Anjelah Nicole Johnson-Reyes (born May 14, 1982) is an American actress, comedian, and former NFL cheerleader. Johnson was a cast member on the series MADtv during its 13th season. Her characters included a Vietnamese nail salon employee named Mỹ Linh/Tammy and a rude fast food employee turned music star named Bon Qui Qui (the latter of which has become popular outside of Johnson's short stint on MADtv).
| Anjelah Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Anjelah Nicole Johnson |
| Born | May 14, 1982 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, surreal humor, satire |
| Subject(s) | Latin American culture, everyday life, sports, gender differences |
| Spouse |
Manwell Reyes (m. 2011) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | www |
Career
Johnson moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue a career in comedy after a friend suggested that she join a joke-writing class.[1] She took improv classes,[1][2] and quickly began to headline her own shows. Her stand-up routine, comprising her impression of a Vietnamese nail salon employee, received a lot of attention on YouTube.[1] In 2007, Johnson joined the cast of sketch comedy show MADtv as a featured performer. Due to the impending writers strike, Johnson was often given only a few lines in the scripts during her tenure, as the writers had to produce more scripts at a faster pace.[1] However, her self-scripted character Bon Qui Qui, a fast-food employee who treats customers rudely, was received well and gained a similarly large YouTube following.[1] In 2008, Johnson was nominated for an ALMA Award for Outstanding Female Performance in a Comedy Television Series for her work on MADtv.[3]
Johnson was given her own one-hour Comedy Central special, Anjelah Johnson: That's How We Do It, in 2009.[4] She also appeared in the films Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Our Family Wedding, and provided her voice for the live-action adaptation of Marmaduke.[3] As well, she was featured on the late night talk show Lopez Tonight, hosted by George Lopez.
Johnson became the "TC Girl", a spokesperson for Mexican restaurant Taco Cabana, in 2011.[5] In 2012, Johnson became the national campaign spokesperson for the "Don't be an S.O.V." (single occupant vehicle) campaign led by vRide,[6] the country's largest van pooling company, which encouraged single commuters (S.O.V.s) to rideshare, carpool, or vanpool.
In 2013, Johnson reprised her role as her MADtv character Bon Qui Qui for a skit released by Alexander Wang. Johnson's second stand-up comedy special titled Homecoming Show followed and premiered on Netflix. It was filmed in San Jose, California.
In 2014, Anjelah was featured as her signature character Bon Qui Qui in a parody music video directed by Randal Kirk II "This Is How We Do It" for the Benefit cosmetics, which features social media influencer, Britney Furlan.[7]
On October 1, 2015, Johnson's third stand-up special, titled Anjelah Johnson: Not Fancy, was released on Netflix. It was filmed in southern California.
Personal life
Johnson was born and raised in San Jose, California, in a devout Christian family and remains a Christian.[2] She is of Mexican and Native American descent.[8] She was a Pop Warner cheerleader from the age of 8 and was active in soccer, softball, and track;[9] she also practiced hip hop and break dancing.[9] She began acting as a senior in high school and was especially interested in imitating different accents.[9] She later studied speech communications at De Anza College.[9][10] She subsequently became a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders after being inducted in 2002.[9] As a member of the Oakland Raiderettes, she was named Rookie of the Year and performed at Super Bowl XXXVII.
Johnson married Group 1 Crew member Manwell Reyes on June 11, 2011, in Half Moon Bay, California.[11] Previously, she stated the couple did not want children of their own, although they enjoy spending time with their nieces and nephews.[12] On December 29, 2022 the couple announced they were expecting a baby in 2023.[13] Johnson gave birth to the couple's daughter Rosalie Harlow Reyes on June 14, 2023.[14]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Box | |
| 2009 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | Julie Ortega |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Isabel |
| 2010 | That's How We Do It! | Herself |
| 2010 | Marmaduke | Afghan #2 (voice) |
| 2013 | Enough Said | Cathy |
| 2014 | Moms' Night Out | Restaurant Hostess |
| 2014 | The Book of Life | Adelita / Nina (voice) |
| 2017 | The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | Kelly Richardson |
| 2020 | The Opening Act | |
| 2023 | Candy Cane Lane | Shelly |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Total episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Love, Inc. | Female Client | 1 |
| 2007 | On the Up | Herself | |
| 2007–2008, 2016 | MADtv | Various characters | 4 |
| 2008 | Untitled Dave Caplan Pilot | Maria | |
| 2008 | The Movie Preview Awards | Herself | |
| 2009 | Comedy Central | Herself | |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Wendy | |
| 2010 | Lopez Tonight | Herself | |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Mimi | |
| 2016 | MADtv 20th Anniversary Reunion | Bon Qui Qui | |
| 2018 | Have You Been Paying Attention? | Herself | 1 |
| 2019 | Superstore | Robin Green | 1 |
| 2022 | The Real Dirty Dancing (American TV series) | Herself | 4 |
| 2023 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Episode: "Just Bring the DARN Fish!" |
Discography
Studio albums
As Bon Qui Qui:
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Gold Plated Dreams |
|
Extended plays
As Bon Qui Qui:
- The Come Up (2012)[16]
Music videos
As Bon Qui Qui:
| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "I'm a Cut You" | 2012 | DG[17][18] |
| "No Boyfren" (featuring Tammy) | 2013 | |
| "This Is How We Do It" (Benefit remix) | 2014 | Randal Kirk II [19] |
| "Shut Us Down" | 2016 | Diego Contreras[20] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Award category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Oakland Raiderettes | Rookie of the Year | Won |
| 2008 | ALMA Award | Outstanding Female Performance | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b c d e Wantuck, Andrew. "Anjelah Johnson". The Comedy & Magic Club. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ a b "The Comic's Comic". thecomicscomic.typepad.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
- ^ a b "Laughfactory.com". laughfactory.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-13. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
- ^ "Comedy Central". ccinsider.comedycentral.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
- ^ "The TC Girl". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Vride". vride.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Bon Qui Qui this is how we do it". YouTube.
- ^ "Biography from Anjelah.com". anjelah.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-17. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
- ^ a b c d e RaiderDrive.com Archived 2002-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Metroactive". metroactive.com. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ "I'm Married!!". Anjelah.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Not Fancy" stand up routine 2015
- ^ "Anjelah Johnson-Reyes on Instagram: "It's been the most incredible year of my life… and I never thought it would end like this. 🥰"". Instagram. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ "COMEDIAN ANJELAH JOHNSON WELCOMES DAUGHTER: 'THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS'". movieguide.org. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "iTunes". itunes.apple.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2014-11-24.
- ^ "Twitter". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2014-09-04.
- ^ Bon Qui Qui "I'M A CUT YOU" - Anjelah Johnson on YouTube
- ^ "No Boyfren" Bon Qui Qui feat. Tammy (Official Music Video) on YouTube
- ^ Video on YouTube[dead link]
- ^ Bon Qui Qui - Shut Us Down on YouTube