D'Arcy Carden explained

D'Arcy Carden
Birth Name:Darcy Beth Erokan
Birth Date:4 January 1980
Birth Place:Danville, California, U.S.
Years Active:2009–present

D'Arcy Beth Carden (born Darcy Beth Erokan; January 4, 1980) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for portraying Janet in the NBC sitcom The Good Place (2016–2020), for which she earned a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and Greta Gill in the Prime series A League of Their Own (2022). She also played Gemma in Broad City (2014–2019) and Natalie Greer in the HBO dark comedy series Barry (2018–2023).

Carden began her career performing improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She went on to make appearances in several television series, including Inside Amy Schumer (2015), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2016), and Veep (2017). She has also acted in films such as Other People (2016), Let It Snow (2019), and Bombshell (2019). She made her Broadway debut in The Thanksgiving Play (2023).

Early life

Carden was born Darcy Beth Erokan in Danville, California, on January 4, 1980,[1] [2] [3] the daughter of an American mother and Turkish father. Her father, Dennis Erokan, left Istanbul for California with his family when he was a child.[4] He acted in local community theater productions, and later founded the music magazine BAM and its computer-focused spinoff MicroTimes.[5] Carden has two sisters named Miranda and Laney and one brother named Will. Inspired by The Smashing Pumpkins' bassist D'arcy Wretzky, she added an apostrophe to the spelling of her name when she was in junior high.[6] [7] She graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in 1998, and later received a BFA in Theater from Southern Oregon University.[8]

Career

After graduating from college, Carden moved to New York City.[9] She joined musical comedy company Venus Rising and appeared in Seven Hearts (2001), a musical about friends living in San Francisco.[10] The following year, she directed, produced, and starred in a holiday show in which the main character is upset that her family is obsessed with her selfish sister's wedding rather than keeping up their Christmas spirit.[11] Early on while pursuing her acting career, Carden also worked as a nanny for Bill Hader.[12] [13]

A friend invited Carden to an improvisational sketch comedy show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB), which she enjoyed the show so much that she signed on for classes and kept progressing with the group. She started with UCB in 2004 and later toured with the UCB Touring company.[14] By 2010, she was using her married surname Carden professionally when she was a cast member for The Ride, an interactive show performed on New York City tour buses.[15] In 2013, Carden co-created and co-starred in Terrible Babysitters, a Web original about two parents who want to find a babysitter.[16] [17]

Carden had a recurring role as Gemma in the Comedy Central comedy series Broad City (2014–2019),[18] a series created by fellow UCB alumnae Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. Carden also appeared in guest roles in the comedy series Inside Amy Schumer (2015), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2016), and Veep (2017). Following small roles in the parody film iSteve (2013) and the romantic comedy The To Do List (2013), she appeared as Jessica in the acclaimed comedy-drama film Other People (2016).

In 2016, Carden began starring as live virtual assistant Janet in the NBC comedy series The Good Place,[19] [20] [21] which also stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. For her performance in the series, she received critical acclaim and earned nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Since 2018, Carden has had a recurring role as Natalie Greer in the HBO dark comedy-crime series Barry, starring Hader.[22] Along with her fellow cast members, she was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2018 and 2019.[23]

In 2019, she appeared in the dark comedy film Greener Grass, the romantic comedy film Let It Snow, and the drama film Bombshell. She also appeared in the Netflix comedy series Bonding and the Adult Swim animated comedy series Robot Chicken.

In 2020, Carden had a recurring role on the Quibi mystery-comedy series Mapleworth Murders.[24]

Carden made her Broadway debut on April 20, 2023, as Alicia in The Thanksgiving Play, written by Larissa FastHorse and directed by Rachel Chavkin.[25]

In 2024, SmartLess Media debuted WikiHole, a podcast fronted by Carden and featuring "a panel of comedians who fall down a Wikipedia rabbit hole of bizarre and intriguing connections."[26]

Personal life

Carden met producer Jason Carden on a trip to Disneyland with mutual friends,[27] and they were married on July 31, 2010.[28] In 2013, they moved from New York City to Los Angeles.[29]

Before finding success in the entertainment industry, Carden worked as a full-time nanny for her future Barry co-star Bill Hader and his then-wife Maggie Carey; she maintains a close relationship with their three daughters.[30]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010 Pet-O-RamaD'Arcy Short film
2011 Bachelorette Ashley Is Single AgainAshley
2011 Mob WivesKaren Gravano
2012 Mob Wives 2: The Christening
2013 iSteveNews Anchor
2013 The To Do ListMovie Patron
2013 Anna Kendrick Goes K-Pop with F(x)Jill Tigerman Short film
2014 I Know You Think I FartedLinda
2014 We Make That LemonadeMom with Stroller
2015 UnengagedLiz
2016 Other PeopleJessica
2018 Papi ChuloSusan
2019 Greener GrassMiss Human
2019 Let It SnowKira
2019 BombshellRebekah
2021 Ride the EagleAudrey Also producer
2022 The People We Hate at the WeddingMartha
2022 Shotgun WeddingHarriet
2022Wes Is DyingChelseaAlso executive producer
2023 Neighbor
2024The GutterSkunk
2024SketchTBA
TBA Turn Me On Post-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 HomeschooledBetty Television film
2009–2013 UCB Comedy OriginalsHerself 20 episodes
2009–2011 Rhonda CastingRhonda Basmati Lead role; 6 episodes
2010 Naked in a FishbowlLucy 3 episodes
2011 Diamonds Wow! Unknown Episode: "Oprahgeddon"
2011–2012 Jest OriginalsVarious roles 4 episodes
2013 Inside Amy SchumerEmily Episode: "Meth Lab"
2013–2015 Comedy Bang! Bang!Barbara Fleen / Assistant 3 episodes
2014–2019Broad CityGemma 5 episodes
2015 Adam Ruins EverythingFuture Wife Episode: "Adam Ruins Giving"
2016 Crazy Ex-GirlfriendEyebrows Girl Episode: "I'm Going to the Beach with Josh and His Friends!"
2016–2020 The Good PlaceJanet Main role; 53 episodes
2017 VeepCongresswoman Episode: "Blurb"
2018–2023 BarryNatalie Greer 20 episodes
2018 An Emmy for MeganD'Arcy Carden Episode: "Finale"
2018–2022 American Dad!Sophia / various (voice) 5 episodes
2019 BondingDaphne 3 episodes
2019 Last Week Tonight with John OliverHomeowner Episode: "Mobile Homes"
2019 Human Discoveries Leader Elk (voice) Episode: "And Then They Played a Game"
2019 Robot ChickenVarious voices Episode: "Bugs Keith in: I Can't Call Heaven, Doug"
2019–2020 The Rocketeer Polly Poly / AVA (voice) 4 episodes
2020 Single Parents Kay Episode: "Yarn and Pebbles"
2020 Mapleworth Murders Server 2 episodes
2020 ArcherHands (voice) Episode: "Helping Hands"
2021 No Activity Erika (voice) Episode: "Brother Eduardo"
2021 Creepshow Renee Sherman Episode: "Night of the Living Late Show"
2021 Poorly Drawn Lines Tanya (voice) 10 episodes
2021–2023 Linda (voice) 13 episodes
2022 The Ghost and Molly McGeePango (voice) Episode: “Scare Tactics/The Bad Boy Bobby Daniels”
2022 Killing ItSloane Faulkner Episode: “The Task Rabbit”
2022 A League of Their OwnGreta Gill Main role; 8 episodes
2022 The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday Herself Holiday special
2023 History of the World, Part II Turkish Ambassador Episode: "VII"
2023 The $100,000 Pyramid Self - Celebrity Player Episode: "Deon Cole vs D'Arcy Carden and Ken Jennings vs Mario Cantone"
2023 Strange Planet Air Comfort Hero / Newsbeing #2 (voice) Episode: "The Flying Machine"
2023 Krapopolis Camille the Hydra (voice) Episode: "Tyrdra"
TBA Rhona Who Lives by the River Kayleigh (voice) Upcoming series

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Good Mythical Morning Herself 1 episode
2014–2016 CollegeHumor OriginalsMom 3 episodes
2016 CollegeHumor - If Google was a Guy (5)Denier

Theatre

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResult
Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesBarry[33]
2020Screen Actors Guild Award[34]
Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesThe Good Place[35]
Critics' Choice Television AwardBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series[36]
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, ComedyBarry[37]
2023Drama League AwardsDistinguished Performance AwardThe Thanksgiving Play[38]
Theatre World AwardsOutstanding Debut Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway Production[39]

External links

Notes and References

  1. 1610700831833346048 . LeagueOnPrime . Cheers to the woman who keeps us running toward our destiny. Happy birthday, @DarcyCarden . 2023-01-04.
  2. 1081212426501193729 . nbcthegoodplace . Happy birthday, @darcycarden ! We'll physically go pick up the with our and walk back to #TheGoodPlace. . 2019-01-04.
  3. Web site: D'Arcy Carden Swings For The Fences With 'A League Of Their Own' And Makes Contact With LGBTQ Viewers. Jeff. Conway. Forbes.
  4. Ward. Celeste. 2005. Erokan Named E-agency Head. Adweek. December 16, 2019.
  5. D'Arcy Carden. TVGuide.com. October 16, 2016. August 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180804013831/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/darcy-carden/bio/919033/. live.
  6. News: The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden Shows Us How Janet Fell on Her Face 40 Times. Jung. E. Alex. October 6, 2017. Vulture.com. New York. October 6, 2017. en . August 3, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194745/http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/the-good-place-janet-on-the-twist-and-the-audition.html.
  7. D'Arcy Carden (Conan O'Brien needs a friend #66). Earwolf/Team Coco. Conan O'Brien. April 5, 2020. 29:22. April 20, 2020. June 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220625112839/https://www.earwolf.com/episode/darcy-carden-3/. dead.
  8. Web site: Danville's D'Arcy Carden: In heaven in new NBC comedy 'The Good Place'. Barney. Chuck . September 6, 2016. The Mercury News. San Jose, California. October 16, 2016. August 3, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180803223917/https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/06/the-good-place-danville-native-darcy-carden-makes-her-mark-in-new-nbc-comedy/. live.
  9. News: 'The Good Place' star D'Arcy Carden's rise from UCB. September 21, 2017. New York Daily News. October 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825002956/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/arcy-carden-rise-ucb-good-place-article-1.3510269. August 25, 2018. live. en.
  10. News: Craig. Pat . August 17, 2001. Venus Company on the Rise Once More: This Time Out, The Theater Group Showcases an Innovative Piece. Contra Costa Times. Walnut Creek, California. 25.
  11. News: King. Paula . December 18, 2002. Venus Rising Makes Magic with Holiday Show. Contra Costa Sun. Contra Costa County, California. 16.
  12. Web site: 'Saturday Night Live' Used to Terrify Bill Hader. Bucksbaum. Sydney. January 11, 2018. Nerdist.com. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20181228035759/https://nerdist.com/saturday-night-live-bill-hader-fear/. December 28, 2018. dead. December 27, 2018.
  13. News: Bill Hader on Why He Was "Very Nervous" to Play a Hitman in 'Barry'. Malkin. Marc. March 22, 2018. The Hollywood Reporter. December 27, 2018.
  14. Web site: D'Arcy Carden. Upright Citizens Brigade. October 16, 2016. August 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180811164101/http://ucbcomedy.com/user/4126. live.
  15. News: New NYC tour bus gets riders up close and personal. Huguenin. Patrick. October 9, 2010. New York Daily News. October 16, 2016. live. August 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825002704/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/new-york-comedian-arcy-carden-hops-board-guide-new-stadium-seated-city-tour-ride-article-1.189087.
  16. News: In Focus. The Ellwood City Ledger. Ellwood, Pennsylvania. July 5, 2013. 24.
  17. "Web site: Terrible Babysitters. Blip.tv. Blip Media. August 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150823193222/http://blip.tv/terriblebabysitters. dead. July 13, 2019.
  18. News: 'Good Place': UCB Performer D'Arcy Carden Cast In Mike Schur NBC Series. Andreeva. Nellie. March 15, 2016. Deadline. en-US. October 16, 2016.
  19. 'The Good Place' Review. Jenson. Jeff. September 19, 2016. Entertainment Weekly. October 16, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180116003312/https://ew.com/article/2016/09/19/good-place-review/. January 16, 2018.
  20. News: The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden Would Like You to Know She's Not a Robot. Carley. Brennan. September 23, 2017. GQ. February 9, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180814232712/https://www.gq.com/story/the-good-place-darcy-carden. August 14, 2018. en.
  21. Web site: Visit Janet's Void from 'The Good Place' Thanks to This Live Stream. Romain. Lindsey. January 4, 2019. Nerdist.com. January 5, 2019.
  22. News: Can D'Arcy Carden Do Everything?. September 26, 2017. Brooklyn Magazine. January 12, 2018. en-US. August 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180814232854/http://www.bkmag.com/2017/09/26/darcy-carden-the-good-place-broad-city-barry/. live.
  23. Web site: The 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. sagawards.com. Screen Actors Guild Awards. May 15, 2019.
  24. Web site: Lorne Michaels' Quibi Murder Mystery Lines Up All-Star Cast. The Hollywood Reporter. Rick. Porter. December 3, 2019. July 7, 2020.
  25. News: Huston . Caitlin . D'Arcy Carden to Make Broadway Debut in 'The Thanksgiving Play' . May 4, 2023 . . February 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230318210900/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/darcy-carden-broadway-the-thanksgiving-play-1235325369/ . March 18, 2023. live.
  26. Web site: White . Peter . 2024-01-24 . D'Arcy Carden To Host 'WikiHole' Podcast For SmartLess Media . 2024-02-27 . Deadline . en-US.
  27. The Good Place Week: D'Arcy Carden . . . September 25, 2018 . September 30, 2019.
  28. Web site: D'Arcy Carden. NBC. October 16, 2016. December 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181203160458/https://www.nbcumv.com/talent/d%E2%80%99arcy-carden/bios_read_more?division=2. dead.
  29. News: How D'Arcy Carden "Yes, and"-ed Her Way to Stardom. Rich. Katey. June 22, 2018. Vanity Fair. August 24, 2018. en. January 18, 2019. https://archive.today/20190118062825/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/06/darcy-carden-the-good-place-barry-interview. live.
  30. Web site: D'Arcy Carden Worked as a Nanny for Bill Hader . YouTube . April 11, 2018 . December 2, 2022.
  31. Web site: D'Arcy Carden to Make Broadway Debut in 'The Thanksgiving Play'. . February 14, 2023. March 9, 2023.
  32. Web site: The Thanksgiving Play (Broadway, Helen Hayes Theatre. March 9, 2023.
  33. Web site: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - SAG Awards: 'A Star Is Born' Tops Film Noms; 'Mrs. Maisel,' 'Ozark' Lead TV. Nordyke. Kimberly. December 12, 2018. The Hollywood Reporter. en. December 17, 2019.
  34. Web site: SAG Awards Nominations: 'Bombshell', 'The Irishman', 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Top Film List, 'Maisel,' 'Fleabag' Score In TV – Complete List Of Noms . Hipes . Patrick . December 11, 2019 . . July 28, 2020.
  35. News: 2020 Emmy Nominations: Live Updates. The New York Times . July 28, 2020 . July 28, 2020 . Koblin . John .
  36. Web site: Best Limited Series - Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Irishman' Leads With 14 Nominations. THR Staff. December 8, 2019. The Hollywood Reporter. en. December 9, 2019.
  37. Web site: Gajewski . Ryan . HCA TV Awards: 'White Lotus,' 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Better Call Saul' Lead Winners . . August 14, 2022 . August 14, 2022.
  38. Web site: 2023 Drama League Awards Nominations. . November 3, 2022 . April 25, 2023.
  39. Web site: 2023 Theatre World Awards. . May 1, 2023.