10 Female TV Comedy Actors We Love Right Now

10 Female TV Comedy Actors We Love Right Now
By Fiona Flynn  | Dec 15, 2015

We won't even bother opening this with the go-to line of 'whoever said women weren't funny' etc etc, as at this stage, any self-respecting TV viewer knows that women are bloody hilarious and have really come into their own on television, particularly in comedy.

There is an abundance of talented, quick-witted and downright awesome ladies to choose from, but as tough as it was, we decided to bring it down to just ten.

We were going to rank them, but that would be no craic. So, in no particular order:

  • Mindy Kaling

As soon as she rocked up to The Office as Kelly Kapoor, we loved her ever-so-annoying Ryan obsessed ways, but it was only when she took the lead in her own series The Mindy Project, which she created and stars in, that we got to see the true talent of Mindy Kaling. And did you know her real name is Vera Mindy Chokalingam? True Story.

  • Amy Schumer
Advertisement

Amy Schumer can do no wrong at the moment. Fresh off the back of box office hit Trainwreck, she is now said to be writing a screenplay with her new pal Jennifer Lawrence, while her Inside Amy Schumer Comedy Central sketch show is winning praise left, right, and centre, along with an Emmy no less.

  • Julia Louis Dreyfus

There are no words for just how supremely talented this lady is. Maybe you weren't a fan of Seinfeld (what's wrong with you?) where Dreyfus won a zillion Emmys for her role as Elaine Benes, but for the love of God at least tell us you are watching Veep. The comedy, which is the American version of The Thick of It, sees Dreyfus plays Vice President Selina Meyer as she navigates her way through American politics along with her team of misfits that include Anna Chlumsky and Tony Hale. Oh, and Julia has won a shed load of Emmys for this show too. In facts she is now tied for most Emmy wins for lead actress with Mary Tyler Moore and Candice Bergen.

  • Sofia Vergara
Advertisement

Not only one of the most beautiful women in the world, Sophie Vegara knows how to hit the right comedy note too as seen in her role in thesmash hit show Modern Family, which just wouldn't be the same without the hot-tempered yet quick-witted Gloria.

  • Julie Bowen

And while we are here, Claire Dunphy would be only ragin' if she thought Gloria made it onto this list and she didn't, but besides that, she is a worthy addition in her own right. She may serve mostly as the 'straight guy' to Phil Dunphy's shenanigans, but she has had plenty of moments on her own to shine.

  • Lena Dunham
Advertisement

Yes, some find her character Hannah in Girls extremely self-involved and annoying, which let's face it, she kind of is. However, that's not to take away from Lena Dunham's superb writing skills which has made it the hit show that it is, and her "the voice of a generation."

  • Amy Poehler

What can we say about Amy Poehler? Does a bigger legend walk the earth? If she's not nailing hosting the Golden Globes alongside her partner-in-crime Tina Fey, she's winning awards for her role in the hilarious Parks and Recreation as Leslie Knope. She is currently starring alongside her bestie Tina in movie 'Sisters', but it was Saturday Night Live where she really cut her teeth where she became known for for her portrayal of former First Lady and Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton. She's also great friends with Louis C.K.... and she will be our best friend one day too. She just doesn't know it yet .

  • Kristen Wiig
Advertisement

Another SNL alumni, Kristen Wiig came to the world's attention as lead in the box office hit that was Bridesmaids, you may have heard of it. Since then she's starred in a string of movies proving that she can hit the serious notes too but it's undoubtedly comedy where she excels. 2016 sees her star in the much anticipated all female reboot of Ghostbusters where we expect she will steal the show once more.

  • Tina Fey

The fantastic Tina Fey has of course already come up on this list as it's difficult to talk about herself or Poehler these days without mentioning the other one. As with Amy, Tina got her big break on Saturday Night Live where the opportunity of a lifetime fell into her hands as her physical similarity to the controversial Sarah Palin became apparent. So began a string of viral sketches that made Fey so synonymous with Palin that Fox news even mistakenly put up a picture of Fey instead of the politician. Besides SNL though, Tina Fey really hit global success with her satirical sitcom 30 Rock, which she created, wrote and starred in, while she also wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls and most recently created and produced the television series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. In short, she's bloody brilliant.

  • Sharon Horgan

We know this list has mostly been dominated by the lot across the pond but how could we forget our very own Sharon Horgan, who is just going from strength to strength these days with two seasons of Catastrophe under her belt, which she writes and stars in alongside Rob Delaney. Horgan also made a name for herself for her role in British comedy Pulling, however she is now making her mark stateside as showrunner and writer for Sarah Jessica's upcoming new HBO show called Divorce, which is Parker's first return to TV since Sex and the City. So yeah, as you probably imagine, there's plenty more to come from this Meath lady.

There must be a few we've left out. Who do you think is the best TV actress of the comedy variety on screen right now?