Mo Collins
{{short description|American actress and comedian (born 1965)}}
{{for|the football player|Mo Collins (American football)}}
{{use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| imagesize =
| birth_name = Maureen Ann Collins
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|7|7|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Actress, comedian
| yearsactive = 1996–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Alex Skuby|2013}}
| children = 1
}}
Maureen Ann Collins (born July 7, 1965){{cite web|last=Kristoff|first=Erin|date=April 1, 2013|title=Who's laughing now? Actress Mo Collins uses humor in her battle with GIST|url=http://liferaftgroup.org/2013/04/mo-collins-battle-with-gist|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922135417/https://liferaftgroup.org/2013/04/mo-collins-battle-with-gist/|archive-date=September 22, 2017|access-date=October 26, 2014|website=liferaftgroup.org|df=mdy-all}} is an American actress and comedian who was a member of the ensemble on FOX's sketch comedy series Mad TV. Collins became well known for several characters during her tenure on the show.
She was a cast member from the 4th season (1998) through the 9th season (2004); she only appeared in fourteen episodes during season nine due to contractual reasons. She returned to Mad TV in the 10th season for one episode, and again when she made an appearance on the 300th episode doing her popular character Lorraine Swanson. Her best known role following her departure from Mad TV was as morning talk show host Joan Callamezzo on the sitcom Parks and Recreation.
The nickname Mo was first given to Collins by the football/drama coach of her junior high school whom she credits with introducing her to improv comedy.{{Cite podcast |url=https://www.fastfriendspodcast.com/listen |title=The Lull Isn't a Bad Place to Be ft. Mo Collins |website=The Fast Friends Podcast |host=Logan Cummins |date=July 13, 2021 |time=5:54; 7:33; 9:07 |access-date=March 25, 2022}}
Career
=''Mad TV''=
Collins joined the cast of Mad TV at the beginning of season four and stayed until the end of season nine, though only appeared in 14 episodes during the ninth season. Her popular stint on the show led her to come back to guest star in 2005 during Season 10, in 2007 during the 300th episode on season 13, the final episode of season 14 in 2009 and the 20th anniversary reunion special in 2016.
Her most featured and arguably most popular characters were Doreen, the screechy-voiced mother of overgrown toddler Stuart (when Mo Collins left the show, Doreen was written off as being asleep after her latest alcoholic bender or never mentioned); the odd, annoying, confused middle-aged woman Lorraine, and the perpetually unlucky Trina.
Collins also did a multitude of celebrity impressions, including Pamela Anderson, Sandra Bullock, Barbara Bush, Bobbie Battista, Cher, Hillary Clinton, Courteney Cox, Paige Davis, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, Judy Garland (as Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz), Jennifer Garner, Jenilee Harrison, Katherine Harris, Mary Hart, Teri Hatcher, Goldie Hawn, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Anne Heche, Catherine Hicks (as Annie from 7th Heaven), Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson, Allison Janney, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Jenny Jones, Jane Kaczmarek (as Lois on a Malcolm in the Middle parody called Malcolm X in the Middle), Alex Kingston, Andrea Koppel, Jewel, Dina Lohan, Andie MacDowell, Madonna, Penny Marshall (as herself and as Laverne DeFazio from Laverne & Shirley), Audrey Meadows, Mary Tyler Moore (in several "modern-day spin" parodies of The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Alanis Morissette, Cynthia Nixon, Sharon Osbourne, Pink, Diane Sawyer, Maria Shriver, Shakira, Martha Stewart, Emily Strayer, Vonda Shepard, Sally Struthers, Concetta Tomei, Marisa Tomei, Shania Twain and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
=Other work=
- She has performed her one-woman show, Mo vs. Mo, in various cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago.{{Cite web |date=June 2004 |title=Comedy Central Stage at the Hudson |url=http://www.comedycentral.com/standup/ccstage/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040606125717/http://www.comedycentral.com/standup/ccstage/ |archive-date=June 6, 2004 |access-date=March 25, 2021 |website=Comedy Central}}{{Cite web |date=2005-04-22 |title=SNL, MADtv acts among 110 performing at eighth annual Chicago Improv Festival now through May 1 |url=https://reelchicago.com/article/snl-madtv-acts-among-110-performing-eighth-annual-chicago-improv-festival-now-through-may-1/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website={{!}} Reel Chicago - At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production |language=en-US}}
- Collins played in the fourth Hollywood Home Game edition of the World Poker Tour for the weSPARK Cancer Support Center. She placed 4th and won $2,500.{{Cite web |title=WPT HOLLYWOOD HOME GAME IV |url=https://cms.worldpokertour.com/event/hollywood-home-game-iv-season-2003-2004/#eventTab1}}{{Cite web |title=MO COLLINS |url=https://cms.worldpokertour.com/player/mo-collins/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325173520/https://cms.worldpokertour.com/player/mo-collins/#playerTab1 |archive-date=March 25, 2022 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=WPT}}
- She performed with Streetmosphere at the (formerly named) Disney-MGM Studios in the Hollywood Public Works.
- She voices Jan Ors in the Star Wars: Dark Forces: The Collector's Trilogy audio drama.
Personal life
While attending St. Catherine University for visual arts, Collins was asked to leave in response to an act of graffiti she and her fellow art program friends had committed.
Collins is in remission from a rare form of cancer known as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). She was diagnosed in spring 2011 when she noticed an odd lump in her abdomen. Collins said, "I would have done nothing about it. I was 44, feeling healthy, everything was going great for me, but my fiancé, Alex said, ‘You need to get it checked out’". Collins learned she had a primary tumor in her duodenum and was able to find a doctor who knew enough about GIST to know that she needed to see a specialist.{{cite web|last=Kristoff|first=Erin|date=April 1, 2013|title=Who's laughing now? Actress Mo Collins uses humor in her battle with GIST|url=http://liferaftgroup.org/2013/04/mo-collins-battle-with-gist|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922135417/https://liferaftgroup.org/2013/04/mo-collins-battle-with-gist/|archive-date=September 22, 2017|access-date=October 26, 2014|website=liferaftgroup.org|df=mdy-all}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1996
|Mother on Phone | |
| 2003
|Detective Fiction |Jennifer Hannan | |
| 2004
|Sharon | |
| 2005
|Gina | |
| rowspan="2" |2006
|Danny Roane: First Time Director |Deidra Fennigan | |
| Puff, Puff, Pass
|Linda | |
| rowspan="4" |2007
|Van Rookle Farms Housewife | |
| Knocked Up
|Female Doctor | |
| Cougar Club
|Cindy Conrad | |
| Carts
|Hilda | |
| 2009
|Kate | |
| 2011
|Division III: Football's Finest |Georgia Anne Whistler | |
| 2014
|Barry's Mom | |
| 2015
|Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts |Dispatch / Distinguished Woman |Direct-to-video |
| 2016
|Officer Finch | |
| 2017
|McDick |Molten Lava | |
| 2022
|My Babysitter the Super Hero |Kate | |
| 2023
|Red, White and Blue |Margo the Female Diner |Short |
= Television =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1998–2016
|Various |155 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |2000
|Tammy |Episode: "What I Like About You" |
| As Told by Ginger
|Nurse |Episode: "Hello Stranger" |
| 2000–2010
|Little Girl / Ms. Hobson / Kim Cattrall |4 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |2001
|Robin |Episode: "The Gift Piggy" |
| Ally McBeal
|Flight Attendant |Episode: "The Getaway" |
| Primetime Glick
|Various | |
| 2001–2003
|Zita / RoboMom / Dib's Computer |13 episodes |
| 2003
|Toni St. George |Episode: "Claude the Terminator" |
| rowspan="4" |2004
|Naisa Johnson |Episode: "New York Unbound" |
| The Fairly OddParents
|Ma Speevak |Episode: "Crash Nebula" |
| Six Feet Under
|Nancy Freymire |Episode: "Can I Come Up Now?" |
| Fat Actress
|Female Prison Guard |Episode: "Holy Lesbo Batman" |
| 2004–2005
|Starla |5 episodes |
| rowspan="3" |2005
|Joey |Ms. Lafferty |Episode: "Joey and the ESL" |
| 7th Heaven
|Ellen |Episode: "Chicken Noodle Heads" |
| Higglytown Heroes
|Science Fair Judge |Episode: "Kip Gets Swing Fever/Wayne's Pieces of Gold" |
| 2005, 2017
|The Nurse / Lisa Thompson |2 episodes |
| 2005–2008
|Ella / Melinda / Ms. Clark |4 episodes |
| 2006–2007
|Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide |iTeacher |5 episodes |
| 2007
|Victoria |Episode: "Turn the Page" |
| 2007
|Frangela |Dr. Judy Green |Television film |
| 2008
|Sister Larue |Episode: "Bad Habits" |
| 2008
|Cindy Chamberlain |Episode #1.5 |
| 2008
|Emily |4 episodes |
| 2008
|David's Situation |Celine |Television film |
| 2009
|Checker / Lucy |Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2009
|Denise |Episode: "En Garde" |
| 2009–2020
|Joan Callamezzo |20 episodes |
| 2010–2011
|Laura |5 episodes |
| 2011
|Nurse Sue |Episode: "Too Much Information" |
| 2011
|Trish Shay |Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 2011
|Colonel Caroline Haim |Episode: "Chuck Versus the Santa Suit" |
| 2012
|Police Officer |Episode: "Pudding Boy/The Celebrity Who Shall Remain Nameless" |
| 2012
|Additional voices |Episode: "The Mom Attractor/Cranius Maximus" |
| 2012
|Ave 43 |Joy Maybower |5 episodes |
| 2013
|Jen / Lenore / Pat |2 episodes |
| 2014
|The Greatest Event in Television History |Ruth |Episode: "Bosom Buddies" |
| 2014
|Lilly |Episode: "Everybody Loved Frank" |
| 2014–2015
|Various |30 episodes |
| 2015
|Helen Woolworth |2 episodes |
| 2015
|Feral Ann / Sally Salad / Beautiful Woman |Episode: "Gauntlet of Humiliation" |
| 2015
|Christa |Episode: "The Big 1-2" |
| 2015
|Clash-A-Rama! |Villager / Healer / Female Wallbreaker |4 episodes |
| 2015–2021
|Various |39 episodes |
| 2016–2017
|Susan |14 episodes |
| 2017
|Bianca Toro |Episode: "Bianca Toro" |
| 2017
|Cassandra French's Finishing School |Judi |4 episodes |
| 2017
|Kim |Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017
|Monica Yates |Episode: "The Machine" |
| 2017, 2019
|Tractor-Sue |2 episodes |
| 2017–2022
|Various |29 episodes |
| 2018
|Darlene McKinnon |Episode: "The Census of the Lambs" |
| 2018
|Publisher |Episode: "Change Everything" |
| 2018
|Please Understand Me |Maureen |Episode: "Fred & Mo" |
| 2018
|Tanya |Episode: "Step by Stepsister" |
| 2018
|Alarm System |Episode: "Home Insecurity" |
| 2018–2020
|Patient 30 |2 episodes |
| 2018–2022
|Sarah Rabinowitz |28 episodes |
| 2020
|Lucy Cooper |Episode: "The Angle-Man" |
| 2020
|Lorraine |Lorraine |5 episodes |
| 2020
|Jojo |Episode: "Prank War/Cool Moms" |
| 2023
|Jane Marvel |Episode: "Not a Tiger Yet" |
| 2023
|Jessica's Mother |Episode: "Training Day" |
| 2024
|Spidey and His Amazing Friends |Poppy |Episode: "Bubble Trouble/Rainy River Run" |
| 2025
|Starla |Episode: "Abracadabra Alaka-Dan" |
| 2025
|Recurring, replaces Pamela Hayden after her retirement |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0172558|Mo Collins}}
- [http://www.worldpokertour.com/player/mo-collins/ World Poker Tour profile]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Mo}}
Category:American television actresses
Category:American television writers
Category:American voice actresses
Category:American women comedians
Category:Actresses from Minneapolis
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:American sketch comedians
Category:Screenwriters from Minnesota
Category:20th-century American comedians
Category:21st-century American comedians