   ruby wax (born ruby wachs, 19 april 1953) is an american born, naturalised british comedian. a classically trained actress, she came to prominence as a comic interviewer, playing up to british perceptions of the strident american style, which she replicated in the tv sitcom girls on top. she also appeared in absolutely fabulous, where she doubled as script editor. wax has since been in steady demand as an interviewer of celebrities, a game show contestant, and a supporter of comic relief and other charities. her memoirs, how do you want me?, reached the sunday times best-seller list. ==early life== wax is the daughter of jewish parents who left austria in 1939 because of the nazi threat.bbc.co.uk; bbc radio 4 â factual â desert island discs- ruby wax her father became wealthy as a sausage manufacturertheage.com.au and her mother qualified as an accountant. wax was brought up in evanston, illinois, in the 1950s and 60s. wax elected to major in psychology at the university of california, berkeley. ==career== ===early career=== wax came to the uk and studied at the royal scottish academy of music and drama. she started her acting career as a straight actress at the crucible theatre, sheffield, where she began a long-standing writing and directing partnership with alan rickman, who later was to direct most of her stage comedy shows. in 1978, she joined the royal shakespeare company, working alongside juliet stevenson in measure for measure, as jaquenetta opposite michael hordern in love's labours lost, replacing zoÃ« wanamaker as jane in the way of the world{{cite book | last =trowbridge | first =simon | authorlink = | author2 = | title =stratfordians, a dictionary of the rsc | chapter= ruby wax | publisher = editions alber
1953_births Actresses_from_Evanston,_Illinois American_comedians American_emigrants_to_England American_people_of_Austrian-Jewish_descent American_women_comedians British_actresses British_comedians British_women_comedians Evanston_Township_High_School_alumni Fame_Academy_participants Jewish_American_actresses Jewish_comedians Living_people Naturalised_citizens_of_the_United_Kingdom Royal_Shakespeare_Company_members University_of_California,_Berkeley_alumni