Birth date: Jan. 28, 1961.
Birthplace: Evanston.
Occupation: Talk show host, performer, producer and stand-up comedian.
Current home: Winnetka.
Marital status: Divorced.
Children: My daughter, Ryan, is 10.
Working on: I produce and host “Among Friends With Lisa Ridolfi” on AT&T cable. I also do voice-overs and commercials.
The last good movie I saw: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” I lived and worked in Asia for four years and the movie brought back memories of how beautiful that part of the world is.
The book I’ve been reading: “Flashing Before My Eyes” by Dick Schaap to prepare for his appearance on the show.
Favorite meal: I’m first-generation Italian-guess!
Favorite performers: Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett.
Personal heroes: Bill Kurtis and Stedman Graham because they agreed to be guests on the show when everyone else said, “No, thanks.”
I’d give anything to meet: Oprah Winfrey, because of her talent and drive.
I’m better than anyone else when it comes to: Crying and laughing. I see a sad story on TV, I cry. Someone tells a joke, I laugh for 10 minutes.
The one thing I can’t stand: Negativity.
If I could change one thing about myself: My shape would be 36-24-36, which it was when I was 12 years old.
If I could do it over: I would have started my show business career out of college instead of waiting till my early 30s.
Most irrational act: Standing up on stage in a strip club on comedy night in 1994. I got one laugh, but I was hooked.
My most humbling experience: Performing my comedy routine regularly in the mid-’90s at Caroline’s on Broadway in New York in front of a packed house. Talk about a pressure cooker.
The three words that best describe me: Determined, funny, grateful.
