| Debra Wilson | |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Other Names: | Debra Wilson Skelton Debra Skelton |
| Alma Mater: | Syracuse University |
| Years Active: | 1992–present |
Debra Wilson is an American actress and comedian. She is the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series Mad TV, having appeared on the show's first eight seasons from 1995 to 2003. As a voice actress, she has voiced various characters on television shows and video games, including , Baby Shark's Big Show!, Spitting Image, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Wolfenstein, , , Halo Infinite, Diablo IV, , and .
She also starred in the films The Summerland Project and Bodied. In 2022, Wilson started voicing Daisy Duck on Mickey Mouse Funhouse, making her the first African-American performer of the character.
Wilson was born and raised in New York City, in the neighborhood of Ozone Park, Queens, and attended the New York City High School of the Performing Arts.[1] After graduation, she studied television and radio broadcasting at Syracuse University.[2] She worked as a preschool teacher during the 1980s for the All Saints Church, in Sunnyside, Queens.
Wilson made her television acting debut on The Apollo Comedy Hour and The Uptown Comedy Club, where she became a series regular. She co-hosted Can We Shop? with Joan Rivers.[3] She continued her work in television working as a spokesperson for Burger King, and guest starring in New York Undercover.[4]
Wilson was one of the original eight cast members of Mad TV when the series aired in 1995.[5] Wilson came to the show with a background in sketch comedy, improv, and television.
Wilson was credited for creating some of the most popular recurring characters on the show. Among her characters were Latina bimbo Melina (Lida and Melina),[6] Reality Checks Tovah McQueen,[7] Stick Chick Autumn, Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sister Hayden Brooks,[8] Alexis Dubane (Prehistoric Glamazon Huntresses), blaxploitation actress Cocoa Latette (Son of Dolemite), Lowered Expectations Host and Ms. Not Nice (Jenny Jones). Perhaps her best known character was the fast talking "Black American Princess" Bunifa Latifah Halifah Sharifa Jackson.
Wilson's most recognized impressions on the show were of Oprah Winfrey and Whitney Houston.[9] [10] She has also played Oprah or Oprah-like characters in other media, most notably Scary Movie 4 and The Proud Family.[11] [12] She also regularly portrayed Beyoncé Knowles, Mariah Carey, Lil' Kim, and Chris Tucker.
Since her debut on MADtv, Wilson has done voice acting on episodes on numerous television shows, landing some recurring roles on such shows as Clone High, Family Guy, and did puppeteer work on The Mr. Potato Head Show. She voiced Captain Lisa Cusak in the episode "The Sound of Her Voice".[13]
Wilson has made numerous independent films, including Naked Angel, Jane White Is Sick and Twisted, Skin Deep, and Soulmates. She was also in an episode of Without a Trace as a doctor, and appeared three times as a working girl, Divine, in episodes of .
She and MADtv co-star Nicole Sullivan have done commercials for Pepsi's Sierra Mist. She appeared as herself on the February 15, 1999, episode of WCW Monday Nitro accompanying MADtv castmate Will Sasso in his professional wrestling match against Bret Hart. She also appeared on the UK Whose Line Is It Anyway? – Season 10, Episode 9.
She was the co-host of TV Guide Channel's TV Watercooler with John Fugelsang, until she was replaced by Teresa Strasser in October 2006. She was also a co-host on GSN Live until she left in January 2010.
Wilson is the announcer of the revival of the NBC game show Weakest Link hosted by Jane Lynch.
In July 2022, Nickelodeon announced that Wilson would voice the character Headless Headmistress Bloodgood in the 2022 animated reboot series Monster High.[14]
As of 2022, Wilson voices Daisy Duck, replacing Tress MacNeille.
Wilson performed off-Broadway with the improvisational comedy troupe Noo Yawk Tawk directed by Richmond Shepard at The Village Gate Theater (1988–1991).
Wilson has voiced many video game characters, such as her role as Grace Walker in and her role as Cere Junda in and its sequel . She also appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as General Lyons. Her other video game voice work includes The Outer Worlds, Gears 5, , Rage 2, Days Gone,, Fallout 76, and Far Cry New Dawn.[15] She is the voice of Draka in .[16] She is the voice of Savathûn in Destiny 2[17] and the Harbinger in Halo Infinite.
Wilson married writer and director Cliff Skelton in April 2006. They separated in 2010 citing irreconcilable differences.[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Cracking Up | |||
| 1995 | Blue in the Face | Statistician | ||
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Salesgirl #3 | ||
| 1997 | Gridlock'd | Medicaid Woman #2 | ||
| B*A*P*S | Flight Attendant | |||
| Soulmates | Jennifer Williams | |||
| Asylum | Belinda Davis | |||
| Sleeping Together | Wendy | |||
| 1998 | The Klingon Encounter | Security Officer | Short | |
| 2000 | Rubbernecking | Julia | ||
| 2002 | Jane White Is Sick & Twisted | Chi-Chi | ||
| 2003 | Skin Deep | Alex | ||
| 2004 | Target | Nolan | ||
| Nine Lives | Lisa | |||
| 2005 | Bringing Up BayBay | Pam Wilcox, BayBay Girl | Short film; also writer | |
| 2006 | Whitepaddy | Aunt Tiny | ||
| Rehab nurse | ||||
| Sister Buzzard | Voice; direct-to-video | |||
| Scary Movie 4 | Oprah Winfrey | |||
| Over the Hedge | Debbie | Voice | [19] | |
| Mandingo in a Box | Host | Short film | ||
| Shut Up and Shoot! | Nikki Ryder | |||
| Rockin' Meera | Rudy | |||
| 2007 | If I Had Known I Was a Genius | Teresa Reed | ||
| Lord Help Us | Shariffer Simms | Direct-to-video | ||
| Cordially Invited | Vivian Dunn | |||
| Akia May | Voice | |||
| 2008 | Cuttin' da Mustard | Actress | ||
| 2009 | Knight to F4 | Cheryl Johnson | ||
| Psyche on Melrose | Hostess | Short film | ||
| Various voices | Direct-to-video | |||
| Avatar | Na'vi troupe member | |||
| Friends of Dorothy | Hillary | Short film | ||
| 2010 | Perfect Combination | Mrs. Lewis | ||
| Oprah's Last Show | Oprah Winfrey | Short film | ||
| 2011 | Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil | Iana | Voice | |
| Naked Angel | Mama Tony | |||
| Division III: Football's Finest | Mandy | |||
| 2012 | Back Then | Georgia Miller | ||
| Bed-Stuy Lullaby | Sha'rell | Short film | ||
| 2013 | Cordially Invited – The Wedding Day of Alton & Kenya | Vivian Dunn | ||
| 2014 | Jungle Shuffle | Kam | Voice | |
| Creatures | Voice | |||
| Knock 'em Dead | Darien | |||
| Untold | Merrel | |||
| Fatal Acquittal | Detective Bell | |||
| 10 Year Plan | Minister | |||
| 2015 | Midlife | Diane Freeland | ||
| Mothers of the Bride | Freesia the producer | |||
| Hotel Transylvania 2 | Additional voices | |||
| 2016 | Caged No More | Leona | ||
| The Summerland Project | Adah Allen | |||
| 2017 | Open Marriage | Vulnavia | ||
| 2018 | Painkillers | Gail Konrad | ||
| Bodied | Dean Hampton | |||
| The Nun | Demons | Voice | ||
| The Christmas Chronicles | Lars | Voice | ||
| 2019 | Nambi Ghima | Voice | ||
| 2020 | Ride Your Wave | Hinako's Mom | Voice; English dub | |
| 2021 | D'Vorah | Voice; direct-to-video | [20] | |
| The Loud House Movie | Nana May, Nana Collette, Nana Helene, Mrs. Turnberry | Voice | ||
| 2022 | Graji | Voice; direct-to-video | [21] | |
| Call Me Miss Cleo | Herself | Documentary | ||
| 2023 | Cobweb | Monster Sarah | Voice | [22] |
| Baby Shark's Big Movie! | Grandma Shark | Voice |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Various | Main cast | |||
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Shanna | Episode: "High on the Hog" | ||
| 1995–2016 | Mad TV | Various | Main Cast: Season 1–8, Guest: Season 10, 13–15 | ||
| 1998 | Lisa Cusak | Voice; episode: "The Sound of Her Voice" | |||
| Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | Episode: "Episode #10.9" | |||
| 1998–1999 | The Mr. Potato Head Show | Queenie | Voice; also puppeteer Main role; 13 episodes | ||
| 2000–2011 | Family Guy | Various voices | 6 episodes | ||
| 2001 | Gary & Mike | Various voices | 13 episodes | ||
| The Oblongs | 2 episodes | ||||
| 2002 | Great Grandma Fran | Voice; television film | |||
| 2002–2003; 2024 | Clone High | Various voices | 4 episodes | ||
| 2002–2003 | The Proud Family | Oprah Winfrey | Voice; 2 episodes | ||
| 2003 | Basil / Tobasco | Voice; episode: "Adventures in Bebe Sitting" | |||
| The Parkers | Zorah | Episode: "Kimmie Has Two Moms" | |||
| 2004–2007 | Divine | 3 episodes | |||
| 2004 | Without a Trace | Doctor | Episode: "Hawks and Handsaws" | ||
| I'm with Her | Brenda | Episode: "Friends in Low Places" | |||
| That's So Raven | Maisha | Episode: "Spa Day Afternoon" | |||
| 2005 | Second Time Around | Deonne | Episode: "You're Fired" | ||
| 2005–2016 | American Dad! | Whitney Houston, Mom at basketball game | Voice; 2 episodes | ||
| 2006 | In Justice | Detective Powell | Episode: "Confessions" | ||
| Celebrity Paranormal Project | Herself | Episode: "Cult Commune" | |||
| 2007 | Higglytown Heroes | Marine Biologist Hero | Voice; episode: "Little Big Fish" | ||
| Edan Day | Television film (MTV) | ||||
| 2008 | Reno 911! | Dominatrix | 3 episodes | ||
| Deborah LeVil | Voice; 2 episodes | ||||
| Lilian | Episode: "Automatic for the People" | ||||
| 2009 | 90210 | Teacher | Episode: "Hello, Goodbye, Amen" | ||
| 2009–2010 | GSN Live | Herself | Co-host | ||
| 2012–2015 | Black Dynamite | Amazon Moon Bitch leader, Lil' Orphan Penny, Eartha K.I.T.T., Various | Voice; 17 episodes | ||
| 2013 | 2 Broke Girls | Delores | Episode: "And the Temporary Distraction" | ||
| The First Family | Helen | Episode: "The First Driver" | |||
| The Cleveland Show | Various voices | Episode: "Of Lice and Men" | |||
| Save Me | Stephanie | Episode: "Heavenly Hostess" | |||
| Mad | Various voices | Episode: "Alfred's Game/We Are X-Men" | |||
| Doom Patrol | Madame Rouge | Voice; episode: "The Spy Within the Doom Patrol" | |||
| 2013–2014 | DC Super-Pets! | Various voices | 3 episodes | ||
| 2014 | Regular Show | Council Woman, Thunder Girl, Blonde Girl | Voice; episode: "Dodge This" | ||
| 2014–2016 | All Hail King Julien | Masikura, Mary-Ann, Tammy, various | Voice; 21 episodes | ||
| 2016 | Dead 7 | Apocalypta | Television film | ||
| Z Nation | Linda | Episode: "Doc's Angels" | |||
| 2016–2017 | Pig Goat Banana Cricket | Nasty Cat, Mrs. Manelli, Lady Fart, Baby Sweat, Convention Con Nerd | Voice | ||
| 2017 | Superior Donuts | Lyric | Episode: "Flour Power" | ||
| 2018 | Lost in Oz | Brenda | Voice; episode: "The Eclipse" | ||
| 2018 | New Bryan | Television film | |||
| 2019 | The Jellies | Various voices | 2 episodes | ||
| Cannon Busters | Lady Day | Voice; English dub | |||
| Avengers Assemble | Councilor Achebe, Dora Milaje #3 | Voice; 2 episodes | |||
| 2019–2020 | Ramaraffe, Ketchup, Muffins, Marion, Camille, Scoops, Various voices | Voice; recurring role | |||
| 2019–2021 | Ben 10 | Maxine Sez | Voice, 2 episodes | ||
| 2020 | Just Roll with It | Nana Blatt | Episode: "Grandma & Grandpa Sittin' in a Tree" | ||
| Spitting Image | Beyoncé, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Nicki Minaj | 15 episodes | |||
| Baby Shark's Big Show! | Grandma Shark | Voice; English dub Main role | |||
| 2021 | Final Space | Quinn's Mother | Voice; episode: "All the Moments Lost" | ||
| The Casagrandes | Papaya | Voice; episode: "Do the Fruit Shake" | |||
| Dogs in Space | Kira, Duchess | Voice | |||
| Frankelda's Book of Spooks | Totolina, Grandma | Voice; 2023 English dub | |||
| 2022 | The Owl House | Terra Snapdragon | Voice; 4 episodes | ||
| The Loud House | Various voices | ||||
| We Baby Bears | Brassy Maine Coon, Cat | Voice; episode: "High Baby Fashion" | |||
| Mickey Saves Christmas | Daisy Duck | Voice, television special | |||
| Love, Death & Robots | Possessed Harper | Voice, episode: "In Vault Halls Entombed" | |||
| Oddballs | Louise, Female Cop | Voice, 2 episodes | |||
| 2022-2024 | Captain Trij, A.I Computer, various | Voice, 5 episodes | |||
| 2022–present | Monster High | Headless Headmistress Bloodgood | Voice; main role | ||
| Mickey Mouse Funhouse | Daisy Duck | Voice; main role (Season 2–present) | |||
| 2023 | Z'oto | Voice, episode: "Something Borrowed, Something Green" | |||
| Mech Cadets | Chief Max | Voice | |||
| Mickey & Friends Trick or Treats | Daisy Duck | Voice | |||
| 2023–present | My Adventures with Superman | Amanda Waller | Voice; 3 episodes | ||
| 2024 | Nature | Narrator | Episode: "Gorilla" | ||
| The Legend of Vox Machina | Pa'tice | Voice; 2 episodes | |||
| TBA | Among Us | Yellow | Voice | [23] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Ice Age 2: The Meltdown | Ellie | ||
| Storm | ||||
| 2007 | Halo 3 | Marines | ||
| 2008 | Booster Mbube | |||
| Crying Wolf | ||||
| Fracture | Additional voices | |||
| 2009 | Marine #4 | |||
| 2010 | Security Guard | [24] | ||
| Additional voices | ||||
| 2011 | Infamous 2 | Female Pedestrians / The Storyteller | ||
| 2013 | Grand Theft Auto V | The Local Population | ||
| 2014 | Elder Scrolls Online | Additional voices | ||
| WildStar | Dreadphage Ohmna / Selene / Granok Female | |||
| Additional voices | ||||
| Monster Vocal Effects | ||||
| 2016 | Mirror's Edge Catalyst | Rebecca Thane | ||
| Gears of War 4 | Aspho Point Gear | |||
| Far Cry Primal | Batari | |||
| Final Fantasy XV | Additional voices | |||
| 2017 | Grace Walker | Motion capture | ||
| 2017–18 | Amanda Waller / SANCTUS Computer / Agency Female | |||
| 2018 | God of War | Additional voices | ||
| Just Cause 4 | Izzy | |||
| Guild Wars 2 | Ambassador Sianna | |||
| 2018–19 | Dorian | |||
| 2019 | Days Gone | Addison 'Addy' Walker | Motion capture | |
| Grace Walker | ||||
| Gears 5 | COG Soldier / Onyx Guard | |||
| Indivisible | Snake Queen | [25] | ||
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | General Lyons | Motion capture | ||
| The Outer Worlds | Sophia Akande | |||
| Cere Junda | ||||
| Guild Wars 2 | Varinia Stormsounder / Jormag | |||
| Rage 2 | Jazz Spinner, Goon Assault | |||
| Liz-2 | ||||
| 2020 | Gears Tactics | Mikayla Dorn | ||
| Baroness Draka | ||||
| Desperados III | Isabelle Moreau | |||
| Bugsnax | Shellsy "Shelda" Woolbag | |||
| 2021 | Persona 5 Strikers | Additional voices | [26] | |
| Kit | ||||
| Savathûn | ||||
| Monster Hunter Rise | Monju | |||
| Marvel's Avengers | Okoye | War for Wakanda DLC expansion | ||
| Buhru Elder / Additional Voices | ||||
| Halo Infinite | Harbinger | |||
| 2022 | League of Legends | Renata Glasc | ||
| Savathûn | ||||
| Aperture Desk Job | Prison Warden / Announcer | |||
| God of War Ragnarök | Grýla | |||
| 2023 | Forspoken | Bellette Krau | Motion capture | |
| Cere Junda | ||||
| Duvall / Hotari Queen | ||||
| Diablo IV | Prava / Tree Whispers / Creature Voice Effects | |||
| Savathûn | ||||
| Marvel's Spider-Man 2 | Additional voices | |||
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | SSO Selma Greene | |||
| 2024 | Amanda Waller | Motion capture | [27] | |
| Disney Speedstorm | Ursula | |||
| Savathûn | ||||
| Speaker Brinthe |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2013 | Lips | Ex-girlfriend | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | My Sister Is So Gay | Becca | 6 episodes | |