| Susie Essman | |
| Birth Name: | Susan Essman |
| Birth Date: | May 31, 1955 |
| Birth Place: | The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Medium: | Film, television, stand-up |
| Active: | 1988–present |
| Notable Works: | Curb Your Enthusiasm Bolt |
| Education: | State University of New York, Purchase (BFA) |
Susan Essman (born May 31, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer and television producer, best known for her role as Susie Greene on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bobbi Wexler on Broad City, and the voice of Mittens in Bolt.
Essman was born on May 31, 1955[1] in The Bronx, New York City, and was raised in the suburb of Mount Vernon. Her father, Leonard Essman, was an internist and clinical oncologist. Her mother, Zora (née Pressman), taught Russian at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the great granddaughter of silent film actor and Russian opera impresario Leo Feodoroff.[2] Essman is Jewish; her grandparents emigrated from Russia and Poland.[3] [4]
Essman has been traveling and appearing at clubs throughout the country for more than three decades. In 1988, she appeared on HBO with Joy Behar and other rising female comedians on On Location: Women of the Night II. On January 5, 1989, she was a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Her first half-hour special premiered on September 20, 1992 on HBO’s One Night Stand. As much of her comedy draws from her ethnic background, she has been featured in such documentaries as, Heroes of Jewish Comedy and A History of Jewish Comedy.
Essman made her UK standup comedy debut at the Corn Exchange at the Newbury Comedy Festival in July 2007. While in England, she appeared on the British television show 8 Out of 10 Cats.
Essman began her acting career with small parts in two 1988 films – Crocodile Dundee II and Punchline – but is best known for her role as Susie Greene, the wife of Jeff Greene (portrayed by Jeff Garlin), on the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Essman told The New York Times that, by the show's third season, she could not "walk down the street anymore without people stopping her and begging her to say [her character's catchphrase] 'You fat fuck'". In 2007, Slate named Essman's character one of the best on television, and a reason the publication looked forward to the return of the show.[5]
She also provided the voice of Helen Higgins on the Comedy Central series Crank Yankers; she was an occasional correspondent on the first season of the network's The Daily Show. She appeared on Comedy Central's Roast of Bob Saget on August 17, 2008 and provided the voice of "Mittens" (the cat) in the 2008 Disney animated film, Bolt, and later reprised the role in the 2009 short Super Rhino, released on the film's home media. She also made an appearance on the Regis Philbin version of Million Dollar Password.
Essman's book, What Would Susie Say: Bullshit Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy, was published in October 2009 by Simon & Schuster.[6]
Essman was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002 and used to be[7] a pescatarian — "not a moral thing," she explains, but "aesthetic"; chicken "grosses me out" — and "lives on sushi". She married Jim Harder, a commercial real estate broker, in September 2008.[8] She owns a Shih Tzu named Popeye.[9] Her sister, musician and composer Nora Essman Morrow, died in 2023.[10]
Essman is a good friend of Joy Behar and has appeared on The View multiple times. In 2009, Behar hosted an event at the 92Y with Essman as a guest.[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Crocodile Dundee II | Subway Tour Guide | |
| 1991 | Soho Woman | ||
| 1997 | Volcano | Anita | |
| 1997 | What's Your Sign? | Carla | |
| 2000 | Keeping the Faith | Ellen Friedman | |
| 2005 | Lt. Rita Carbone | ||
| 2008 | Bolt | Mittens (voice) | |
| 2010 | Cop Out | Laura | |
| 2012 | Putzel | Gilda | |
| 2017 | Band Aid | Shirley | |
| 2017 | Gilbert | Herself | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–1989 | Baby Boom | Charlotte Elkman | 13 episodes | |
| 1991–1992 | True Colors | Mrs. Wampler | 2 episodes | |
| 1993 | Women Aloud | Panelist | Episode: "Waist Management" | |
| 1994 | Hardcore TV | Sports Lady | 2 episodes | |
| 1995 | Ned and Stacey | Aunt Ceil | "Thanksgiving Day Massacre" | |
| 1998 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Self (voice) | Episode: "Waltz" | |
| 2000–2024 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Susie Greene | Main role; 86 episodes | |
| 2002 | The King of Queens | Marcia | Episode: "No Orleans" | |
| 2002 | Ron Sherwood's Secretary | Episode: "Badge" | ||
| 1997–2002 | Law & Order | Performer | 2 episodes | |
| 2002–2003 | Crank Yankers | Helen Higgins (voice) | 4 episodes | |
| 2003 | Kim Possible | Sadie (voice) | "Car Trouble" | |
| 2006 | Dora the Explorer | Queen Bee (voice) | Episode: "Dora's First Trip" | |
| 2009 | Loving Leah | Malka | Television film | |
| 2009–present | American Dad! | Mrs. Lonstein (voice) | Recurring role | |
| 2012 | Adventure Time | Barb (voice) | Episode: "Web Weirdos" | |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Judge Clarice Karl | Episode: "Front Page News" | |
| 2015 | Weird Loners | Evelyn Goldfarb | 2 episodes | |
| 2015–2019 | Broad City | Bobbi Wexler | 8 episodes | |
| 2015–2018 | Arlene Heller | 4 episodes | ||
| 2016–2019 | Those Who Can't | Leslie Brohn | 10 episodes | |
| 2017 | Edie Robb | Episode: "So Swayze It's Crazy" | ||
| 2018 | Beat Bobby Flay | Self (guest) | Episode: "Skirting By" | |
| 2019 | Bless This Mess | Donna | 7 episodes | |
| 2020 | Harley Quinn | Sharon Quinzel, Grandma Quinzel (voice) | Episode: "Bensonhurst" | |
| 2022 | Hacks | Elaine Carter | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | Bob's Burgers | Lorraine (voice) | Episode: "Sauce Side Story" |
| Year | Award | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | ||||
| 2010 | |||||
| 2015 | Broad City | ||||
| 2018 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | ||||