History of Amber Ruffin in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 16, 2026

Amber Ruffin is an American comedian, writer, and actress. She is known for hosting "The Amber Ruffin Show" on Peacock and for being a writer on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" since 2014. Notably, she was the first Black woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the United States, marking a significant milestone in the industry.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

January 9, 1979: Amber Ruffin's Birth

On January 9, 1979, Amber Mildred Ruffin was born. She is an American comedian, writer, and actress.

Others born on this day/year

1996: Graduates from Benson High School

In 1996, Amber Ruffin graduated from Benson High School.

2001: Starts Performing in Local Theater

In 2001, Amber Ruffin began performing in local theater productions and improv in Omaha.

2008: Moves to Amsterdam to Work with Boom Chicago

In 2008, after finishing her classes at iO, Amber Ruffin moved to Amsterdam to work as a writer and performer on the improv comedy troupe Boom Chicago Amsterdam.

2010: Marriage to Jan Schiltmeijer

In 2010, Amber Ruffin married Dutch artist Jan Schiltmeijer.

2011: Moves to Los Angeles and Joins RobotDown

In 2011, Amber Ruffin moved to Los Angeles, joined the YouTube comedy group RobotDown, and appeared on an episode of Key & Peele.

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2013: Saturday Night Live Receives Backlash

In 2013, Saturday Night Live received backlash for not having any Black women on the cast.

2014: Auditions for Saturday Night Live and Joins Late Night

In 2014, Amber Ruffin auditioned for Saturday Night Live, but was unsuccessful. Shortly after, she joined Late Night with Seth Meyers as a writer.

2014: Joins Late Night with Seth Meyers

In 2014, Amber Ruffin joined Late Night with Seth Meyers as a writer. She became the first Black woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the United States.

2014: King of Kong wins Best Overall Musical at Fringe Festival

In 2014, King of Kong: A Musical Parody, co-written and performed by Amber Ruffin, won Best Overall Musical at the New York International Fringe Festival.

2015: King of Kong wins Best Musical at Hollywood Fringe Festival

In 2015, King of Kong: A Musical Parody won Best Musical & Outstanding Songwriting at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

September 2016: King of Kong performance attended by Billy Mitchell

In September 2016, King of Kong: A Musical Parody was performed at Sacred Fools, and the target of the parody, Billy Mitchell, attended.

2017: Develops Going Dutch Comedy Show

In 2017, Amber Ruffin developed a single-camera comedy show, Going Dutch, but the series was not ordered. She was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America award.

February 2018: Hosts Writers Guild of America Awards Ceremony

In February 2018, Amber Ruffin hosted the 70th Writers Guild of America awards ceremony.

2019: Orders Pilot Presentation for Village Gazette

In 2019, NBC ordered a pilot presentation for Amber Ruffin's single-camera comedy series Village Gazette. In the same year Ruffin was a writer for the first season of A Black Lady Sketch Show on HBO.

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September 25, 2020: The Amber Ruffin Show Premieres

On September 25, 2020, Amber Ruffin's late-night talk show, The Amber Ruffin Show, premiered on NBC's streaming service Peacock.

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January 12, 2021: Releases You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey

On January 12, 2021, Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar released their co-authored book, 'You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism', which appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.

January 2021: Co-Authors a Bestselling Book

In January 2021, Amber Ruffin co-authored the book 'You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism' with her sister Lacey Lamar, which became a New York Times Best Seller.

February 2021: Co-writes Broadway Musical Adaptation

In February 2021, it was announced that Amber Ruffin was set to co-write the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot alongside Matthew Lopez.

2021: The Amber Ruffin Show Nominated for Writers Guild of America award

In 2021, The Amber Ruffin Show was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award in the category "Comedy/Variety Sketch Series".

September 2022: Voices Purple M&M Spokescandy

In September 2022, it was revealed that Amber Ruffin would be the voice actor of Purple, the new spokescandy for M&M's.

2022: Founds Straight to Cards Production Company

In 2022, Amber Ruffin and her writing partner Jenny Hagel co-founded their production company Straight to Cards under their overall deal with Universal Television.

2023: Divorce from Jan Schiltmeijer

In 2023, Amber Ruffin and Dutch artist Jan Schiltmeijer divorced.

2024: Comes Out as Queer

On the last day of 2024's Pride Month, Amber Ruffin came out as queer on Instagram by showing a photo of herself wearing a shirt saying "QUEER."

February 2025: Named Featured Entertainment for White House Correspondents' Dinner

In February 2025, the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) board announced that Amber Ruffin would be the featured entertainment for the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 26.