Susie Youssef
| Susie Youssef | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Medium | Stand-up comedian, writer, actor, improviser |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genres | Sketch comedy, autobiographical comedy, improvisational comedy |
| Notable works and roles | Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia How Not to Behave No Activity Rosehaven |
| Website | www |
Susie Youssef is an Australian writer, actor and comedian who works in television, on radio and stage. She is best known for her appearances in the television series The Project, Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia, and Rosehaven, and has performed stand-up comedy at various Australian and international festivals.
Early life and education
[edit]Susie Youssef is a descendant of Lebanese immigrants.[1] She grew up with five sisters and she often uses her family for comedy inspiration.[2][3][4]
Youssef began comedy writing in high school, where she wrote her own plays. She began studying education, to become a teacher. A friend took her to an improvisational comedy show at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown in Sydney, which sparked a more serious interest in comedy.[5]
She quit college and attended iO Chicago, in the United States, where she studied improvisational performance and comedy.[6][7]
Career
[edit]Youssef began her comedy career as a writer for The Ronnie Johns Half Hour in 2006, and made her acting debut in the short film Clicked in the role of Lina in 2011.[citation needed]
Live performance
[edit]In 2014, Youssef played the lead role of Sarah in the Hayloft Project's stage play The Boat People.[8][9]
She started performing improvisational comedy live,[10] and later became a member of the Improv Theatre Sydney ensemble.[11]
Youssef made her solo debut in her sketch comedy show Sketchual Chocolate at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals. In 2015, she returned to the comedy festival circuit with her comedy show Owl Eyes On You and in 2016 made her debut in London and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her stand-up show Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef.[12] She has also performed at the Australian musical festival Homebake.[13]
In 2017, Youssef toured with her comedy show Behave Youssef.[14] In the same year, she hosted season two of the comedy TV series Stand and Deliver on ABC ME, which featured comedic acts from Australia and overseas.[15]
In September–October 2018, she performed with the Sydney Theatre Company at the Sydney Opera House in Dario Fo's political comedy Accidental Death of an Anarchist.[16][17] Later that year, she co-wrote and performed The Smallest Hour with writer and comedian Phil Spencer[a] at the Griffin in Sydney, a "comedy about broken dreams, second chances and velcro pants".[19] in a sold-out season.[17]
TV appearances
[edit]In 2015, she appeared in other television series, including Community Kitchen, About Tonight, The Checkout and Game Night. She had recurring roles in the television comedy series How Not to Behave, Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia, No Activity and Rosehaven, and a guest role in Here Come the Habibs in 2016.[citation needed]
She has also been a guest on The Project, All Star Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game, Have You Been Paying Attention?, and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.[citation needed]
In August 2024, the second 10-episode series of Julia Zemiro's Great Australian Walks launched, co-hosted by Youssef and Gina Chick owing to other commitments by Zemiro.[20][21] Youssef covers walks in Victoria and South Australia.[22]
Youssef will appear in the Australian adaptation of The Office, which is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 18 October 2024.[23]
Recognition
[edit]In 2014, Youssef won the Best on Stage award at the FBi SMAC Awards, for her role as Sarah in The Boat People.[24][8][9]
In 2020, Youssef was selected as one of ten Australian comedians to compete for $100,000 on the experimental reality television series Last One Laughing Australia hosted by Rebel Wilson and screening on Amazon Prime in June.[25][26]
Stand-up comedy tours
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sketchual Chocolate | Debut solo stand-up show at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals and Sydney Fringe Festival | Writer/performer |
| 2015 | Owl Eyes on You | Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival | Writer/performer |
| 2016 | Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef | Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival and Brisbane Comedy Festival | Writer/performer |
| 2017 | Behave Youssef | Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival | Writer/performer |
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Clicked | Lina | Actor |
| 2014 | Kevin Needs to Make New Friends: Because Everyone Hates Him for Some Reason | Jane | Actor |
| 2016 | Scare BNB | Ksenia | Actor |
| 2018 | The Call Back | Sam | Actor |
Television appearances
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Ronnie Johns Half Hour | Writer | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Game Night | Player Number 3 | 1 episode |
| 2015 | We Live to Science Another Day | Susie | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Here Come the Habibs | Marie | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Miles Holbeck: The Member | Sophie | 1 episode |
| 2016 | No Activity | Anousha | 3 episodes |
| 2016–2021 | Rosehaven | Gez | 10 episodes |
| 2017 | Get Krack!n | Egg Woman | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Squinters | Simoni | 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Making It Australia | Host | |
| 2023 | Deadloch | Aleyna Rahme | 8 episodes |
| 2024 | The Office | Georgia | 1 episode |
Television self appearances
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Last One Laughing | Herself | 6 episodes |
| 2019–present | The Project | Herself | |
| 2018–2019 | Hughesy, We Have a Problem | Herself | 5 episodes |
| 2019 | Celebrity Name Game | Herself | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Screen Time | Herself | 1 episode |
| All Star Family Feud | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2017–2019 | Have You Been Paying Attention? | Herself | 11 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia | Herself | 5 episodes |
| Comedy Up Late | Herself | 11 episodes | |
| 2015 | How Not to Behave | Herself | 15 episodes |
| The Chaser's Media Circus | Herself | 1 episode | |
| Community Kitchen | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| About Tonight | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| The Checkout | Herself | 1 episode |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Boat People | Sarah | Hayloft Project (Best on Stage, FBi SMAC Awards) |
| 2020 | Home, I'm Darling | Fran | Southbank Theatre, Melbourne |
Footnotes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bennett, Steve (2 April 2015). "Susie Youssef: Owl Eyes On You". Chortle. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Neal, Fergus (16 March 2017). "Susie Youssef". Farrago. Farrago Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Staff writer, Female First (31 August 2016). "Susie Youssef discusses her show 'Check Youssef Before You Wreck Youssef'". Female First. FemaleFirst Ltd. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Staff writer, Short Com (14 July 2016). "Susie Youssef Q&A - Edinburgh Fringe 2016". Short Com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Russell, Stephen A (28 March 2017). "Why Susie Youssef's Mum Told Her To Behave Herself". The Music. Street Press Australia Pty Ltd. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Knowles, Til (8 March 2016). ""There's some funny stuff too" - Susie Youssef on loneliness, anxiety and of course, comedy". Pop Culture-y. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Staff writer, Colour Elements (15 August 2016). "CE in Conversation with Susie Youssef". Colour Elements. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ a b Peterson, Arabella (21 March 2016). "Susie Youssef". The Ladies Network. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ a b "5 Good Reasons To See Susie Youssef's Owl Eyes On You". Squirrel Comedy. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Staff writer, British Comedy Guide (15 September 2016). "Susie Youssef". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Improv Theatre Sydney
- ^ "'I've been singing Kristen Schaal is a horse for 8 years - Susie Youssef picks her comedy faves.'". Chortle. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Staff writer, Instinct Music. "Susie Youssef, comedian". Instinct Music. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Low, Lenny Ann (10 March 2017). "Inside joke: Sydney Comedy Festival stand-up stars pick their favourite act". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Knox, David (23 May 2017). "Returning: Stand and Deliver". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Fo, Dario (10 September 2018). "Accidental Death of an Anarchist". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ a b "BIO". Susie Youssef. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Creating autobiographical performance work with Phil Spencer". City of Sydney - What’s On. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "The Smallest Hour". Griffin Theatre Company. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Julia Zemiro, Gina Chick & Susie Youssef". Walkers Journal. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Woolford, Lisa (15 August 2024). "Susie Youssef walks the talk in her latest TV role". InReview. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Vukelich, Desanka (20 August 2024). "'Great Australian Walks' returns, reminding us how easy it is to feel connected". SBS What's On. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Knox, David (19 August 2024). "Airdate: The Office (Australia)". TV Tonight. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Diab, Jasmin Lilian (5 December 2019). "This Australian actor uses her Lebanese Roots in her comic performances". 961. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ Knox, David (20 May 2020). "Airdate- LOL: Last One Laughing Australia". TV Tonight. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ Story, Hannah (20 May 2020). "The First Trailer for New Comedy Series LOL: Last One Laughing Promises Complete Chaos". Popsugar. Retrieved 22 May 2020.