Although this perpetually bespectacled deadpan funny lady has appeared in a slew of cutting-edge comic series (
Reno 911!, The Sarah Silverman Program), Harris is best recognized for her high-profile commercial gigs, including ads for GEICO, AVIS and T-Mobile. A former performer and teacher for Los Angeles' famed Groundlings improv troupe, she did TV guest spots and a stint as a
Daily Show correspondent before landing her breakout role as the title character's makeup artist cum confidante on
Fat Actress. Having found her niche as a wisecracking best bud, she played a similar part on the sitcom
Notes from the Underbelly as a pregnant wife's anti-spawning friend. Well-known and well-liked in the comedy community, Harris has also landed dry-witted roles in big-screen laughers, including Will Ferrell's
Kicking & Screaming, Eddie Murphy's
Daddy Day Care and a string of improvised Christopher Guest flicks. After playing Ed Helms' overbearing girlfriend in 2009's
The Hangover, Harris took on a role that played against type when she portrayed the mom in 2010's family film
Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Rachael Harris Fast Facts:
- Played cello while attending college.
- Performed the role of Mrs. Lovett in a college production of Sweeney Todd.
- First acting job was on the tabloid news show Hard Copy in the mid-'90s.
- Was a Daily Show correspondent during the 2002-03 season.
- Participated in a bunch of VH1 I Love programs that made her a familiar face, including I Love the '70s, I Love the '80s Strikes Back, I Love the Holidays and I Love Toys.
- Supporter of the charity Much Love Animal Rescue.
- Has appeared in a series of Funny or Die videos with fellow Groundlings alum Andrea Savage.
- Rachael Harris Relationships:
- Adam Paul - Husband
- College:
- Otterbein College, Westerville, OH (BFA in Theater and Music, 1989)