Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
For projects wanting to add some oddball oomph to their proceedings, there’s no one that’s more up to that challenge than comedian/author/late night dynamo/homemaking anarchist Amy Sedaris. Sedaris is well-known for her lead role in the cult classic sitcom Strangers With Candy, and she can currently be heard in Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. Most pop culture enthusiasts, however, probably recognize Sedaris from 20 years’ worth of small but aggressively memorable roles.
Jeff Garlin’s new Netflix film Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie gives viewers another dynamite dose of Sedaris. As the intensely flirtatious Lieutenant Tucker, Sedaris bounces strange monologues and dozens of over-the-top seductive glances off of a mostly unfazed Garlin. If Handsome gets you in the mood for more of Sedaris’ maniacal brand of more, then here are ten appearances you’ll want to check out.
'Elf' (2003)
Since its theatrical release, Elf has become a parent-approved holiday classic and spawned tie-ins ranging from storybooks to a full-blown musical. Considering how massive the festive film has become, it’s easy to overlook just how weird Elf is. The film is packed with non sequiturs that reward repeat viewings, and most of those come from Amy Sedaris in the role of secretary Deb. Because of Sedaris, the line “I don’t know, Connie. I’ve never declawed kittens before!” is heard thousands of time across the country every December.
'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' (2004)
Surprise—not every Sedaris scene-steal comes from a comedy! Just like every other NYC-based actor, Amy Sedaris has a Law & Order on her resume. In Season 5’s “Head,” she played Charlie Donato, a specialist at a surveillance store that’s a whiz at building custom cameras and deflecting the snark of Richard Belzer and Ice-T. Her cameo even includes the comical name “Fetish Man,” except on SVU that name is not played as a joke.
'My Name Is Earl' (2006)
This role shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Amy Sedaris’ vibe fits right in with the pop culture trope of “crazy cat lady.” The Season 2 episode of the early ’00s NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl titled “Larceny of a Kitty Cat” puts Sedaris in the role she was born to play: over-protective show-mom to a cat pompously named Sebastian du Champ.
'Andy Barker P.I.' (2007)
The final episode of Andy Richter’s one-season-wonder sitcom Andy Barker P.I. includes a star turn from Sedaris—literally. “The Lady Varnishes” finds Sedaris playing Rita Spaulding, a sexually adventurous ex-Hollywood starlet that’s spent 40 years in the slammer. Sedaris really milks the film fatale role, even making the word “dewy” sound explicit.
'Royal Pains' (2011)
USA’s long-running medical series exists somewhere on the spectrum between comedy and drama, although Sedaris’ role in the Season Two episode “Mulligan” pushes Royal Pains towards the absurd. Paired with David Costabile, Sedaris plays a ritzy and flashy golf enthusiast named Nan. Know what else she’s an enthusiast of? Cocaine!
'Raising Hope' (2011)
Amy Sedaris first appeared in Raising Hope in the appropriately titled Season One episode “What Up, Cuz?” In the offbeat Fox family sitcom, Sedaris plays the fortune-seeking cousin of Martha Plimpton’s Virginia. Sedaris actually pops up three times over the course of Raising Hope‘s run; her character Delilah even gets the traditional sitcom Vegas wedding in Season Two’s “Henderson, Nevada-Adjacent, Baby! Henderson, Nevada-Adjacent!”
'30 Rock' (2012)
Sedaris only needs a second to make an impact, and that’s pretty much what happens in 30 Rock’s Season Seven episode “Unwindulax.” As “visor lady,” Sedaris plays a member of Jenna Maroney’s Jimmy Buffett-style cult (the Crab Catchers) and steals focus with one line and one pro-crabs t-shirt. Warning: this episode contains a lot of commentary on the 2012 presidential election so, you know, heads up in case you’re still reeling from the most recent one.
'Broad City' (2014)
Amy Sedaris’ one episode of Broad City is quite possibly the pièce de résistance of her career as a sitcom pinch hitter. In Season One’s “Apartment Hunters,” her apartment broker arrives in full neck-brace and tchotchke regalia by running her electric car up on the sidewalk. From there, she takes Abbi and Ilana from apartment to apartment, trying to pass off the slums of the city as luxury living. The episode includes a line that needs to become a catchphrase: “Where isn’t the bathroom?!”
'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' (2015)
Like in Raising Hope, Sedaris has a recurring role on Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as Jacqueline White’s divorced friend Mimi Kanasis. Of all the shows on this list, Schmidt might just be the one to consistently match Sedaris’ kooky energy; Sedaris doesn’t bring the weird to Kimmy, she just adds to it. Still, Mimi Kanasis manages to steal scenes just by keeping busy in the background or doing an outstandingly bad Sia impression.
'Difficult People' (2015)
Sedaris played her second character named Rita in two episodes of Hulu’s Difficult People. Rita, a pushy employee of City Sports, debuts in Season One’s “Even Later.” Since this is Sedaris, though, you know her character goes further than just trying to sell Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner a ping pong table. Rita reveals that she’s also a disgraced Olympic gymnast, one whose entire life went to hell after a run-in with Wheaties. Sedaris reprised her Rita role in the Season Two finale “High Alert,” adding “ordained minister” to her weirdo character’s repertoire.
