The leap from doing psychology research at Harvard to becoming an award-winning stand-up comedian is a large one, but it’s one that Wendy Liebman has long since achieved. Two years after graduating in psychology, she took an adult learning class in comedy and has never looked back. She has performed on landmark shows such as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; she has opened for superstars such as Ray Charles and performed in Vegas. Comedy fans will also recognise her from her appearance in The Aristocrats, a documentary about an infamous joke whose cast list reads like a who’s who of comedy. In 1996, she was named Female Stand-Up of the Year at the American Comedy Awards.

Liebman’s stand-up career was put on unwanted hold in 2014 when a drunk driver hit the car she was driving. To announce her return, she entered the ninth season of America’s Got Talent and reached the semi-finals, watched by a weekly audience of over 12 million. Since then, she has appeared on numerous shows and in several documentaries, including The History of Comedy and Dying Laughing.

Keen to give back, Liebman has taught comedy workshops for many years. She has also supported countless worthwhile causes, including the weSPARK Cancer Centre, the FSH Society (which supports those with muscular dystrophy), and New Women New Yorkers, which works to improve the futures of immigrant women in New York. 35 years into her career, Liebman is as busy and as vital as ever.