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Urzila Carlson

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Urzila Carlson
Born1975 or 1976 (age 48–49)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Medium
  • Stand-up
  • Panel shows
NationalityNew Zealand
Years active2008–present
Subject(s)
  • Parenting
  • Emigration
Children2
Websiteurzilacarlson.com
Known for

Urzila Carlson (/ˈɜːrʃɪlə/ UR-shih-la;[citation needed] (born 1976[1]) is a South African-born New Zealand comedian and actor, known for her stand-up performances as well as her appearances on television programs in both New Zealand and Australia. Carlson is a regular panellist on 7 Days[2][3] and both the Australian and New Zealand version of Have You Been Paying Attention?.[1] She was also a panellist on The Masked Singer Australia for the show's second and third seasons[4] and a contestant on the second season of Taskmaster NZ.[5]

Early life and education

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Urzila Carlson was born in 1976 at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Johannesburg.[6] She grew up on the Ingwelala nature reserve next to Kruger National Park and has a brother and a sister.[7][8][9] Her father was a violent alcoholic, and her parents separated when she was 6 or 7 years old.[1][8][9]

Career

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Carlson's first job was as a typesetter for a South African newspaper, which she did for 12 years.[2] By the age of 24 she was "production manager for Africa's largest newspaper group with 13 newspapers and 6 magazines,"[8] and won awards for graphic design and photograph retouching.[6]

She moved to New Zealand in 2006[6] and transitioned into comedy in 2008, when she was 32.[2][8]

She has appeared on the Australian shows The Project,[10] Studio 10,[11] Spicks and Specks,[12] Orange Is the New Brown,[13] Have You Been Paying Attention?,[12] Hughesy, We Have a Problem,[12] and two seasons of The Masked Singer.[4] She has also appeared on New Zealand shows 7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Super City.[1][2][12]

Her stand-up routines include The Long Flight To Freedom.[6] Carlson performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala from 2016 to 2018.[9]

She released a memoir in 2016 called Rolling with the Punchlines.[9][14]

In 2021, she was a contestant on the second series of Taskmaster New Zealand.[5]

In 2022, she was a guest judge on Drag Race Down Under.[15] Carlson appeared on the Australian season of Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee.[16]

Recognition and awards

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Carlson was nominated for the Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer in 2018.[17]

In 2019, she appeared in Netflix's Comedians of the World.[18][19][12] The same year, she was presented with the Rielly Comedy Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for her contribution to New Zealand entertainment.[20]

She won Best Female Comedian at the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards six times (2010-2014 and 2016).[9][21][22][23]

Personal life

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Carlson speaks South African English and Afrikaans.[6] She emigrated to New Zealand from South Africa in 2006 after being subjected to a series of thefts, including her car being stolen, an armed robbery at work, and a break-in at her home in which she and her neighbours confronted the intruder with cricket bats. She became a New Zealand citizen in 2012 and renounced her South African citizenship.[6]

Carlson is a lesbian, and came out to her mother when she was 24.[2][1] She refers to herself as a "lesbiterian",[2] a portmanteau of lesbian and Presbyterian.[1][18] She married her partner Julie in 2014, and they have a son and a daughter together.[24][25]

In 2018, she was named Australasian Ambassador of South African Tourism, representing the country as part of an ongoing campaign to encourage Australians, New Zealanders, and South African expatriates to visit the country.[7]

As of 2019, she lives in Auckland.[8][25][19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Quinn, Karl (8 March 2018). "Urzila Carlson treats stand-up 'like I'm at a barbecue with mates talking s---'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019. The 42-year-old South African-born, Auckland-based lesbyterian...
  2. ^ a b c d e f Chateau, Carroll du (7 October 2011). "Urzila Carlson: The comedian standing up for herself". NZ Herald. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  3. ^ Kanowski, Sarah (23 March 2018). "Urzila Carlson: a life without regrets". ABC listen. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "The first unmasking. Urzila Carlson is ready to play detective". ViacomCBS ANZ. Network Ten. 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Taskmaster NZ to return with new line up of comedians". Stuff. 29 May 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "URZILA CARLSON: THE LONG FLIGHT TO FREEDOM". Theatreview. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Comedian Urzila Carlson is new South African Tourism Ambassador". Travel Monitor. 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e Dann, Jennifer (29 November 2016). "Twelve questions with Urzila Carlson". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e "'Rolling With The Punchlines' Is Urzila Carlson's Fascinating Memoir". LOTL. 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
  10. ^ Urzila Carlson | The Project (Video). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ Urzila Carlson: The Standout Of Stand-Up | Studio 10 (Video). 25 September 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ a b c d e Samantha, Mafucci (7 January 2019). "Who Is Urzila Carlson? New Details On The Comic From 'Comedians Of The World' On Netflix". YourTango. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  13. ^ Burke, Tina (7 September 2018). "Nazeem Hussain, Urzila Carlson and Matt Okine to star in Seven's new sketch show". Now To Love. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  14. ^ Carlson, Urzila (2016). Rolling with the punchlines. Sydney: A & U New Zealand. ISBN 9781877505638. OCLC 1057621440.
  15. ^ Loschiavo, Will (1 November 2024). "Urzila Carlson: Beyond Comedy". Out in Jersey. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  16. ^ Story, Hannah (6 August 2024). "How Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee evolved from lockdown balm to Australian TV show". MSN. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Celia Pacquola wins Best Comedy Performer at the 2018 Helpmann Awards". comedy.com.au. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  18. ^ a b Steve Bennett (2 January 2019). "Comedians Of The World – Urzila Carlson". Chortle. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Urzila Carlson goes global with Netflix comedy special Comedians Of The World". Newshub. 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019.
  20. ^ Cherry, Amber (26 September 2024). "Watch Urzila Carlson's Hysterical Comedy Special, 'It's Personal'". 800 Pound Gorilla. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Carlson retains comedy crown for fourth year". GayNZ.com. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  22. ^ "2014 Guild Awards". New Zealand Comedy Guild. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  23. ^ "2016 Guild Awards". New Zealand Comedy Guild. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  24. ^ "7 Days comedian Urzila Carlson welcomes baby boy". Stuff. 12 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  25. ^ a b Weaser, Laura (27 October 2014). "Urzila Carlson's Kiwi love story". Now To Love. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
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