Alright, when I saw that J. Sween graduated from UW, ’twas a very special surprise. She’s such a bossy lady- former SNL cast member, cancer survivor, economics major, super smart, Sex and the City contributor, actress and writer. She rules. And we’re going to the same college as her.
Sweeney was born in Spokane, and later graduated from the University of Washington in 1982 with a degree in economics, of all things. She went on to live in Los Angeles, eventually becoming an accountant for Columbia Pictures. In 1988, she started taking classes with the famous Groundlings improv troupe. There, she was discovered by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels in 1989, and eventually became a SNL cast member from 1990-1994.
After leaving SNL, both her and her brother were diagnosed with cancer. Her experiences through this inspired her to write her first monologue “God Said, Ha!“, which was released theatrically. She went on to write two more: “In a Family Way” and “Letting Go of God“. Many of her monologues reflect on topics of her childhood and spiritual beliefs.
Julia Sweeney, HC Washington loves you!
BONUS Here’s a really fantastic TED talk she gave a few years back!: