Janeane Garofalo (born
September 28,
1964), born in
Newton, New Jersey, is a successful
commedienne and
Hollywood actress. She began her career in
stand-up comedy in the early
90s during the
grunge era. Her appearance was often in line with grunge style: disheveled with thick black glasses and unkempt hair. Her comedy was often self-deprecating; she made fun of
popular culture and the pressures put on women to be beautiful and thin. However she was soon
part of popular culture thanks in large part to the success of her roles in films such as
The Truth About Cats and Dogs[?] and
Reality Bites[?]. She also had memorable cameos in
Romy & Michele's High School Reunion[?] and
The Cable Guy[?]. She continues to act in films and do comedy in
2003.
Garofolo was outspoken about her opposition to what became the 2003 Iraq war, appearing on CNN and Fox to discuss it.
"I think that by staying out of shape at the age of 33 I'm doing myself a huge favor for my future. There will never be anyone commenting on how I've 'let myself go.' I've gone. It's gone. It's not
going, it's GONE."