The Quiet Genius of Stephnie Weir

In the fall of 2000, at the start of its sixth season, Madtv added Stephnie Weir to their cast as a featured performer. A Texas native and Chicago transplant, former Improv Olympic and Second City performer, Weir was ready for the big time.

During her six year tenure on the show, Weir created characters like Dot, an average yet hyperactive young girl, whose twin (usually played by Alex Borstein) was overwhelmingly brilliant. The comparison of the brilliant sister and Dot’s upbeat normality offered moments of comedy gold. Another recurring character was Dr. Kylie Johnson, a Harvard grad who seemed to be able to handle any medical situation, from infertility to puberty to breast augmentation. Dr. Kylie’s frequent references to her past party life and subtle yet pointed digs at her patients’ shortcomings made her likable as well as hilarious. Weir’s impersonation of Anna Nicole Smith, another recurring character on the show, allowed her to truly run amok. She took Smith’s drug-fueled public persona and amped it up to Brobdingnagian proportions.

While these recurring characters were almost always fun to watch, there were also one-off characters, such as her portrayal of the wife in the commercial for “Lavitra.” She’s so enthusiastic about the drug’s efficacy, much to the embarrassment of her husband, that she is compelled to share far too much information about her husband’s problem and its solution.

Here are a few of Stephnie’s outstanding performances on MADtv. Take a moment to enjoy the insanity she brings to the small screen, won’t you?

As Anna Nicole Smith, delivering a weather forecast:

In a commercial for Lavitra:

As Dr. Kylie Johnson:

As Dot:

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