Desi Lydic (/ˈdɛzi ˈldɪk/ DEZ-ee LY-dik)[2] is an American comedian and actress who plays a senior correspondent on the satirical news program The Daily Show. From 2011 to 2016, she starred as guidance counselor Valerie Marks on the MTV comedy-drama series Awkward.[3] She got her start in the 2001 parody film Not Another Teen Movie.[4] She also starred in the Spike miniseries Invasion Iowa alongside William Shatner and the parody series The Real Wedding Crashers.[5]

Desi Lydic
Lydic in 2024
Born (1981-06-30) June 30, 1981 (age 43)[1]
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actress
Years active2001–present
SpouseGannon Brousseau
Children1

She appeared as Shea Seger in the 2011 film We Bought a Zoo alongside Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, and in the 2013 film The Babymakers with Olivia Munn.[4] Lydic also appeared as one half of a lesbian couple on an episode of the Disney Channel series Good Luck Charlie in 2014. She joined Trevor Noah's lineup of correspondents for The Daily Show on September 29, 2015. Lydic was among a number of guest hosts of The Daily Show after the departure of Trevor Noah.

Early life

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Lydic was born June 30, 1981, in Louisville, Kentucky. Aged three, Lydic became enamored of comedic acting from watching Carol Burnett play Miss Agatha Hannigan in Annie.[6] As a child, she enrolled in the Young Actors Institute at the Youth Performing Arts School and starred in a Kroger commercial. Lydic told Kyle Meredith in a 2024 interview that it was during this time that she had an obsession with late '90s Saturday Night Live.[7] She later moved to Los Angeles and became an improvisational actor, performing at The Groundlings and Improv Olympic.[8]

Career

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Lydic in 2012

On The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Lydic saw herself as a comedic actor with "a journalistic responsibility" to the truth, in regard to the serious topics she approaches through a humorous lens, as a correspondent for the show.[9] Lydic created her first one-hour special which aired on May 13, 2019, on Comedy Central, and was entitled The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents Desi Lydic: Abroad.[10] The special explores how the United States is now further apart in gender equality than many other countries in the world. The special was nominated for a Writers Guild Award.[11] After the passing of the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lydic paid tribute to her work, and life in a half-hour special entitled The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Remembering RBG – A Nation Ugly Cries with Desi Lydic aired on Comedy Central on October 30, 2020.[12][11] Lydic was among a number of guest hosts who hosted The Daily Show after the departure of Trevor Noah. Lydic hosted the show during the week of April 24, 2023.[13]

Personal life

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Lydic has one son with her husband Gannon Brousseau.[14][15] Their son was born in late December 2015. While filming her Comedy Central special "Abroad"[10] Lydic got a "small upside-down triangle[16] tattoo representing female empowerment" as a commemoration of her time spent with Icelandic all-female rap collective Daughters of Reykjavík, marking her as the "23rd member" of the group.[17]

Filmography

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Film work by Desi Lydic
Year Title Role Notes
2001 Not Another Teen Movie Cutie Uncredited
2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Delta Nu Sister
2004 Adventures in Vegas Desi/Skyler Short film
2007 Stand Up Veronica
2007 Out at the Wedding Jeannie
2008 Screw Cupid Betty
2008 Big Heart City Rita/Jane
2009 As Advertised Ronnie TV film
2009 Stan Helsing Mia
2010 Darnell Dawkins: Mouth Guitar Legend Helena
2011 Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury Diana Torres
2011 We Bought a Zoo Shea Seger (Lasagna Mom)
2012 The Babymakers Julie
2012 Something Like a Butterfly Joyce Humphrey Short film
2020 Irresistible Fox News anchor
Television work by Desi Lydic
Year Title Role Notes
2003 What I Like About You Becky Episode: "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
2004 Complete Savages Woman #1 Episode: "Savage XXX-mas"
2005 CSI: NY Elaine Curtis Episode: "Recycling"
2005 Invasion Iowa Gryffyn Greene 5 episodes
2006 Pepper Dennis Melinda Episode: "Poker Clubs and Boob Cams - Film at Eleven"
2008 Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan Herself (roommate) Episode: "Spoiled Rotten"
2010 The League Waitress Episode: "The Marathon"
2010 Two and a Half Men Veronica Episode: "Chocolate Diddlers or My Puppy's Dead"
2011 Traffic Light Renee Episode: "Where the Heart Is"
2011–2016 Awkward Valerie Marks[18] Main role; guest (season 5)
2012 Raising Hope Uma Episode: "Sabrina's New Jimmy"
2012 The Client List Dee Ann 7 episodes
2012 How to Be a Gentleman Chelsea Episode: "How to Be Shallow"
2013 Dads Joan Episode: "Dad Abuse"
2014 Good Luck Charlie Susan Episode: "Down a Tree"
2014 Friends with Better Lives Jess Episode: "Window Pain"
2015 The Odd Couple Kim Episode: "The Blind Leading the Blind Date"
2015–present The Daily Show Correspondent, Host
2019 Desi Lydic: Abroad Herself TV special[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Six Moments To Make You Love Desi Lydic (Even More)". YouTube. Event occurs at 0:18-0:39. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "We Need a Lot More Women to Run for Congress - Desi Lydic Womansplains on The Daily Show". YouTube. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  3. ^ "Desi Lydic | Awkward". MTV. July 13, 2011. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Desi Lydic Biography". Buddytv.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  5. ^ "Desi Lydic Credits". TV Guide. November 28, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  6. ^ "The Experience Questionnaire: Desi Lydic". expmag.com. May 13, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  7. ^ "The Daily Show's Desi Lydic on Indecision 2024: Podcast". March 25, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "Official Web Site". Out At The Wedding. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  9. ^ "'The Daily Show's' Desi Lydic Talks Gender Gap Special: 'The Joke Is on America'". Variety. May 10, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents Desi Lydic: Abroad". Comedy Central. May 13, 2019. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Correspondent Desi Lydic Bio". Comedy Central. 2020. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Remembering RBG – A Nation Ugly Cries with Desi Lydic". Comedy Central. October 30, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  13. ^ Ortiz, Andi (January 26, 2023). "Here's Everyone Who's Guest Hosting 'The Daily Show' This Season". TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  14. ^ "'Awkward' Arrival: Meet Desi Lydic's Baby Boy". MTV. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016.
  15. ^ "Desi Lydic on Instagram: "Thank you @lansinohusa for all the incredible goodies for Brixton and me. Also for these awesome pacifiers! #Lansinoh #40weeks"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  16. ^ PBS Newshour Weekend (May 12, 2019). "The Daily Show's Desi Lydic goes 'Abroad' exploring gender equality". youtube. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "The Experience Questionnaire: Desi Lydic". expmag.com. May 13, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Wieselman, Jarett (May 28, 2013). "5 Questions With 'Awkward' Star Desi Lydic". Yahoo!. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  19. ^ "Desi Lydic Soars As A DeSantis-Dissing Flight Attendant Aboard A Migrant Plane". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
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