Wanda Sykes was born on March 7, 1964, in Portsmouth, Virginia, and was raised in the Washington, D.C., area. Her father, Harry Ellsworth Sykes, was a U.S. Army colonel employed at the Pentagon, while her mother, Marion Louise Sykes, worked as a banker—a professional path not commonly pursued by women of her era.
In a 2012 episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots, Sykes discovered compelling information about her ancestry. Her paternal ninth great-grandmother, Elizabeth Banks, was a free white woman who gave birth to Mary Banks, a child fathered by an enslaved man. Despite the circumstances of her birth, Mary inherited her mother’s free status, offering insight into an extraordinary family legacy.
Sykes attended Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland, and later earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Hampton University. Shortly after graduating, she began working as a contracting specialist at the National Security Agency (NSA), where she remained for nearly five years. However, seeking a more fulfilling path and no longer feeling pressured to meet her father's expectations, she decided to pursue comedy.
In 1987, Sykes made her stand-up debut at a Coors Light Super Talent Showcase in Washington, D.C. By 1992, she had relocated to New York City, where she initially worked with Hal Leonard Publishing as an editor for Polyrhythm–The Musician’s Guide by Peter Magadini. That same year, she married music producer Dave Hall. The marriage ended in 1998, but her professional career gained momentum afterward.
In 1997, Sykes joined the writing team of The Chris Rock Show, where she quickly earned recognition for her wit and originality. Her work on the show earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special.
| Birth Date: | 7 Mar, 1964 |
| Age: | 56 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Portsmouth |
| residence: | Los Angeles |
| Education: | Hampton University |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American comedian, writer, actress and voice artist |
| Net Worth 2021: | 10 million |
