History of Sarah Silverman in Timeline
Sarah Silverman is an American comedian, actress, and writer, recognized for her stand-up comedy and roles in television and film. She gained initial recognition as a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live. Silverman is most notably known for starring in and producing 'The Sarah Silverman Program' on Comedy Central, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Her comedic style often involves satire and addressing controversial topics.
1937: Donald Silverman's Birth
In 1937, Donald Silverman, Sarah Silverman's father, was born. He trained as a social worker and ran a clothing store.
1941: Birth of Beth Ann Halpin
In 1941, Beth Ann Halpin, Sarah Silverman's mother, was born. She later became George McGovern's personal campaign photographer and founded the New Thalian Players theater company.
December 1, 1970: Sarah Silverman's Birth
On December 1, 1970, Sarah Kate Silverman was born, marking the beginning of her life and career as a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer.
1988: Dated Kevin Brennan
In 1988, Sarah Silverman dated comedian Kevin Brennan.
1989: Graduation from The Derryfield School
In 1989, Sarah Silverman graduated from The Derryfield School in Manchester, marking a milestone in her education before pursuing comedy.
1992: Professional Standup Career
In 1992, Sarah Silverman started her professional standup career.
1993: Saturday Night Live
In 1993, Sarah Silverman joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and featured player.
1994: Departure from Saturday Night Live
In 1994, Sarah Silverman concluded her time as a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live after joining the show in 1993.
1996: The Larry Sanders Show Appearance
In 1996, Sarah Silverman appeared on The Larry Sanders Show, parodying her experience at SNL.
1996: Star Trek: Voyager Guest Appearance
In 1996, Sarah Silverman made a guest appearance on Star Trek: Voyager in the two-part episode "Future's End."
July 3, 1997: Late Show with David Letterman Debut
On July 3, 1997, Sarah Silverman made her network stand-up comedy debut on the Late Show with David Letterman.
1997: Seinfeld Guest Appearance
In 1997, Sarah Silverman appeared on the Seinfeld episode "The Money."
1997: Who's the Caboose?
In 1997, Sarah Silverman starred in the film Who's the Caboose?, marking one of her early roles in film.
2001: Controversy Over Use of Racial Slur
In 2001, Sarah Silverman used the racial slur "chink" in an ironic fashion in the context of a joke during a TV interview with Conan O'Brien. Guy Aoki of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) publicly objected to her use of the slur, and the two had an open discussion on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. Silverman defended the joke and did not apologize.
2002: V.I.P. and Greg the Bunny Appearances
In 2002, Sarah Silverman appeared on V.I.P. and became a series regular on Greg the Bunny, expanding her presence on television.
2002: Began Dating Jimmy Kimmel
In 2002, Sarah Silverman began dating Jimmy Kimmel.
2003: School of Rock
In 2003, Sarah Silverman acted in the film School of Rock, adding to her acting credits.
2005: Jesus Is Magic Routine
In 2005, Sarah Silverman joked about killing Jesus in her "Jesus is Magic" routine, saying "I'm glad the Jews killed Jesus. I'd do it again!"
2005: Release of Jesus Is Magic
In 2005, Sarah Silverman released her concert film, Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic, based on her one-woman show.
2006: Maxim Hot 100 List Ranking
In 2006, Sarah Silverman was ranked 50th on Maxim's Hot 100 List.
February 2007: The Sarah Silverman Program Debut
In February 2007, The Sarah Silverman Program premiered on Comedy Central, showcasing a fictionalized version of Sarah Silverman's life.
June 2007: Controversy at MTV Movie Awards
During the MTV Movie Awards in June 2007, which she hosted, Sarah Silverman joked in her opening monologue about Paris Hilton going to jail for violating probation on an alcohol-related drunk-driving conviction, making Hilton – who was in the live audience – noticeably uncomfortable. She later apologized for the jokes.
June 2007: MTV Movie Awards Hosting
In June 2007, Sarah Silverman hosted the MTV Movie Awards, where she made controversial comments about Paris Hilton.
September 2007: MTV Video Music Awards Appearance
In September 2007, Sarah Silverman appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards and mocked Britney Spears' performance.
2007: Maxim Hot 100 Cover
In 2007, Sarah Silverman was ranked 29th on Maxim's Hot 100 List and appeared on the cover.
2007: The Sarah Silverman Program Debut
In 2007, The Sarah Silverman Program, starring and produced by Sarah Silverman, premiered on Comedy Central.
2007: Blackface Controversy on The Sarah Silverman Program
In 2007, in an episode of "The Sarah Silverman Program", Sarah Silverman's character wore blackface and said "I look like the beautiful Queen Latifah."
2007: Recently Wet the Bed
In a 2007 interview, Silverman stated that she struggled with bedwetting from the time she was young until well into her teens and stated she had recently wet the bed.
January 2008: "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" Video
In January 2008, Sarah Silverman appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and presented the video "I'm Fucking Matt Damon", a duet with Matt Damon about an affair, which became a viral hit.
July 2008: Reported Split with Jimmy Kimmel
In July 2008, Vanity Fair reported that Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel had split.
September 13, 2008: Creative Arts Emmy Award
On September 13, 2008, Sarah Silverman won a Creative Arts Emmy Award for writing the song "I'm Fucking Matt Damon".
October 2008: Reported Reconciliation with Jimmy Kimmel
In October 2008, the media reported that Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel were on "the road back to being together".
March 2009: Final Split with Jimmy Kimmel
In March 2009, Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel split again after attending the wedding of Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky.
2009: Appearance in Strange Powers Documentary
In 2009, Sarah Silverman appeared in Strange Powers, a documentary about Stephin Merritt and his band The Magnetic Fields.
April 2010: Published Autobiography The Bedwetter
In April 2010, Sarah Silverman's autobiography, titled "The Bedwetter", was published, exploring the subject of bedwetting as well as other personal stories from her life.
2010: Briefly Dated Alec Sulkin
In 2010, Sarah Silverman briefly dated Family Guy's executive producer Alec Sulkin.
2010: Publication of The Bedwetter
In 2010, Sarah Silverman published her comic memoir, The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee.
2010: The Bedwetter Autobiography Release
In 2010, Sarah Silverman released her autobiography, The Bedwetter, sharing personal stories and experiences.
2010: End of The Sarah Silverman Program
In 2010, The Sarah Silverman Program, which had been running since 2007 on Comedy Central, concluded.
2011: Take This Waltz
In 2011, Sarah Silverman appeared in the film Take This Waltz, showcasing her range as an actress.
September 20, 2012: Public Service Announcement
On September 20, 2012, Sarah Silverman released a public service announcement (PSA) criticizing new voter identification laws.
2012: Take This Waltz Distribution
In 2012, Magnolia Pictures picked up Take This Waltz, which stars Sarah Silverman, for U.S. distribution after its premiere in 2011.
2012: Susan in 313 Pilot
In 2012, Sarah Silverman starred in a pilot for NBC called Susan in 313, which was ordered for the 2012-2013 season but ultimately not picked up.
2012: Wreck-It Ralph Voice Acting
In 2012, Sarah Silverman voiced Vanellope von Schweetz in the Disney animated film Wreck-It Ralph, marking her entry into voice acting for major animated films.
2012: Voicing Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph
In 2012, Sarah Silverman voiced Vanellope von Schweetz, one of the main characters in Disney's animated film Wreck-It Ralph.
March 10, 2013: Jash Channel Premiere
On March 10, 2013, the YouTube comedy channel Jash, co-created by Sarah Silverman, premiered online.
2013: People in New Jersey Pilot
In 2013, HBO announced that Sarah Silverman would star in a situation comedy pilot called "People in New Jersey", alongside Patti LuPone and Topher Grace, produced by Lorne Michaels. However, the pilot was not picked up for a series order.
2013: Susan in 313 Not Picked Up
In 2013, the NBC pilot Susan in 313, starring Sarah Silverman, was not picked up for a full season despite initial interest.
May 30, 2014: A Million Ways to Die in the West Release
On May 30, 2014, A Million Ways to Die in the West, starring Sarah Silverman as Ruth, was released.
August 2014: Acknowledged Relationship with Michael Sheen
At the Emmy Awards in August 2014, Sarah Silverman acknowledged she and Welsh actor Michael Sheen were in a relationship.
December 2014: Attendance at Western Wall Menorah Lighting
In December 2014, Sarah Silverman was present when women lit menorahs at the Western Wall for the first time.
2014: A Million Ways to Die in the West
In 2014, Sarah Silverman acted in A Million Ways to Die in the West, expanding her presence in comedy films.
2014: Stated She Will Never Get Married
In 2014, Sarah Silverman tweeted: "Just read that I wanna get married which is hilarious b/c I will never get married," adding, "Why would I want the govt involved in my love life? Ew. It's barbaric."
September 2015: Signed Open Letter for Women's Development
In September 2015, Sarah Silverman signed an open letter which the ONE Campaign had been collecting signatures for; the letter was addressed to Angela Merkel and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, urging them to focus on women, as they served as the head of the G7 in Germany and the African Union in Ethiopia, respectively, which would start to set the priorities in development funding in advance of a main UN summit in September 2015 that would establish new development goals for a generation.
2015: Death of Beth Ann Halpin
In 2015, Beth Ann Halpin, Sarah Silverman's mother, passed away. She was known for her work as a campaign photographer and founder of a theater company.
2015: Endorsed Bernie Sanders for President
In 2015, Sarah Silverman endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for President of the United States, saying: "He says what he means and he means what he says and he's not for sale." She had previously introduced Sanders at a rally in Los Angeles, California that drew an audience of over 27,500 people.
2015: I Smile Back Nomination
In 2015, Sarah Silverman was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her lead role in the film I Smile Back.
2015: Potential Voice Acting Role for Neopolitan in RWBY
In 2015, before the second volume of RWBY's Volume 2 premiered, the show's staff had considered Sarah Silverman for the voice of Neopolitan. However, according to the show's companion book, the voice acting role "never solidified."
July 2016: Hospitalized with Epiglottitis
In July 2016, Sarah Silverman spent a week in the intensive care unit at Cedars Sinai Hospital with epiglottitis.
2016: Political Activism
During the 2016 United States presidential election, Sarah Silverman became increasingly politically active, initially supporting Bernie Sanders and later Hillary Clinton.
2016: Supported Hillary Clinton at Democratic National Convention
In 2016, after initially supporting Bernie Sanders, Sarah Silverman spoke in support of Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. In her convention speech, she urged other Sanders supporters to back Clinton and, later, amid boos from some Sanders supporters, said: "Can I just say? To the 'Bernie or Bust' people, you're being ridiculous".
2017: Hosting I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman
From 2017, Sarah Silverman hosted the Hulu streaming television late-night talk show "I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman".
2017: Prioritized Career Over Motherhood
In 2017, Sarah Silverman also said that she has prioritized her artistic career, constantly on tour, instead of motherhood.
2017: Battle of the Sexes
In 2017, Sarah Silverman appeared in Battle of the Sexes, contributing to a film about a significant historical event.
2017: I Love You, America
In 2017, Sarah Silverman began hosting the Hulu late-night talk show I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman.
2017: Reflected on Racial Slur Controversy
In 2017, in an interview in the docu-series "The History of Comedy", Sarah Silverman stated that she learned a lot from the 2001 experience using a racial slur, including that her comedy style isn't for everyone, but she does not want to be viewed as racist because that was not her intent.
February 2018: Broke Up with Michael Sheen
In February 2018, Sarah Silverman said that she and Michael Sheen had broken up over the holidays.
2018: Ralph Breaks the Internet
In 2018, Sarah Silverman reprised her role as Vanellope von Schweetz in Ralph Breaks the Internet, the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph.
2018: Reprising Role in Ralph Breaks the Internet
In 2018, Sarah Silverman reprised her role as Vanellope von Schweetz in the Wreck-It Ralph sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet.
2018: End of I Love You, America
In late 2018, Sarah Silverman's Hulu talk show, I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman, concluded.
2018: Hosting I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman
Until 2018, Sarah Silverman hosted the Hulu streaming television late-night talk show "I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman".
October 10, 2019: Featured in Laughing Matters Documentary
On October 10, 2019, Sarah Silverman was featured in a 30-minute YouTube documentary called "Laughing Matters", created by SoulPancake in collaboration with Funny or Die. The documentary featured a variety of comedians discussing mental health.
2019: Received Death Wishes Over Jesus Is Magic Routine
In 2019, Sarah Silverman received death wishes from two Baptist pastors over her 2005 routine "Jesus is Magic", where she joked about killing Jesus. In response, Silverman condemned the pastors and the "manipulation of what can be true".
2019: Fired from film due to resurfaced blackface still
In 2019, Sarah Silverman said that a resurfaced still from the 2007 sketch on "The Sarah Silverman Program" where she wore blackface had recently caused her to be fired from an unnamed film.
September 23, 2020: Encouraged Followers to Contact VoteRiders
On September 23, 2020, Sarah Silverman encouraged her Instagram followers to contact VoteRiders, a voter ID education organization, to make sure they have the necessary ID to vote.
October 2020: Launched The Sarah Silverman Podcast
In October 2020, Sarah Silverman launched "The Sarah Silverman Podcast", in which she discusses topics ranging from her personal life to societal issues, politics, and current events, as well as responding to listener call-ins.
November 17, 2020: Stated She Was Dating Rory Albanese
On November 17, 2020, Sarah Silverman stated on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show that she was dating Rory Albanese, the former showrunner of The Daily Show.
2020: Endorsed Bernie Sanders Again
In 2020, Sarah Silverman again endorsed Bernie Sanders and campaigned for him for the US presidential election.
2021: Regret Over Britney Spears Remarks
In 2021, Sarah Silverman's 2007 monologue at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she mocked Britney Spears' "slutty clothes" and called her two sons "adorable mistakes", garnered renewed criticism shortly after the release of the documentary "Framing Britney Spears". In the wake of this, Silverman expressed regret over her remarks and claimed that she had not seen Spears' performance before taking the stage.
July 10, 2022: The Bedwetter Musical Run Ended
On July 10, 2022, the off-Broadway musical, "The Bedwetter", adapted by Sarah Silverman, concluded its run at the Atlantic Theatre Company's Linda Gross Theatre. The musical, for which Silverman wrote the book and lyrics, starred Caissie Levy and Bebe Neuwirth, and was directed by Anne Kauffman.
2022: The Bedwetter Off-Broadway Adaptation
In 2022, Sarah Silverman adapted her autobiography The Bedwetter into an off-Broadway musical.
2022: Revealed She Has Misophonia
In 2022, Sarah Silverman revealed on her own podcast that she has misophonia, having first noticed it when she was a teenager.
July 2023: Sued OpenAI and Meta Platforms
In July 2023, Sarah Silverman and two other authors sued the tech companies OpenAI and Meta Platforms, alleging that the defendants' respective language models ChatGPT and LLaMA were trained on the plaintiffs' books without permission or compensation and that they had obtained said books through an illegal venue.
October 2023: Supported Israel During Gaza War and Left DSA
In October 2023, Sarah Silverman posted social media posts and stories in support of Israel during the Gaza war. She also left the Democratic Socialists of America after being a member for several years, citing their published response to the initial Hamas attacks and lack of support for Israel.
2023: Death of Donald Silverman
In 2023, Donald Silverman, Sarah Silverman's father, passed away. He had a career as a social worker and clothing store owner.
2023: Someone You Love Premiered on Max
In 2023, Sarah Silverman's stand-up comedy special, "Someone You Love", premiered on the HBO streaming service Max. It was the first stand-up comedy special to premiere on Max. It was filmed at the Wilbur Theater in Boston, and debuted her new song, "Something to Tell You". The special received a Golden Globe nomination, and won the Writers Guild of American Award for Outstanding Comedy/Variety Special.
2023: Criticism for Sharing Post Supporting Israel's Restrictions on Gaza
In 2023, during the Gaza war, Sarah Silverman was criticized for sharing an Instagram post on her story that supported Israel's restriction of food, water, and electricity to Gaza. Silverman later took the post down, claiming she had not read it in full before posting.
February 2024: Began hosting Stupid Pet Tricks on TBS
In February 2024, Sarah Silverman began hosting "Stupid Pet Tricks", a TV series on TBS. This comedy variety show is based on David Letterman's popular segment on his "The Late Show with David Letterman". The series give pet owners a chance to showcase their own pet's silly antics. The show will have a ten-episode first season.
May 20, 2025: Postmortem Premiered on Netflix
On May 20, 2025, Sarah Silverman's stand-up special "Postmortem" premiered on Netflix. It largely dealt with Silverman grieving her parents, who died nine days apart in 2023. It was recorded at the Beacon Theater in New York City.
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