Joan Rivers (born Joan Alexandra Molinsky; June 8, 1933) is an American comedian, actress, talk show host and businesswoman. She is known for her brash manner and loud, raspy voice with a heavy metropolitan New York accent, and numerous cosmetic surgeries. Rivers's comedic style relies heavily on poking fun at herself and other celebrities.
Rivers was born Joan Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants Beatrice (né...
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Joan Rivers (born Joan Alexandra Molinsky; June 8, 1933) is an American comedian, actress, talk show host and businesswoman. She is known for her brash manner and loud, raspy voice with a heavy metropolitan New York accent, and numerous cosmetic surgeries. Rivers's comedic style relies heavily on poking fun at herself and other celebrities.
Rivers was born Joan Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants Beatrice (née Grushman) and Meyer C. Molinsky, a doctor. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and her family later moved to Larchmont, in Westchester County, NY. She attended Connecticut College between 1950 and 1952 and graduated from Barnard College in 1954 with a B.A. in English literature and anthropology. During college, a friend took her to see Lenny Bruce do stand-up comedy, and, as Joan describes it, "It was an epiphany." Before entering show business, Rivers worked at various jobs such as a tour guide at Rockefeller Center, a writer/proofreader...
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