Natalie Palamides

Natalie Palamides is an American actress, comedian, and television writer, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She pursued her education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and later trained at the École Philippe Gaulier, studying under master clown Philippe Gaulier. Palamides moved to Los Angeles with aspirations of working on “Saturday Night Live” and joined the Upright Citizens Brigade. Her early career involved voice-over and commercial work, alongside taking classes in clown performance, which informed her character development and comedic style.

Her career progressed through various stage performances, including developing characters from improvisations. A significant milestone was the creation of her exaggeratedly masculine character, Nate, which she developed into the hour-long performance, “Nate – A One Man Show.” This show gained international recognition, winning the Total Theatre Award at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The performance, which explores themes of consent and masculinity, was later commissioned by Amy Poehler’s production company, Paper Kite, and released on Netflix in December 2020. “Nate” was praised by critics for its provocative nature and its innovative approach to traditional comedy specials.

Palamides has established a notable presence in voice acting, starring as Buttercup in the 2016 reboot of “The Powerpuff Girls” and contributing to other animated series such as “Star vs. the Forces of Evil” and “The Owl House.” In 2017, she received the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Her work extends to film, including the 2023 dark comedy “Apocalypse Clown” where her portrayal of the character Funzo received critical acclaim, and recent stage work like “WEER,” which garnered widespread positive reviews at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.