Schumer was born on June 1, 1981, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City,[1][2] to Sandra Jane (née Jones) and Gordon David Schumer, who owned a baby furniture company.[2][3][4] Schumer's father was born to a Jewish family from Ukraine.[5][6] She is a second cousin, once removed, of U.S. Senator and Senate Majority LeaderChuck Schumer.[7][8][9] Her mother is from a Protestant background and has deep New England roots, and converted to Judaism before her marriage.[4][10][11] Schumer was raised Jewish and says she had to deal with antisemitism as a child.[12][13][14] Her mother is of Puritan ancestry dating back to the colonial-era Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 2017, as a guest on Finding Your Roots, Schumer learned that in 1704, three children from her ancestor Thomas Tarbell's family were captured at Groton, Massachusetts, in a French-Abenaki raid and taken to Montreal. The girl was ransomed by a French-Canadian family and ultimately joined a French Catholic convent; the two boys were each adopted by Mohawk families at Kahnawake and became thoroughly assimilated. They married Mohawk women and some of their descendants became chiefs.[15] There are still Mohawk by the surname Tarbell in Kahnawake and Akwesasne, another village reserve on the St. Lawrence River founded by the brothers.
Through the success of her father's furniture company in Manhattan, Schumer's household was wealthy during her early years.[16] When she was nine years old, her father's business failed and he went bankrupt, and either then[7] or when she was 12[17] (sources differ), her father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Some time afterward, her parents divorced.[7]
She attended the Hebrew school of the Central Synagogue of Nassau County, a Reform synagogue in Rockville Centre, where her mother served on the school's board.[20][21]
After graduating from high school, Schumer attended Towson University in Towson, Maryland, where she graduated with a degree in theater in 2003.[19][22] After graduating from college, she returned to New York City, where she studied at the William Esper Studio[23] for two years and worked as a bartender and a waitress.[19] She also lived in Santa Barbara, California with her boyfriend, who she characterized as abusive,[24] where she worked as a pedicab driver.[25] She has a younger sister, Kim Caramele, who is a comedy writer and a producer,[22][26] and a half-brother, Jason Stein,[27] who is a musician in Chicago, Illinois.[28][29]
Career
2003–2012: actress
Schumer performing in 2006
After graduating with a degree in theater from Towson University in 2003 and moving to New York City, Schumer portrayed a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer in the Off-Off-Broadway black comedy Keeping Abreast.[19] She started doing stand-up comedy on June 1, 2004, when she first performed at Gotham Comedy Club.[30] In 2007, she recorded a Live at Gotham episode for Comedy Central before appearing on Last Comic Standing; she later recalled that she thought of the episode as her "big break".[31] Rebounding from an unsuccessful audition for an earlier season,[32] she advanced to the finals of the fifth season of the NBC reality television talent show Last Comic Standing and placed fourth.[30] Schumer said in April 2011, "Last Comic was totally fun. I had a great time because there was no pressure on me; I had been doing stand-up around two years. I wasn't supposed to do well. So every time I advanced it was a happy surprise. I kept it honest on the show and it served me well."[33]
Schumer released a stand-up comedy album, Cutting, in 2011.[39] Her stand-up comedy special Mostly Sex Stuff premiered on Comedy Central on August 18, 2012, to positive reviews.[40] Schumer said in February 2012, "I don't like the observational stuff. I like tackling the stuff nobody else talks about, like the darkest, most serious thing about yourself. I talk about life and sex and personal stories and stuff everybody can relate to, and some can't."[41] She acted in three films in 2012: the independent comedy Price Check, the comedy-drama Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and the independent comedy Sleepwalk with Me.[42] Schumer also appeared on The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen in September 2011, and The Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne Barr in August 2012. In June 2012, Schumer began work on a sketch comedy series for Comedy Central. The show included single-camera vignettes of Schumer playing "heightened versions" of herself. The vignettes are linked together with footage of Schumer's stand-up.[43]
The TV show Inside Amy Schumer premiered on Comedy Central on April 30, 2013. Inside Amy Schumer was picked up for a second season that began in 2014. A behind-the-scenes miniseries entitled Behind Amy Schumer premiered in 2012. The third season premiered on April 21, 2015, with a fourth season ordered the same day.[44] In 2014, Schumer embarked on her Back Door Tour to promote the second season of her show.[45] The show was closed by Bridget Everett, whom Schumer cites as her favorite live performer.[46] She also appeared as a guest on an episode of comedian Jerry Seinfeld's Internet series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee in 2014.[47]
She hosted the 2015 MTV Movie Awards, which took place on April 11.[48] Schumer wrote and played her first leading film role in Trainwreck, co-starring Bill Hader, which was released on July 17, 2015.[49] In August 2015, Jennifer Lawrence said she and Schumer planned to co-star in a film for which they and Schumer's sister Kim were co-writing a screenplay.[50] However, Schumer later revealed the project was on the "back burner".[51] Schumer performed as opening act for Madonna on three New York City dates of the singer's Rebel Heart Tour in September 2015.[52] On October 17, 2015, Schumer's comedy special Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo premiered on HBO.[53][54] In 2016, it was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Variety Special, Writing, and Directing.[55][56][57] It also garnered her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.[58]
In May 2020, Schumer alongside her husband Chris Fischer starred in an eight-episode cooking show Amy Schumer Learns to Cook, for Food Network which followed Schumer and Fischer cooking while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic.[72] The series was self-shot and also featured Schumer donating to The Coalition of Immokalee Workers Fair Food Program and domestic violence organizations.[73] It premiered on May 11, 2020.[74] She next appeared in a documentary series Expecting Amy, which she also executive produced, following Schumer preparing for a stand-up special while going through a difficult pregnancy for HBO Max, which premiered on July 9, 2020.[75][76]
In June 2015, Monica Heisey of The Guardian criticized her for "a shockingly large blind spot around race".[93] Schumer responded on Twitter, stating "I go in and out of playing an irreverent idiot. That includes making dumb jokes involving race ... You can call it a 'blind spot for racism' or 'lazy,' but you are wrong. It is a joke ... I am not racist."[94] Schumer was again criticized in July 2020 by Kyndall Cunningham of The Daily Beast for her earlier work, which included "objectifying black men" and calling Latina women "crazy". Cunningham described her "sudden" decision to support the Black Lives Matter movement as "befuddling and laughable".[95]
After a fatal shooting took place at a showing of Trainwreck in Louisiana, Schumer advocated for stricter gun control laws and increased mental health funding.[100]
In November 2015, Schumer posed nude for a photo by photographer Annie Leibovitz for the 2016 edition of the Pirelli Calendar.[101] Schumer tweeted the photo, writing "Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you."[102]
In January 2016, Schumer was accused of stealing jokes from comedians Tammy Pescatelli, Kathleen Madigan, Wendy Liebman, and Patrice O'Neal.[103][104] Schumer denied the allegations.[105][106] Other comedians, such as Marc Maron and Dave Rubin, defended Schumer.[107][108] Pescatelli later apologized, stating it had "gone too far" and was probably "parallel thinking".[109] In 2017, a video showcasing all cases of alleged joke thefts were collated in a 26-minute compilation on YouTube by The Tangerine Show, garnering more than 8.8 million views as of May 2023.[110]
She has used her role as a comedian to encourage higher voter turnout and spread awareness about voter ID laws.[113][114] Prior to the 2022 midterm elections, Schumer worked with voter ID education and assistance organization VoteRiders to raise awareness of local ID requirements.[115]
In October 2023, Schumer was one of over 700 Hollywood professionals who signed an open letter condemning the terrorist group Hamas and demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza.[116] The letter reads, "As Israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran. We urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of Israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda."[117]
On February 13, 2018, Schumer married chef and farmer Chris Fischer in Malibu, California.[120][121] In October 2018, she announced that she was expecting their first child.[122] On May 5, 2019, Schumer gave birth to a boy, Gene.[123] Schumer initially gave Gene the middle name Attell, in honor of comedian Dave Attell, but changed it to David after realizing that "Gene Attell" sounded like "genital".[124] Her son was born by caesarean section because of her endometriosis.[125] In September 2021, Schumer had her uterus removed to alleviate symptoms related to the condition.[126] In February 2024, she announced that she had been diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome.[127]
^ abcZinoman, Jason (April 18, 2013). "Amy Schumer, Funny Girl". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2014. When Ms. Schumer was 9, her family went bankrupt and her father received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Three years later her parents divorced. ... Ms. Schumer, who said she is second cousin to Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York.
^Molyneaux, Libby (February 3, 2011). "Make Us Laugh, Funny Girl!". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2012. He is not my uncle, he is my dad's cousin, I don't even think they are first cousins.
^"All In with Chris Hayes [transcript]". NBC News. August 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Today, Senator Chuck Schumer joined actress and comedian Amy Schumer, who also happens to be her second cousin once removed, to call for stronger background checks for gun buyers. Requires clicking "Show more text" link.
^"Ass-kickin' Amy Schumer is on the rise". Laughspin.com. ServInt. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014. That's a good question. I don't know. Judaism, for me, is just another area where I didn't feel accepted or like I belonged. I grew up on Long Island, but I grew up in the Irish Catholic mecca of Long Island. I've done some material on being Jewish onstage, and I talk about how the kids used to call me 'Amy Jewmer.' And I really did: even with the parents of my friends, there was a ton of anti-Semitism going on, openly and in front of me. When I went to college, it was the first time I wasn't apologizing for being Jewish, but there's definitely some residual shame that I grew up with because of it.
^Handler, Rachel (July 2015). "Amy Schumer Does Not Need Your Approval". Complex. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. If a reference pops into my head I'll say it, but my experience of Judaism was this: I went to temple every Friday, and went to Sunday school, you know, Hebrew school, and then I had my Bat Mitzvah, and then I think that might be the last time I was in a temple.
^Landes, Rachel X. (July 22, 2015). "Amy Schumer's Childhood Rabbi Enjoyed 'Trainwreck'". Forward. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016. In a personal blog post for the Religious News Service, Salkin wrote, that the Schumers were very involved in Jewish life — Amy's mother served on the temple board and chaired the education committee. Salkin officiated at Amy's older brother's bar mitzvah.
^ abChester, Aaron (September 27, 2007). "Stand up, be recognized". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
^Chinen, Nate (December 10, 2015). "Jason Stein Puts a Jazz Spin on the Stand-Up of His Half-Sister Amy Schumer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2017. Technically they're half-siblings, though neither gives much thought to that distinction. Mr. Stein, whose parents divorced when he was 2, lived with his mother and stepfather, Amy's father, on Long Island. (His biological father, with whom Jason spent weekends, died when the boy was 10.)
^Sadowski, Michael (September 18, 2007). "Laugh it up: Comic comes to conquer Caesars". Pocono Record. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2012. It was the second time I auditioned for it. The first time they said I hadn't been around long enough, but I made it the second time I auditioned.
