Amy Schumer
Already a longtime fixture in the bustling New York comedy club circuit, in early 2013 Amy Schumer was catapulted into the mainstream seemingly overnight with the debut of her sketch comedy show "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central 2013- ). The show featured Schumer's edgy style of comedy -- honed over nearly a decade as a stand-up -- that included sex-infused comedy sketches and discussions of raunchy topics that wouldn't have made it past the network censors in the pre-cable era. Prior to starring in her own television show, Schumer placed fourth during the fifth season of the reality competition "Last Comic Standing" (NBC 2003-2010), and also headlined a stand-up special on Comedy Central. Her sketch comedy series "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central 2013- ) broke new ground for women in comedy, developing a comedic voice that was simultaneously raunchy, feminist, and politically-minded. Its success led directly to big screen work in films including "Trainwreck" (2015), a romantic comedy she wrote and starred in, directed by Judd Apatow, and "Snatched" (2017), an action comedy in which she starred opposite comedy icon Goldie Hawn as her mother.