Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1970-04-12
- Born Place: New Jersey, U.S.
Height:
5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
Also Known As:
Retta Sirleaf, Marietta Sirleaf, Marietta Sangai Sirleaf
Retta
Marietta Sangai Sirleaf, known professionally as Retta, is a highly recognizable American stand-up comedian and actress, born on April 12, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. Of Liberian descent, she grew up in New Jersey and initially pursued a different path, graduating from Duke University in 1992 with a degree in sociology, having originally been on a pre-med track and even working as a chemist. However, her passion for making people laugh, something she discovered early in her church's youth group, led her to comedy.Retta began her stand-up career in the mid-1990s, first in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then moving to Los Angeles to fully commit to comedy. She quickly became a favorite on the college circuit and gained attention after winning Comedy Central's "Laugh Riots Stand-Up Competition," which led to a development deal with ABC/Disney.Her acting career truly took off in 2009 when she joined the cast of NBC's critically acclaimed comedy series Parks and Recreation as the fan-favorite character Donna Meagle, a no-nonsense office manager with a love for treating herself. Her role, initially recurring, became a main cast position in later seasons, showcasing her sharp comedic timing and ability to steal scenes. Following Parks and Recreation, Retta starred as Ruby Hill in the NBC dramedy Good Girls (2018-2021), a role that further demonstrated her range in both comedic and dramatic performances.Beyond these prominent roles, Retta's extensive filmography includes appearances in movies like Fracture (2007), First Sunday (2008), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015), Other People (2016), Good Boys (2019), 80 for Brady (2023), Hit Man (2024), and The Greatest Hits (2024), where she played Dr. Evelyn Bartlett. On television, she has guest-starred in numerous series, including It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Key & Peele, and Elsbeth. She is also known for hosting HGTV's Ugliest House in America since 2022 and published a book of essays titled "So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know" in 2018.
