# Tracey Ullman
**Tracey Ullman** (born 1959) is a British comedian, actress, and singer known for character-based sketch comedy and a wide range of accents and impersonations. She made her name on British television in the early 1980s, then moved to the United States, where *The Tracey Ullman Show* (Fox, 1987–1990) won her [Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmy-awards) and gave the first television exposure to *The Simpsons*.[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Radio-Programming/The-Encyclopedia-of-American-Television-Lackman-2002.pdf) • [2](https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/) She has won six Emmy Awards from 25 nominations.[3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959, Hackbridge, England[4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1993/International-Television-Almanac-1993-Whos-Who.pdf) |
| Training | Performing arts school from age 12; left school at 16 to work as a dancer in Berlin[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) |
| Breakthrough | Improvised play *Four in a Million* (1981) at the Royal Court Theatre, London; London Theatre Critics Award[4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1993/International-Television-Almanac-1993-Whos-Who.pdf) • [6](https://carnegie.org/great-immigrants/tracey-ullman/) |
| Signature series | *The Tracey Ullman Show* (Fox, 1987–1990); *Tracey Takes On...* (HBO, from 1996); *Tracey Ullman's State of the Union* (Showtime, 2008); *Tracey Ullman's Show* (BBC/HBO, 2016)[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Radio-Programming/The-Encyclopedia-of-American-Television-Lackman-2002.pdf) • [5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) |
| Awards | 6 Emmy wins, 25 nominations; first BAFTA for her work on a British show[3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman) • [7](https://kinolorberbucket.s3.amazonaws.com/production/documents/HOUSEHOLD%20SAINTS%20press%20kit%20%281%29.pdf) |
| Simpsons connection | *The Simpsons* began in 1987 as cartoon interstitials on *The Tracey Ullman Show*[2](https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/) |
| Marriage | Married British television producer Allan McKeown in 1983; he died around the end of *State of the Union*[8](https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/tracey-ullman-on-mel-brooks-intrinsically-american-comedy/22704/) • [5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) |
## Early life and British career
Ullman grew up in England and began doing impersonations as a child, imitating people she knew and women she saw on television.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) She attended a performing arts school starting at age 12 and left school at 16 to work as a dancer in Berlin before moving into acting.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) Her casting in the improvised play *Four in a Million* at the [Royal Court Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-court-theatre) in 1981 led to roles on BBC sketch comedy shows.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) • [4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1993/International-Television-Almanac-1993-Whos-Who.pdf)
**British television.** In 1981 she was a regular on two series, *Three of a Kind* (1981–83) with [Lenny Henry](https://www.edgepedia.org/lenny-henry) and *A Kick Up the Eighties* (1981–84) with [Rik Mayall](https://www.edgepedia.org/rik-mayall), and in 1985 she appeared in *Girls on Top* with [Dawn French](https://www.edgepedia.org/dawn-french) and Jennifer Saunders.[9](https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ullman-tracey) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jan/10/tracey-ullman-my-face-is-good-for-impersonations) She later described the limited options for women on British television at the time, saying that "as a woman on British TV at that time you could be a Benny Hill girl and that was about it".[10](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jan/10/tracey-ullman-my-face-is-good-for-impersonations)
**Pop music.** In the 1980s Ullman also recorded pop music, releasing the gold-selling album *You Broke My Heart in Seventeen Places* and making music videos, including one for the song "They Don't Know".[4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1993/International-Television-Almanac-1993-Whos-Who.pdf) • [5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) Her film debut came opposite [Paul McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-mccartney) in *Give My Regards to Broad Street* (1984), followed by a starring role in the [Meryl Streep](https://www.edgepedia.org/meryl-streep) film *Plenty* (1985).[9](https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ullman-tracey)
## The Tracey Ullman Show
After marrying producer [Allan McKeown](https://www.edgepedia.org/allan-mckeown) in 1983, Ullman moved to Los Angeles.[8](https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/tracey-ullman-on-mel-brooks-intrinsically-american-comedy/22704/) James L. Brooks, the producer and director, met her and proposed that she create a sketch show for the then-new Fox network, suggesting she "do a Peter Sellers thing".[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) At Brooks's urging she researched American comedy, and particularly female comedians, before starting the show.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) *The Tracey Ullman Show* debuted in April 1987 and was filmed in front of a live audience.[4](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1993/International-Television-Almanac-1993-Whos-Who.pdf) • [5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman)
The show's cast included [Julie Kavner](https://www.edgepedia.org/julie-kavner) and [Dan Castellaneta](https://www.edgepedia.org/dan-castellaneta), whom Ullman helped cast.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) Her characters included Kay Clark, a secretary drawn from a real-life inspiration, and Ginny Tilman; she also played "Carol", a Black woman, and performed a wide range of accents.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) Ullman described her goal for the show as telling stories rather than satire.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) The series won Emmy Awards during its run, including Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program in 1989 and Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program in 1990.[3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman)
**The Simpsons.** The animated shorts that became *The Simpsons* first appeared as interstitial cartoons on *The Tracey Ullman Show* in 1987, created by [Matt Groening](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-groening) and developed with [James L. Brooks](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-brooks) and [Sam Simon](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-simon).[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) • [2](https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/) The family spun off into its own series in 1989, and the shorts' cast members, including Castellaneta, Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith, have voiced the characters since 1987.[11](https://apnews.com/article/72d723e6d885b1944c9a1ec8b9a24c3a)
## Later series
**Tracey Takes On...** After the Fox series ended, Ullman made the special *Tracey Ullman: A Class Act*, which led HBO to commission an American version that became *Tracey Takes on New York* and then the series *Tracey Takes On...* (from 1996).[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) On the show she played characters including "Chic", a man, and "Mrs. Noh Nan Ning", and she and her husband owned the show, with Ullman directing episodes.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) The series won Emmys for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series in 1997 and 1998.[3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman)
**State of the Union and later work.** *Tracey Ullman's State of the Union* debuted on Showtime in 2008, presenting rapid-fire vignettes of a day in American life and featuring impressions of celebrities and public figures such as [Arianna Huffington](https://www.edgepedia.org/arianna-huffington), a direction she had not taken extensively before.[12](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-mar-28-et-ullman28-story.html) • [5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) She became an American citizen around this period, and the series was more political than her earlier work.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) *Tracey Ullman's Show* began as *Tracey Breaks the News* on the BBC and aired on HBO from 2016; produced during the 2016 Brexit vote, it was her most topical series, with impressions of [Angela Merkel](https://www.edgepedia.org/angela-merkel), Judi Dench, and Prime Minister Theresa May.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jan/10/tracey-ullman-my-face-is-good-for-impersonations) The character Kay Clark has appeared in every one of her series.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman)
## Film and acting work
Ullman's film roles include *I Love You to Death* (1990) with Kevin Kline, *Robin Hood: Men in Tights* (1993), *Household Saints* (1993), *Bullets Over Broadway* (1994), and Woody Allen's *Small Time Crooks* (2000).[1](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Radio-Programming/The-Encyclopedia-of-American-Television-Lackman-2002.pdf) • [13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-03-ca-102-story.html) In 1990 she starred on Broadway, and she won Emmy Awards as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for *Love & War* (1993) and *Ally McBeal* (1999).[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-03-ca-102-story.html) • [3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman) In the 2020 limited series *Mrs. America* she played the feminist writer Betty Friedan, earning a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.[3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman) • [5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman)
## Method and recognition
Ullman builds an impersonation around what she calls the hook that makes a figure recognizable, and she has carried certain characters, such as Kay Clark, across every series she has made.[5](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman) Her Emmy total stands at six wins from 25 nominations, spanning performance, writing, and producing categories across Fox, HBO, and network guest roles.[3](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman)
## References
1. [Ullman, Tracey, The Encyclopedia of American Television (Lackman, 2002), World Radio History](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Radio-Programming/Radio-Programming/The-Encyclopedia-of-American-Television-Lackman-2002.pdf)
2. [We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time, TIME](https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/)
3. [Tracey Ullman, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.emmys.com/bios/tracey-ullman)
4. [International Television Almanac 1993, Who's Who, World Radio History](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1993/International-Television-Almanac-1993-Whos-Who.pdf)
5. [Tracey Ullman, Television Academy Interviews (Jenni Matz, January 30, 2020)](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/tracey-ullman)
6. [Tracey Ullman, Carnegie Corporation Great Immigrants profile](https://carnegie.org/great-immigrants/tracey-ullman/)
7. [Household Saints press kit, Kino Lorber](https://kinolorberbucket.s3.amazonaws.com/production/documents/HOUSEHOLD%20SAINTS%20press%20kit%20%281%29.pdf)
8. [Tracey Ullman on Mel Brooks' intrinsically American comedy, American Masters, PBS](https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/tracey-ullman-on-mel-brooks-intrinsically-american-comedy/22704/)
9. [Ullman, Tracey, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ullman-tracey)
10. [Tracey Ullman: 'My face is good for impersonations', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jan/10/tracey-ullman-my-face-is-good-for-impersonations)
11. [After 800 episodes, 'The Simpsons' creators look back, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/72d723e6d885b1944c9a1ec8b9a24c3a)
12. [It's all Ullman all the time, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-mar-28-et-ullman28-story.html)
13. [Interview: Voice No. 1,001, Los Angeles Times, March 3, 1991](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-03-ca-102-story.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames U to Y*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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