Alex Borstein

Intro

Alex Borstein is an American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose career connects sketch comedy, animation and character-driven television. Born February 15, 1971, in Highland Park, Illinois, she became familiar to many viewers through MADtv before finding a long-running voice role as Lois Griffin in Family Guy. A different audience came to know her as Susie Myerson, the manager with a fierce sense of purpose in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. This guide follows those contrasting performances alongside the hospital comedy Getting On and her work as a musical-comedy performer.

Career snapshot

Borstein trained at the ACME Comedy Theatre and worked in television writing and voice performance before joining MADtv in 1997. That background matters when looking across her career: she has contributed from both sides of the script, rather than moving only between acting assignments. Her credits include writing and producing work on Shameless, as well as appearances in films such as The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Catwoman and Good Night, and Good Luck. These smaller screen roles sit alongside sustained television parts, showing a career built through ensembles as well as memorable individual characters.

The entry point

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ran from 2017 to 2023, with Borstein playing Susie Myerson opposite Rachel Brosnahan's aspiring comedian Midge Maisel. For a first viewing, their conversations provide a useful entry point: watch who is making the immediate demand and who is thinking about the next opportunity. Susie's practical concerns create a counterweight to the excitement of performing. The Television Academy awarded Borstein the supporting-actress comedy Emmy for this role in both 2018 and 2019. Her 2018 character voice-over Emmy recognized Family Guy, making that year's honors a particularly clear illustration of her range.

Screen identity and style

A useful comparison is to listen to Lois Griffin before watching a Susie scene. Animation places emphasis on vocal phrasing, while live-action performance adds posture, eye contact and movement through the room. Notice how a pause can become an objection before a character says anything. This is an editorial viewing exercise, not a claim that the two characters share a personality. The contrast is the point: a familiar voice can serve very different relationships, and comedy often depends as much on responding to another performer as on delivering the loudest line.

Collaborations and patterns

Family Guy pairs Borstein's Lois with the animated Griffin household in a series created by Seth MacFarlane. In Getting On, which ran from 2013 to 2015, she played Dawn Forchette in a hospital workplace ensemble. These are useful companion selections because their settings impose different pressures on the comedy. A household scene can turn a family argument into an extended gag; a hospital scene can make a small professional interaction uncomfortable. Compare how a character tries to preserve authority in each setting, and how the surrounding cast helps establish whether that authority is convincing.

Era reflection

The 2023 special Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits brings music and comedy together with Borstein performing as herself. Prime Video lists Scott Ellis as director and Eric Mills and Salva Rey among the performers. This offers another way into her work after scripted television: the relationship with the audience becomes direct, and songs can change the pace of an evening rather than merely accompany a scene. The special is intended for mature audiences. Its mix of performance forms makes a useful contrast with the shorter character turns of sketch comedy and the continuing stories of a television series.

Legacy and rediscovery

Borstein's selected career is best approached through those changes of format rather than through a single signature role. Start with Maisel for a sustained live-action partnership, compare Family Guy for voice performance, then try Getting On for a different ensemble setting. MADtv supplies earlier sketch-comedy context. The four gallery images identify those productions; they are archive artwork, not a claim that every pictured person is Borstein. The portrait shows her at WonderCon in 2016. Together these images and viewing notes offer several paths into a career that includes acting, writing, producing and music.

A career in pictures

Selected career milestones. Years identify the production or labeled milestone; recurring actors may join a series later. Artwork represents the production and may show other cast members. Select an image for a larger view.

Rewatch notes

• Borstein joined MADtv in 1997, after the series had already begun.
• Her 2018 Emmy wins recognized both Family Guy voice work and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
• Corsets & Clown Suits combines comedy with musical performance.

Career highlights

MADtv (1997) as Ensemble performer
Borstein joined in 1997; the series premiered in 1995.

Family Guy (1999) as Lois Griffin (voice)
A continuing voice role beginning with the original series.

Getting On (2013) as Dawn Forchette
Hospital workplace comedy, 2013–2015.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017) as Susie Myerson
Borstein played the comedian's manager across the 2017–2023 series.