Everything You Need To Know About Tiffany Haddish

From working bar mitzvahs to her breakout role in 'Girls Trip,' here's everything you need to know about comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish.

Tiffany Haddish
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Image via Getty/Jason LaVeris

Tiffany Haddish

Since her fateful scene-stealing role in the 2017 comedy Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish has been on the fast track to comedic super stardom. Between a book deal, a national stand-up comedy tour, and even more work in feature films, the Los Angeles native has made it clear in the past two years that “she ready” for a career as a show woman.

But Haddish isn’t just fierce comic and actress—she’s an all-around go-to for captivating audiences and breaking ground. Her exuberant personality landed her on Saturday Night Live as the first black female stand-up comedian to guest host and even landed her a Primetime Emmy win for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She was also the first black woman to helm the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, and her appearance alongside fellow master Maya Rudolph at the Academy Awards in 2018 sparked an internet uprising suggesting they’d be the perfect duo to host the Oscars in 2019 (it didn’t happen, but we won’t get into that mess again).

Haddish is just getting started; her 2019 box office lineup has already kicked off with her voice appearance in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. With the sequel to The Secret Life of Pets set to release later this year and rumors of a female-led reboot of 21 Jump Street stirring about, we’re positive that 2019 will be the year of Haddish. Before she takes over the world for good, here’s everything you need to know about the actress and comedian.

Where is Tiffany Haddish from?

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Haddish was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California.

What was Tiffany Haddish’s childhood like?

Tiffany Haddish in California

Even in her sudden celebrity status, Tiffany Haddish has been nothing but candid about her life growing up. From her biological father leaving her family at a young age to her mother being unable to care for her and her siblings after a traumatic car accident, Haddish often shares her story of growing up in the foster care system with her brothers and sisters.

Haddish was featured on an episode of Uncensored on TV One, where she detailed the story of her mother being diagnosed with schizophrenia and the day she was placed in a foster home before her grandmother was eventually granted custody and raised her from the age of 15.

What was Tiffany Haddish’s breakout role?

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You may recognize her as Nekeisha from NBC’s The Carmichael Show or from her role in comedy duo Key & Peele’s 2016 film Keanu, but Haddish’s work in small time stand-up and acting gigs all led up to her breakout role in the 2017 film Girls Trip. Haddish held her own alongside heavyweights like Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah, garnering arguably the most praise of any cast member, for her role as the outlandish and educational Dina, who joins three of her oldest friends on a trip to New Orleans.

What happened between Tiffany Haddish and Beyoncé?

Tiffany Haddish

Haddish has never been one to hide her fan girl tendencies when it comes to meeting big celebrities (if you haven’t seen her meet her idol Oprah Winfrey, you’re missing out). But her first encounter with one Miss Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has become an infamous tale of friendship, non-disclosure agreements, and biting.

After months of quietly hinting at what led to her selfie with Queen Bey herself, Haddish finally revealed in an interview with GQ that she was stanced up to fight for Yoncé’s honor when an unnamed actress (*cough* Sanaa Lathan *cough*) bit her on the face. Whether or not Beyonce actually made Haddish sign an NDA is unclear, but even if she did, that’s Beyonce’s right as the ruler of the free world.

What did Tiffany Haddish do before she was famous?

Tiffany Haddish

Before rocketing into her successful career as a comedic actress and stand-up extraordinaire, Tiffany worked a for-hire entertainer or “Energy Producer” (her official title), to hype up parties and bar mitzvahs. Your workplace probably can’t afford her for the annual office holiday party these days, but in her prime, Haddish seems to have been damn good at the job.

Does Tiffany Haddish do TV?

Tiffany Haddish at the MTV Awards

Her work in film may be the cream of the crop, but Haddish is no stranger to the tube. She first gained attention as Jackie on If Loving You Is Wrong, a drama series created by Tyler Perry for OWN. Later, she appeared on the short lived The Carmichael Show on NBC. Today, you can catch her on Tracy Morgan’s TBS series The Last O.G.

Does Tiffany Haddish do standup comedy?

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Yeah, duh. Aside from her successful Showtime special Tiffany Haddish: She Ready!, the comedienne took her routine on the road in 2018 and will continue through the end of March. Haddish is also set to release a one-hour Netflix special sometime this year, but until then, you can see some of her work in Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity special, also available on the streaming service.

What dress did Tiffany Haddish wear to the Oscars?

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First of all, it wasn’t just any dress— it was an Alexander McQueen. Second of all, Haddish wore said McQueen dress to the 2018 Academy Awards… and during her Saturday Night Live monologue… and to the premiere of Girls Trip. The all-white number set Haddish back $4,000 and she made headlines by publicly wearing it on multiple occasions declaring on her SNLappearance, “I feel like I should be able to wear what I want, when I want, however many times I want … It’s a $4,000 dress! I’m gonna wear this dress multiple times,” which would be considered a heinous crime by most celebrities. Her stylist, Law Roach, may have outlawed wearing the dress last year, but the memory of that silky bejeweled piece will live on forever.

How do Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart know each other?

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Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish are more than occasional co-stars—they’re long time friends. According to interviews with Hart, they knew each other before Tiffany’s come up when she was living out of her car. He lent her $300 and to this day won’t let her repay him. Their friendship may also be the reason Hart came to Tiffany’s defense after Katt Williams criticized her comedy skills).

Does Tiffany Haddish have a book?

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Haddish released a memoir titled The Last Black Unicorn in 2017, in which she talks about her upbringing and her rise to stardom through personal essays that turned the book into a New York Times Bestseller.

What happened to Tiffany Haddish on New Year’s Eve?

Comedian Tiffany Haddish performs onstage during the Moontower Comedy Festival.

Haddish performed at show on New Year’s Eve 2018 in Miami, Florida as part of her stand-up comedy tour and, well, bombed her set. Audience members reportedly walked out of the venue mid-performance, and word on the street was that Haddish couldn’t remember punchlines or adequately deliver her jokes. But from the ashes she rose, admitting to her poor performance and accepting support from other big-wig comics who have stumbled once or twice in their careers. Let it be known that NYE 2018 was the one and only time when she was not ready.

What is Tiffany Haddish’s latest movie?

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Haddish’s latest roles were in Kevin Hart’s comedy Night School last year as well as Tyler Perry’s Nobody’s Fool and alongside Ike Berinholtz in The Oath. This year, you can hear her voice Queen Whatevra Wa’Nabi in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

Is Tiffany Haddish on social media?

Tiffany Haddish

Just as in real life, Haddish is an entertainer on Twitter and Instagram. Her Instagram videos have been known to go viral, like the extraordinary callout post she made about a TMZ reporter who watched her and her friends struggle with their luggage at LAX.

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