Gail Matthius is a renowned American actress, voice actress, and comedian, who made a notable impact on the entertainment industry. Born and raised in the United States, Matthius began her career in Los Angeles, honing her skills as a comedian at the prestigious Comedy Store. Her big break came when she successfully auditioned for the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live during its 1980-1981 season, led by Jean Doumanian.
Matthius brought a unique set of characters to the show, including Vicki, a valley girl who, along with her friend Debbie, annoyed people with their persistent questions and shallow statements. She also portrayed Roweena, a Midwestern-accented hairdresser, and Francis Lively, the wife of Charles Rocket's Phil Lively, who lived life at home as if it were just another game show. Matthius's celebrity impersonations included Brooke Shields, Irene Cara, Nancy Reagan, and Mary Cunningham.
After leaving Saturday Night Live, Matthius appeared in the short-lived British/American sketch show Assaulted Nuts and the syndicated sketch comedy series Laugh Trax, where she revived her valley girl Vicki character. She also did a significant amount of voice acting for animated shows, including Bobby's World, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Bump in the Night, and The Tick, often using her valley girl and Roweena characters from Saturday Night Live.
Matthius is a member of the Spolin Players Improv comedy troupe and acts as a drama and theater coach and teacher in Pacific Palisades, CA for various acting studios, including Theatre Palisades. She continues to perform as an improv and drama theater actress, and has appeared in the play For Piano and Harpo by Dan Castellaneta in 2016.
Matthius's contributions to the entertainment industry have been recognized by Rolling Stone magazine, which ranked her the 74th best Saturday Night Live cast member in 2015, stating that she brought "a flicker of hope" to the show during its critical and ratings low point.
