Kira Soltanovich
Encyclopedia
Kira Soltanovich is a stand-up comedian, writer
, and actress best known for her work on prank-oriented reality shows such as Oxygen Network's Girls Behaving Badly
and TV Guide Network's Trapped by TV Guide
. She is also known as the voice of a talking photo booth
in a sketch on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Jay Leno Show
. She's also the voice of Carla on the animated series Iggy Cool. Soltanovich is part of the 90 minute comedy special Hot Tamales Live on the Showtime Network. She guest starred on Prank Stars, a Disney channel series.
, from which her family immigrated to the United States
, settling in San Francisco. She later went to San Diego State University
's Dramatic Arts Department, from which she graduated, and where she developed an interest in stand-up comedy. Soltanovich has said that she enjoyed her college experience, saying, "I loved living in the dorms at college because my father never let me have slumber parties as a kid. He said sleeping on the floor and eating from cardboard boxes was the reason we left Russia." She received training in stand-up comedy from the American Conservatory Theatre and The Groundlings
. She began performing in comedy clubs, and soon received a guest role on NBC
's 3rd Rock From the Sun
.
Most recently, Soltanovich shot her own half hour comedy special Here Comes Trouble for the Showtime Network.
Soltanovich, who has performed at comedy clubs, colleges, and on television alike, has been a winner, finalist and semi-finalist of several comedy competitions, including Comedy Central
's Laugh Riots, NBC's Last Comic Standing, The Cape Town International Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, and the Seattle International Comedy Festival. She has also appeared on Last Comic Standing
, VH1
's All Access, and Fox News Channel
's Red Eye.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and actress best known for her work on prank-oriented reality shows such as Oxygen Network's Girls Behaving Badly
Girls Behaving Badly
Girls Behaving Badly is an American reality comedy television show on the Oxygen cable channel, and is also syndicated to television stations across the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Television....
and TV Guide Network's Trapped by TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
. She is also known as the voice of a talking photo booth
Photo booth
A photo booth is a vending machine or modern kiosk that contains an automated, usually coin-operated, camera and film processor. Today the vast majority of photo booths are digital. Traditionally photo booths contain a seat or bench designed to seat the one or two patrons being photographed...
in a sketch on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
. She's also the voice of Carla on the animated series Iggy Cool. Soltanovich is part of the 90 minute comedy special Hot Tamales Live on the Showtime Network. She guest starred on Prank Stars, a Disney channel series.
Biography
Soltanovich was born in the former Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, from which her family immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, settling in San Francisco. She later went to San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
's Dramatic Arts Department, from which she graduated, and where she developed an interest in stand-up comedy. Soltanovich has said that she enjoyed her college experience, saying, "I loved living in the dorms at college because my father never let me have slumber parties as a kid. He said sleeping on the floor and eating from cardboard boxes was the reason we left Russia." She received training in stand-up comedy from the American Conservatory Theatre and The Groundlings
The Groundlings
The Groundlings are an improvisational comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, California. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin to produce sketches and improvised scenes...
. She began performing in comedy clubs, and soon received a guest role on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's 3rd Rock From the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
.
Most recently, Soltanovich shot her own half hour comedy special Here Comes Trouble for the Showtime Network.
Soltanovich, who has performed at comedy clubs, colleges, and on television alike, has been a winner, finalist and semi-finalist of several comedy competitions, including Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Laugh Riots, NBC's Last Comic Standing, The Cape Town International Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, and the Seattle International Comedy Festival. She has also appeared on Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's All Access, and Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
's Red Eye.