This profile is part of Queerty’s 2024 Out For Good series, recognizing public figures who’ve had the courage to come out and make a difference in the past year, in celebration of National Coming Out Day on October 11.
Name: Amber Ruffin, 45.
Bio: Amber Ruffin has always been one of the funniest people in the room. Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, she started working in Chicago, and then practiced her craft all over the world, from Los Angeles to Amsterdam. In 2014, Ruffin joined the writing team of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she hosts popular segments including “Amber Says What?” and “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell.”
Your dose of fabulosi-TEA
Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.
When the programed premiered, she became the first Black woman to write on a late-night talk show in the U.S.
In 2020, Ruffin went on to host her own show, The Amber Ruffin Show, which ran on Peacock through 2022. In addition to her work in television, she has co-authored two books with her sister Lacey Lamar and was the voice behind the Purple M&M.
Coming Out: On the final day of Pride Month, Ruffin capped off June in rainbow style.
She came out!
With a big smile on her face and purple tank with “Queer” written down the front, she posted her coming out announcement on Instagram.
“In what will come as a shock to exactly zero people, I’m using the last day of PRIDE to come out!,” she wrote. Be proud of who you are, little babies! I know I am! And I can’t wait to be discriminated against for a new reason!!”
Ruffins’ reveal attracted an avalanche of support, with celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Sophia Bush and Bowen Yang offering their congratulations.
The singer and actress Cynthia Erivo celebrated Ruffin as well. “Welcome baby love!! bathrooms are to the left, refreshments to the right, grab a chair. The DJ takes requests.❤️,” she replied.
Broadway Came Calling: Theatre has always been in Ruffin’s bones. She grew up starring in school plays and community theatre back in Omaha, and has loved acting ever since.
In 2022, she joined forces with Queerty Pride50 alum Matthew López (of Red, White and Royal Blue fame) to recreate the 1959 classic film, Some Like It Hot on Broadway.
Ruffin went on to receive a Tony nomination for her work on the show.
Last season, Ruffin updated the book of William F. Brown’s seminal classic,The Wiz, which played to sold out crowds on Broadway and around the country.
In an interview with American Theatre, she remarked, “We wrote this for you. I wrote The Wiz so that Black women could feel celebrated, so that Black people can feel seen, and then to make sure they get in these seats.”
With two Broadway shows under her belt, Ruffin has no plans of stopping. Earlier this summer at New York Stage and Film, she workshopped her next project, a musical about Bigfoot.
Ruffin says comedy is at the center of her identity.
“The more yourself you are, the funnier you are. People like comedy and characters and well-written jokes, but they truly love human beings. People love people. And the fact that you are one is already a great starting point,” she told Variety in April.
For now, Ruffin will keep on being true to herself while making us all laugh. We would expect nothing less!
Related*
When TV anchor Jason Hackett came out, he felt “100 pounds lighter”
Jason Hackett inspired people around the world with his down-to-earth coming out.
Jessica Gunning kicked off Pride Month by publicly coming out as a “big, old gay”
The British actress, fresh off her breakout performance in “Baby Reindeer,” is a rising queer star in film and TV.
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
