Ms. Pat

Ms. Pat is the stage name of Patricia Williams-Lee, an American comedian, author, radio host, podcaster, and actress from Atlanta, Georgia, best known as the creator and star of the BET+ sitcom The Ms. Pat Show, which is based on her life and her 2017 memoir Rabbit.^{1 • 2 • 3} Her work draws directly on her own history, which The Washington Post has described as including addiction in her family, drug dealing, prison, and abuse, before she turned that material into a comedy career.⁴

Early life

Ms. Pat is Atlanta-born, and her published accounts trace a path from poverty and public housing to stand-up comedy, television, and Hollywood.⁷ Before comedy, as a teenager she was raising two children in Atlanta.⁷ Her 2017 memoir Rabbit tells the story of an inner-city drug dealer turned suburban mom, the narrative that later became the basis of her sitcom.²

Her husband, Garrett Lee, whom she describes as a stable, hardworking man who balanced her fiery nature, became a ballast in her life.⁸

The Ms. Pat Show

The Ms. Pat Show premiered in 2021 on BET+ as a multi-camera comedy of 30-minute episodes. The premise casts her as Patricia (Pat) Ford Carson, a former felon-turned-suburban mom now pursuing her dream of becoming a comedian while living in conservative middle America, in a town called Plainfield.⁵ Patricia (Ms. Pat) Williams-Lee stars as Pat, joined by a cast featuring J. Bernard Calloway in the role of Terry Carson, Tami Roman playing Denise Ford, Vince Swann as Brandon James, Briyana Guadalupe portraying Janelle Carson, and Theodore John Barnes in the part of Junebug Carson. Executive producers include Williams-Lee, Jordan E. Cooper, Lee Daniels, Brian Grazer, and Mary Lou Belli.⁵ Imagine Entertainment, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's company, produces the series along with Lee Daniels.¹

The series has drawn repeated Emmy recognition for its directing: Mary Lou Belli was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in four consecutive nomination cycles, for the episodes "Baby Daddy Groundhog Day" (2022 nomination), "Don't Touch My Hair" (2023), "I'm the Pappy" (2024), and "Give It Arrest" (2026).⁶ Season 1's nominated episode dealt with Pat confronting the man who sexually and domestically abused her as a teenager.¹ The premiere season, by her official biography's account, set records for viewing and audience engagement on BET+ and nearly crashed the app.¹

As of season 5, the show comprised 46 episodes across five seasons, with a season 5 premiere on January 7, 2026, and a renewal for season 6.⁵ In June 2026, BET Studios announced an expanded exclusive overall agreement with Williams-Lee as creator, comedian, actress, and executive producer.⁹

The Los Angeles Times described the series as a multigenerational family comedy, comparable to Roseanne but with much sharper language, that deals with issues including abortion, addiction, and abuse.¹⁰

Stand-up and screen work

Ms. Pat headlines comedy clubs and theaters nationwide.² Her television comedy credits include Netflix's The Degenerates and Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy, Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, NBC's Last Comic Standing, and Nickelodeon's Mom's Night Out. She also appeared as an actress in the Paramount+ film Zoey 102 and voiced a role in Nickelodeon's Big City Greens.¹

Her first Netflix hour, Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy?, streams alongside her other work, and on the court show Ms. Pat Settles It she referees small disputes with a gavel instead of a microphone.²

Books

Rabbit, published in 2017, was nominated for an NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work, appeared on Rotten Tomatoes' list of "Books Becoming TV Series We Cannot Wait to See," and drew praise from Publishers Weekly for its self-deprecating humor in the book's dramatic moments.^{1 • 3}

Her second memoir, Ms. American Dream: A Memoir of Making It, No Matter What, written with Jeannine Amber, was released in October 2026. It traces her unconventional path and reflects on race, gender, family, and her definition of the American dream.^{7 • 2}

Critical reception

Reviewers have singled out the directness of her stage persona. The Washington Post called her "unforgiving and darkly hilarious," and The New York Times called her "brutally honest and outrageous."¹ HuffPost has called her "the real hero of sitcom TV."

References

1. Check Out Ms. Pat's Bio, Ms. Pat Comedy (official site)
2. Patricia Williams-Lee, Official Publisher Page, Simon & Schuster
3. Ms. Pat's American Dream Was Happiness, Not Just a TV Deal, Pixel Twelve
4. Ms. Pat went from prison to stand-up, The Washington Post (2017)
5. Paramount Global Content: Ms. Pat Show, The
6. The Ms. Pat Show (TV Series 2021– ) – Awards, IMDb
7. Ms. Pat reflects on her journey from Atlanta to comedy stardom in new memoir, WABE (October 6, 2026)
8. Atlanta's Ms. Pat has found her own American Dream and written second book, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (October 2026)
9. NickALive! June 23, 2026: BET Studios announces expanded overall agreement with Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams
10. Ms. Pat on season 3 of "The Ms. Pat Show," comedy, cancel culture and more, Los Angeles Times (February 24, 2023)

Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames P to Ph

Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026

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