What You Need to Know About Amber Ruffin, the Next Woman to Storm the Late-Night Game

Julie Sprankles

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Twitter is already abuzz with the name of a woman being pegged as one of late-night TV’s next big things, but you may be asking, “Who is Amber Ruffin?” NBC just announced that the writer and performer is getting her own late-night show on the network’s new streaming platform, Peacock. Since the announcement, well-respected celebrities in the comedy sphere have been co-signing this new lady of late night left and right. So, if you hadn’t heard of Ruffin before, it’s time to get to know this fierce and funny woman.

Before we dive into who Ruffin is, let’s talk about her new gig. In a press release, NBC revealed that Peacock’s slate of programming will include a series titled The Amber Ruffin Show. It’s billed by the network as “a late-night show with just the good parts — the comedy” and a chance for Ruffin to show off her “signature smart-and-silly take on the week.” As of yet, The Amber Ruffin Show doesn’t have a premiere date, but Peacock is set to launch in April 2020. Silver lining to that sitch? You have time to do some intel on Ruffin (and realize how much you’re going to love watching her each week).

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So, without further ado, here are a few fun facts about the soon-to-be late-night host.

She’s a Trailblazer

If you didn’t already know this about Ruffin, prepare to have your mind blown: When Seth Meyers hired Ruffin for Late Night‘s writers’ room, she became the first woman of color — any color — to write on staff for a network late-night talk show. Prior to that, women of color had only been hired to work on premium cable or off-network, and some had served in the capacity of correspondents.

She Already Has A-List Celebrity Supporters

It’s no big surprise that Meyers was one of the first stars to celebrate Ruffin’s new job. Taking to Twitter to share the news, he wrote, “There is good in this world!” HBO’s Black Lady Sketch Show creator Robin Thede agreed with Meyers, gushing, “THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF.” Mandy Kaling retweeted Meyers, writing, “Can’t wait to see this! @ambermruffin is so talented!” Suffice it to say, there are plenty more where those came from.

She Probably Looks Familiar

Um, c’mon Key & Peele fans… remember the Party Wife sketch? Ruffin, to great comedic effect, was the wife. And as mentioned above, she’s a writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers — so, if you’re a regular watcher, you know she’s fantastic in bits like “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell” and “Amber Says What.” She’s also made appearances on shows like Drunk History.

So, if you were super-pumped about Lilly Singh breaking the late-night-show glass ceiling this week (because, obviously), add Ruffin to your list of badass women comedians taking late-night by storm.

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