Actress, comedian and author Chelsea Handler was born on February 25, 1973 in Livingston, New Jersey. She was raised Jewish by her parents. She began her career as a stand-up comedian, having performed her routine in numerous venues across the country. She began appearing on television in 2001, and subsequently gained fame as part of the candid camera show Girls Behaving Badly, which premiered a year later. This was followed by guest roles in several television series, including The Practice, My Wife and Kids, Reno 911! and The Bernie Mac Show.
Handler later became a contributor to several late night talk shows, initially with Last Call with Carson Daly, and later as a correspondent on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She was also a regular commentator on E!’s many “best of” programs, as well as the news analysis program Scarborough Country. She also hosted the audition episodes of the short-lived reality series On the Lot; she would be replaced by Adrianna Costa in the competition proper. In 2006, she starred in her own miniseries on E!, The Chelsea Handler Show, which consisted of sketches that mocked the entertainment industry. The program ran for only eight episodes, but its mix of stand-up segments, spoofs and field pieces proved to be a success.
The program’s success led E! to succeed the program with the late night talk show Chelsea Lately. The series, which premiered in 2007, featured Handler and three other panelists discuss celebrities, showbiz, and pop culture in general. Like with its predecessor, the format—combined with Handler’s sarcastic approach—was a hit with viewers.
Handler has also found success as a writer. Both of her books—My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands, her memoirs, and Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea—both charted at the New York Times Best Seller List.