South African–New Zealand comedian (born 1976)
Urzila Carlson Born 1975 or 1976 (age 48–49)Johannesburg , South Africa Medium Nationality New Zealand Years active 2008–present Subject(s) Children 2 Website urzilacarlson .com Known for
Urzila Carlson ( UR-shih-la ;[citation needed ] (born 1976[ 1] ) is a South African -born New Zealand comedian and actor , known for her stand-up performances as well as her appearances on television programs in both New Zealand and Australia . Carlson is a regular panellist on 7 Days [ 2] [ 3] and both the Australian and New Zealand version of Have You Been Paying Attention? .[ 1] She was also a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia for the show's second and third seasons[ 4] and a contestant on the second season of Taskmaster NZ .[ 5]
Early life and education
Urzila Carlson was born in 1976 at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Johannesburg .[ 6] She grew up on the Ingwelala nature reserve next to Kruger National Park and has a brother and a sister.[ 7] [ 8] [ 9] Her father was a violent alcoholic , and her parents separated when she was 6 or 7 years old.[ 1] [ 8] [ 9]
Career
Carlson's first job was as a typesetter for a South African newspaper , which she did for 12 years.[ 2] By the age of 24 she was "production manager for Africa's largest newspaper group with 13 newspapers and 6 magazines,"[ 8] and won awards for graphic design and photograph retouching .[ 6]
She moved to New Zealand in 2006[ 6] and transitioned into comedy in 2008, when she was 32.[ 2] [ 8]
She has appeared on the Australian shows The Project ,[ 10] Studio 10 ,[ 11] Spicks and Specks ,[ 12] Orange Is the New Brown ,[ 13] Have You Been Paying Attention? ,[ 12] Hughesy, We Have a Problem ,[ 12] and two seasons of The Masked Singer .[ 4] She has also appeared on New Zealand shows 7 Days , Have You Been Paying Attention? and Super City .[ 1] [ 2] [ 12]
Her stand-up routines include The Long Flight To Freedom .[ 6] Carlson performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala from 2016 to 2018.[ 9]
She released a memoir in 2016 called Rolling with the Punchlines .[ 9] [ 14]
In 2021, she was a contestant on the second series of Taskmaster New Zealand .[ 5]
In 2022, she was a guest judge on Drag Race Down Under .[ 15] Carlson appeared on the Australian season of Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee .[ 16]
Recognition and awards
Carlson was nominated for the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer in 2018.[ 17]
In 2019, she appeared in Netflix 's Comedians of the World .[ 18] [ 19] [ 12] The same year, she was presented with the Rielly Comedy Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for her contribution to New Zealand entertainment.[ 20]
She won Best Female Comedian at the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards six times (2010-2014 and 2016).[ 9] [ 21] [ 22] [ 23]
Personal life
Carlson speaks South African English and Afrikaans .[ 6] She emigrated to New Zealand from South Africa in 2006 after being subjected to a series of thefts, including her car being stolen, an armed robbery at work, and a break-in at her home in which she and her neighbours confronted the intruder with cricket bats. She became a New Zealand citizen in 2012 and renounced her South African citizenship .[ 6]
Carlson is a lesbian , and came out to her mother when she was 24.[ 2] [ 1] She refers to herself as a "lesbiterian",[ 2] a portmanteau of lesbian and Presbyterian .[ 1] [ 18] She married her partner Julie in 2014, and they have a son and a daughter together.[ 24] [ 25]
In 2018, she was named Australasian Ambassador of South African Tourism , representing the country as part of an ongoing campaign to encourage Australians, New Zealanders, and South African expatriates to visit the country.[ 7]
As of 2019, she lives in Auckland .[ 8] [ 25] [ 19]
References
^ a b c d e f Quinn, Karl (8 March 2018). "Urzila Carlson treats stand-up 'like I'm at a barbecue with mates talking s---' " . The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019 . The 42-year-old South African-born, Auckland-based lesbyterian...
^ a b c d e f Chateau, Carroll du (7 October 2011). "Urzila Carlson: The comedian standing up for herself" . NZ Herald . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ Kanowski, Sarah (23 March 2018). "Urzila Carlson: a life without regrets" . ABC listen . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ a b "The first unmasking. Urzila Carlson is ready to play detective" . ViacomCBS ANZ . Network Ten . 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020 .
^ a b "Taskmaster NZ to return with new line up of comedians" . Stuff . 29 May 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ a b c d e f "URZILA CARLSON: THE LONG FLIGHT TO FREEDOM" . Theatreview . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ a b "Comedian Urzila Carlson is new South African Tourism Ambassador" . Travel Monitor . 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2024 .
^ a b c d e Dann, Jennifer (29 November 2016). "Twelve questions with Urzila Carlson" . The New Zealand Herald . ISSN 1170-0777 . Retrieved 15 January 2019 .
^ a b c d e " 'Rolling With The Punchlines' Is Urzila Carlson's Fascinating Memoir" . LOTL . 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
^ Urzila Carlson | The Project (Video). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024 – via YouTube.
^ Urzila Carlson: The Standout Of Stand-Up | Studio 10 (Video). 25 September 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024 – via YouTube.
^ a b c d e Samantha, Mafucci (7 January 2019). "Who Is Urzila Carlson? New Details On The Comic From 'Comedians Of The World' On Netflix" . YourTango . Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ Burke, Tina (7 September 2018). "Nazeem Hussain, Urzila Carlson and Matt Okine to star in Seven's new sketch show" . Now To Love . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ Carlson, Urzila (2016). Rolling with the punchlines . Sydney: A & U New Zealand. ISBN 9781877505638 . OCLC 1057621440 .
^ Loschiavo, Will (1 November 2024). "Urzila Carlson: Beyond Comedy" . Out in Jersey . Retrieved 10 November 2024 .
^ Story, Hannah (6 August 2024). "How Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee evolved from lockdown balm to Australian TV show" . MSN . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ "Celia Pacquola wins Best Comedy Performer at the 2018 Helpmann Awards" . comedy.com.au . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ a b Steve Bennett (2 January 2019). "Comedians Of The World – Urzila Carlson" . Chortle . Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019 .
^ a b "Urzila Carlson goes global with Netflix comedy special Comedians Of The World" . Newshub . 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019.
^ Cherry, Amber (26 September 2024). "Watch Urzila Carlson's Hysterical Comedy Special, 'It's Personal' " . 800 Pound Gorilla . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ "Carlson retains comedy crown for fourth year" . GayNZ.com . 9 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
^ "2014 Guild Awards" . New Zealand Comedy Guild . Retrieved 22 December 2024 .
^ "2016 Guild Awards" . New Zealand Comedy Guild . Retrieved 22 December 2024 .
^ "7 Days comedian Urzila Carlson welcomes baby boy" . Stuff . 12 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019 .
^ a b Weaser, Laura (27 October 2014). "Urzila Carlson's Kiwi love story" . Now To Love . Retrieved 21 December 2024 .
External links
International National People