Cheri Oteri

Cheri Oteri (; born September 19, 1962) is an American actress and comedian. A Primetime Emmy Award nominee, she is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2000.

Early life

Oteri was born on September 19, 1962 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Patricia (née Breen) and Gaetano Thomas Oteri. She is of Italian ancestry.

Career

Saturday Night Live (1995–2000)

After moving to Los Angeles at age 25, Oteri worked at A&M Records for four years and eventually joined famed comedy troupe The Groundlings. In 1995, producers of Saturday Night Live (SNL) attended a performance with the intention of auditioning fellow Groundlings member Chris Kattan. Oteri performed a monologue during one of Kattan's costume changes, which led to her own invitation to audition for SNL, along with Kattan and fellow Groundling Will Ferrell. She was hired as a performer in September 1995 as part of an almost-entirely new cast, which was brought in after the show's disastrous 1994–1995 season.

Celebrities that Oteri impersonated included Alanis Morissette, Barbara Walters, Cyndi Lauper, Mariah Carey, Marla Maples, Debbie Reynolds, Jennifer Lopez, Ross Perot, Jennifer Tilly, Paula Jones, Tori Spelling, Melanie C, Robin Byrd, Jessica Simpson, Fran Drescher, Marisa Tomei, Katie Couric and Gloria Stuart.

Original characters

• Arianna, a member of The Spartan Cheerleaders (with Will Ferrell)
• Rita DelVecchio, a grouchy Philadelphia woman who is mean to the neighborhood children, patterned after Oteri's tough-talking grandmother.
• Cass Van Rye, the dim-witted co-host of the "Morning Latte" talk show (with Will Ferrell)
• Mickey "The Dyke", a butch public-access television cable TV host (with Mark McKinney)
• Nadeen, a testy employee whose catchphrase constantly orders everyone to "Simmer down now!"
• Althea McMahonaman, an absurdly hyper child who is an awful passenger and disturbs public servants
• Collette Reardon, a prescription pill addict
• Joy Lipton, Erotic Attic boutique owner
• Adele, a vulgar and highly sexual office worker whose attempts at sexual innuendos disgust rather than attract her colleagues
• Laura Zimmerman, one half of the Zimmermans, who suddenly break into rough and sexual behavior before returning to casual conversation as if nothing happened (with Chris Kattan)

2001–present

Oteri has appeared in supporting roles in the films Liar Liar, Inspector Gadget, Scary Movie, ', and Southland Tales; and voiced characters in The Ant Bully and Shrek the Third.