Comedy’s Sweetheart Amy Schumer Has Her Cake And Eats It Too
The year 2015 was a whirlwind for funny girl Amy Schumer, and she shows no signs of stopping. Schumer took home the MVP award and won best actress in a comedy for Trainwreck at last week’s Critics’ Choice Awards, much to the audience’s delight. The 34-year-old American comedian, known for her uncensored, unapologetic approach, made the cut for Barbara Walters’ list of The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015, a 90-minute special that recently aired on ABC. Schumer ranked among entertainers like Tracy Morgan and Bradley Cooper, professional athletes like Misty Copeland and Ronda Rousey, Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, and more.
In the in-depth interview with Walters, Schumer was as candid as ever, opening up about her father’s 25-year battle with multiple sclerosis (MS), the 10 years it took to build her career and launch her successful Comedy Central show, and her attitude about her body and sex.
Schumer spent the year juggling a variety of high-profile projects. From hosting the MTV Movie Awards last April to her September win at the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Schumer’s racked up the accolades. Her Comedy Central variety sketch series, Inside Amy Schumer, won the first ever Emmy in its category against nominees Drunk History, Portlandia, Key & Peele, and the historic Saturday Night Live.
Praise for Schumer came in waves as skits like “Milk Milk Lemonade,” “Last F**kable Day” and “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup” went viral on social media. These parodies appealed to audiences with noteworthy cameos and messages about unrealistic beauty standards for women, each garnering more than 4.5 million views on YouTube.
In between takes, Schumer wrote and starred her first lead role in the film Trainwreck directed by Judd Apatow. The summer blockbuster resurfaced in the news on December 10 when the entertainer received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a comedy. Schumer went head to head for the award against real-life BFF Jennifer Lawrence, who played the female lead in Joy. Prior to the 73rd Annual Primetime Golden Globe Awards earlier this month, the two joked about wearing the same dress. In all seriousness, Schumer and Lawrence sat next to one another moments before the Joy actress was won the award and Schumer graciously applauded her friend as Lawrence took the stage.
From stripping down to nearly nude for the 2016 Pirelli calendar to speaking out against gun violence in a PSA fueled by major celebrities and survivors, Schumer’s current projects leave no topic off limits. The comedienne made multiple public appearances alongside cousin and New York Senator Chuck Schumer following the December 2 mass shooting in San Bernardino.
TY for calling for common sense #gunviolence prevention measures @amyschumer! #AmyAtTheApollo #gunsense #AmySchumer pic.twitter.com/YYkoa5p2Hi
— LA City Attorney (@CityAttorneyLA) October 18, 2015
Schumer immediately took to social media with tweets advocating for background checks on all gun sales. With more than 7.5 million combined followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Schumer urged her fans to contact their state senators and push for more stringent legislation limiting gun access among the mentally ill.
Time will tell where Schumer takes her talents as she continues to build an empire founded on funny, but with pop culture and political cache.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
