Sheryl Patrice Underwood (born October 28, 1963) is an American comedian, actress and television host. She first rose to prominence in the comedy world as the first female finalist in 1989’s Miller Lite Comedy Search.
๐ญ Early Life and Career
Underwood was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and later moved to Atwater, California, where she attended high school. Her sister, Frankie, was diagnosed with polio, and Sheryl is now Frankie’s caregiver.
After graduating college, Underwood joined the United States Air Force, where she served two years in the reserves. She later gained public notice as the first female finalist in the Miller Lite Comedy Search in 1989.
๐ Awards and Television
She won the BET “Funniest Female Comedian on Comic View” award in 1994 and the BET Comedy Awards’ Platinum Mic Viewers Choice Award in 2005. Underwood was one of the hosts on the CBS Daytime talk show The Talk from September 2011 to December 2024, becoming the show’s longest running co-host.
She received a Daytime Emmy Award in 2017 and overall has been nominated seven times. Underwood signed a multi-year development deal with CBS Studios in 2022.
๐ป Radio and Education
Underwood was a contributor on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show until June 2010 when she joined The Steve Harvey Morning Show as a contributor. She briefly hosted her own radio program, Sheryl Underwood and Company.
Underwood holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago and master’s degrees in media management and mass communication from Governors State University.
๐๏ธ Political and Community Involvement
Underwood identifies as a lifelong Republican. However, she campaigned for Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012 United States presidential election. Underwood also campaigned for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Underwood is a lifetime member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, first joining in 1990. She was elected as the 23rd International Grand Basileus (President) during Zeta Phi Beta’s biennial business meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2008.
| Category | Detail | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | October 28, 1963 | 1963 | [1] |
| First Female Finalist | Miller Lite Comedy Search | 1989 | [8] |
| Daytime Emmy Award | Received in 2017 | 2017 | [3] |
| International Grand Basileus | Elected 23rd President of Zeta Phi Beta | 2008 | [11] |