Top 10 Current Funniest Female Actors

With a breakout role in “Scary Movie” that continued with several sequels, Anna Faris marked her territory as an unashamed, laugh-out-loud, parody of a bubbly scream queen. Despite the brainless role, don’t be fooled; Anna knows exactly what she’s doing. Like all leading ladies on this list, there’s more to her than a character, and Anna has since carved out a name for herself with her impressive comedic range. She’s consistently received rave reviews throughout her career, and it’s always been nothing but up for her. Husband Chris Pratt is one lucky man.

Though her breakout role on “The Office” may have been as more of a side character, her influence on the show can’t be overstated. Along with acting, directing and producing for the sitcom, Mindy holds over 20 writing credits. Much like her character on “The Mindy Project,” she’s a hardworking professional, and she has the hustle to show for it. With its sixth season greenlit, and a New York Times bestseller “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” Kahling keeps it cranking.

It hasn’t been easy, but Leslie Jones is making it. Her career had a slow start, with the SNL star struggling to make a name for herself in the stand up comedy scene and ultimately quitting after a series of negative reviews. Three years later, Leslie picked up her pride and set out again, this time ultimately landing her well-deserved spot on SNL. It wasn’t the end of her troubles though; after her role in the female-led remake of “Ghostbusters,” Leslie was targeted for a series of racist cyber attacks. But that fortunately wasn’t enough to get this funny lady down. Instead, her brash, tell-it-like-it-is style is what keeps her career soaring.

Born to a songwriter-producer father and soul-singer mother, Maya grew up in the perfect conditions for a movie star. Unlike her Hollywood classmates Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow, Maya took things a little slower, getting a degree in photography from the University of California, Santa Cruz before ever getting in front of the camera. When she landed her spot on the SNL staff, she quickly cemented herself in the main cast for her Donatella Versace impression - among a library of kooky character studies. Ever since Maya’s multiple-year tenure on SNL, her career has been getting better and better, with a calendar chock full of projects on the horizon.

Haven’t heard of her? It’s hard to imagine an actress pulling herself out from under such an iconic character, but Julia’s career has sailed far beyond her almost ten year run as Elaine on Seinfeld. With appearances on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Simpsons”, and “Saturday Night Live,” Julia has managed to get her face in nearly every classic American comedy show on TV. Today, she keeps herself busy as the lead in her hit show “Veep”. That show alone has won her five Emmys to date. No surprise there: Julia is the President of primetime comedy.

Of all the SNL stars on this list, Kate McKinnon might be the most deserving. From an early age, Kate watched and learned with rapt attention, honing her comedy skills and preparing for the audition, but the path didn’t run so smoothly. After auditioning for comedy gigs for year after year to no avail, Kate packed up her stuff and moved from her home state of New York to pursue the Hollywood life. Not long after her move, Kate finally got the call from SNL and had to move back to New York. She’s the first openly gay woman to be cast on the show, and has since become something of a lesbian icon, rivaled perhaps only by Ellen.

Along with SNL alums Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, Melissa made her start with the L.A. improv group the Groundlings. What sets her apart is her brand of overconfident irreverence, which makes her shine through every role. With her appearances on SNL, she gets to take advantage of the never-ending comedic material provided by the Trump presidency with her riff on Sean Spicer. Her hosting gigs and this politically charged material have helped Melissa’s career take off outside of the show - and we’re sure to be hearing from her for years to come.

It’s hard to get enough of comedy legend Tina Fey. Tina was hitting homeruns right out of the gate, hired as writer then being promoted to head writer for SNL followed by co-anchor on the show’s Weekend Update segment being head writer for SNL. During her run, she wrote a staggering number of episodes, and continues contributing to this day, despite a post-show career filled with hit shows and award winning films. Her trophy case is lined with Golden Globes and Emmys, and people are still quoting the hilarious one-liners she wrote into “Mean Girls.”

If impersonation were an art form, Kristen might be called the Picasso of our time. She is an expert of exaggeration, and came out with a new on-topic act every week during her stint on SNL. While many of her impressions are spot-on, using original dialogue from the source material, she’s shown time and again that she can find the humor in just about anyone. Much like the title of the hit 2011 film that she co-wrote and starred in, Wiig is always the bridesmaid when it comes to awards. She has yet to win an Emmy as of 2017, despite being nominated 7 consecutive years in a row. Give this girl the gold already!

But before we get to our top pick, here are some Honorable Mentions

• Jillian Bell
• Rebel Wilson
• Megan Mullally

With a wise crack and a warm heart, Amy Poehler knows how to tell a joke that lifts the spirit. She can write a script, she can sell a character, but most of all, she can inspire. Much like her character on “Parks and Rec,” Amy is dedicated to empowering women. She is an ambassador for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, as well as one of the creators of the Smart Girls online community. She has also helped up-and-coming comediennes Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson by acting as executive producer of their well-received show “Broad City.”