Victoria Jackson

About Victoria Jackson

Victoria Jackson (born August 2, 1959, in Miami, Florida) is an American comedian and actress best known as a cast member of the NBC television sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992.

Raised by devoted Christians in a home without a TV, she was trained in gymnastics by her gym-coach father from ages 5 to 18. Jackson attended a private Christian high school, Dade Christian School, where she was a cheerleader and the Homecoming Queen. Three years of gymnastics competitions led to a scholarship at Furman University in South Carolina. She also spent one year at Auburn University, before earning a degree in theatre from Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Appearing in summer stock in Alabama led to a chance meeting with Johnny Crawford (The Rifleman) who cast her in his night club act and gave her the ticket that brought her to Los Angeles. There she supported herself with various day jobs as a cigarette girl, a typist at the American Cancer Society and a waitress at a retirement hotel while she performed stand-up comedy. This resulted in her first big break, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson doing what would become her signature bit: doing a handstand while reciting poetry. She would eventually appear on the show 20 times.