Gilda Radner was a comedic genius of the 20th century, ranking alongside the likes of Lucille Ball and other comedy legends of the highest caliber. Born on June 28, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan, to Henrietta (Dworkin),a legal secretary, and Herman Radner, a businessman, she was the younger of two children, with an older brother, Michael.
Her family, Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland, and Lithuania, employed a nanny, Dibby, who would later serve as the inspiration for her Saturday Night Live character, Emily Litella. Radner was particularly close to her father, who tragically passed away when she was just 14, leaving her heartbroken.
As a child, Radner struggled with her weight, leading to anorexia and bulimia, but she overcame these disorders by the age of 16 and maintained a normal weight. However, her weight would occasionally fluctuate, and she would sometimes appear anorexic on Saturday Night Live.
Radner graduated from the Liggett School for Girls and enrolled at the University of Michigan before dropping out to follow a boyfriend to Canada, where she made her stage debut in Godspell. In 1975, she became the first person cast for Saturday Night Live, a show that would catapult her to fame.
She remained on the show for five years, from 1975 to 1980, during which time she created iconic characters like Emily Litella, Rose Roseanneannadanna, Lisa Loopner, and Baba Wawa. In 1980, she left the show and married G.E. Smith, the SNL band guitarist.
Radner's personal life took a turn when she met actor Gene Wilder on a movie set and fell in love with him nearly instantly. However, she was soon diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which she battled through chemotherapy and treatment.
After initially being told she was in remission, Radner wrote her autobiography, "It's Always Something," about her experiences with cancer. Unfortunately, cancer was later found in her liver and lungs, and it was too late to treat it. Gilda Radner passed away in her sleep on May 20, 1989.
