Anjelah Johnson
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 14, 1982 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Manwell Reyes (m. 2011) |
| Children | 1 |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Medium |
|
| Genres | |
| Subjects | |
| Website | anjelah |
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes (born May 14, 1982) is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and former NFL cheerleader. She was a cast member on the series MADtv during its 13th season. Her characters included a Vietnamese nail salon employee named Mỹ Linh/Tammy and a rude fast food employee turned music star named Bon Qui Qui (the latter of which has become popular outside of Johnson's short stint on MADtv).
Career
[edit]She became a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders after joining in 2002.[1] As a member of the Oakland Raiderettes, she was named Rookie of the Year and performed at Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego. She moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue a career in comedy after a friend suggested that she join a joke-writing class.[2] She took improv classes[2][3] and quickly began to headline her own shows. Her stand-up routine, comprising her impression of a Vietnamese nail salon employee, received many views on YouTube.[2]
In 2007, Johnson joined the cast of sketch comedy show MADtv as a featured performer. Due to the impending writers strike, she was often given only a few lines in the scripts, as the writers had to produce more scripts at a faster pace.[2] Her self-scripted character Bon Qui Qui, a fast-food employee who treats customers rudely, was popular and gained a similarly large YouTube following.[2] In 2008, she was nominated for an ALMA Award for Outstanding Female Performance in a Comedy Television Series for her work on MADtv.[4] In 2013, she reprised her role as her MADtv character Bon Qui Qui for a skit released by Alexander Wang, a fashion designer. Johnson was given her own one-hour Comedy Central special, Anjelah Johnson: That's How We Do It, in 2009.[5] She appeared in the film Our Family Wedding (2010) and voice for the live-action adaptation of Marmaduke.[4] She was featured on the late night talk show Lopez Tonight, on TBS hosted by George Lopez. Johnson became the "TC Girl", a spokesperson for Taco Cabana, a Mexican restaurant, in 2011.[6]
Johnson's second stand-up comedy special titled Homecoming Show premiered on Netflix and it was filmed in San Jose, California.[7] On October 1, 2015, Johnson's third stand-up special, titled Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy, was filmed in southern California and released on Netflix.[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]Born on May 14, 1982,[6] Johnson was born in San Jose, California and grew up there, in a devout Christian family and she is a Christian.[3] She is of Mexican and Native American descent.[8] She was a Pop Warner cheerleader beginning when she was eight, in soccer, softball, track,[1] and in hip hop and break dancing.[1] She began acting as a senior in high school and was especially interested in imitating different accents.[1] She later studied speech communications at De Anza College in Cupertino, California.[1][9]
Johnson and musician Manwell Reyes of Group 1 Crew married on June 11, 2011, in Half Moon Bay, California.[10] On December 29, 2022 they announced they were expecting a baby in 2023.[11] Johnson gave birth to the couple's daughter in June 2023.[12]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Box | |
| 2009 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | Julie Ortega |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Isabel |
| 2010 | That's How We Do It! | Herself |
| 2010 | Marmaduke | Afghan #2 (voice) |
| 2013 | Enough Said | Cathy |
| 2014 | Moms' Night Out | Restaurant Hostess |
| 2014 | The Book of Life | Adelita / Nina (voice) |
| 2017 | The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | Kelly Richardson |
| 2020 | The Opening Act | |
| 2023 | Candy Cane Lane | Shelly |
Stand-up releases
[edit]| Year | Title | Studio | Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Anjelah Johnson: That's How We Do It | Comedy Central | DVD/CD/audio & video download/streaming |
| 2013 | Anjelah Johnson: Homecoming Show | Netflix/Tubi | DVD/audio download/streaming |
| 2015 | Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy | Netflix | Audio download/video streaming |
| 2017 | Anjelah Johnson: Mahalo & Goodnight | Tubi | DVD/CD/audio & video download/streaming |
| 2023 | Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Say I Won't | Tubi | Audio download/video streaming |
| 2024 | Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Technically Not Stalking | YouTube | Audio download/video streaming |
| 2026 | Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Ugly Baby | Youtube | Video streaming |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Total episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Love, Inc. | Female Client | 1 |
| 2007 | On the Up | Herself | |
| 2007–2008, 2016 | MADtv | Various characters | 4 |
| 2008 | Untitled Dave Caplan Pilot | Maria | |
| 2008 | The Movie Preview Awards | Herself | |
| 2009 | Comedy Central | Herself | |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Wendy | |
| 2010 | Lopez Tonight | Herself | |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Mimi | Season 8, Episode 4 ("The Smiley Face") |
| 2016 | MADtv 20th Anniversary Reunion | Bon Qui Qui | |
| 2018 | Have You Been Paying Attention? | Herself | 1 |
| 2019 | Superstore | Robin Green | 1 |
| 2022 | The Real Dirty Dancing | Herself | 4 |
| 2023 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Episode: "Just Bring the DARN Fish!" |
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]as Bon Qui Qui:
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Gold Plated Dreams |
|
Extended plays
[edit]as Bon Qui Qui:
- The Come Up (2012)[14]
Music videos
[edit]as Bon Qui Qui:
| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "I'm a Cut You" | 2012 | DG[15][16] |
| "No Boyfren" (featuring Tammy) | 2013 | |
| "This Is How We Do It" (Benefit remix) | 2014 | Randal Kirk II [17] |
| "Shut Us Down" | 2016 | Diego Contreras[18] |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Association | Award category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Oakland Raiderettes | Rookie of the Year | Won |
| 2008 | ALMA Award | Outstanding Female Performance | Nominated |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Turse, Paul (May 19, 2002). "Accent on Personality and Sincerity". Raider Drive. Archived from the original on December 22, 2002. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Wantuck, Andrew. "Anjelah Johnson". The Comedy & Magic Club. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- 1 2 "The Comic's Comic". thecomicscomic.typepad.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
- 1 2 "Anjelah Johnson Biography". laughfactory.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
- ↑ "The Comedy Central Insider Boilerplate Interview: Anjelah Johnson". ccinsider.comedycentral.com. February 8, 2010. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
- 1 2 "The TC Girl". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ↑ Harrington, Jim (July 13, 2021) [July 12, 2021]. "San Jose star comedian returns home for 7 big shows at Improv". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ↑ "Biography from Anjelah.com". anjelah.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- ↑ Wadsworth, Jennifer (May 1, 2012). "Anjelah Johnson Goes Viral With Bon Qui Qui". Metroactive. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- ↑ "I'm Married!!". Anjelah.com. July 22, 2011. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Anjelah Johnson-Reyes on Instagram: "It's been the most incredible year of my life… and I never thought it would end like this. 🥰"". Instagram. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ↑ "COMEDIAN ANJELAH JOHNSON WELCOMES DAUGHTER: 'THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS'". movieguide.org. June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
- ↑ "iTunes". iTunes. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Twitter". twitter.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
- ↑ Bon Qui Qui "I'M A CUT YOU" - Anjelah Johnson on YouTube
- ↑ "No Boyfren" Bon Qui Qui feat. Tammy (Official Music Video) on YouTube
- ↑ Video on YouTube[dead link]
- ↑ Bon Qui Qui - Shut Us Down on YouTube
External links
[edit]- Living people
- American female dancers
- Dancers from California
- American Christians
- American film actresses
- American impressionists (entertainers)
- American television actresses
- American actresses of Mexican descent
- NFL cheerleaders
- American women comedians
- Actresses from San Jose, California
- American cheerleaders
- Oakland Raiders personnel
- American sketch comedians
- Comedians from Santa Clara County, California
- 21st-century American comedians
- 21st-century American actresses
- American people of Native American descent
- Hispanic and Latino American actresses
- Hispanic and Latino American stand-up comedians
- Hispanic and Latino American women comedians