Fortune Feimster
Emily Fortune Feimster is an American writer, comedian, and actress. Having made her television debut on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2010, she starred as Colette on The Mindy Project. In July 2019, she began hosting the hit radio show What a Joke with Papa and Fortune with Tom Papa, interviewing comedians and celebrities, the first live programming on the Sirius XM channel Netflix is a Joke. She played Heather in The L Word: Generation Q, a reboot of The L Word.
Early life and education
Feimster was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Mike and Ginger Feimster; the youngest of three, with two older brothers, Price and Jay. Fortune is her maternal great-grandmother's maiden name. Growing up in Belmont, North Carolina, she attended Belmont Central Elementary School and Belmont Junior High, subsequently graduating from South Point High School in 1998. That same year, she was presented to society at the Gastonia Debutante Ball. At South Point, she played basketball, softball, and tennis.She attended Peace College, then a women-only university, and was elected student body president, majored in communications, and played soccer and tennis. She graduated summa cum laude and was the student speaker at commencement in 2002. The graduation speaker was Raleigh native actress Emily Procter, with whom Feimster became acquainted after the graduation.
Career
After living in Spain for a year, she moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to become a personal assistant to Procter and pursue comedy. After connecting with Procter's neighbor, a journalist for the Los Angeles Daily News, Feimster began a seven-year career in entertainment journalism. In 2005, she joined The Groundlings Theatre, studying improv and sketch comedy. After four years, she was selected to join the Groundlings' Sunday Company.Feimster had a supporting role in the 2025 film Zootopia 2 as Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver who is a conspiracy theorist and podcast host; the film was a critical and commercial success.
Personal life
Feimster came out as a lesbian in 2005 at age 25. In 2016, she began dating kindergarten teacher Jacquelyn Smith, becoming engaged in early 2018. She and Smith own homes in Los Angeles and Belmont, North Carolina. They married in a small ceremony on October 23, 2020. In June 2025, Feimster and Smith announced that they had been separated for an unspecified amount of time and in the process of divorcing.Filmography
Film
Television
Podcasts
Note:| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
| 2018 | Bertcast | Herself | "315" | |
| 2019 | Queery | Herself | "112" | |
| 2019 | The Margaret Cho | Herself | Episode: "Fortune Feimster and Jodi Long" | |
| 2020 | This Past Weekend | Herself | "254" | |
| 2020 | Anna Faris is Unqualified | Herself | Episode: "Fortune Feimster" | |
| 2020 | Lovett or Leave It | Herself | "Oh, great. Mike Pence." | |
| 2020 | The Sporkful | Herself | "You Can't Hate Yourself Constantly" Says Comic Fortune Feimster" | |
| 2020 | The Joe Rogan Experience | Herself | "1440" | |
| 2020 | Your Mom's House Podcast | Herself | "567" | |
| 2020 | Do You Need A Ride? | Herself | Season 2, episode 53 | |
| 2021 | Good For You | Herself | "92" | |
| 2021 | Bertcast | Herself | "496" | |
| 2021 | I Said No Gifts! | Herself | "Fortune Feimster Disobeys Bridger" | |
| 2021 | Life Is Short with Justin Long | Herself | "138", "Fortune Feimster ?" | |
| 2021-2023 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | Scam Goddess | Herself | "120", "The Scammer Hood of the Traveling Wigs w/ Fortune Feimster" | |
| 2022 | Don't Ask Tig | Herself | "Fortune Feimster" | |
| 2022 | Bertcast | Herself | "544" | |
| 2022 | We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle | Herself | "Fortune Feimster: A Queer Debutante Walks Into a Hooters..." | |
| 2024 | You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes | Herself | "Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin" | |
| 2024 | Herself | "FORTUNE FEIMSTER Almost Got Trampled by Elephants" |