This softly pretty comic writer-performer is only one of many women whose talent was largely wasted on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (on which she was featured from 1989-94). Sweeney was best known for her popular recurring character Pat, an annoying, androgynous, bespectacled person whose gender remained a mystery. The character was even the centerpiece of a feature, "It's Pat!" (1994), which was afforded only a regional release before being shunted off to the video shelves.While still working at her day job as an accountant at a film studio, Sweeney began performing with the L.A.-based improv troupe The Groundlings, where she came under the tutelage of Phil Hartman. Sweeney has attributed her success to her background in improvisation which stressed acting and character rather than the delivery of punchlines. In addition to countless sketches on "Saturday Night Live" and its subsequent compilation shows, she utilized her skills in a recurring role on the detective drama "Murphy's Law" (ABC, 1989), a bit part in a dreadful TV remake of "Dinner at Eight" (TNT, 1989), and in guest appearance such as playing Cynthia Stevenson's sister on "Hope and Gloria".
Sweeney's feature career, while not dazzling, has included much more than her starring role as Pat. She started out doing small roles, including playing a receptionist in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" (1990), a nosy neighbor in "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" (1992) and the school principal in another "SNL"-inspired feature "Coneheads" (1993). Additionally, Sweeney appeared Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994), the Al Franken vehicle "Stuart Saves His Family" (1995) and in support of Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in the rowdy "Vegas Vacation" (1996).
Sweeney's life and career took an unexpected turn in 1995 when her brother Michael died of lymphoma and Sweeney herself was treated for cervical cancer. She turned the experience into a dark, funny one-woman show, "God Said, 'Ha!'", which opened in L.A. in 1996 and later moved to Broadway. The show, which got sterling reviews, was filmed (with Quentin Tarantino as executive producer and Sweeney as director) and released theatrically in 1999. It also became the basis for a recording and a book. The actress used her experiences as the basis for the busted pilot "Jules" before joining the CBS sitcom "George & Leo" in its waning days in 1998.
Profession(s):
Actor, screenwriter, director, accountant
Sometimes Credited As:
CableACE Award Best Performance in a Comedy Special "Lifetime Applauds: The Fight Against Breast Cancer" 1996
Los Angeles Drama Critics Award Lead Performance "God Said 'Ha!'" 1996 - 1997
2006 Cast in Wim Wenders' neo-Western "Don't Come Knocking" written by and starred Sam Shepard
2001 Had co-starring role in The WB sitcom "Maybe It's Me"
2000 Provided voice for the animated series "Baby Blues" (The WB)
2000 Co-starred in the direct-to-video release "Beethoven's 3rd"
1999 Feature directorial debut with "God Said, Ha!'"
1998 Joined cast of the CBS sitcom "George & Leo"
1996 Premiered one-woman show "God Said, 'Ha!'", a comic look at her life; after Broadway production, show was filmed, turned into a CD and a book
1995 Underwent treatment for cervical cancer while taking care of her dying brother
1994 Appeared at the closing ceremonies of The 1994 Gay Games in her Pat persona at NYC's Yankee Stadium
1994 Feature debut as co-screenwriter, character creator and star, "It's Pat"
1990 Feature acting debut, "Gremlins 2: The New Batch"
1989 First TV guest shot, "Murphy's Law" (ABC)
1989 - 1994 Spent four seasons as an ensemble member on the NBC variety series "Saturday Night Live"
1989 TV-movie debut, "Dinner at Eight" (TNT)
Worked as an accountant at a motion picture studio
Joined the Los Angeles based improv group The Groundlings where Phil Hartman became her mentor
