Caroline RheaCaroline Rhea knows comedy. In 1989, this Montreal
native ventured to the Big Apple to study the fine art of stand-up. While at the New
School of Social Research, she participated in what she thought was the finest program in
stand-up comedy. Little did she know that the essential training of her professional life
would come in the form of the aptly named Catch A Rising Star.
"There is no harder place to work," says Rhea
describing her nightly gigs at New York’s venerable comedy clubs. Her status soon
skyrocketed and Rhea was evolving into an integral part of New York’s highly
competitive comedy scene. It was not long after her yearlong stint at Catch A Rising Star,
that college campuses were clamoring for her stand-up shows. Her success was helped
greatly with appearances on "MTV’s Half-Hour Comedy Hour", "Comic
Strip Live" and numerous appearances on Caroline’s Comedy Hour".
The nationwide attention from all of rhea’s television
appearances soon had Hollywood knocking on her door. With the assistance of noted
television producer Fred Silverman, Rhea taped two talk show pilots. While neither one of
the projects was picked up, the experience left Rhea hungry for more television work.
While continuing her stand-up, an even mixture of satirical
observations and personal anecdotes, this transplanted Manhattanite found herself back in
Hollywood starring along with Julie Warner and Jeremy Piven in NBC’s "Pride and
Joy". Other memorable TV appearances include Rhea’s guest starring stint as
Drew’s girlfriend on "The Drew Carey Show", ABC’s "All Star TGIF
Magic", and her own VH1 series, "Fool for Love", and the Ms.
Foundation’s "Women of Comedy from Carolines" featured on Lifetime.
Entering her fourth season on ABC’s "Sabrina, The
Teenage Witch," Rhea continues to shine in her role as the loveable ‘Aunt
Hilda’. With its blend of special effects and tounge-in-cheek comedy, "Sabrina,
The Teenage Witch" is now a hit, which leads off ABC’s noted T.G.I.F.
programming block.
Rhea’s other recent television appearances include
"Comic Relief 8" and The Foundation’s "Women of Comedy from
Caroline’s" feature on Lifetome as the host of "The Great Lifetime
Makeover" produced be Geena Davis.
In her freetime (yes, she does have downtime from the
series, Rhea can be found practicing "spiritual twister"(yoga) and hoping to hit
another hole-in-one on the golf course. The working title of her autobiography, which she
still hasn’t written, is called "I Ate All My Prop Food".
Biographies have been mirrored from the
Hollywood Squares website the week the episodes we saw taped aired as a convenience for
our members. For more information about stars appearing on Hollywood Squares this week,
please visit their website. |