In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Katie Cazorla and the one-and-only Nicole Sullivan — actress, comedian, voiceover legend, and all-around scene-stealer from Mad TV, Family Guy, Kim Possible, and more. What starts as a hilarious catch-up between girlfriends quickly becomes a deeply relatable conversation about confidence, aging, reinvention, and the sheer absurdity of show business.
Nicole shares how she went from dreaming of Shakespeare festivals to accidentally landing Mad TV after scribbling characters on a Post-it note. She opens up about her long career in Hollywood, her most beloved characters, and the very specific (and very sexist) poker scandal that still has us fuming on her behalf.
But this episode is also about something bigger: the vulnerability and strength that come with being a woman over 40 in an industry obsessed with youth. Nicole talks candidly about shifting careers, voiceover work, the pressure to stay “camera-ready,” and why she’s choosing joy, humor, and authenticity over perfection. Katie adds her own comedic brilliance, sharing stories from the road and learning to age fearlessly.
It’s funny, fierce, heartfelt, and wildly relatable — a reminder that women are allowed to evolve, laugh at themselves, and lift each other up… all while wearing flats.
If you want a dose of Hollywood insanity, and enough laugh-out-loud moments to make your mascara run, this is your episode.
✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- How Nicole went from regional-theater dreams to landing Mad TV with zero formal comedy training.
- The real story behind the celebrity poker showdown — and why Nicole and Jennifer Tilly were pushed out of the final round.
- What it’s actually like aging in Hollywood and why Nicole says it’s more about economics than ego.
- Nicole’s voiceover career: Family Guy, Kim Possible, Penguins of Madagascar and more fan-favorite roles.
- The pressure women feel to look put together and how Stacy navigated that through motherhood, trial work, and the pandemic.
- The importance of community, mentoring younger women, and why women over 50 deserve more representation onscreen.
🔗 FOLLOW
Stacy Phillips
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacydphillipsesq/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacydphillips/
Nicole Sullivan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sullivannicole/
Katie Cazorla
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialkatiecazorla/
🕒 TIMESTAMPS
01:47 – Nicole shares how she stumbled into comedy and booked Mad TV.
06:40 – The first week on Mad TV and why Nicole never expected to fit in.
07:21 – The Jennifer Tilly poker showdown story and how sexism pushed them out of the finals.
11:35 – Nicole’s charity poker win and her love for animal rescue.
14:30 – Mentoring younger women and surviving the emotional rollercoaster of acting careers.
16:10 – Aging in Hollywood, why demographics drive opportunities, and how the industry is (slowly) changing.
23:00 – Nicole’s 74-day cooking streak and her infamous white-trash chicken casserole.
30:00 – Voiceover life: Family Guy, Kim Possible, Penguins of Madagascar, and her fan-favorite voices.
37:20 – Stacy on courtroom storytelling vs. acting and the difference between juries and judges.
42:00 – Divorce, marriage longevity, and surviving two decades with your partner.