About Ann Risley
Born 1949. Ann Risley is an American actor, television actor and film actor.
Anna F. "Ann" Risley (born Madison, Wisconsin) is a retired American actress and comedian. She was a cast member of the TV series Saturday Night Live for the 12 episodes of the 1980–1981 season. Risley was cast in small parts in Allen's films Annie Hall, Manhattan and Stardust Memories. Before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live, she had a cameo on the show in 1976 as a psychiatrist's patient in the filmed sketch "Mobile Shrink".
She was cast for Saturday Night Live by Jean Doumanian, who had previously been the show's guest-booker, then associate producer. After 12 episodes, Doumanian was replaced by Dick Ebersol, who fired Risley along with Gilbert Gottfried and Charles Rocket before his first episode. In a 1999 article in People, Risley was quoted as saying her SNL experience was "horrible".
Prior to (and after) Saturday Night Live, Risley had roles in nine feature films, including Honky Tonk Freeway and Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
She appeared in starring roles in two television pilots (Off Campus and Night After Night), was a five-week guest star on the daytime soap The Doctors, and appeared in five made-for-TV movies, including The Young Riders and Telling Secrets. After moving to Tucson, Arizona, Risley ran an acting/improv studio called The Studio for Actors beginning in 1986.
Celebrity impersonations Doria Palmieri Toni Tennille Rosalynn Carter
Feature film (speaking roles) 1977 Annie Hall as Susan (Directed by Woody Allen) 1978 Oliver's Story as Jane (Directed by John Korty) 1979 Manhattan as Mrs. Finch (Directed by Woody Allen) 1980 Simon as Pam (Directed by Marshall Brickman) 1980 Stardust Memories as Nurse (Directed by Woody Allen) 1981 Honky Tonk Freeway as Patricia (Directed by John Schlesinger) 1981 Rich and Famous as Merideth (Directed by George Cukor) 1982 Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean as Martha (Directed by Robert Altman) 1986 Desert Bloom as Mrs. Muratore (Directed by Eugene Corr)
Television Saturday Night Live (one year) – Cast member – 1980-81 Season, NBC (N.Y.C.) Off Campus (sitcom pilot) – Bonnie (starring role) – CBS (N.Y.C.) Night After Night (sitcom pilot) – Anne (starring role) – MTM/CBS (L.A.) The Doctors (soap, 5 wk guest star) – Hermione (with Alec Baldwin) – NBC (N.Y.C.) The Young Riders (3 episodes) – Clerk/Wife (with Josh Brolin) – ABC series (Tucson, AZ)
Movies for television 1990 El Diablo as Judith - HBO film (Tucson, AZ) 1992 Sunstroke as Woman In Office (with Jane Seymour) - TNT film (Phoenix, AZ) 1992 Four Eyes and Six Guns as Saloon Hostess (with Patricia Clarkson) – TNT film (Tucson, AZ) 1993 Telling Secrets as Sally DeVries (with Cybill Shepherd) - ABC miniseries (Scottsdale, AZ)
Selected stage roles Come Back to the Five and Dime – Martha (and substitute for lead actresses Karen Black and Sandy Dennis – Broadway (NYC) A Little Family Business – role of Connie (Angela Lansbury's daughter) – Ahmanson Theatre (L.A.) and Broadway (NYC) A History of the American Film – (substitute for all 4 female leads) – Arena Stage (Wash. DC) Uncommon Women – Rita-Huntington Theatre (Boston, Mass.) Spoon River Anthology – 16 roles – San Francisco Tour (CA) The Importance of Being Earnest – Cecily Private Lives – Amanda The Owl and the Pussycat – Doris Lovers (winners) – Maggie Same Time Next Year – Doris
Training BAI – University of Wisconsin – Theatre Communications Various individual workshops in N.Y.C. and San Francisco
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Ann Risley's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ann Risley's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ann Risley?
American actress
When was Ann Risley born?
Ann Risley was born on 30 September 1949 in Madison.
What is Ann Risley's occupation?
Ann Risley is an actor, television actor and film actor.
What nationality is Ann Risley?
Ann Risley is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ann Risley. https://biography.guide/ann-risley/
MLA: "Ann Risley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ann-risley/.
Chicago: "Ann Risley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ann-risley/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-27 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:17 UTC