Janet Varney
Encyclopedia
Janet Varney is an American comedic actress best known for being the current hostess of TBS's Dinner and a Movie
.
. She is an alumna of San Francisco State University
.
, a recurring player on Norm Macdonald
's sketch show Back to Norm and an ensemble player on Crossballs
, all for Comedy Central
. She also starred in the short-lived Fox Comedy "Happy Hour
." In 2007, Varney appeared in the short films Random Acts of Kindness, Die Hardly Working, Eternal Waters, Worldly Possession, The Losers, Keep Off Grass, and Dress For Success which were made during the reality show On the Lot
. She has recently appeared as recurring character "Bev" for the web series Back on Topps with Randy and Jason Sklar
. Starting in 2008, she began starring in the HBO television series Entourage
, playing television producer Amy Miller who works alongside Eric
and Charlie.
And very recently was in a movie called "Best Player" starring opposite Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy.
. Since then, she has appeared, alongside host Paul Gilmartin and chef
Claud Mann, in each episode introducing movies and injecting humor during the preparation of a creative dinner to go with some theme of the movie.
website under the "Rifftrax Presents" branding, as being officially sanctioned by Rifftrax founder and "Mystery Science Theater 3000" alum, Michael J. Nelson.
She has performed in Rifftrax commentaries for the following films:
and San Francisco-based group Sequel 4000. She was in a relationship with comedian Chris Hardwick
from 2004 to 2011. She has guest hosted the "Matt Smith" episode of his Nerdist podcast, along with Matt Mira
and Hardwick himself.
Dinner and a Movie
Dinner and a Movie is a cooking and entertainment television program produced in the U.S. by TBS from 1995 to 2011.Each episode included a movie and the preparation of a creative dinner to go with the theme of the movie, generally via a pun...
.
Early life
Varney was born in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. She is an alumna of San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
.
Television projects
Varney was co-host of The Hollywood Show with Brian UngerBrian Unger
Brian Unger is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and commentator.-Biography:Born in Granville, Ohio in a family with Romanian ethnic heritage, Unger graduated from Ohio University in 1987, where he majored in communication...
, a recurring player on Norm Macdonald
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
's sketch show Back to Norm and an ensemble player on Crossballs
Crossballs
Crossballs: The Debate Show was a Comedy Central television show which poked fun at cable news networks' political debate shows, especially CNN's Crossfire and MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. In each episode, comedians posing as experts on a particular subject would debate two real...
, all for Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. She also starred in the short-lived Fox Comedy "Happy Hour
Happy Hour (TV series)
Happy Hour is a sitcom that debuted on Fox in the United States and on CTV in Canada on September 7, 2006. The show starred John Sloan as Henry Beckman, a young man rebuilding his life after losing his girlfriend, his job, and his apartment...
." In 2007, Varney appeared in the short films Random Acts of Kindness, Die Hardly Working, Eternal Waters, Worldly Possession, The Losers, Keep Off Grass, and Dress For Success which were made during the reality show On the Lot
On the Lot
On the Lot is a short-lived reality show competition produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DreamWorks...
. She has recently appeared as recurring character "Bev" for the web series Back on Topps with Randy and Jason Sklar
Randy and Jason Sklar
Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar , professionally known as the Sklar Brothers, are American identical twin comedians and sportscasters. They formerly hosted the show Cheap Seats on ESPN Classic, which came to an end on November 19, 2006, after four seasons.-Biography:Randy and Jason grew up in suburban...
. Starting in 2008, she began starring in the HBO television series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, playing television producer Amy Miller who works alongside Eric
Eric Murphy
Eric "E." Murphy is a fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage. He is played by Kevin Connolly.-Fictional character biography:...
and Charlie.
And very recently was in a movie called "Best Player" starring opposite Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy.
Dinner and a Movie
In 2005, Varney replaced Lisa Kushell as the hostess of the TBS cooking and entertainment show, Dinner and a MovieDinner and a Movie
Dinner and a Movie is a cooking and entertainment television program produced in the U.S. by TBS from 1995 to 2011.Each episode included a movie and the preparation of a creative dinner to go with the theme of the movie, generally via a pun...
. Since then, she has appeared, alongside host Paul Gilmartin and chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
Claud Mann, in each episode introducing movies and injecting humor during the preparation of a creative dinner to go with some theme of the movie.
Rifftrax
Varney has written and performed several comedic audio commentaries for films along with fellow SF Sketchfest co-founder Cole Stratton. These appear on the RifftraxRiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
website under the "Rifftrax Presents" branding, as being officially sanctioned by Rifftrax founder and "Mystery Science Theater 3000" alum, Michael J. Nelson.
She has performed in Rifftrax commentaries for the following films:
- Footloose
- Poltergeist
- Ghost
- Dirty Dancing
- Jaws 3
Personal life
Varney is the co-founder, creative director and producer of the San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival and is also the co-founder of the San Francisco sketch group Totally False People. She performed with the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and San Francisco-based group Sequel 4000. She was in a relationship with comedian Chris Hardwick
Chris Hardwick
Christopher Ryan "Chris" Hardwick is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, podcaster, television personality, and voice artist...
from 2004 to 2011. She has guest hosted the "Matt Smith" episode of his Nerdist podcast, along with Matt Mira
Matt Mira
Matthew Paul "Matt" Mira is an American podcast host and stand-up comedian. He has been co-host of The Nerdist Podcast since 2010.-Life and career:...
and Hardwick himself.
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
Best Player Best Player Best Player is a 2011 Television film that was released on March 12, 2011 starring Jerry Trainor as Quincy "Q" Johnson and Jennette McCurdy as Christina "Prodigy" Saunders, two stars from the hit Nickelodeon show iCarly. Filming started on October 24, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada and wrapped up... |
Tracy Saunders | |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Still Waiting... Still Waiting... Still Waiting... is an American independent film starring John Michael Higgins, and Luis Guzman, and the sequel to Waiting.... Some of the cast of the original film appear in the sequel. Adam Carolla and Justin Long appear in cameo roles... |
Haley | |
| 2008 2008 in film This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008... |
Bill | Amelia | |
| 2008 2008 in film This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008... |
Drillbit Taylor Drillbit Taylor Drillbit Taylor is a 2008 comedy film starring Owen Wilson as the eponymous character and based on an original idea by John Hughes. It was directed by Steven Brill and the screenplay was written by Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen. Paramount Pictures released the film on March 21, 2008.Drillbit... |
Attractive Woman Driver | |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Dante's Inferno Dante's Inferno (2007 film) Dante's Inferno is a 2007 comedy film performed with hand-drawn paper puppets on a toy theater stage. The film was adapted from the book "Dante's Inferno" by Sandow Birk and Marcus Sanders , which is a modern update of the canticle Inferno from Dante Alighieri's epic poem The Divine Comedy... |
Intercom | |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
American Fork | Joleen | |
| 2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... |
Catwoman Catwoman (film) Catwoman is a 2004 American superhero film and quasi-spinoff of the Batman film series directed by Pitof and released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 23, 2004.... |
Party Girl | |
| 2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... |
Stuck | Jane | |
Television appearances
| Year | Title | Role |
| 2012 | The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra is an upcoming American animated television series that is expected to air on Nickelodeon in mid-2012. The series is a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired on the same network from 2005 to 2008, and may run for 26 episodes... |
Korra |
| 2009 | Entourage Entourage (TV series) Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons... |
Amy Miller |
| 2009 | Better Off Ted Better Off Ted Better Off Ted is an American satirical situation comedy series, created and written by Victor Fresco , who also serves as the show's Executive Producer... |
Female Lawyer |
| 2009 | Bones Bones (TV series) Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent... |
Maureen Perot |
| 2008 2008 in television The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2008. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:... |
Chocolate News Chocolate News Chocolate News is a satirical news show hosted and head written by David Alan Grier with an emphasis on African American culture. The show aired on Wednesday nights at 10:30 PM on Comedy Central as a lead-in to their other news satire programs, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert... |
Trina Johns |
| 2008 2008 in television The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2008. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:... |
Psych Psych Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts... |
Mindy Howland |
| 2008 2008 in television The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2008. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and new channel launches.-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:-June:-July:-August:... |
Man Stroke Woman Man Stroke Woman Man Stroke Woman is a British television comedy sketch show directed by Richard Cantor and produced by Ash Atalla and starring Amanda Abbington, Ben Crompton, Daisy Haggard, Meredith MacNeill, Nicholas Burns and Nick Frost. In addition to being broadcast on digital channel BBC Three in the United... |
Various characters |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
How I Met Your Mother | Stacey Gusar |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
On the Lot On the Lot On the Lot is a short-lived reality show competition produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at DreamWorks... |
Actress |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
Worldly Possession | Nancy Bates |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
Eternal Waters | Lead |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
Die Hardly Working | Heroin |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
Halfway Home Halfway Home (TV series) Halfway Home is an American comedy series that aired on Comedy Central in Spring 2007.On its official website, Halfway Home is described as an "improvised half-hour show featuring the daily exploits of five ex-cons living together in a residential rehab facility" .After airing 10 episodes, on June... |
Kimberly Costas |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
The Weekend | Madelaine |
| 2007 2007 in television 2007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television... |
The Untitled Rob Roy Thomas Project | Ellie Tennant |
| 2006 2006 in television 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television... |
Home Purchasing Club | Debbie Driscoll |
| 2006 2006 in television 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television... |
What About Brian What About Brian What About Brian is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a midseason replacement and concluded on March 26, 2007... |
Carol |
| 2006 2006 in television 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television... |
Happy Hour Happy Hour (TV series) Happy Hour is a sitcom that debuted on Fox in the United States and on CTV in Canada on September 7, 2006. The show starred John Sloan as Henry Beckman, a young man rebuilding his life after losing his girlfriend, his job, and his apartment... |
Molly |
| 2006 2006 in television 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television... |
Love, Inc. Love, Inc. (TV series) Love, Inc. is an American sitcom that began airing on UPN on September 22, 2005 until May 11, 2006. In its first and only season, it was aired right after Everybody Hates Chris. It was created by Andrew Secunda a former writer at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Saturday TV Funhouse" who... |
Glenda |
| 2006 2006 in television 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television... |
Free Ride Free Ride (TV series) Free Ride is a Fox partially improvised sitcom starring Josh Dean as "Nate Stahlings", a recent college graduate re-adjusting to life at home with his parents in Johnson City, Missouri... |
Megan |
| 2005 2005 in television The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:... |
Back to Norm | Christine Macdonald |
| 2005–present 2005 in television The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:... |
Dinner and a Movie Dinner and a Movie Dinner and a Movie is a cooking and entertainment television program produced in the U.S. by TBS from 1995 to 2011.Each episode included a movie and the preparation of a creative dinner to go with the theme of the movie, generally via a pun... |
Hostess |
| 2005 2005 in television The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:... |
The Hollywood Show | Co-Host |
| 2004 2004 in television The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:... |
Crossballs: The Debate Show Crossballs Crossballs: The Debate Show was a Comedy Central television show which poked fun at cable news networks' political debate shows, especially CNN's Crossfire and MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. In each episode, comedians posing as experts on a particular subject would debate two real... |
Various Characters |