Desi Lydic ( , born Lani Desmonet Lydic June 30, 1981) is an American comedian and actress who is a rotating host and senior correspondent on the late-night talk and news satire program The Daily Show. She has won three Emmy Awards: one as a host of The Daily Show, and two as the host and a producer, alongside Jen Flanz, of the short form YouTube series The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains. From 2011 to 2016, she starred as guidance counselor Valerie Marks on the MTV comedy-drama series Awkward.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Lydic got her start in the 2001 parody film Not Another Teen Movie. She also starred in the Spike miniseries Invasion Iowa alongside William Shatner, and the parody series The Real Wedding Crashers. She appeared as Shea Seger in the 2011 film We Bought a Zoo alongside Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, and in the 2013 film The Babymakers with Olivia Munn. Lydic appeared as one half of a lesbian couple on an episode of the Disney Channel series Good Luck Charlie in 2014. She joined Trevor Noah's lineup of correspondents for The Daily Show on September 29, 2015. Lydic was among a number of guest hosts of The Daily Show after the departure of Trevor Noah.

Early life Desi Lydic was born in 1981 in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of three, she became interested in comedic acting by watching Carol Burnett play Miss Agatha Hannigan in Annie. As a child, she enrolled in the Young Actors Institute at the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville and starred in a Kroger commercial.

After she graduated from Eastern High School in the city, she attended the University of Louisville for two semesters before deciding to move to Los Angeles. When she told her parents about her plans, she was not sure what to expect. “I think they saw this creative side in me growing up,” she said. “I'm so fortunate because a lot of people don't have families that would've supported them in making such a huge decision like that. But not only did they give me their blessing, my mom and dad packed up a U-Haul and drove us out all the way across the country.” She told Kyle Meredith in a 2024 interview that it was during this time that she had an obsession with late '90s Saturday Night Live. She later moved to Los Angeles and became an improvisational actor, performing at The Groundlings and Improv Olympic (iO). At the time iO had a branch in Los Angeles. It opened in 1997 and closed in 2018.

Career

While on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Lydic said she viewed herself as being a comedic actor with "a journalistic responsibility" to the truth, in regard to the serious topics she approaches through a humorous lens, as a correspondent for the show. She created her first one-hour special which aired on May 13, 2019, on Comedy Central, and entitled The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents Desi Lydic: Abroad. The special explores how the United States is now further apart in gender equality than many other countries in the world. The special was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Best Comedy/Variety – Specials at the 72nd Writers Guild of America Awards.

After the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lydic paid tribute to her work and life in a half-hour special entitled The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Remembering RBG – A Nation Ugly Cries with Desi Lydic aired on Comedy Central on October 30, 2020. Lydic was among a number of guest hosts of The Daily Show after the departure of Trevor Noah.

Personal life Lydic has a son, born in late December 2015, with her husband Gannon Brousseau. While filming her Comedy Central special Abroad, Lydic got a "small upside-down triangle tattoo representing female empowerment" as a commemoration of her time spent with Icelandic all-female rap collective Daughters of Reykjavík, marking her as the "23rd member" of the group.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2001 Not Another Teen Movie Cutie #2 Uncredited 2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Delta Nu Sister 2004 Adventures in Vegas Desi/Skyler Short film 2007 Stand Up VeronicaOut at the Wedding Jeannie 2008 Screw Cupid Betty Big Heart City Rita/Jane 2009 As Advertised Ronnie TV film Stan Helsing Mia 2010 Darnell Dawkins: Mouth Guitar Legend Helena 2011 Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury Diana Torres We Bought a Zoo Shea Seger (Lasagna Mom) 2012 The Babymakers Julie Something Like a Butterfly Joyce Humphrey Short film 2020 Irresistible Fox News Anchor 2022 Mr. Oberbeck Ally Pearson Short film 2024 Space Cadet Dr. Stacy Kellogg

Television Year Title Role Notes 2003What I Like About You Becky Episode: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" 2004Complete Savages Woman #1 Episode: "Savage XXX-mas" 2005CSI: NY Elaine Curtis Episode: "Recycling"Invasion Iowa Gryffyn Greene 5 episodes 2006Pepper Dennis Melinda Episode: "Poker Clubs and Boob Cams - Film at Eleven"2008Dog Whisperer with Cesar MillanHerselfEpisode: "Spoiled Rotten" 2010The League Waitress Episode: "The Marathon"Two and a Half Men Veronica Episode: "Chocolate Diddlers or My Puppy's Dead" 2011Traffic Light Renee Episode: "Where the Heart Is" 2011–2016Awkward Valerie Marks Main role; guest (season 5) 2012Raising Hope Uma Episode: "Sabrina's New Jimmy"The Client List Dee Ann 7 episodesHow to Be a Gentleman Chelsea Episode: "How to Be Shallow" 2013Dads Joan Episode: "Dad Abuse" 2014Good Luck Charlie Susan Episode: "Down a Tree"Friends with Better Lives Jess Episode: "Window Pain" 2015The Odd Couple Kim Episode: "The Blind Leading the Blind Date" 2015–presentThe Daily Show Correspondent, Host 2019Desi Lydic: Abroad Herself TV special

References

External links