Ruby Wax, OBE, is a comedian, actress, writer, and mental health advocate with a career spanning over four decades. She has made significant contributions to British television and is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health.
Born to Austrian Jewish refugees, Ruby studied psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, before relocating to England in 1977. She trained as an actress at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she appeared in productions such as Measure for Measure and Love's Labours Lost.
Ruby's television career took off with the ITV sitcom Girls on Top (1985-1986), where she starred alongside Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Her unique style quickly established her as a household name. She hosted her own comedy chat show, Don't Miss Wax, on Channel 4 in 1987, followed by other series like The Full Wax (1991-1994) and Ruby Wax Meets... (1996-1998), which featured interviews with notable figures including Imelda Marcos and O.J. Simpson.
Her versatility extended to script editing for the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous from 1992 to 2012, where she contributed to its humour and appeared in two episodes. Ruby has also made guest appearances in shows such as Red Dwarf, French and Saunders, and Count Duckula.
In addition to her entertainment career, Ruby is a strong advocate for mental health awareness. She holds a Master's degree in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy from Kellogg College, Oxford, and has been open about her struggles with depression. In 2015, she was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to mental health. She founded the Frazzled Café, a charity that provides a safe space for sharing mental health stories.
Ruby continues to be active in the entertainment industry. In 2022, she starred in the BBC travel series Trailblazers, and her one-woman play, I'm Not As Well As I Thought I Was, based on her best-selling book, has been successful in the UK and is set to tour internationally in 2024. Her legacy includes a strong commitment to mental health awareness, using her platform to educate and inspire discussions around mental illness.
