Fortune Feimster
Fortune Feimster | |
|---|---|
Feimster at the premiere of Office Christmas Party in 2016 | |
| Born | Emily Fortune Feimster July 1, 1980 |
| Alma mater | Peace College |
| Occupations | Comedian, writer, actress |
| Years active | 2002-present |
| Spouse |
Jacquelyn Smith
(m. 2020; sep. 2025) |
Emily Fortune Feimster (/ˈfiːmstər/; born July 1, 1980)[1] is an American writer, comedian, and actress. Having made her television debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010,[1] she starred as Colette on The Mindy Project (2015–2017). In July 2019, she began hosting the hit radio show What a Joke with Papa and Fortune with Tom Papa, interviewing comedians and celebrities, the first live programming on the Sirius XM channel Netflix is a Joke.[2] She played Heather in The L Word: Generation Q,[3] a reboot of The L Word.
Early life and education
Feimster was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Mike and Ginger Feimster; the youngest of three, with two older brothers, Price and Jay. Fortune is her maternal great-grandmother's maiden name.[1] Growing up in Belmont, North Carolina, she attended Belmont Central Elementary School and Belmont Junior High,[1] subsequently graduating from South Point High School in 1998.[4] That same year, she was presented to society at the Gastonia Debutante Ball.[1] At South Point, she played basketball, softball, and tennis.[1]
She attended Peace College, then a women-only university, and was elected student body president, majored in communications, and played soccer and tennis. She graduated summa cum laude and was the student speaker at commencement in 2002. The graduation speaker was Raleigh native actress Emily Procter, with whom Feimster became acquainted after the graduation.[1]
Career
After living in Spain for a year, she moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to become a personal assistant to Procter[1] and pursue comedy.[5] After connecting with Procter's neighbor, a journalist for the Los Angeles Daily News, Feimster began a seven-year career in entertainment journalism.[1] In 2005, she joined The Groundlings Theatre, studying improv and sketch comedy. After four years, she was selected to join the Groundlings' Sunday Company.[6][1]
Feimster had a supporting role in the 2025 film Zootopia 2 as Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver who is a conspiracy theorist and podcast host;[7] the film was a critical and commercial success.[8]
Personal life
Feimster came out as a lesbian[9] in 2005 at age 25.[1] In 2016, she began dating kindergarten teacher Jacquelyn Smith,[1] becoming engaged in early 2018.[10] She and Smith own homes in Los Angeles and Belmont, North Carolina. They married in a small ceremony on October 23, 2020.[1] In June 2025, Feimster and Smith announced that they had been separated for an unspecified amount of time and in the process of divorcing.[11]
Filmography
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Secret Lives of Dorks | Janitor | ||
| 2015 | Life in Color | Zoe | ||
| 2016 | Office Christmas Party | Lonny | ||
| 2018 | Social Animals | Sarah-Beth | ||
| Father of the Year | Teacher | |||
| The Happytime Murders | Robin | |||
| 2020 | Deported | Tammy | ||
| Friendsgiving | Fairy Gay Mother | |||
| Chick Fight | Bear | |||
| Soul | Counselor Jerry D | Voice role | [12] | |
| 2021 | Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar | Pinky | ||
| Yes Day | Jean the Paramedic | |||
| 2022 | Sex Appeal | Mama Suze | ||
| 2023 | Family Switch | Coach Kim | ||
| 2025 | You're Cordially Invited | Captain | ||
| Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie | Kitty Fridge | Voice role | [13] | |
| Zootopia 2 | Nibbles Maplestick | [14] | ||
| 2026 | Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie † | TBA | Voice role; In production | [15] |
| TBA | Judgment Day † | TBA | Post-production | |
| TBA | The Fifth Wheel † | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Last Comic Standing | Herself | 4 episodes | |
| 2011–2013 | After Lately | Herself | 14 episodes | |
| 2011–2014 | Chelsea Lately | Round table co-host | 158 episodes | |
| 2014 | 2 Broke Girls | Sherlock Mary | "And the Near Death Experience" | |
| Workaholics | Jo | "Timechair" | ||
| Mulaney | Mary Jo | 3 episodes | ||
| 2015 | Glee | Butch Melman | "We Built This Glee Club" | |
| 2015 | Hot Girls Walk By | Ruth | "Visitors in a Hospital" | |
| 2015 | Married | Woman on Rascal | "Mother's Day" | |
| 2015 | Drunk History | Herself | "New Mexico" | |
| 2015-2017 | The Mindy Project | Collette Kimball-Kinney | Main role (Seasons 4–6); 39 episodes | [16] |
| 2016 | Go-Go Boy Interrupted | Fortune | Web series | |
| 2016–2019 | Life in Pieces | Dougie | 7 episodes | [17] |
| 2017 | Chelsea | Ann Coulter / Sarah Huckabee Sanders | 5 episodes | |
| The Standups | Herself | Episode: "With Fortune Feimster" | ||
| 2017–2018 | Nobodies | Libby | 2 episodes | |
| 2017–2019 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | 3 episodes (including "RuPaul Roast" and "L.A.D.P.!") | |
| 2018 | Another Period | Garva | 3 episodes | |
| Dear White People | Christine Halberg | Episode: "Volume 2: Chapter IV" | ||
| Champions | Ruby | 10 episodes | ||
| Claws | Lauren Zorloni | "Crossroads" | ||
| Foursome | Kimmy | Episode: "Stay Linked - Get Inked" | ||
| Niko and the Sword of Light | Brohilda (voice) | Episode: "The Thorn of Contention" | ||
| The Fix | Herself | "Let's Fix Artificial Intelligence" | ||
| 2018–2023 | Summer Camp Island | Ava / various (voice) | 25 episodes | |
| 2018–2024 | Craig of the Creek | Laura Mercer (voice) | 7 episodes | |
| 2019 | Historical Roasts | Princess Diana | Episode: "Freddie Mercury" | |
| Tales of The City | Carlin | "A Touch o' Butch" | ||
| American Princess | Sherl | Episode: "You Can Always Trust Your Vaganya" | ||
| Sunnyside | Michelle Pinholster | "Pants Full of Sandwiches" | ||
| The Simpsons | Evelyn (voice) | Episode: "Livin La Pura Vida" | ||
| 2019–2020 | The L Word: Generation Q | Heather | 3 episodes | |
| 2019–2021 | Bless the Harts | Brenda (voice) | 26 episodes | |
| 2020 | Sweet and Salty | Herself | Netflix Stand-Up Special | |
| Nailed It! | Herself | Episode: "The One with the 90's Theme" | ||
| 2021 | iCarly | Countess Debra | Episode: "iGot Your Back" | |
| The Mighty Ones | Vibez (voice) | "Bumbleberry/Leaf's Still Cool" | ||
| Q-Force | Louisa Deck (voice) | 3 episodes | ||
| Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens | Deimos | 2 episodes | ||
| RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Herself | "Snatch Game of Love" | ||
| 2021–2022 | Ada Twist, Scientist | Rosie's Mom (voice) | 4 episodes | |
| Kenan | Pam Fox | 14 episodes | ||
| 2022 | Is It Cake? | Herself (judge) | "Fast Food Fakeout" | |
| Madagascar: A Little Wild | Manager Cow (voice) | "A Lil Baa Country" | ||
| 2022–2023 | Firebuds | Flip / Flap (voice) | 7 episodes | |
| 2023 | Frog and Toad | Lizard (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| Ten Year Old Tom | - (voice) | "Crossing Guard/Poker Game" | ||
| Strange Planet | Megafan #1 / Elderly Being #2 (voice) | "The Flying Machine" | ||
| 2023–2024 | Velma | Olive (voice) | 15 episodes | |
| 2023–2025 | FUBAR | Ruth/Roo | 16 episodes | [18] |
Podcasts
Note:[n 1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Bertcast | Herself | "315" | [20] |
| 2019 | Queery | "112" | [21] | |
| The Margaret Cho | Episode: "Fortune Feimster and Jodi Long" | [22] | ||
| 2020 | This Past Weekend | "254" | [23] | |
| Anna Faris is Unqualified | Episode: "Fortune Feimster" | [24] | ||
| Lovett or Leave It | "Oh, great. Mike Pence." | [25] | ||
| The Sporkful | "You Can't Hate Yourself Constantly" Says Comic Fortune Feimster" | [26] | ||
| The Joe Rogan Experience | "1440" | [27] | ||
| Your Mom's House Podcast | "567" | [28] | ||
| Do You Need A Ride? | Season 2, episode 53 | [29] | ||
| 2021 | Good For You | "92" | [30] | |
| Bertcast | "496" | [31] | ||
| I Said No Gifts! | "Fortune Feimster Disobeys Bridger" | [32] | ||
| Life Is Short with Justin Long | "138", "Fortune Feimster 😂" | [33] | ||
| 2021-2023 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | 2 episodes | [34] | |
| 2022 | Scam Goddess | "120", "The Scammer Hood of the Traveling Wigs w/ Fortune Feimster" | [35] | |
| Don't Ask Tig | "Fortune Feimster" | [36] | ||
| Bertcast | "544" | [37] | ||
| We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle | "Fortune Feimster: A Queer Debutante Walks Into a Hooters..." | [38] | ||
| 2024 | You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes | "Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin" | [39] | |
| Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers | "FORTUNE FEIMSTER Almost Got Trampled by Elephants" | [40] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Janes, Theoden (February 20, 2018). "As a kid in NC, she 'couldn't Google gay stuff.' On TV, she's out — and a rising star". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021.
- ^ Venta, Lance (July 10, 2019). "SiriusXM Debuts Morning Show With Tom Papa & Fortune Feimster On Netflix Is A Joke Radio". RadioInsight. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
- ^ Gilchrist, Tracy E. (July 23, 2019). "The L Word Casts Sophie Giannamore, Olivia Thirlby, & Fortune Feimster". The Advocate.
- ^ Jess (November 12, 2010). "The Truth About Fortune Feimster: The Autostraddle Interview". Autostraddle.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster". FortuneFeimster.com.
- ^ "Bio". Fortune Feimster.
- ^ Mendoza, Leia; Levy, Giana; McGowan, Andrew (November 26, 2025). "'Zootopia 2' Cast Guide: All the Hollywood Stars Voicing Animals in Disney's Sequel". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessio, Quinn (December 8, 2025). "'Zootopia 2' made over 500 million dollars opening week, and it is no wonder why". The Maine Campus. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "LGBTQ Life with Jane Lynch & E.J. Johnson". Chelsea. July 20, 2016. Netflix. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ Mizoguchi, Karen (January 6, 2018). "The Mindy Project's Fortune Feimster is engaged and Mindy Kaling 'will' officiate the wedding". EW.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster and Wife Jax Announce 'Difficult Decision' to End Their Marriage After 10 Years Together". People.com. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (October 11, 2020). "'Soul': Film Review | London 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- ^ Parlevliet, Mirko (May 8, 2025). "Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie Trailer and Poster Debut". Vital Thrills. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ Jared Bush [@thejaredbush] (August 10, 2024). "Fellow mammals🐰🦊… and reptiles!!! Soooo excited to officially announce the return of Ginny Goodwin and Jason Bateman as Judy and Nick, and overjoyed to welcome the incredible Ke Huy Quan as Gary🐍, and the absolutely hilarious Fortune Feimster as Nibbles🦫. We have a bajillion other characters, so many more announcements to come in the next months! See you all at the D23 Zootopia Panel!" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 27, 2025). "Spin Master & Paramount's 'Paw Patrol 3' Unveils Title". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ Stanhope, Kate (November 7, 2016). "'The Mindy Project's' Fortune Feimster on Colette's "Weird" Evolution". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster". IMDb. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ Dick, Jeremy (September 26, 2022). "Fubar: Arnold Schwarzenegger Wraps Filming on New Action Series at Netflix". MovieWeb.
- ^ "Sincerely Fortune". Stitcher.
- ^ Kreischer, Bert (November 13, 2018). "Bertcast # 315 - Fortune Feimster & ME". YouTube.
- ^ "EP. 112 — Fortune Feimster". Earwolf. November 10, 2019.
- ^ "The Margaret Cho - Fortune Feimster and Jodi Long". Stitcher. August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #254". YouTube. January 9, 2020.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster". Anna Faris is Unqualified Podcast. January 20, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "Lovett or Leave It – Oh, great. Mike Pence". Crooked Media. February 29, 2020.
- ^ Morgenstern, Emma (March 2, 2020). ""You Can't Hate Yourself Constantly" Says Comic Fortune Feimster". The Sporkful.
- ^ The Joe Rogan Experience (March 2020). "#1440 – Fortune Feimster". Spotify.
- ^ YMH Studios (September 2, 2020). "Your Mom's House Podcast - Ep. 567 w/ Fortune Feimster". YouTube.
- ^ "Do You Need A Ride?: S2 - Ep. 53 - Fortune Feimster". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "Ep #92: Fortune Feimster | Good For You Podcast with Whitney Cummings". YouTube. June 30, 2021.
- ^ Kreischer, Bert (December 15, 2021). "Bertcast # 496 - Fortune Feimster, LeeAnn Kreischer & ME". YouTube.
- ^ "I Said No Gifts!: Fortune Feimster Disobeys Bridger". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "Life is Short with Justin Long: Fortune Feimster 😂". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "EP. 697 — Good News for Boobs". Earwolf. March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "EP. 120 — The Scammer Hood of the Traveling Wigs w/ Fortune Feimster". Earwolf. January 10, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster". Don't Ask Tig. January 26, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ Kreischer, Bert (November 3, 2022). "Bertcast # 544 - Fortune Feimster & ME". YouTube.
- ^ "We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle: Fortune Feimster: A Queer Debutante Walks Into a Hooters . . ". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- ^ "Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "FORTUNE FEIMSTER Almost Got Trampled by Elephants". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
Notes
- ^ In addition to hosting her own podcast, Sincerely Fortune,[19] and co-cohosting Handsome with Tig Notaro and Mae Martin, Feimster has appeared on the following: