Affable, charismatic and one of a kind, Fortune Feimster is a standup comedian, writer and actor who uses her confessional comedy to bring people together. Through laughter and storytelling, Fortune shows audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations that common ground is only a joke or two away.
Last Fall, she expanded on that commonality with her new one-hour special “Good Fortune.” Now streaming on Netflix, the comedy special has earned praise from both fans and critics with the LA Times naming it to their Best of List for 2022 and it scored a nomination at this year’s Critics Choice Awards!
In addition to bringing her comedy to fans across the world with her new Live Laugh Love Tour, Feimster returned to Netflix May 25 with the release of action-comedy series FUBAR alongside actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as he returns to screens for his first TV series. Just renewed for a second season, the series was number 1 on Netflix around the world for its first 10 days of release and topped 100 million views in less than a week. Feimster stars as Roo Russell in the show about a father and daughter who learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years, realizing their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all. Forced to team up as partners, the series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, action and humor.
The North Carolina native began her ascent to popularity as a writer and panelist on E’s hit show “Chelsea Lately.” She then starred as a series regular on “The Mindy Project” for Hulu and on “Champions” and “Kenan” for NBC. She has logged a multitude of guest appearances on television shows, including “Claws,” “Nora from Queens,” “2 Broke Girls,” “The L Word: Generation Q,” “Workaholics,” “Glee,” and “Tales of the City.” Audiences became even more familiar with Fortune through her recurring role as the popular character Dougie on CBS’s “Life In Pieces.”
Her movie roles include appearances in “Office Christmas Party,” “Yes Day,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” and “Father of the Year.” And she’s a voice actor, recently voicing the role of Evelyn on “The Simpsons” and Counselor Jerry in Pixar’s “Soul” along with recurring characters Brenda on “Bless the Harts” for Fox, Ava on “Summer Camp Island” for the Cartoon Network, and Olive in “Velma” on HBO Max.
Viewers really got to know Fortune through her first Netflix special, “Sweet & Salty,” which was nominated for a Critics Choice Award. With her last special “Good Fortune” and her Live Laugh Love Tour she expands further into her storytelling brand of comedy, hilariously delving into love, relationships, sexuality and shared experiences with Southern charm and the perspective of someone who grew up in the 1980s. She’s your funniest cousin who isn’t afraid to entertain the masses with tales of her good fortune, insecurities, and faux pas, including meeting her spouse in a parking lot, falling in love and her extravagant proposal that didn’t quite go as planned.
She’s appeared as a guest on late-night including “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “Conan” and more. Her previous half-hour specials on Comedy Central and on Netflix’s season one of “The Standups” led Decider to rave, “her presence is positively inspirational.”
She can also currently be heard every morning on Sirius XM with Tom Papa on Netflix’s “What A Joke with Papa and Fortune” radio show. She also hosts a weekly podcast with her wife, Jax, called “Sincerely Fortune.”
Fortune has been building an innovative, inclusive, and unique career for more than 20 years. Be it on the road, her radio show, film, or television, her contagious and joyous comedy is touching lives and bringing us together daily. And with opportunities piling up as fast as punchlines, it’s clear the determined and unflappable comedian is just getting started.
Presented by Count Basie Center for the Arts & Outback Presents
