American actress, comedian, and comedic musician Judy Lynn Tenuta. She was well-known for her zany and outspoken theatrical persona, “The Love Goddess,” which combined insult comedy, observational humor, self-promotion, and lewd onstage antics. Tenuta had a small but devoted fan base throughout the course of her career, notably among LGBTQ people. Tenuta won two Grammy nominations for “Best Comedy Album” and wrote two comedic novels.
Tenuta began her comedy career performing openers and small-time shows on the Chicago comedy circuit in the late 1970s. During her first performance, Tenuta shocked audiences by dressing up as the Virgin Mary, and after being encouraged by her friends to incorporate an accordion into her routine, she began to develop the character into her iconic persona as the wisecracking “Love Goddess”.
After building a fiery reputation as one of the “hottest young comics around,” Tenuta left Chicago in the late 1980s and moved to New York City to host an HBO Comedy Special with Ellen DeGeneres, Rita Rudner, and Paula Poundstone.
By the mid-1980s, Tenuta uprooted again, moving to Los Angeles, where she published her book Full Frontal Tenudity about life in Hollywood. During her time in Los Angeles, Tenuta harbored a fiercely independent attitude, openly rejecting Hollywood beauty standards and celebrity life. She continued to perform on national tours for years afterward, making special visits to the Chicago circuit.
Judy Tenuta’s Net Worth
Judy Tenuta had an estimated net worth of $4 million.
Judy Tenuta Husband
The identity of Judy’s husband is kept private. However, the little known about her suggests that she was pro-LGBT.
Judy Tenuta Parents
Judy was born to an Italian father, Caesar, and a Polish mother, Joann. She has eight other siblings.
Judy Tenuta Children
Judy Tenuta Movie And TV Shows,
Tenuta’s use of her voice in her stand-up act lent itself to voice-over work in several animated programs. This included doing the voice of Edna on Duckman, Munch Kelly on Cow and Chicken in the banned episode “Buffalo Gals”, Black Widow on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and as herself in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. She appeared in numerous film and television roles, including the dominatrix disciplinarian “Samantha Rottweiler” in Butch Camp, and the loudmouthed librarian “Mrs. Holler” in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. She also played various minor characters on The Weird Al Show, was featured in many of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s comedy shorts and music videos, and appeared in dozens of other minor acting roles.
In addition to her small screen acting, Tenuta had various theatrical roles, most notably in The Vagina Monologues and Menopause the Musical. Tenuta wrote two comedy books Full Frontal Tenudity and The Power of Judyism, and released five comedy CDs, receiving “Best Comedy Album” Grammy nominations for Attention Butt-Pirates and Lesbetarians! And In Goddess We Trust. She gained some mainstream notoriety for a series of television ads for MTV and Diet Dr. Pepper in the late 1980s, as well as her HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime specials.
1986: Tenuta appeared on the British TV comedy show Saturday Live.
1986–1990: She made several guest appearances on the show of her favorite comedian, Joan Rivers.
1987: She became nationally known in her first HBO special Women of the Night, costarring Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, and Rita Rudner.
1988: She won Best Female Stand-Up Comic at The American Comedy Awards
1987–1988: She toured across the country with another of her favorite comedians, comedy legend George Carlin.
1988–1995: Frequent guest on the morning radio show “Howard Stern”
1988: She became the “Spokes-Goddess” for a series of “Diet Dr. Pepper” commercials, and also filmed her second HBO special.
1991: She published her first book, The Power of Judyism, following up with an audio CD version in 1999.
1994: She was nominated for her first Grammy, for her comedy CD Attention Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians.
1995: Tenuta was nominated for her second Grammy, for her comedy CD In Goddess We Trust.
1996: Tenuta appeared as a drill sergeant, Sam Rottweiler, training gay men to defend themselves against bullies in the film Butch Camp.
1998: She conceived, produced, and starred in the film Desperation Boulevard, which was directed and written by Greg Glienna of Meet the Parents fame.
2001: Tenuta appeared on The View, dishing with Joy Behar, Star Jones, and Barbara Walters.
2005: Tenuta appeared in the 2005 film Flirting with Anthony, as Jayleen the Motel Lady.
2007: She made a guest appearance as Mrs. Holler, the librarian, on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.
2011: She played Zinnia, a menacing, aging actress, in the independent film Going Down in LA-LA Land, and the Mother Nun in the independent horror comedy Sister Mary. She would go on to be nominated for Best Actress at the 2012 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest for her performance.
Judy Tenuta Age
Judy Tenuta died at age 72.
