Background
Rudner was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Frances, a homemaker, and Abe Rudner, a lawyer Her mother died when she was 13 (an experience she detailed in a 2012 episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories).
Rudner was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Frances, a homemaker, and Abe Rudner, a lawyer Her mother died when she was 13 (an experience she detailed in a 2012 episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories).
Beginning her career as a Broadway dancer, Rita Rudner noticed the lack of female comedians in New York City and turned her stage presence to stand-up comedy where she’s flourished for over three decades. Her performance on a variety of Home Box Office specials and numerous appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, helped establish Rudner as one of the premiere female comics to emerge from the comedy boom of the 1980s. After extensive touring throughout the past 20 years, Rudner has created a steady career performing in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel while residing in Southern California.
After graduating from high school at 15, Rudner left Miami and headed to New York City to embark on a career as a dancer.
She appeared in several Broadway shows, including the now-legendary original productions of Follies and Mack & Mabel. Rudner did not turn to comedy until she was 25, after observing how few female comedians there were compared to the number of female dancers.
She spent many hours researching her favorite comedians, including Woody Allen and Jack Benny. She enjoys Jewish humor, but reserves her Jewish jokes for Jewish audiences.
Rudner has appeared in several television shows both in the United States and the United Kingdom (recording a six-part series on BBC2 in 1990 in the latter), and she appeared often on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
She has recorded several award-winning comedy specials, most notably Rita Rudner: Born to Be Mild and Rita Rudner: Married Without Children for Home Box Office and Rita Rudner: Live From Las Vegas for Public Broadcasting Service in 2008 (now available on Digital Video Disc). She also appeared on the Tales from the Crypt episode "Whirlpool". Rudner also has a role as the character Bunny in her husband"s 2011 film Thanks, which had its world premiere at the 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
Rudner is the author of the books I Still Have lieutenant
I Just Can"t Remember Where I Put lieutenant, Naked Beneath My Clothes and the novels Tickled Pink and Turning The Tables. Since 2001, Rudner has performed almost exclusively in Las Vegas, selling over one million tickets.
She moved to a larger theater at The Venetian in January 2011. She also created and hosted the syndicated improvisational comedy show Ask Rita, which mimicked the format of a talk/advice show.
In May 2009 she performed for Senator Harry Reid and President Barack Obama at Caesars Palace alongside Bette Midler and Sheryl Crow.
A video of some of this performance can be found on Rita"s Facebook page or YouTube. On August 8, 2012, Rudner appeared as Melissa"s mom on the sitcom Melissa & Joey.