Debra Wilson is an American actress and comedian. She is the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series Mad TV, having appeared on the show's first eight seasons from 1995 to 2003. As a voice actress, she has voiced various characters on television shows and video games, including Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, Baby Shark's Big Show!, Spitting Image, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Wolfenstein, Days Gone, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Halo Infinite, Diablo IV, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Clone Drone in the Hyperdome, Destiny 2, Marvel's Wolverine, as well as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
She also starred in the films The Summerland Project and Bodied. From 2022 to 2025, Wilson voiced Daisy Duck in Mickey Mouse Funhouse.
Early life Wilson was born and raised in New York City, in the neighborhood of Ozone Park, Queens, and attended the New York City High School of the Performing Arts. After graduation, she studied television and radio broadcasting at Syracuse University. She worked as a preschool teacher during the 1980s for the All Saints Church, in Sunnyside, Queens.
Wilson made her television acting debut on The Apollo Comedy Hour and The Uptown Comedy Club, where she became a series regular. She co-hosted Can We Shop? with Joan Rivers. She continued her work in television working as a spokesperson for Burger King, and guest-starring in New York Undercover.
Career
Mad TV Wilson was one of the original eight cast members of Mad TV when the series aired in 1995. Wilson came to the show with a background in sketch comedy, improv, and television.
Wilson was credited for creating some of the most popular recurring characters on the show. Among her characters were Latina bimbo Melina (Lida and Melina), Reality Check Tovah McQueen, Stick Chick Autumn, Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sister Hayden Brooks, Alexis Duvane (Prehistoric Glamazon Huntresses), blaxploitation actress Cocoa Latette (Son of Dolemite), Lowered Expectations Host and Ms. Not Nice (Jenny Jones). Perhaps her best known character was the fast-talking "Black American Princess" Bunifa Latifah Halifah Sharifa Jackson.
Wilson's most recognized impressions on the show were of Oprah Winfrey and Whitney Houston. She has also played Oprah or Oprah-like characters in other media, most notably Scary Movie 4 and The Proud Family.
Television Since her debut on MADtv, Wilson has done voice acting on episodes on numerous television shows, landing some recurring roles on such shows as Clone High, Family Guy, and did puppeteer work on The Mr. Potato Head Show. She voiced Captain Lisa Cusak in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Sound of Her Voice".
Wilson has made numerous independent films, including Naked Angel, Jane White Is Sick and Twisted, Skin Deep, and Soulmates. She was also in an episode of Without a Trace as a doctor, and appeared three times as a working girl, Divine, in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
She and MADtv co-star Nicole Sullivan have done commercials for Pepsi's Sierra Mist. She appeared as herself on the February 15, 1999, episode of WCW Monday Nitro accompanying MADtv castmate Will Sasso in his professional wrestling match against Bret Hart. She also appeared on the British Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
She was the co-host of TV Guide Channel's TV Watercooler with John Fugelsang, until she was replaced by Teresa Strasser in October 2006. She was also a co-host on GSN Live until she left in January 2010.
Wilson is the announcer of the revival of the NBC game show Weakest Link hosted by Jane Lynch.
In July 2022, Nickelodeon announced that Wilson would voice the character Headless Headmistress Bloodgood in the 2022 animated reboot series Monster High.
Theater Wilson performed off-Broadway with the improvisational comedy troupe Noo Yawk Tawk directed by Richmond Shepard at The Village Gate Theater (1988–1991).
Video games Wilson has voiced many video game characters, such as her role as Grace Walker in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and her role as Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. She also appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as General Lyons. Her other video game voice work includes The Outer Worlds, Gears 5, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Rage 2, Days Gone, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 76, and Far Cry New Dawn. She is the voice of Draka in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. She is the voice of Savathûn in Destiny 2 and the Harbinger in Halo Infinite. She also plays The Doctor in Death Stranding 2 and Inquisitor Lödwyn in Avowed. More recently, she voiced Sifuu in Palia and The Houndmaster in Dead by Daylight.
Personal life Wilson married writer and director Cliff Skelton in April 2006. They separated in 2010, citing irreconcilable differences.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1994 Cracking Up 1995 Blue in the Face Statistician 1996 Girl 6 Salesgirl #3 1997 Gridlock'd Medicaid Woman #2 B*A*P*S Flight Attendant Soulmates Jennifer Williams Asylum Belinda Davis Sleeping Together Wendy 1998 Star Trek: The Experience: The Klingon Encounter Security Officer Short 2000 Rubbernecking Julia 2002 Jane White Is Sick & Twisted Chi-Chi 2003 Skin Deep Alex 2004 Target Nolan Nine Lives Lisa 2005 Bringing Up BayBay Pam Wilcox, BayBay Girl Short film; also writer 2006 Whitepaddy Aunt Tiny Danny Roane: First Time Director Rehab nurse Sister Buzzard Voice; direct-to-video A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Scary Movie 4 Oprah Winfrey Over the Hedge Debbie Voice Mandingo in a Box Host Short film Shut Up and Shoot! Nikki Ryder Rockin' Meera Rudy 2007 If I Had Known I Was a Genius Teresa Reed Lord Help Us Shariffer Simms Direct-to-video Cordially Invited Vivian Dunn Akia May Voice 2008 Cuttin' da Mustard Actress 2009 Knight to F4 Cheryl Johnson Psyche on Melrose Hostess Short film Various voices Direct-to-video Avatar Na'vi troupe member Friends of Dorothy Hillary Short film 2010 Perfect Combination Mrs. Lewis Oprah's Last Show Oprah Winfrey Short film 2011 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil Iana Voice Naked Angel Mama Tony Division III: Football's Finest Mandy 2012 Back Then Georgia Miller Bed-Stuy Lullaby Sha'rell Short film 2013 Cordially Invited – The Wedding Day of Alton & Kenya Vivian Dunn 2014 Jungle Shuffle Kam Voice The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesCreatures Knock 'em Dead Darien Untold Merrel Fatal Acquittal Detective Bell 10 Year Plan Minister 2015 Midlife Diane Freeland Mothers of the Bride Freesia the producer Hotel Transylvania 2 Additional voices 2016 Caged No More Leona The Summerland Project Adah Allen 2017Open Marriage Vulnavia 2018Painkillers Gail Konrad Bodied Dean Hampton The Nun Demons Voice The Christmas Chronicles Lars 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Nambi Ghima2020Ride Your WaveHinako's MomVoice; English dub 2021 Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms D'Vorah Voice; direct-to-video The Loud House Movie Nana May, Nana Collette, Nana Helene, Mrs. Turnberry Voice 2022 Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind Graji Voice; direct-to-video Call Me Miss Cleo Herself Documentary 2023 Cobweb Monster Sarah Voice Baby Shark's Big Movie! Grandma Shark Post-production
Television