is a New Jersey girl of Ukrainian/Slovak heritage who loves Jersey tomatoes, pork roll, and good kielbasy. When she was little, to the consternation of her neighbors, she'd swing on her backyard swing, make up songs and sing loud. As a first-grader, Judy learned her sister's 4th grade songbook, melodies and harmonies, and she and Margie would sing every night while they did the dishes. In second grade, Judy was the only kid in her class not to drop out of talent day, singing "Sing Chiapanecas, Aye Aye." Judy's musical skills really took off when she took piano lessons from Miss Gwendolyn Williams, but the lessons lasted only a few months because Miss Williams, whom Judy estimated to be at least 100 years old, up and died. Undaunted, Judy leaped, literally and figuratively, into the world of modern dance, studying the Humphrey-Weidman technique, based on the concept of “fall” and “recovery.” Perfect training for an acting career. Judy played lead dancer Pigtails in her high school musical “Oklahoma” and was bitten by the musical theatre bug. At the U of Rhode Island, where she earned a BA in Sociology, Judy spent most of her time singing Tri Delta songs and learning the chorus part for a production of "Aida" that was later cancelled. She found she was funny when she joined the Student Union Board and had to give a weekly report on the contents of the Suggestion Box. She's trained Santa Clauses, been a NYC Lotto Girl and a Ho-Jo girl. She was a brilliant switchboard operator who pulled the plug on many an impolite CEO, and her voiceover career began when she was hired to page factory workers -- “Joe Stump, dial “O” Joe Stump, dial “O”. She gravitated to the NYC comedy scene, improvising seven shows a week as a member of the acclaimed improv group Chicago City Limits and performing sketch comedy with the East Village's The Other Leading Brand. She booked over 100 commercials and was a news anchor, on-the-street reporter, and writer on the show "Reel News."
Judy taught improv for years and developed the improvisation curriculum for the Three of Us Studios, now a professional acting conservatory called the New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts.
Then she moved to Los Angeles and started everything all over again.
In addition to her 100 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and guest spots on shows like "American Crime Story-People v OJ Simpson," "Ellen" and "Will &Grace," Judy's done a lot of live theatre. She's a member of LA's The Production Company, and has won acclaim for her appearances as trader Sheryl Sloman in "ENRON," the Waitress and the Schoolteacher in the musical "Working," Mag in “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” and Aunt Sally in “The Fifth of July.” She originated Mona in the bowling musical “The Rose Bowl Queens.” She was Frau Fahrenkopf, singing the Nazi Marching Song in a 1920’s wool bathing suit in "A Night of the Iguana" at A Noise Within. Judy’s penchant for portraying two characters in one play has led her to portray: Arlene/Marcy in Jewtopia; Estelle/Justine in The Eclectic Company Theatre’s Martyrdumb; and Raisel/Bubbie in the New York and LA readings of the Iris Dart, Mike Stoller, Artie Butler musical "Laughing Matters" (which opened on Broadway as "The People in the Picture.") Judy's written and starred in her one-woman show with a cast of five "All That Naz," and she's a regular guest in the Santa-thon Christmas shows with her character Smokey Lady and her Christmas song "A Southern California Christmas." She had a nine-year Sunday night gig with the improv group Wrought Irony at LA's Laugh Factory, and she had a 6-year improv gig doing improv as a sporting event with LATheatresports. Judy keeps up her comedy chops by working out with Fred Willard in his Moho sketch comedy group.
And, Judy's still singing and making up songs. In the fall of 2014, she released her first comedy music album, VARIETY PAK -- 12 original songs in 12 different genres. Judy's currently working on her second album. For more info, go to: judynazemetzmusic.com
And, yeah, she plays basketball.
Judy Nazemetz