Wanda Sykes Biography

Fast Facts

• After college, worked at the National Security Agency as a procurement officer, which included negotiating contracts for spying equipment
• While at the NSA in 1987, heard about a talent showcase for aspiring comics and (though she had no experience) wrote five minutes of material at her desk
• Although she didn't win, she was hooked, and eventually quit her day job in 1992 to pursue stand-up comedy
• Opened for Chris Rock at Caroline's comedy club in New York City in 1995; he hired her as a writer when he launched The Chris Rock Show in 1997
• In 2004, published the book, Yeah, I Said It, a collection of her comical observations and anecdotes
• Was one of the subjects one the PBS series Finding Your Roots in 2012
• Publicly came out as a lesbian in 2008 and has been an activist for same-sex marriage since