Alie Ward
Alison Ann "Alie" Ward (born November 6, 1976) is an American writer, actress, and television and podcast host.
Alie Ward | |
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![]() Ward at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con | |
Born | Alison Ann Ward November 6, 1976 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Actress, writer, painter |
Years active | 1998–present |
Website | www |
Early life
Ward was born Alison Ann Ward in San Francisco, California, to Nancy, an accountant, and Lawrence, a journalist and news broadcaster. She has two older sisters, Celeste and Janelle. Ward moved frequently around northern California during her childhood due to her father's career, living in Tahoe, Sacramento, El Dorado Hills, and Cameron Park before returning to the Bay Area.[1][2] When she was 18, she enrolled at University of California - Santa Barbara to study biology, with the intention of pursuing a career in biological illustration. Eventually, she changed her course of study and obtained a degree in cinema before moving to Los Angeles. Her father had multiple myeloma.[3][4]
Career

Acting
While studying cinema in San Francisco, Ward attended an audition for the television series Nash Bridges, which filmed in the area. The role recurred for three seasons. After moving to Los Angeles, Ward continued to take television roles while pursuing writing and painting.[1] She has appeared in several small roles for television, including Grey's Anatomy, King of the Hill, and Comedy Central's Key & Peele.
Ward has recorded a number of fan recaps for the ABC series, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Scandal.
In 2014, she became a correspondent on the CBS series Innovation Nation, for which she won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Special Class in 2016.[5][6]
In 2018, she became a regular contributor on the Netflix educational series Brainchild.[7]
Also in 2018, she began hosting the CW show Did I Mention Invention? With Alie Ward.[8][9]
In 2020, she co-hosted Netflix's first season of the investigative series 100 Humans alongside Sammy Obeid and Zainab Johnson.
Art
Ward's paintings are often acrylic on wood and employ wordplay or are in diptych form, which she calls her "dichotomy series". She likens her painting approach to sign making.
In 2014, LA Weekly named Ward's Instagram account "Best Looking Instagram".[10]
Writing
Ward comes from a family of journalists.[11] In late 2005, L.A. Weekly hired her to illustrate the column 24/7 and in early 2006 she was offered a writing assignment to cover a concert. Within a few months, Ward had a weekly nightlife and culture column called The Mental Ward.[12]
Ward also wrote for the Los Angeles Times[13] and for Metromix L.A., a website and newspaper owned by the Los Angeles Times,[14] as well as appearing on-camera for live news segments on KTLA.
Alie and Georgia
In early 2009, Ward and her friend Georgia Hardstark jokingly created a cocktail called the McNuggetini, drafting plans on the back of a popcorn bag at the L.A. dive bar The Roost.[15] Hardstark blogged about it on the website This Recording.[16]
The website This is why you're fat linked to the recipe and it became virally popular. Hardstark and Ward next shot a short instructional video, enlisting their friend Peter Atencio, a feature director who had also created shorts for Funny or Die, to direct. The video appeared on YouTube in October 2009, and became the most watched how-to, with over 10,000 hits per day.[17] The pair followed up with two farcical how-to videos for the Ham Daiquiri and a Bloody-Maryesque drink known as the Bloody Bacon & Cheese.[18]
Next, Ward and Hardstark began making "Classy Ladies with Alie & Georgia" cocktail videos for Scripps Network and Cooking Channel websites, and appearing on the Cooking Channel travel-dessert show Unique Sweets.[19][20]
Their Feral Audio podcast, Slumber Party with Alie & Georgia, premiered in 2012 and ran for 93 episodes, ending in 2017.[21]
In June 2013, their travel-food show Tripping Out with Alie & Georgia[22] premiered on Cooking Channel.[2] Giada De Laurentiis was an executive producer of the show.[23]
In August 2013 the two appeared in Drunk History and read the Lewis and Clark historical story.[24]
Alie and Georgia, as they are known, have been covered by The New York Times,[25] Time, Cosmopolitan, the Associated Press, The Village Voice,[26] Huffington Post,[27] Serious Eats,[28] Daily Beast, Los Angeles Times,[29] Los Angeles[30] and Perez Hilton.[31] The McNuggetini has also been featured on The Today Show.
Podcast
In 2017 Ward began hosting Ologies, a science podcast.[2] A different expert is interviewed by Ward each week, including topics such as volcanology, primatology, paleontology, gemology, cosmetology, cosmology and horology. The tagline for the show is "Ask smart people stupid questions".[32]
Personal life
At the end of a podcast episode in January 2021,[33] Ward shared that she became engaged to her boyfriend of about ten years, Jarrett Sleeper. As of 2021, she lives in Eagle Rock, California.[2]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Nash Bridges | Miranda | 9 episodes |
1999 | Where's George | Anita | |
2001 | Roswell | Deb | 2 episodes |
2002 | King of the Hill | Becky | Episode: "Dang Ol' Love" (uncredited) |
2002 | The District | Mary Sleight | Episode: "The Second Man" |
2003 | 7th Heaven | Betty | Episode: "Smoking" |
2005 | Grey's Anatomy | Tina Herman | Episode: "Something To Talk About" |
2006 | Death Ride | Make-up Girl | |
2012 | Key & Peele | Friend | 1 episode |
2012 | Murderbot Productions | Episode: "Hose the Rose" | |
2013 | Drunk History | Herself - Narrator | Episode: "Nashville" |
2017 | Sidekick with Matt Mira | Guest | Episode: "Your Host, Steve Agee" |
2018 | Don't Go Alone | The Storyteller | 3 episodes |
2018 | Brainchild | Science Lady | 13 episodes |
2020 | 100 Humans | Host | 8 episodes |
References
- "Renaissance Woman • Alie Ward Finds Her Voice by Celebrating Her Curiosity". Submerge. 23 October 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- Ito, Robert (February 25, 2021). "'Ologies' Host Alie Ward Is Making Science Wonderfully Entertaining". Los Angeles. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- "Live from Los Angeles: It's the IMF Facebook Comedy Pre-Show Extravaganza". International Myeloma Foundation. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- @alieward (October 22, 2017). "My dad has #multiplemyeloma & I'm honored to be part of this benefit. Performing: @kumailn @NikkiGlaser @hannibalburess @marcmaron @iliza ++" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation Receivers 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy® Award and Multiple 37th Annual Telly Awards". May 5, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Life Hacks and Laughs ... a Conversation With Innovation Nation's Alie Ward". Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Brainchild - Netflix Official Site". Netflix. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Did I Mention Invention". One Magnificent Morning. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Did I Mention Invention?, retrieved April 9, 2019
- "2013 LA Weekly Web Awards". LA Weekly. August 28, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- "This American Wife". www.thisamericanwifepodcast.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- "Alie Ward - Los Angeles News and Events". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- "Alie Ward at L.A. Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- "Metromix Makes Cool Debut". Los Angeles Times. 10 July 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- "Alie Ward on This American Wife podcast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- "In Which Georgia Gives You The McNuggetini - Food - This Recording". thisrecording.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- "McNuggetini sparks new career for former EDC resident". Mountain Democrat. July 28, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Quenqua, Douglas (December 16, 2009). "The McNuggetini's Cult Status Gives Its Makers a Shot at Celebrity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- Classy Ladies, retrieved November 13, 2017
- Unique Sweets, retrieved November 13, 2017
- "Slumber Party with Alie & Georgia". Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- Tripping Out with Alie & Georgia, retrieved November 13, 2017
- "Cooking Channel to Premiere Tripping Out With Alie & Georgia, 6/21". May 13, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Behind the Scenes: Drunk History With Alie & Georgia". Los Angeles. September 27, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Mixing Meaty Cocktails With a Shot of Celebrity". The New York Times. December 17, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Fancy Fast Food Drinks: The McNuggetini". October 22, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "The McNuggetini: A Chocolate Milkshake With Vanilla Vodka, Rimmed With BBQ Sauce And A Chicken McNugget". March 19, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "The McNuggetini - Serious Eats". February 16, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Coming to the Taste: Alie Ward & Georgia Hardstark". Los Angeles Times. August 16, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Reinventing the Girlie Drink with Alie Ward & Georgia Hardstark". Los Angeles. June 4, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Thirsty for Lard?!". Perez Hilton. 31 October 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- "Ologies Podcast". alie ward.
- "Urban Rodentology (Sewer Rats) with Bobby Corrigan". alie ward. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
External links
- Alie Ward at IMDb
- AlieWard.com
- Alie and Georgia, archived 3 June 2016
- Alie and Georgia, food2
- Innovation Nation