview: 'Not everyone is ready to have a laugh at beheading videos' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/features/patti-harrison-interview-fringe-i-think-you-should-leave-b2138943.html |access-date=August 10, 2022 |website=The Independent |language=en}}
Personal life
Harrison came out as a transgender woman shortly after dropping out of Ohio University; she described her family as supportive. She was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021, telling The New Yorker that she delayed seeking a diagnosis until she had "reached a point where [she] was so frustrated with [her] inability to just stay on track". She is also an artist and frequently posts her work on Instagram. She has canvassed for the Democratic Socialists of America.{{cite tweet|number=1278508330118524930|user=DSA_LosAngeles|title=Have you joined our Stimulus Solidarity Fundraiser yet??? So far @party_harderson, @ayoedebiri, @ihatejoelkim, and @NaomiandAndy have come by to hang. And there is PLENTY more to come.|date=July 1, 2020}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Patti Harrison film work |
| scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Role !scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="1" | 2018
| Kiko | |
| rowspan="2" | 2021
| Anna Caper | |
| Raya and the Last Dragon
| Chief of Tail (voice) | |
| rowspan="2" | 2022
| Allison | |
| Mack & Rita
| Stephanie | |
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| Caroline | |
| Trolls Band Together
| Brandy (voice) | |
| 2024
| | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Patti Harrison television work |
| scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Role !scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2016–2017
| The Special Without Brett Davis | Patti / Sharting Woman / Maygan Mason | 6 episodes |
| rowspan="3" | 2017
| Anthropologie Employee | Episode: "Bedbugs" |
| The Chris Gethard Show
| Sharon Herron | Episode: "Take a Chance" |
| Search Party
| Renee | 3 episodes |
| 2017–2018
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Correspondent | 3 episodes |
| rowspan="3" | 2019
| Chrinty | Episode: "Breathwork" |
| Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
| Correspondent | Season 4, Episode 13{{Cite web|url=http://www.tbs.com/shows/full-frontal-with-samantha-bee/clips/pride-like-its-1969|title=Pride Like It's 1969|website=www.tbs.com|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2019}} |
| BoJack Horseman
| Barbara (voice) | Episode: "Feel-Good Story" |
| 2019–2021
| Shrill | Ruthie | 16 episodes |
| 2019–2023
| I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson | Various Characters | 4 episodes |
| 2020
| Magical Girl Friendship Squad | The Mushroominations (voice) | Episode: "Anti Fungal Spit Skanks" |
| rowspan="7" | 2021
| Herself | 3 episodes |
| Bob's Burgers
| Patti / Pixie Princess Patricia (voice) | 2 episodes |
| Ziwe
| Various Characters | 3 episodes |
| Tuca & Bertie
| Martha (voice) | 4 episodes |
| Q-Force
| Stat (voice) | 10 episodes |
| Jimmy Kimmel Live
| Herself |
| Adventure Time: Distant Lands
| Weapon Head (voice) | Episode: "Wizard City" |
| rowspan="2" | 2021-2022
| Debbie, Momma Marita (voice) | 9 episodes |
| Made for Love
| Bangles de la Morga | 3 episodes |
| rowspan="3" | 2022
| London England | Episode: "Operation: Seal Team Debra" |
| She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
| Lulu | Episode: "Just Jen" |
| American Dad!
| Ali (voice) | Episode: "Smooshed: A Love Story" |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Instagram|party_harderson}}
- {{IMDb name|8773928}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Patti}}
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:American actors with disabilities
Category:American film actresses
Category:American transgender actresses
Category:American transgender writers
Category:American comedians of Asian descent
Category:American LGBTQ people of Asian descent
Category:American people of Vietnamese descent
Category:American sketch comedians
Category:American stand-up comedians
Category:American television writers
Category:American voice actresses
Category:American women comedians
Category:American writers with disabilities
Category:American television actresses
Category:American women television writers
Category:LGBTQ people from Ohio
Category:LGBTQ writers with disabilities
Category:Members of the Democratic Socialists of America
Category:Ohio University alumni
Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Category:Transgender comedians