Ladies of Laughter: Top 25 Funniest Television Comedy Actresses of All Time.

There’s that ignorant line of thinking that women aren’t funny. I beg to differ, as there has been far too many outright hilarious and skilled comediennes over the decades to ever believe such a thing. This type of list could be over a hundred, but for the sake of time I decided to jot down the top 25 best and funniest comedic actresses in television history (In my opinion).

25. Monica Horan.

This hilarious lady has facial expressions and other mannerisms that will have you fall on the floor laughing. A very underrated and overlooked comedienne who only added to that iconic Everybody Loves Raymond ensemble as Amy Doogal Barone, the love of Robert’s life who sometimes got caught up in the craziness of the Barone family, but tried to keep her quirky cheeriness through it all.

24. Eden Sher.

The Middle’s Eden Sher played that lovable eternal optimist Sue Heck with pure artistry in physical comedy and under dog tenacity. Eden made what could’ve been a pathetic character a true underdog that fans of The Middle could both laugh at and with, and root for. It’s crazy that Ms. Sher had not gotten even an Emmy nomination during the show’s entire nine season run.

23. Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, Erika Alexander and Kim Fields.

This foursome were a symbol of sisterhood for the 90’s, and all four were so hilariously funny that I couldn’t dare choose between them. In my opinion they all deserve to be here because Living Single lived and breathed because of the comedy chops of all four actresses as well as TC Carson and John Henton. Living Single had an amazing ensemble full of comedy talent that still makes us laugh to this day.

22. Isabel Sanford.

What can one say about the legendary Isabel Sanford that hasn’t been said already? An icon in television and film. Her long resume included Lady Sings The Blues, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, All In The Family and The Jeffersons, talk about prestige. Ms. Sanford’s expert comedy timing, delivery and facial expressions earned her a very well deserved Emmy for Best Lead Actress In a Comedy Series in 1981. Making her the first (and currently only) black actress to win the award.

21. Rhea Pearlman.

Becoming best known for playing the sharp witted fireball waitress Carla Tortelli on classic sitcom Cheers, Rhea Pearlman showed how skillful she was delivering the most hilarious and cutting of quips. The fact that she could make such a nasty character so hilarious and even lovable is a testament to her comedic skills and genuine personality. Married to another television icon, Danny DeVito, Ms. Pearlman proved that she could more than hold her own in the comedy department in anything she did beyond Carla.

20. Leah Remini.

As the witty and sharp tounged Carrie Heffernan, Kevin James’ Doug Heffernan’s spitfire of a wife on King of Queens, Leah showed a unique comedic skill in delivery and timing of a killer joke. What could’ve been just your average tv wife became a classic character thanks to the writers taking Remini’s tough yet charming persona and infusing it into the character of Carrie.

19. Helen Martin.

This little lady had a wit and feisty nature that made 227 even funnier than it would’ve been without her. Ms. Martin made us all fall in love with lovably honest and no nonsense Pearl Shay as well as the forever crying mourner Wanda on Good Times. Her body of work has far exceeded her own life, and all the laughs she’s given us will always be here for us to enjoy.

18. Ja’Net DuBois.

Nobody knew how to make an entrance quite like Ja’Net. As much as everyone tuned in to watch JJ shout “DY-NO-MITE!” we also all tuned in to watch Willona make one of her classic entrances and dish out a killer one liner that would have us all rolling on the floor. As funny as she was beautiful, Ms. DuBois became a staple in black television from her most beloved and famous role as Willona Woods on Good Times to her roles as Grandma in The Wayans Bros and Mrs. Avery in Eddie Murphy’s The PJs, which she earned two Emmy awards for voiceover acting. Ms. DuBois not only made Willona Woods a great comedy character, she made her a fashion and single career woman icon as well.

17.Raven Symone.

If you grew up in the nineties and two thousands than Raven was a huge part of your childhood. From The Cosby Show as adorably precocious three year-old Olivia Kendall to Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper with Mark Curry, the two Doctor Doolittle films with Eddie Murphy, and her own self titled Disney Channel sitcom That’s So Raven. Raven has been making us laugh for decades. With expert physical comedy skills as well as a natural lovable quality to her performances, Raven Symone is essentially the best example of our modern day Lucille Ball.

16. Jasmine Guy.

Whitley Gilbert went from a one dimensional snooty rival for Denise Huxtable in the first season of A Different World to a iconic, unique, and lovable sitcom character that became the face of the show along with co star Kadeem Hardison aka Dwayne Wayne. Everyone eventually fell in love with the spoiled and self absorbed Whitley Gilbert and her antics. Jasmine Guy put everything into that role, which is even more impressive when you find out how far she is from the character of Whitley in real life. The fact that this woman didn’t go home with an armful of Emmys every season of A Different World is one of the great injustices in the entertainment biz.

15. Audrey Meadows.

Originally when casting The Honeymooners, when Jackie Gleason saw Ms. Meadows’ picture he rejected the idea of casting her in the role of Alice because he thought she was far too beautiful and glamorous to play the role of a working class housewife. But once he auditioned with her and saw what a comedy dynamo she was he fell in love with her as did we. An expert of delivering razor sharp jokes and one liners like its nothing, Ms. Meadows more than held her own with comedy legends Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. Let’s face it, Audrey really was the greatest.

14. Kirstie Alley.

Shelley Long left Cheers in 1987 leaving a big hole in the show. Enter Kirstie Alley, whose Rebecca Howe became one of tv’s most neurotic and complex characters. Rebecca is not an easy character to play because of so many complexities and vulnerabilities but she did it and with skill. Not many people can take over for such a big character on such a popular show and thrive the way she did. During and after Cheers, Alley’s career soared in film and television. From the Look Who’s Talking series to a few Disney films and various sitcoms. Ms. Alley is a staple in television and film.

13. Patricia Heaton.

Everybody did love Raymond but we also really loved Debra and also still love Patricia Heaton. Taking what could’ve been the thankless straight man role and making it into a truly multi faceted and hilarious character, Ms. Heaton was the anchor of Everybody Loves Raymond and continued to be that anchor on her own sitcom The Middle, where she got to be even funnier and even more outrageous. It’s no surprise that she won two Emmys for her role on Raymond, and should’ve won a lot more in my opinion, because her specific comic timing and overall skillful acting abilities has seen no peer.

12. Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and Amanda Bearse.

Married with Children was blessed with a monumental cast. Every single actor made that show what it was, and for this list I want to specifically highlight Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and Amanda Bearse. All three had specific comedy styles that enhanced the show. All three actresses went on to flourish in their careers after MWC too. Katey Saga with 8 Simple Rules, Futurama & Sons of Anarchy. Christina Applegate with various films and recently tv drama Dead To Me. And Amanda Bearse has gone on to direct various sitcoms.

11. Doris Roberts.

Doris Roberts made Marie Barone everyone’s mother in law\mother. Marie was conniving, pushy, domineering, opinionated and totally intrusive, but somehow we still loved her and loved to laugh both at and with her. That’s thanks to the ever flowing talent from the over fifty year veteran at the time Raymond premiered. All that experience making us laugh and sometimes cry made her the perfect choice for the Barone family Matriarch. It’s no surprise that Roberts would win multiple Emmys for the show. In fact, she won the most of the entire cast. Television just isn’t the same without Doris Roberts.

10. Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold.

This duo right here are so connected and so equally iconic that I had to lump them together on this list. Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold are already hilarious on their own but together they are one of tv’s funniest duos. Each woman has her own distinictive comedy style that somehow mesh beautifully when they play off of each other. With such iconic sitcoms under their belts like Martin, My Wife and Kids, Everybody Hates Chris etc. they’ve both become cemented as 90’s and 2000’s legends. And they’re both still making us laugh in The Neighborhood, Dr. Ken and Last Man Standing.

9. Anna Maria Horsford.

Ms. Horsford has a resume as long as your arm, including soap operas and various feature films. But she was at her very best making viewers laugh every week as Thelma Frye on classic 1980s sitcom Amen with Sherman Hemsley and Clifton Davis. Horsford was so adept at physical comedy as well as every other form of comedy that it’s a true injustice that she wasn’t even nominated for an Emmy for her amazing turn. She went on to provide plenty of laughs as Security Guard Dee Baxter on The Wayans Bros and perhaps most famously as Mrs. Jones from the Friday movies. Most recently she’s been making us laugh on Tracy Morgan’s hit sitcom The Last OG. This woman is a real student of the craft, and she deserves far more credit then she gets.

8. Jackee Harry.

The role of Sandra Clark earned Ms. Harry her first Emmy. It was well deserved as Jackee Harry is one of our funniest and most talented actors. They always say that it’s hard to find an actress that is amazingly beautiful and elegant while being actually funny. Well, Jackee has always been exactly that. Her Sandra Clark character became so beloved that she became the break out character of the show and even rewarded her own spin off entitled simply “Jackee”. With her quick wit, quirky facial movements and hilarious voices, Ms. Harry will always be a comedy icon. After 227 she went on to star in Sister, Sister with Tia and Tamara Mowry and Tim Reid. She continues to work on various soap operas and television films today. But make no mistake, she will always be “Sannnnndraaa Clarrrrrk!”

7. Vicki Lawrence.

Vicki Lawrence made a name for herself on The Carol Burnett Show as the loud, pushy and forever grouchy Thelma Harper aka “Mama”. The character proved so popular that she got her own sitcom spin off called Mama’s Family. On both Carol Burnett and Mama’s Family, Vicki Lawrence made us laugh ’til our whole body hurt. Her performance as the elderly Mama was utterly convincing and straight up funny. Ms. Lawrence went on to do many other projects but she never forgot her roots and will break Mama out to do a one woman show around college campuses all over the country.

6. Jean Stapleton.

Ms. Jean Stapleton will always be the lovable and ditzy “ding bat” Edith Bunker to millions around the world. She’s done many things before and after All In The Family, but it was the role of Edith Bunker where she was at her funniest and personal best. Stapleton infused Edith with heart, sweetness and that quirky air head sense of humor. Edith could tell a complete nonsensical story, or make a seemingly irrelevant and random comment on a situation that could have one laughing non stop, while also occasionally having the strength to stand up to her quick tempered husband. She won a slew of awards for her portrayal of Edith, and every single one was well earned.

5. Carol Burnett.

The star of her own long running mega hit variety show “The Carol Burnett Show”, Ms. Burnett became an icon for funny women everywhere. Her amazing abilities to play absured character comedy has been imitated for decades, and rarely if ever has anyone been able to match or top what Ms. Burnett perfected. In my opinion, she deserves far more credit than what she gets.

4. Lucille Ball.

The one who started it all, as it were. Lucille Ball has been imitated, aspired to, and downright copied by both female and male comedians since the 1950s. Ms. Ball had remarkable talent to make us fall off our chairs laughing with physical bits, facial expressions and hilarious noises, sounds and phrases. But what’s perhaps the biggest contribution she’s given to comedy for women is that she along with husband Desi Arnaz started their own television company and created syndication as we know it. Lucy was a pioneer in both comedy and business, and she’s perfectly deserving of all the love and acclaim she’s received.

3. Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty.

Once again, with four iconic and truly talented comedienne’s in one series together there’s no way to choose between them so why not put them all together? The cast of Golden Girls is one of the greatest ensembles in television history, and that’s because all four actresses were masterful in comedy as well as drama. The foursome were equally hilarious apart as they were together making it impossible to do the show without even one of them. From Bea Arthur’s unsurpassed reactions and killer delivery, Betty White’s expert timing and facial expressions, Rue McClanahan’s remarkable over the top showmanship and Estelle Getty’s unbeatable joke delivery, each of these four ladies deserved equal credit for the show’s success. The Golden Girls is in the exclusive club of Emmy winning casts along with All In The Family, Will & Grace and recently Schitt’s Creek. Truly golden.

2. Lawanda Page.

No one, and I mean no one could make an entrance with pure power and energy as Lawanda Page did as Aunt Esther of Sanford and Son. Lawanda Page was a successful comedian for years before making it big on television with Sanford and Son and she brought all her skills with her to make the show far funnier and better than before her. The chemistry between Redd Foxx and Lawanda Page was something so special and downright hilarious. In fact, Page was almost fired from the show by the producers because during rehearsals for her first episode she wasn’t exactly clicking with the material. Her friend Redd stood up for her and told them that he’d work with her on it, but if she goes he’s right behind her. After that, Lawanda owned the character of Aunt Esther making her one of the funniest and most memorable sitcom characters of all time.

1. Marla Gibbs.

The spot of number 1 on this list was a brutal choice to make, but once I decided on Marla Gibbs I knew I made the right decision. A true comedy dynamo, nobody in the world has Ms. Gibb’s legendary delivery, timing or precision. She turned Florence Johnston into an iconic character, and made The Jeffersons so much funnier with her presence. This is an actress whose career has spanned for over fifty years and isn’t even close to slowing down. She’s made us laugh in every decade from The Jeffersons and 227 to Meteor Man, The Hughleys, King of Queens and Martin. At 90 she’s finally gotten her Hollywood star, and in this author’s opinion it’s about damn time! Marla Gibbs is the Queen of comedy and long may she reign.

A list like this is so hard because the options are limitless. My apologies to the like of Mary Tyler Moore, Penny Marshall & Cindy Williams, Cloris Leachman, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kim Wayans, Kathy Najimy, Katherine Helmond, Zara Cully, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Terri J. Vaughan & Lori Beth Denberg etc. for the omission, but rest assured all of you belong on the forever long list of all time funniest and greatest television comedy actresses of all time.