The Phylis Dillar Biography They Aren't Telling You Yet
Phylis Diller's biography you'll want to read tonight
Phyllis Ada Diller (born Phyllis Ada Driver; July 17, 1917 - August 20, 2012) was a pioneering American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist renowned for her self-deprecating humor, wild stage persona featuring exaggerated hair and cackling laugh, and trailblazing role as one of the first women to succeed in the male-dominated field of stand-up comedy. Starting her career at age 37 in 1955 after years as a housewife and mother of five, she performed in over 40 films, countless TV shows, and Broadway productions, amassing a legacy that influenced generations of female comics like Joan Rivers and Roseanne Barr. Her breakthrough came through nightclub acts and TV appearances, leading to a career spanning five decades with sales of over 2 million comedy albums by 1970.
Early Life
Phyllis Diller was born on July 17, 1917, in Lima, Ohio, to older parents Perry Marcus Driver, an insurance salesman, and Frances Driver, a homemaker, making her the youngest of six children in a middle-class family during the tail end of World War I. She showed early artistic talent, studying piano at Sherwood Music School in Chicago and briefly attending Bluffton College, where she honed skills in music and writing amid the Great Depression's economic hardships that saw U.S. unemployment peak at 24.9% in 1933. By age 16, she was performing locally, but family duties led her to drop formal education after two years.
- Born in Lima, Ohio, amid post-WWI recovery, with family roots tracing to early 20th-century Midwest settlers.
- Excelled in piano, winning a scholarship to Sherwood Music School at age 16, studying under notable instructors like Florence Spencer.
- Attended Bluffton College briefly, majoring in music before marrying at 22 and prioritizing family over academia.
- Grew up in a household emphasizing frugality, with her father's insurance job providing stability during the 1929 stock market crash aftermath.
- Developed early humor writing jokes for local events, foreshadowing her comedic destiny despite initial homemaking focus.
Family and Pre-Fame Years
At age 22 on November 7, 1939, Diller married her first husband, Sherman William Sarubbi (known as Jody), a welding engineer, and became Phyllis Ada Sarubbi, raising five children-three sons and two daughters-while living in San Francisco's suburbs during the post-WWII baby boom era when U.S. birth rates hit 24.1 per 1,000 population in 1947. Financial strains peaked in 1952 when Jody's business failed, prompting her to work as a journalist for the San Leandro News-Observer and write ad copy for Oakland's KSFO radio, where she earned $25 weekly amid inflation rates averaging 2.1% annually. These years honed her wit as an escape, scripting routines for friends that later fueled her comedy.
| Year | Event | Children Count | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Married Jody Sarubbi | 0 | Pre-WWII economic optimism |
| 1940-1945 | First three children born | 3 | Wartime rationing challenges |
| 1952 | Family financial crisis | 5 | Jody's business bankruptcy |
| 1965 | Divorced Jody after 25 years | 5 (adult) | Career demands cited |
| 1965 | Married Warde Donovan | N/A | Short union ended 1971 |
Career Breakthrough
Diller's comedy career ignited at 37 on March 7, 1955, with an unpaid 15-minute set at San Francisco's Purple Onion nightclub, where her 45-minute act of rapid-fire one-liners about her "ugly" looks and fictional husband "Fang" drew 92 encores over 93 days, grossing $1,200 weekly in an era when average U.S. household income was $5,000 yearly. Spotted on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life in 1956, she gained national TV exposure on The Jack Paar Show, signing a contract with the Blue Angel in New York by 1957 amid the comedy boom post-Vietnam War escalation. Her signature cackle and costumes-featuring fright-wig hair and finger-length cigarette holder-became icons, with her 1961 debut album Phyllis Diller Laughs selling 100,000 copies in months.
- 1955: Debut at Purple Onion, performing non-stop for three months straight.
- 1956: National TV breakthrough on You Bet Your Life, earning Groucho's praise: "You're the funniest woman I've seen."
- 1958: First national tour, headlining Vegas at the Silver Slipper for $10,000 weekly.
- 1961: Film debut in Splendor in the Grass, directed by Elia Kazan, marking Hollywood entry.
- 1963: Published Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual or How to Survive Him, hitting bestseller lists with 250,000 sales.
"I was a housewife asked to do 20 minutes at a club. They got 93 minutes-and seven encores. My act was born that night." - Phyllis Diller, 1971 interview.
Hollywood and Television Success
From 1961 to 1980, Diller starred in over 40 films, collaborating with Bob Hope in three box-office hits-Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966, $2.5 million gross), Eight on the Lam (1967), and The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968)-despite critical pans, while her TV resume included 11 seasons on The Bold and the Beautiful (1986-1996, 150+ episodes) and guest spots on Night Gallery, The Muppet Show, CHiPs, and Cybill, amassing 500+ appearances when late-night viewership averaged 20 million nightly in the 1970s. Her 1966 USO tour to Vietnam with Hope entertained 50,000 troops amid peak war casualties of 16,899 that year, earning a Special Citation from the Department of Defense. Own shows like The Pruitts of Southampton (1966-67, 38 episodes) showcased her sitcom prowess, peaking at #5 in Neilsen ratings.
Broadway and Stage Milestones
Diller conquered Broadway in 1969-1970, replacing Carol Channing as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! for a three-month run starting December 26, 1969, opposite Richard Deacon, joining luminaries like Ginger Rogers and Pearl Bailey in the role during the show's 2,844-performance history that recouped $10 million. Her stage debut was in 1961's The Dark at Top of the Stairs, but Nunsense in 1988 as Mother Superior revived her theater career at 71, running 18 months in San Francisco with 85% occupancy rates. These feats, amid Broadway attendance dipping to 10.8 million in 1975, underscored her versatility, with critics noting her "cackle propelled the plot forward" in reviews.
Literary and Artistic Contributions
Beyond comedy, Diller authored five bestsellers totaling 1.2 million copies sold by 1985, including 1963's Phyllis Diller Tells All About Fang (200,000 copies), 1967's Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual (300,000), and 1981's The Joys of Aging and How to Avoid Them, blending humor with advice amid the 1960s feminist wave when women's workforce participation rose 15%. A trained pianist, she released albums like Born to Sing (1971) and painted 500+ abstract oils, with her 739-gag-file cabinet digitized by the Smithsonian in 2017 for her centennial, containing 52,000 jokes categorized meticulously. Her 2005 autobiography, Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse, sold 150,000 copies, chronicling her improbable rise.
- Key Books: Fang (1963), Housekeeping Hints (1966), Marriage Manual (1967), Complete Mother (1969), Joys of Aging (1981).
- Music: Performed piano on Ed Sullivan Show 12 times; album sales exceeded 500,000.
- Art: Exhibited at 15 galleries; donated works to museums, valued at $5,000-$20,000 each by 2010.
- Gag File: 739 drawers, 52,000 entries, transcribed by 500+ volunteers in 2017 Smithsonian project.
Later Years and Legacy
In her final decades, Diller acted into her 90s, voicing the Queen in A Bug's Life (1998, $363 million gross) and appearing on Boston Legal, while surviving a 1999 broken hip that sidelined her briefly amid U.S. senior population hitting 35 million. She passed on August 20, 2012, at 95 in Los Angeles from heart failure, leaving a $20 million estate including her LA mansion. Her legacy endures as the pioneer who proved women could headline stand-up, inspiring stats showing female comics rising from 10% in 1960 to 35% by 2010, with inductions into the Comedy Hall of Fame (1997) and Vocal Group Hall of Fame (2005).
| Milestone | Date | Impact Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Onion Run | 1955 | 93 days, 92 encores |
| Film Appearances | 1961-2004 | 40+ films, $500M+ gross |
| TV Episodes | 1956-2008 | 500+ appearances |
| Books Sold | 1963-2005 | 1.2 million copies |
| Hello, Dolly! Run | 1969-70 | 3 months as Dolly Levi |
Diller's influence persists in modern comedy, with her gag file now a public Smithsonian resource studied by 10,000+ annually, cementing her as the housewife-turned-legend who laughed in the face of adversity.
Expert answers to The Phylis Dillar Biography They Arent Telling You Yet queries
When did Phyllis Diller start performing on stage?
Phyllis Diller first performed on stage professionally on March 7, 1955, at the Purple Onion nightclub in San Francisco, delivering a surprise 93-minute set that launched her career.
What was her famous stage persona?
Her iconic persona featured a towering fright wig, exaggerated makeup, outlandish gowns, and a signature cackling laugh clocked at 110 decibels, self-mockingly portraying an "ugly" housewife battling fictional husband Fang.
How many children did she have?
Diller raised five biological children-Peter, Sally, Perry, Stephanie (who died in infancy), and Casey-while managing a bustling household before fame.
Did Phyllis Diller serve in wartime entertainment?
Yes, in 1966, she toured Vietnam with Bob Hope's USO show, performing for 50,000 troops during the war's peak escalation year.
What awards did she receive?
Diller earned a Hollywood Walk of Fame star (1993), Comedy Hall of Fame induction (1997), and American Comedy Lifetime Achievement Award (2007), among others recognizing her 50+ year career.
Where is she buried?
Phyllis Diller's ashes were scattered at the Motion Picture Cemetery in Los Angeles, per her wishes, following her death on August 20, 2012.