Laraine Newman

Biography

Laraine Newman is an American actress who was born in Los Angeles and took up improvisation as a teenager, later studying mime in Paris with Marcel Marceau. She was a founding member of the Groundlings, and Lorne Michaels cast her in a Lily Tomlin television special in 1974. In 1975 she became one of the original performers on Saturday Night Live, remaining with the show until 1980 and creating characters such as Connie Conehead, Sherry and Christie Christina, work that brought her an Emmy nomination in 1979. The Television Academy Hall of Fame later recognized the program's original cast, Newman among them. Her screen credits include Problem Child 2 (1991) and Coneheads (1993), and she has voiced roles in animated features including WALL-E (2008) and Finding Nemo. She has also written for the Los Angeles Times, The Believer and McSweeney's, and her audio memoir appeared in 2021.

74years old

Turns 75 on March 2in 112 days

Born March 2, 1952Los Angeles
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20

Movie Career

Films: 28
Career span: 45 years1980 to 2025

Genres

Comedy68%, 19 films
Animation54%, 15 films
Adventure43%, 12 films
Family43%, 12 films
Sci-Fi18%, 5 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Big break
Newman was a founding member of the Groundlings, the comedy improv group where Lorne Michaels spotted her work and hired her for a Lily Tomlin special in 1974.
A role that slipped away
Newman tried out for Masha in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy, the 1983 movie. Sandra Bernhard ended up playing that part.

Laraine Newman movies on Netflix

Dog Man2025IMDb rating 6.3as Scientist (voice)
Despicable Me 42024IMDb rating 6.2as Melora / Additional Voices (voice)
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie2024IMDb rating 6.7as Mrs. Grecht (voice)
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar2023IMDb rating 6.4as Rose Explosion / Newscaster (voice)
Migration2023IMDb rating 6.6as Additional Voices (voice)
Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land2022IMDb rating 4.9as Mrs. LePage (voice)
Love, Gilda2018IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Sing2016IMDb rating 7.1as Meena's Grandmother / Additional Voices (voice)
The Late Bloomer2016IMDb rating 5.2as Noema Willcoxen
Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7as The Wicked Witch of The West
The Boxtrolls2014IMDb rating 6.8as Female Townsfolk 1 / Female Townsfolk 2 (voice)
Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon2014IMDb rating 5.9as Elf Elder's Wife (voice)
Toy Story of Terror!2013IMDb rating 7.4as Betsy (voice)
Superman vs. The Elite2012IMDb rating 7.0as Newscaster #3 (voice)
Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2as The Wicked Witch of The West
WALL·E2008IMDb rating 8.4as Additional Voices (voice)
Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure2003IMDb rating 4.3as Gwen
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas1998IMDb rating 7.4as Frog-Eyed Woman
Rusty: A Dog's Tale1998IMDb rating 4.9as Bertha Bimini
Jingle All the Way1996IMDb rating 5.8as First Lady
Coneheads1993IMDb rating 5.5as Laarta
Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway1993IMDb rating 5.1as Elaine
Problem Child 21991IMDb rating 5.0as Lawanda Dumore
Invaders from Mars1986IMDb rating 5.6as Ellen Gardner
Follow That Bird1985IMDb rating 6.8as Mommy Dodo (voice)
Perfect1985IMDb rating 4.8as Linda
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever1981IMDb rating 6.9as The Artist's Friend / Mona
Wholly Moses!1980IMDb rating 4.8as Zoey / Zerelda

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Coneheads1993 Comedy, Sci-Fias Laarta
IMDb rating 5.563K votes
Problem Child 21991 Comedy, Familyas Lawanda Dumore
IMDb rating 5.025K votes
WALL·E2008as Additional Voicesvoice
IMDb rating 8.41.3M votes
Jingle All the Way1996as First Lady
IMDb rating 5.8131K votes
Invaders from Mars1986as Ellen Gardner
IMDb rating 5.612K votes
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie2024as Mrs. Grechtvoice
IMDb rating 6.79.6K votes
Perfect1985as Linda
IMDb rating 4.86.7K votes
Despicable Me 42024as Melora / Additional Voicesvoice
IMDb rating 6.285K votes

Most often with

Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone directed three of these films together. Dee Bradley Baker appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Dee Bradley Baker

Grey Griffin

Rob Paulsen

Stephen Root

Carlos Alazraqui

Kath Soucie

Spike BrandtDirector, 3 films Tony CervoneDirector, 3 films Brian LevantDirector, 2 films

Films together

Dee Bradley Baker4 films together, 2012 to 2014
Dee Bradley Baker's page
- The Boxtrolls2014IMDb rating 6.8Newman as Female Townsfolk 1 / Female Townsfolk 2voiceBaker as Fish / Wheels / Bucketvoice
- Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon2014IMDb rating 5.9Newman as Elf Elder's WifevoiceBaker as Buster / Elf Boyvoice
- Toy Story of Terror!2013IMDb rating 7.4Newman as BetsyvoiceBaker as Mr. Jonesvoice
- Superman vs. The Elite2012IMDb rating 7.0Newman as Newscaster #3voiceBaker as Atomic Skullvoice
Grey Griffin3 films together, 2011 to 2016
Grey Griffin's page
- Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestGriffin as Dorothy
- Superman vs. The Elite2012IMDb rating 7.0Newman as Newscaster #3voiceGriffin as Young Manchestervoice
- Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestGriffin as Dorothy
Rob Paulsen3 films together, 2003 to 2016
Rob Paulsen's page
- Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestPaulsen as The Tin Man
- Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestPaulsen as The Tin Man
- Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure2003IMDb rating 4.3Newman as GwenPaulsen as Farley
Stephen Root3 films together, 2011 to 2025
Stephen Root's page
- Dog Man2025IMDb rating 6.3Newman as ScientistvoiceRoot as Grampavoice
- Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestRoot as Uncle Henry
- Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestRoot as Uncle Henry
Carlos Alazraqui3 films together, 2022 to 2024
Carlos Alazraqui's page
- The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie2024IMDb rating 6.7Newman as Mrs. GrechtvoiceAlazraqui as News Anchor / Gary from Gary and the Gumballsvoice
- Migration2023IMDb rating 6.6Newman as Additional VoicesvoiceAlazraqui as Additional Voicesvoice
- Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land2022IMDb rating 4.9Newman as Mrs. LePagevoiceAlazraqui as Floydvoice
Kath Soucie3 films together, 2011 to 2022
Kath Soucie's page
- Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land2022IMDb rating 4.9Newman as Mrs. LePagevoiceSoucie as Tuffyvoice
- Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestSoucie as Tuffy the Munchkin Mouse
- Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2Newman as The Wicked Witch of The WestSoucie as Tuffy the Munchkin Mouse
Spike BrandtDirector, 3 films, 2011 to 2016
All films by Spike Brandt
- Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7Newman as The Wicked Witch of The West
- Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon2014IMDb rating 5.9Newman as Elf Elder's Wifevoice
- Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2Newman as The Wicked Witch of The West
Tony CervoneDirector, 3 films, 2011 to 2016
All films by Tony Cervone
- Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz2016IMDb rating 5.7Newman as The Wicked Witch of The West
- Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon2014IMDb rating 5.9Newman as Elf Elder's Wifevoice
- Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz2011IMDb rating 6.2Newman as The Wicked Witch of The West
Brian LevantDirector, 2 films, 1991 to 1996
All films by Brian Levant
- Jingle All the Way1996IMDb rating 5.8Newman as First Lady
- Problem Child 21991IMDb rating 5.0Newman as Lawanda Dumore

Box office

What Laraine Newman's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

Top

Combined worldwide box office

$2.9 billion

16 of the 28 films have a worldwide figure.

16Worldwide figure
1US gross only
8Never in cinemas
3Figure not found

Top grosser

Despicable Me 42024Melora / Additional Voices$972 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Despicable Me 42024as Melora / Additional Voices (voice)
$972M33.1% of the total
2
Sing2016as Meena's Grandmother / Additional Voices (voice)
$634M21.6% of the total
3
WALL·E2008as Additional Voices (voice)
$521M17.8% of the total
4
Migration2023as Additional Voices (voice)
$299M10.2% of the total
5
Dog Man2025as Scientist (voice)
$146M5.0% of the total
6
Jingle All the Way1996as First Lady
$130M4.4% of the total
7
The Boxtrolls2014as Female Townsfolk 1 / Female Townsfolk 2 (voice)
$108M3.7% of the total
8
Problem Child 21991as Lawanda Dumore
$33M1.1% of the total