Janet Vivian Hooks (April 23, 1957 - October 9, 2014) was an American actress and comedian best known for Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1991. Hooks was a part of SNL's second golden age in that timenote , after the 1985-1986 season was deemed a disaster. Ironically, Hooks originally auditioned for the 1985-1986 season, but lost to Joan Cusack), Designing Women, 30 Rock and The Simpsons (as the voice of Apu's arranged wife, Manjula. She was later replaced with Tress MacNeille).
Some of Hooks' notable recurring characters include: Miss Connie (the host of a children's story time show called Miss Connie's Fable Nooknote ), Candy Sweeney (a lounge singer along with her sister, Liz [played by Nora Dunn]), and Anita (a truck stop waitress). Her celebrity impressions include Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Tammy Faye Bakker, Oprah Winfreynote , Nancy Reagannote , Diana Rossnote , Mary Jo Buttafuoco, Ivana Trump (Donald Trump's first wife), Hillary Clinton, Marla Maples (Donald Trump's second wife), Jessica Hahnnote , and Sinéad O'Connornote
She sadly died in 2014 at home from throat cancer.
Film Roles
- Pee-wee's Big Adventure as Tina
- Wildcats 1986 as Stephanie Needham
- Funland as Shelly Willingham
- Batman Returns as Jen
- Coneheads as Gladys Johnson
- A Dangerous Woman as Makeup Girl
- Simon Birch as Miss Leavy
- Jiminy Glick In Lalawood as Dixie Glick
Television Roles
- Not Necessarily News as Various (1983-1984)
- Saturday Night Live as Various (1986-1994)
- Dear John as Suzanne (1 episode)
- Designing Women as Carlene Frazier Dobber (1991-1993, 45 episodes)
- The Dana Carvey Show as Kathie Lee Gifford (1 episode)
- 3rd Rock from the Sun as Vicki Dubcek (16 episodes)
- The Simpsons as Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon (1997-2002, 6 episodes)
- Providence as Doreen Dunfey (1 episode)
- Futurama as Anglelyne (1 episode)
- Primetime Glick as Dixie Glick
- Game Over as Nadine
- 30 Rock as Verna Maroney (2 episodes)
- The Cleveland Show as Mrs. Kellogg (1 episode)
