Tiffany Haddish Was Born Ready
By now, almost everyone has seen the hit movie “Girls Trip” that starred Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett and Tiffany Haddish. The movie made history by being the first film starring, written by, directed by and produced by African Americans to surpass the $100 million mark. While the all-star cast all did exceptional in their respective roles, Tiffany Haddish’s breakout role as the often raunchy, always hilarious Dina definitely captivated both audiences and critics. To most, Haddish was the newcomer on the scene who held her own alongside three veteran actresses. But the truth is, Hollywood’s new “It” girl has been performing comedy for almost twenty years.
Comedy has been an outlet for Haddish since she was a young girl. As the oldest of five children, she was often left to care for her younger siblings while her mother went to work, starting at the young age of eight. When her mother was in a serious car accident that resulted in brain damage and schizophrenia, the family had to move back to South Central Los Angeles. Due to her mother’s inability to function properly, the family was split up and the children were placed in foster care.
It was while Haddish was in different foster homes that she discovered her talent for comedy, as she would crack jokes to keep other girls from fighting her. Eventually, her grandmother was awarded custody of her and she was able to leave placement, but not before gaining confidence in her ability to make other people laugh. This newfound talent followed her to high school, where she would often get into trouble for playing around. Once she reached seventeen, her social worker gave her an ultimatum: either attend psychiatric therapy or go to Laugh Factory Comedy Camp. Haddish chose the latter, and her love for comedy was born. She credits the camp and the mentor-ship from many famous comedians, including the late, great Richard Pryor for literally saving her life.
Haddish’s first role on TV came in 2005, when she featured on the Bill Bellamy comedy special Who’s Got Jokes? From there she had made many guest appearances on plenty of different shows, including Def Comedy Jam, That’s So Raven, and Chelsea Lately to name a few. She also landed small roles in Meet the Spartans and Ice Cube’s Janky Promoters. Then in 2013 she landed a role on the BET show The Real Husbands of Hollywood, starring Kevin Hart. In 2014 she left If Loving You Was Wrong on the Oprah Winfrey Network to star in the critically acclaimed show The Carmichaels on NBC. The show lasted for three seasons.
The year 2017 has been nothing short of great for Haddish. She starred in Girls Trip, landed her own Showtime comedy special titled Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood, and can also be seen alongside Issa Rae, Jerrod Carmichael, Lil Rel Howrey, Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson in “Moonlight”, a Jay Z video which remakes the hit show Friends. She was also recently a presenter at the MTV Video Music Awards.
So what’s next for the woman that pulled herself up from nothing? 2018 looks to be just as promising for the actress, as she is slated to star in a sitcom opposite Tracy Morgan for TBS, and a new movie with Kevin Hart. Tiffany is a perfect example of what can happen when you follow your dream, regardless of life’s ups and downs. By overcoming obstacles that were thrown in her path, it’s obvious that she deserves all the good things that are coming her way. She has shown that where you start does not determine where you will end up.
