Amy Schumer’s Funniest Pieces Of Work

By Brent Furdyk. 23 Mar 2022 6:49 PM

Fans have followed Amy Schumer’s meteoric rise to become one of the most successful female comedians of her generation, starring in TV series, standup comedy specials, movies and more.

In celebration of her Oscars hosting gig, we take a look back at the most memorable projects, appearances and moments in her career.

Giovanni Rufino/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Comedy Central

Comedy Central/YouTube

Comedy Central/YouTube

The Howard Stern Show/YouTube

Comedy Central

HBO

Universal Pictures

Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Fox

Gallery Books

Inside Edition/YouTube

Netflix

Twentieth Century Fox

STX Entertainment

Netflix

HBO Max

Food Network

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'Last Comic Standing' (2007)
Giovanni Rufino/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Remember "Last Comic Standing", the NBC talent competition that was like "American Idol" for comedians? That was where TV viewers got their first glimpse of Amy Schumer, who'd only been doing standup for three years but was impressive enough to make the final four before her elimination in the 11th episode.
'Reality Bites Back' (2008)
Comedy Central
Amy Schumer's exposure on "Last Comic Standing" led her to be among the comics cast in "Reality Bites Back", Comedy Central's wackadoodle hybrid of sketch comedy and "Big Brother"-style reality show.

Schumer was among several comedians (including future stars Bert Kreischer and Tiffany Haddish) to compete in reality show-inspired competitions, with one comedian eliminated each week until the winner was crowned "Lord of All Reality" and given a $50,000 prize.

Schumer wasn't the winner (that would be Theo Von), but she came close, making it to runner-up.
"Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen" (2012)
Comedy Central/YouTube
In 2011, Amy Schumer was relatively unknown when she was among the comedians chosen to join Comedy Central's celebrity roast of Charlie Sheen. Host Seth MacFarlane's introduction pretty much said it all: "Alright, what can I say about Amy Schumer? I actually mean that sincerely, I've never heard of this woman."

Schumer would never receive a similar intro, because she utterly slayed with a devastatingly vicious routine for the ages, brutally roasting Sheen along with fellow roasters Mike Tyson ("You have a slutty lower back tattoo on your face") and William Shatner ("I've seen less bloated men dredged out of rivers. Does Priceline pay you in empanadas?").

When she got around to Sheen, she pulled no punches, comparing his role in "Platoon" to his marriage to Denise Richards, which "was kind of like her Vietnam, because she was constantly afraid of being killed by Charlie."

Schumer was invited back in 2012 to skewer Rosanne Barr.
'Mostly Sex Stuff' (2012)
Comedy Central/YouTube
The strength of Amy Schumer's performances on those celebrity roasts led to her first Comedy Central standup special, "Mostly Sex Stuff", recorded in 2012 but not aired until the following September.

The material was characteristically raw and edgy, such as her bit about testicles, admitting women may not care about them, "but when they're not there, you miss 'em. Like grandparents."
'The Howard Stern Show' (2912
The Howard Stern Show/YouTube
Amy Schumer's star was on the rise when she appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2012, sharing candid stories about everything from her sex life to her father's battle with MS.

Unbeknownst to Schumer, Stern fan Judd Apatow was listening to the interview, and became an instant fan. It was this interview, he later revealed, that inspired him to get in touch with Schumer about working together, and asked if she had any ideas. She wrote a script in 10 days, which resulted in her big-screen debut a few years later.
'Inside Amy Schumer' (2013)
Comedy Central
In addition to her first standup special, Comedy Central signed up Amy Schumer to create her own sketch comedy series, which became an instant hit with viewers and critics alike. A hilarious representation of her distinctive comic voice, the show managed to be both fiercely feminist and fantastically funny.

Schumer ended the show after four seasons to pursue bigger opportunities.
'The Bachelorette' (2015)

A self-confessed member of Bachelor Nation, Amy Schumer made a special appearance on "The Bachelorette", coaching the men on how to craft a standup comedy routine that would win the heart of Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe.

Schumer's appearance went so well that ABC officially invited her to be the next Bachelorette. She respectfully declined.
'Live at the Apollo' (2015)
HBO
Amy Schumer jumped to HBO for her second standup special, taped at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. The performance was a winner, demonstrating how much she'd honed her standup skills since the previous special.
'Trainwreck' (2015)
Universal Pictures
In 2015, Amy Schumer made her movie debut in the quasi-autobiographical "Trainwreck," with a script by Schumer, directed by Judd Apatow and co-starring "SNL" alum Bill Hader.

Reviews were positively ecstatic, and the box office was phenomenal. Costing just $35 million to make, "Trainwreck" brought in more than $140 million worldwide.
'Saturday Night Live' (2015)
Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Coinciding with the opening of "Trainwreck", Amy Schumer made her "SNL" hosting debut for the Mother's Day episode, and her sketch-comedy experience from "Inside Amy Schumer" left her well prepared.

She returned to host in 2018.
'The Simpsons' (2016)
Fox
Amy Schumer made her "Simpson" debut in a 2016 episode, voicing the mother of Mr. Burns in a flashback.
'The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo'
Gallery Books
Amy Schumer was hotter than hot when she wrote her first book, which instantly hit No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list.
'Judge Judy' (2017)
Inside Edition/YouTube
Viewers of "Judge Judy" were no doubt taken aback when they spotted Amy Schumer sitting in the audience for a 2017 episode.

She later confirmed that she's a huge fan of the show, and her hilarious side-eyes and priceless reactions to the defendant's claims result in easily the funniest episode of the show ever produced.
'The Leather Special' (2017)
Netflix
Amy Schumer signed a massive deal with Netflix, resulting in her first standup comedy special for the streamer. Initial reports indicated she was paid $11 million, but she used her leverage due to recent big-bucks Netflix deals with Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld to up her paycheque to $13 million.

Unlike the raves she received for her previous specials, reviews for "The Leather Special" were mixed, with critics wondering if she was spreading herself too thin with all her other projects.
'Snatched' (2017)
Twentieth Century Fox
Amy Schumer's followup to "Trainwreck"--"Snatched"--teamed her up with the legendary Goldie Hawn, playing her mom in a comedy about a mother and daughter whose vacation in South America goes south when they're kidnapped.

This time around, reviews were tepid at best. The film, which cost $42 million to produce, brought in just $45.8 million at the domestic box office.
'I Feel Pretty' (2018)
STX Entertainment
Amy Schumer's third big-screen starring role saw her play a woman who, thanks to a hit on the head, believes herself to be stunningly beautiful.

Once again, reviews were so-so, but the box office was encouraging. With a $32 million budget, the film brought in more than $94 million worldwide.
'Growing' (2019)
Netflix
In October 2018, Amy Schumer announced that she and husband Chris Fischer were expecting their first child.

For Schumer, being an expectant mother was a whole new source of inspiration, resulting in her pregnancy-themed 2019 Netflix special "Growing".

While critics found her previous special lacking, "Growing" proved to be a return to form, earning Schumer some of her best reviews in years.
'Expecting Amy' (2020)
HBO Max
While Amy Schumer mined her pregnancy for comedy gold, fans didn't realize how difficult her pregnancy actually was.

They found out with the release of her HBO Max docuseries, which had been shot throughout the nine months leading up to the birth of son Gene.

Schumer's unflinching, candid yet still-funny look at impending motherhood won over critics, earning more rave reviews.
'Amy Schumer Learns To Cook' (2020)
Food Network
When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, Amy Schumer signed a deal with the Food Network to host a cooking show — a hilarious premise, given that she's an admittedly terrible cook.

Enter husband Chris Fischer, a professional chef who teaches his wife how to create a different dish in each episode (Schumer contributes by whipping up cocktails).

Self shot on a smartphone, "Amy Schumer Learns to Cook" may not win any Emmys for cinematography, but the couple's low-key charm and hilarious banter proved to be a winning combination; the show was renewed for a second season.

Amy Schumer’s Funniest Pieces Of Work

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