Paula Poundstone is a stand-up comedian, author, actress, commentator and interviewer born on 29th December 1959 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA, and is known as one of the most successful and rewarded female comedians in the US, and was the first woman to win a Cable ACE Award for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special for her HBO special “Cats, Cops and Stuff”. She is a frequent panelist on weekly news quiz show “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me”, and was a recurring guest on “A Prairie Home Companion” variety program.
Have you ever wondered how rich Paula Poundstone is? According to sources it has been estimated that Paula Poundstone’s overall net worth is $1.5 million, accumulated through a diverse and lucrative career which she started in the late ‘70s. Since she is still active in the entertainment industry, her net worth continues to grow.
Paula Poundstone Net Worth $1.5 Million
Raised in Sudbury, Massachusetts, Paula attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School but dropped out before matriculation. Before starting a career as a stand-up comedian, she did various jobs to support her living, including working as a waitress at IHOP and being a bicycle messenger. However, in 1979, Poundstone began doing stand-up comedy at open-mic nights in Boston, but continued to travel across the US by Greyhound bus, and performing in similar comedy clubs, before she settled in San Francisco, where she became known for her improvisational acts at “The Other Cafe” comedy club. Soon, she was noticed by Robin Williams, who encouraged her to move to Los Angeles and arranged a stand-up comedy set for her on an episode of “SNL”, which he hosted. Paula even had an acting venture, when she was cast in “Hyperspace” movie in 1984”, but decided to continue practicing stand-up comedy and appearing in talk shows. Her net worth was established.
By the end of ‘80s she had won the American Comedy Award for “Best Female Stand-Up Comic”, and in 1990 she wrote “Cats, Cops and Stuff”, an HBO special for which she was awarded a Cable ACE Award, the first ever female to receive this accolade. Thanks to her quick wit and spontaneity, she was also the first woman to headline the White House Correspondents Dinner, and provided live coverage of the ’92 political conventions and presidential inauguration for “The Tonight Show”. The following year, she was presented with a second Cable ACE Award, this time for “Best Program Interviewer” for her HBO series “The Paula Poundstone Show”. Her second HBO special, “Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard” was released in 1996, the first time this elite university had allowed their name to be used in a TV show title.
She is a frequent panelist on “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me”, a weekly news quiz show on the National Public Radio. In addition to her career in the entertainment industry, Paula came off also as a writer. She published her first book, “There is Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say”, in 2006, and her second book was set to publish in late 2016.
She has also written columns for “Mother Jones”, articles for “The Los Angeles Times”, “Glamour”, “Entertainment Weekly” and others. has been on Comedy Central ranked Poundstone on the list of 100 greatest stand-ups of all time at no.88, however, “Maxim” magazine’s listed her at no.6 of Worst Comedians of All Time – work that one out!
In her personal life, Paula identifies as asexual. She has been serving as a foster parent since the ‘90s, but was prosecuted for child endangerment, and lewd acts upon a child and alcoholism, which she professes to have overcome.
Inside Out, When Stand Up Stood Out, Comedy Club Superstars, Hyperspace, San Francisco, CA, United States, Saratoga, CA, United States, Asheville, NC, United States, 4. Episode 4, 3. Episode 3
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Trademark
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Wears suits and ties
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Fact
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Appearing as a regular panelist on National Public Radio's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" [October 2003]
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15 November 2002 - The courts returned Paula's three children to her after 17 months in foster care. She continues on five years' probation.
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Won a local Emmy for her work on the PBS series Life & Times.
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Won the Cable Ace Award for Cats, Cops and Stuff (1990), for best Stand-Up Comedy Show - the first woman to do so.
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Won the American Comedy Award for Best Comedy Club Stand-Up Comic (Female). [1989]
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10 October 2001 - An LA judge sentenced her to 5 years probation and 180 days in rehab on felony child endangerment and misdemeanor child injury.
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Accepted a plea agreement and pled no contest to felony child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of inflicting injury on a child. In exchange, the three charges of lew conduct were dropped by prosecutors. "The lewd conduct charges against me were dropped because they weren't true," says Poundstone. "I pled no contest to the child endangerment/injury charges because they were. My drinking helped to create a dangerous situation for the children. For this, I am very sorry." [September 2001]
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Entered a rehab center for alcoholism, which she says brought about the recent abuse charges involving her children. [June 2001]
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Was a foster child herself when younger.
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Arrested in Santa Monica, California, on charges of committing lewd acts on a girl under age 14, and on charges of endangering 2 other girls and 2 boys. Posted $200,000 bail, and pled "not guilty" at a July 3 arraignment. [June 2001]
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She became a foster mother in 1993 and adopted 2 girls in 1997.
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She appeared in The Muppets' "She Drives Me Crazy" music video.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The HOA
2016
TV Movie completed
Lorraine
Inside Out
2015/I
Forgetter Paula (voice)
Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious
2013
TV Series
Usher
Home Movies
1999
TV Series
Paula Small
Science Court
1997-1999
TV Series
Judge Stone
Hercules
1998
TV Series
Armageddon Bow
Cybill
1997
TV Series
Minnie Arbogast
Adventures from the Book of Virtues
1996
TV Series
The Djinn
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1995
TV Series
The Computer
Reasonable Doubts
1993
TV Series
Betty Tannebaum
Hyperspace
1984
Karen
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Poison
1988
TV Movie
Paula Poundstone: Look What the Cat Dragged In
2006
TV Movie
Home Movies
1999
TV Series written by - 5 episodes
Cats, Cops and Stuff
1990
TV Movie documentary
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Comedy Club
2016
Documentary
Herself
Major Crimes
2016
TV Series
Herself
By Any Means Necessary
2015
Documentary
Herself
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2006-2015
TV Series
Herself / Herself - Guest / Geoff Peterson
3 Still Standing
2014
Documentary
Herself
FansTang Live from the Red Carpet
2014
TV Series
Herself
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Live!
2013
TV Movie
Herself
Why We Laugh: Funny Women
2013
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A Royal Pain in the News
2011
TV Movie
Herself
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2009
TV Series
Herself - Guest Expert
Late Show with David Letterman
1995-2009
TV Series
Herself
No Brainer
2008
Herself
Entertainment Tonight
2006-2007
TV Series
Herself
Jury Duty
2007
TV Series
Herself (2007)
Real Time with Bill Maher
2007
TV Series
Herself
Who Is Rufus Harley: An Hour of Television and Documentary Footage
2006
Video
Herself - Comic
Paula Poundstone: Look What the Cat Dragged In
2006
TV Movie
Herself
Just for Laughs
2005
TV Series
Herself
When Stand Up Stood Out
2003
Documentary
Herself
Biography
2003
TV Series documentary
Herself
Larry King Live
2002
TV Series
Herself
To Tell the Truth
2000
TV Series
Herself / Panelist (2000-2001)
The Martin Short Show
1999
TV Series
Herself
Hollywood Squares
1998-1999
TV Series
Herself
Comic Relief VIII
1998
TV Special
Herself
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1997-1998
TV Series
Herself
Intimate Portrait
1998
TV Series documentary
Herself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992-1997
TV Series
Herself / Herself - Guest
Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard
1996
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Comic Relief VII
1995
TV Special documentary
Herself
50 Years of Funny Females
1995
TV Movie documentary
Herself - Host
CBS Schoolbreak Special
1995
TV Series
Herself
1996 Clio Awards
1995
TV Special
Herself
A Gala for the President at Ford's Theatre
1994
TV Special
Herself
The Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame
1994
TV Special
Herself
Comic Relief VI
1994
TV Special documentary
Herself
Futurequest
1994
TV Series documentary
Herself
Jeopardy!
1993
TV Series
Herself - Celebrity Contestant
The Paula Poundstone Show
1992-1993
TV Series
Herself - Host / Herself
1993 Environmental Media Awards
1993
TV Special
Herself
The 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1993
TV Special
Herself
Comic Relief V
1992
TV Special
Herself
Wisecracks
1992
Documentary
Herself
CNN & Company
1992
TV Series
Herself - Comedian
Kellogg's Pop-Tarts Comedy Video
1992
Video
Herself
Futures
1991
TV Series
Herself
Cats, Cops and Stuff
1990
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Comic Relief IV
1990
TV Special documentary
Herself
Late Night with David Letterman
1984-1989
TV Series
Herself / Herself - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1989
TV Series
Herself
The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards
1989
TV Special
Herself
One Night Stand
1989
TV Series
Herself
Comic Relief III
1989
TV Special documentary
Herself
It's Garry Shandling's Show.
1989
TV Series
Herself
An All Star Celebration: Vote '88
1988
TV Movie
Herself
Women of the Night
1987
TV Special
Herself
The Merv Griffin Show
1984
TV Series
Herself
Saturday Night Live
1984
TV Series
Herself
The 8th Annual Young Comedians Show
1983
TV Special
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time
2004
TV Mini-Series
Herself #88
Classic Stand-Up Comedy of Television
1996
TV Special documentary
Herself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1993
CableACE
CableACE Awards
Program Interviewer
The Paula Poundstone Show (1992)
1992
CableACE
CableACE Awards
Stand-Up Comedy Special
Cats, Cops and Stuff (1990)
1989
American Comedy Award
American Comedy Awards, USA
Comedy Club Stand-Up Comic - Female
Known for movies
Inside Out (2015) as Forgetter Paula
Cats, Cops and Stuff (1990) as Writer
Kellogg's Pop-Tarts Comedy Video (1992) as Herself
Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard (1996) as Herself