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, California. 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: The Greatest Hits... so Far | Cooki Lew Inc | Audio download |
| 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 |
| 2025 | Best Of Anjelah Johnson | Comedy Dynamics | Audio download |
| 2026 | Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Ugly Baby | Youtube |
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]- ^ a b c d e Turse, Paul (May 19, 2002). "Accent on Personality and Sincerity". Raider Drive. Archived from the original on December 22, 2002. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Wantuck, Andrew. "Anjelah Johnson". The Comedy & Magic Club. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- ^ a b "The Comic's Comic". thecomicscomic.typepad.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b "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