Alex Borstein

Infobox Actor
name =Alex Borstein


imagesize =
caption = Alex Borstein in August, 2006. Photo by Lance Wagner.
birthdate =birth date and age|1973|02|15
birthplace = Highland Park, Chicago, Illinois
deathdate =
deathplace =
birthname = Alexandrea Borstein
occupation = comedian, actress
yearsactive = 1993 - present
homepage = http://www.alexborstein.com/
academyawards =
spouse = Jackson Douglas (1999 - present)

Alexandrea "Alex" Borstein (IPAEng|ˈbɔrstiːn; born February 15, 1973) [ [http://www.alexborstein.com/ Borstein's age and origins in her FAQ] ] is an American actress, voice actress, writer and comedian. She is best known for her roles on two FOX series, "MADtv" and "Family Guy".

Biography

Early life

Borstein was born in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb north of the city of Chicago, the daughter of Judy and Irving Borstein, both of whom are mental health professionals. She was raised in a Jewish familycite web | last =Phipps| first =Keith| authorlink =| coauthors =| title=Random Rules: Alex Borstein| publisher =A.V. Club| date =2006-11-20 | url =http://www.avclub.com/content/node/55488| format =| accessdate =2006-11-21 ] [ [http://sonic.net/~goblin/borstein.htm Alex Borstein ] ] with roots in Germany, Hungary, Angola, Poland, Mongolia, and Russia. She moved to San Francisco, where she attended San Francisco State University. She took a job at an ad agency where she wrote print ads for Barbie.

Career

Borstein started improv classes with the ACME Comedy Theater where she met both her writing partner and her future husband, Jackson Douglas. They began to work on the animated series "Casper" and "Pinky and the Brain". Shortly after, she left her ad job to become a full time writer. In 1996, while still writing for "Casper", Borstein worked on the popular TV show "", where she provided the voice of Queen Machina, the queen of the Machine Empire.

In 1997, Borstein became a cast member on the sketch comedy show "MADtv". Borstein joined the cast of "MADtv" during Season 3 as a featured player, but she was upgraded to repertory in mid-season. Borstein was perhaps best known for playing Miss Swan. Borstein also played a number of other popular characters, often alongside Will Sasso in which their chemistry onscreen proved popular with fans until her departure from the show in 2002. In addition to Miss Swan, Borstein played Eracist Anne, "Stick Chick" Echo, singer Jasmine Wayne-Wayne, child prodigy Karen Goddard, lounge singer Shaunda, "News at Six"'s outside-the-studio reporter Sue Napersville, and Cordo the GAP troll. When Seth Green made recurring appearances on the show to play mean boss Mr. Brightling, Borstein would play his mother Mama Brightling.

Borstein also became known for impressions of Rosie O'Donnell, Björk Guðmundsdóttir, Chelsea Clinton, Jane Pauley, Janeane Garofalo, Monica Lewinsky, Patsy Ramsey, Regis Philbin, and Vivian Vance (as Ethel Mertz in parodies of "I Love Lucy").

Borstein now is the voice of Lois Griffin, on the popular TV series Family Guy.

=MADtv impressionsFact|date=June 2008=

During her time on "MADtv", Borstein met Seth MacFarlane, who was launching a FOX animated sitcom, "Family Guy".

MacFarlane cast Borstein as the voice of Lois Griffin; she provided several other voices as well. "Family Guy" was cancelled from the FOX lineup in 2000 and 2002 but returned in 2005, and Borstein is still a part of the show, both as a voice performer and also as producer and staff writer. She has made at least three guest appearances on "Drawn Together", once as Lois Griffin, her character on "Family Guy". In an episode of "Family Guy" entitled "Don't Make Me Over", an animated version of Ms. Swan made a brief appearance and was voiced by her as well.

In 2000 Borstein won the role of "Sookie St. James" in the WB show "Gilmore Girls". She portrayed Sookie in the pilot, but her MADtv contract prevented her from continuing, and the producers recast her role with actress Melissa McCarthy. Borstein did make several recurring appearances as different characters: in Season 1 she appeared in several episodes as the harpist Drella, while she appeared in Seasons 3 and 5 as Miss Celine, a celebrity fashion advisor.

Borstein's film roles include the school principal in "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", the best friend of Halle Berry in "Catwoman", and an employee at CBS News in "Good Night, and Good Luck". She also had an uncredited cameo in the Will Ferrell movie "Kicking and Screaming" as an obnoxious coffeeshop patron. Borstein was recently cast in the pilot episode of "The Thick of It" as a press secretary.

Personal life

Borstein is married to actor and writer Jackson Douglas. The couple met at the ACME comedy training program. Douglas proposed to her during the taping of a "MADtv" skit; the couple married in 1999. Douglas appeared on "Gilmore Girls" (as Borstein did) and played Jackson Belville, Sookie's husband. Her production company is named Crackerpants, Inc.. Borstein plays the harp, as she demonstrated on "Gilmore Girls". Son, Barnaby Borstein Douglas, born 8 September 2008, weighing 8 pounds and 10 ounces.

Filmography

*"The Lookout" as Mrs. Lange (2007)
*"Little Man as Janet (2006)
*"Good Night, and Good Luck" as Natalie (2005)
*"" as Lois Griffin (2005) (direct-to-video) (voice)
*"Kicking & Screaming" (2005) (uncredited)
*"Catwoman" as Sally (2004)
*"Seeing Other People" (2004)
*"Bad Santa" (2003)
*"The Lizzie McGuire Movie" as Miss Ungermeyer (2003)
*"Disney's House of Mouse" (2001) (TV series) (voice) (uncredited)
*"Coyote Ugly" (2000) (uncredited)
*"Family Guy" as Lois Griffin (1999–2002, 2005— ) (TV series) (voice)
*"MADtv" (1995) (TV series) (1997–2002)
*"" Queen Machina (1996) (TV series) (voice)
*"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" (1993–1994) (TV series) (voice)

References

External links

*imdb name | id=097504 | name=Alex Borstein
*amg name|2:359570
* [http://www.alexborstein.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.dvd.gg/cast/Alex%20Borstein.jpgImage of Alex Borstein]
* [http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Alex+Borstein/ SuicideGirls interview with Alex Borstein]