Sherri Shepherd Biography

Fast Facts

• Moved to Los Angeles while she was still in high school
• Was inspired to pursue stand-up comedy after seeing Andrew Dice Clay perform in 1990
• Worked as a legal secretary while doing stand-up at night
• (She had also considered becoming a mortician
• ) Early breaks on television came with roles on Ellen Cleghorne's 1990s show Cleghorne! and, in the following decade, on Less Than Perfect, with Sara Rue and Andy Dick
• Replaced Star Jones as a host on The View in 2007
• Her debut was less than auspicious: During a discussion about evolution, she nervously admitted to not knowing that the world was round, adding, as she told New York magazine, "I'm just trying to take care of my son
• " Her remark drew warm responses from viewers, who said they cared less about Earth's shape than about caring for their children
• Her painful 2006 divorce helped inspire her sitcom, Sherri, which debuted on Lifetime in 2009
• Published her autobiography Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break in 2009
• She is the spokesperson for YAI Network, which spreads public awareness about the needs and abilities of people with developmental disabilities