Amy Schumer | Facts, Biography, & Films - Encyclopedia Britannica

Later career

Although Schumer often talked about her weight in hilariously self-deprecating terms, she triggered a controversy in April 2016 when she spoke out against Glamour magazine’s inclusion of her in an issue specifically celebrating plus-size women. In a statement that recalled comic Jerry Seinfeld’s “not that there’s anything wrong with that!” caveat, Schumer denied that she was plus-size but said that there should not be any shame associated with that label. The debate led many to question whether such categories were actually useful when trying to encourage body positivity. On June 23, 2016, Schumer headlined at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, becoming the first female stand-up comic to sell out that storied venue, which had a capacity of 18,200. The following day she announced the beginning of a world tour that included stops in Europe, North America, and Australia.

In 2017 Schumer teamed with Goldie Hawn for the mother-daughter comedy Snatched before tackling a dramatic role in Thank You for Your Service (2017), an examination of an Iraq War veteran’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She returned to comedy in I Feel Pretty (2018), playing an insecure woman who wakes up from a fall with unshakeable, if not delusional, self-confidence. In 2021 Schumer appeared in The Humans, an adaptation of a play set during a family’s Thanksgiving dinner. She later cocreated, cowrote, and starred in Life & Beth (2022– ), a semi-autobiographical show about a woman taking stock of her life.

During this time Schumer continued to perform her stand-up routine, and several of her performances were taped for television. Notably, Amy Schumer: The Leather Special and Amy Schumer Growing premiered on Netflix in 2017 and 2019, respectively. In 2020, while sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the comedian and her husband, Chris Fischer, a chef, starred in the TV series Amy Schumer Learns to Cook. That year also saw the airing of the TV documentary series Expecting Amy, a candid look at her pregnancy; she had a son in 2019. In 2022 Schumer cohosted the Academy Awards ceremony.

Quick Facts Born: June 1, 1981, New York, New York, U.S. (age 44) (Show more) Awards And Honors: Emmy Award (2015) (Show more) Notable Works: “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo” (Show more) See all related content Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE

Schumer’s memoir, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo (a play on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the title of a novel by Stieg Larsson), was released in 2016.