If you love stand-up comedy, you probably know legendary comedian Wanda Sykes from her many specials.
Here are some other things you probably didn’t know about the comedian.
Instead, she attended college at Hampton University, where she studied marketing.
Sykes may have not studied what she wanted in college, but she still enjoyed her time on campus.
While attending Hampton, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and had an active social life.
“Lots of friends,” she toldThe Virginia Pilotabout her time at the university.
“Everybody was about getting their studies in, and we partied on the weekends.”
“You just ended up working for the government.”
During her time at the NSA, she tried her hand at comedy in a local talent show.
“He never really got a chance to see my set.
You’re really good.'”
“That was a huge break for me,” she told Backstage.
So much so that the comedian has done extensive voice acting work throughout the years and across multiple genres.
She was also one of the writers for the 74th Academy Awards.
In addition to writing, Sykes works as a producer.
The show debuted to high praise in 2021 and wasrenewed for a second seasonthe same year.
“I was being honest.
I wanted to get away.”
These days, Sykes is happily married to her wife, Alex Sykes (nee Niedbalski).
The pair, who wed in 2008, met on a ferry in New York.
The couple now split their time between the United States and France, where Niedbalski is originally from.
The France native can even be seen onInstagramteaching Sykes lessons in the French language and culture.
The twins were born in 2009 and are the couple’s only children.
In an essay she wrote forInStyle, Sykes admitted she didn’t know whether she would ever have kids.
However, she solidified her decision after meeting her wife.
“As parents, we’re a team,” she wrote about her partner.
Since becoming a mother, Sykes has incorporated her children into her act.
However, she admitted it has gotten more difficult to do as the twins have grown.
“I have to be a little cautious about what I say about them,” Sykes toldAARP.
“I’m not going to embarrass them.
But then again, those jokes pay for those little trips to France.”
She’s also made history while doing it.
In signature Sykes fashion, the comic spoke her mind as she hosted the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
She even ruffled feathers andmade headlineswhen she cracked controversial jokes about conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh.
One cause dear to her heart is the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth, specifically those experiencing homelessness.
They don’t know these kids were kicked out, abused."
In 2019, the center honored Sykes with the Ruth Ellis Legacy Award.
“If I hadn’t had the reduction, who knows what would have happened.”
Thankfully, Sykes was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer.
However, the comedian was still understandably in shock.
“I feel whole; I really do,” Sykes revealed to People.
“Because every day, I get to say, ‘There’s no cancer.’
I’m healthy, and that’s beautiful.”
Some might be surprised to learn she can usually be found solving jigsaw puzzles.
Sykes ispartial to jigsaw puzzlesdepicting still life (and ones with 2,500 pieces).
However, she did show off her impressive skills onInstagramwhen she solved a tricky gradient one.
“I did it!”
she captioned the puzzle photo.
“Thanks @iamalexsykes … hey don’t give me another one.
However, Sykes has her own comedy icons she looks up to.
“I felt like I was preparing for this role as a kid,” Sykes toldBackstage.
I’ve been waiting for this role.”
Sykes portrayed Mabley so well that she received aPrimetime Emmy nominationfor Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
