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Julia  Sweeney

Julia Sweeney

Comedian & Cancer Survivor

Julia Sweeney

Comedian & Cancer Survivor

Biography

Julia Sweeney joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1990 and stayed for four successful seasons. On Saturday Night Live, Sweeney was known for her wide-ranging characters and impersonations, including the sexually ambiguous “Pat,” singer “Ethel Merman,” and NBC News' “Jane Pauley.” Sweeney’s TV credits include appearances on Frasier, Mad About You, and 3rd Rock from the Sun and her film credits include roles in Pulp Fiction, Coneheads, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.

In the spring of 1995, Sweeney lost her brother to cancer. Just days after her brother’s death, she learned that she had cervical cancer. Her treatment consisted of a complete hysterectomy and 12 months of painful internal radiation therapy. Sweeney persevered and is now in complete remission. Her award-winning play, film, and book God Said, Ha! is her story of pain, the struggle to overcome, and her renewed outlook on life—an inspiring story for all.

Sweeney began her show business career at The Groundlings, an improvisational sketch comedy troupe in Los Angeles in the mid ’80s. There, she co-wrote and starred in a play based on a character she created in the sketch shows. It was called “Mea’s Big Apology” and won the Best New Play award from the L.A. Weekly in 1988.

Before all of this, Julia Sweeney received an economics degree from the University of Washington and worked for five years in the accounting department at Columbia Pictures.

Speech Topics

God Said Ha! Beating Cervical Cancer

Books & Media

Books

God Said, Ha!: A Memoir