Three13 · Comedy Legend Feature
Gilda RadnerDetroit's ComedyOriginal
From the Seville Hotel in Detroit to the original cast of Saturday Night Live — the too-short life of the woman who gave us Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, and a legacy of cancer support that still bears her name.
Gilda Radner — born Gilda Susan Radner on June 28, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan — was one of the seven original cast members of NBC's Saturday Night Live and a trailblazer for women in comedy. Her characters — the hard-of-hearing Emily Litella, the brash Roseanne Roseannadanna, the nerd Lisa Loopner, and the Baba Wawa parody of Barbara Walters — made her the most beloved of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players.
A Detroit Childhood
Radner grew up in Detroit, where her father operated the Seville Hotel — a place where nightclub performers and actors stayed while working in the city. He took her on trips to New York to see Broadway shows, igniting her love of performance. Her nanny, "Dibby," inspired the beloved character Emily Litella and taught her to laugh at herself before other kids could.
She attended the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods and enrolled at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she did humorous weather reports on campus radio. In 1969 she moved to Toronto, making her stage debut in the rock musical Godspell alongside Martin Short and Eugene Levy before joining Toronto's Second City.
The SNL Years & Legacy
In 1975 Radner was chosen for the first cast of Saturday Night Live, where she stayed until 1980, winning a Primetime Emmy in 1978. Her father's catchphrase — "It's always something" — became the title of her autobiography and her most famous character's refrain.
After SNL she starred in films with her husband Gene Wilder and performed on Broadway. Diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer in 1986 after months of misdiagnoses, she died in 1989 at age 42. Wilder founded Gilda's Club in her memory in 1991 — a cancer support network that grew into the Cancer Support Community. As Tina Fey said: "She was our equivalent to Michelle Obama."
Key Milestones
1946
Born Gilda Susan Radner in Detroit, Michigan, to a Jewish family. Her father operated Detroit's Seville Hotel, where many nightclub performers stayed.
1964
Graduates from University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods and enrolls at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
1972
Makes her stage debut in the Toronto production of the rock musical Godspell, alongside Martin Short, Eugene Levy, and Victor Garber.
1975
Becomes one of the seven original cast members of Saturday Night Live, creating characters like Emily Litella and Roseanne Roseannadanna.
1978
Wins the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress for her work on SNL.
1979
Stars in her one-woman Broadway show Gilda Live, later released as a film in 1980.
1984
Marries actor Gene Wilder, with whom she starred in three films including Hanky Panky (1982) and Haunted Honeymoon (1986).
1986
Diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer after roughly ten months of misdiagnoses. She chronicles her experience in her autobiography, It's Always Something.
1989
Dies on May 20 at age 42. Her autobiography is published around the time of her death.
1991
Gene Wilder and friends establish Gilda's Club, a cancer support organization that grows into the Cancer Support Community.
Major Achievements
- ◆Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Continuing Performance (1978)
- ◆Grammy Award — Best Spoken Word Album (1990, posthumous, for It's Always Something)
- ◆Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (1992)
- ◆Hollywood Walk of Fame star (2003)
- ◆One of the seven original Saturday Night Live cast members
- ◆Ranked #9 among all 141 SNL cast members by Rolling Stone (2015)
- ◆Inspired Gilda's Club, now part of the Cancer Support Community
External Links
Frequently Asked
Is Gilda Radner from Detroit?+
Yes. Gilda Radner was born Gilda Susan Radner on June 28, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up in Detroit, attended University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, and enrolled at the University of Michigan before moving to Toronto and then New York.
What characters did Gilda Radner create on SNL?+
Radner created beloved characters including the hard-of-hearing Emily Litella, the brash advice columnist Roseanne Roseannadanna, the nerd Lisa Loopner, and Baba Wawa — a parody of Barbara Walters. She won an Emmy for these performances in 1978.
How did Gilda Radner die?+
Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer on May 20, 1989, at age 42. After roughly ten months of misdiagnoses, she was found to have stage IV ovarian cancer in 1986. She chronicled her experience in her autobiography, It's Always Something.
What is Gilda's Club?+
Gilda's Club is a support organization for people living with cancer and their families, founded in 1991 by Gene Wilder and friends in Radner's memory. The first location opened in New York City in 1995, and the network later merged into the Cancer Support Community.
About This Feature
This Three13 feature draws on verified public sources including Wikipedia, IMDb, the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, and Encyclopaedia Britannica. All biographical data — birth in Detroit, SNL tenure, and the founding of Gilda's Club — are editorially verified.