Ellen Cleghorne

Ellen Leslye Cleghorne (born November 29, 1965) is an American actress and comedian. Cleghorne is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1991 to 1995. She was the sketch comedy show's second African-American female repertory cast member, succeeding Danitra Vance in its eleventh season, and the first African-American female cast member to stay for more than one season. She returned for its 40th anniversary special on February 15, 2015. Cleghorne was ranked the 69th greatest Saturday Night Live cast member by Rolling Stone magazine.

Early life A native of the Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City, Cleghorne is a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School and Hunter College.

Career Cleghorne joined Saturday Night Live in 1991, and remained on the show for four seasons until 1995. She also had two recurring characters: Zoraida, an NBC page, and Queen Shenequa, who appeared frequently on the recurring Weekend Update sketch. She later said, "I was the first [woman of color] cast member ... with a contract. And if you read, or do research, they didn't used to give black people contracts on SNL. That was cold-blooded. They didn't even give them credit. The credits roll, your name's not even on there. That was a joke because that's how you got residuals."

In 1995, Cleghorne left SNL to star as single mother Ellen Carlson on Cleghorne!, a sitcom that aired for one season on The WB network, and which also starred fellow SNL alumnus Garrett Morris, and Sherri Shepherd in her first acting role. Cleghorne later said, "I don't think I was ready. In terms of being strong and saying, 'I can write, this is what I do,' and feel confident in that. And to be able to say, 'No, this does not work, this works better.'"

In 2013, Cleghorne played Mary Fluzoo in Grown Ups 2.

In 2015, Cleghorne was one of the contestants for Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition, finishing in 3rd place. The same year she appeared in the 40th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live, calling the experience "a cleansing".

Saturday Night Live

Celebrity impressions

Alfre Woodard Alice Walker Amy Fisher Anita Baker Anita Hill Debbie Allen Dr. Dre Florence Griffith Joyner Gladys Knight Isabel Sanford Jackée Harry Joycelyn Elders Kim Wayans Marguerite Whitley Simpson Marla Gibbs Mary J. Blige Natalie Cole Norma Quarles Patti LaBelle Robin Quivers Ruby Dee Sister Souljah Tina Turner Toni Morrison Whoopi Goldberg

Recurring characters Queen Shenequa, an Afrocentric social critic who dressed in African garb, observed Kwanzaa, and made commentaries on race. Zoraida, an exuberant but short-tempered NBC page who pesters the celebrity hosts of the show as they prepare backstage. Usually, when the celebrity grew tired of her bothering them and would try to leave, she would suddenly become angry and threaten them.

In 2018, she played the role of Shaniqua in Second Act.

Education In 2014 Cleghorne received her PhD in Performance Studies at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.