| Lisa Arch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Lisa Kushell |
| Born: | November 23, 1971 |
| Birth Hometown: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | actress/comedienne |
| Years active: | 1993-present |
| Known for: | her roles in the 1997-98 season of FOX's network sketch-comedy show MADtv |
| Website/URL: | [1] |
Lisa Arch (nee Kushell; born November 23, 1971) is an American comedian and actress known for her roles in the 1997-98 season of MADtv; as co-host of TBS' Dinner and a Movie from 2002 to 2005 and most recently as the recurring character of Samuel Samuels on Disney Channel's Cory in the House. Arch has also been in movies, such as 2007's Evan Almighty, the standalone sequel to Jim Carrey's 2003's Bruce Almighty.
Personal Life[]
Born Lisa Kushell in Los Angeles, California, she began acting on stage at 15 years old in the sketch comedy troupe Upstage Comedy. Arch has often stated that her parents were extremely supportive of her and they allowed her to hone her skills in their "unfurnished living room" until she graduated from high school. She earned her SAG (Screen Actors Guild) card with one line as a waitress in Dream On. After her first appearance, she began appearing on such shows as Seinfeld, The X-Files and For Your Love.
She has an older brother, Bob Kushell, who is a TV reporter/writer and Internet talk radio host. Her brother works with her husband, Russell Arch, the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Anytime with Bob Kushell, an internet talk show for Sony Interactive's Crackle.com. On September 18, 2007, she gave birth to a son, Garrett Mitchell Arch.
Career[]
MADtv[]
Arch joined the cast of MADtv in 1997, as a repertory performer, for the third season. She would be prompted to repertory status for mid-season. She is remembered for playing characters like social outcast Susan Whitfield and sassy country gal Wanda Terry-Ann Lainier Parker from the Parker Sisters sketches.
Arch also flexed her comedy muscles with her celebrity impersonations, of public figures like Paula Jones. She also lampooned Hollywood stars like Farrah Fawcett, Demi Moore, Alyson Hannigan, Lori Loughlin and Hope Summers. She has also impersonated singers like Melanie Chisholm (a.k.a Sporty Spice) Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple.
After one season on the show, Arch left MADtv at the conclusion of season three to pursue other career opportunities.
Other Television Projects[]
Since leaving MADtv, Arch has done many guest appearances and voice overs. She has appeared in such commercials as "Mervynn's" and "Southern Comfort".
She has featured in the Comedy Central show Crank Yankers as the voice of "Cammie", an airhead, bisexual party-girl in her early twenties. She also played the role of Samantha Samuels on the Disney Channel show Cory in the House. She also had a part in the children's TV program Hannah Montana as a photographer. Arch can be seen on a regular basis at Los Angeles' ACME Comedy Theater and recently hosted a special episode of Reel Comedy about the movie, Bewitched. She also has made numerous guest appearances on television shows, including Reno 911!, Seinfeld and The X-Files. Also she was in Austin & Ally as Damonica Dixon.
Dinner and a Movie[]
In 2001, Arch's career got a boost when she replaced Annabelle Gurwitch as the hostess on the TBS cooking and entertainment show Dinner and a Movie. For two and a half years, she appeared, alongside host Paul Gilmartin and chef Claud Mann, in each episode introducing movies and cracking jokes during the preparation of a creative dinner to go with some theme of the movie.
In 2004, Arch's contract had expired. As she was preparing for another season as hostess of the show, she got a call from TBS executives, right after Thanksgiving holiday, informing her that her contract was not going to be renewed. She left the show on good relations with the Dinner and a Movie staff, but she was very upset about the failure to have her contract renewed. In 2005, she was succeeded by Janet Varney as host.
Show hosted[]
Show judged[]
- Knife Fight (2013)