Updated February 16, 2026 at 4:07 PM CST
Amber Ruffin's joy is infectious. And she's bringing that joy to her latest production, the original off-Broadway show Bigfoot! The Musical, co-written by Kevin Sciretta. The show's plot involves a corrupt mayor, gullible townspeople and a kindhearted Bigfoot who longs for community. What evolves on stage takes on even more meaning in today's political landscape.
Ruffin started writing Bigfoot! in 2014. In an interview with NPR's Michel Martin, she talked of how her protagonist is really anyone who has ever been othered — a detail that shifted over the years she was writing the musical. "Bigfoot, in my mind, is a Black woman," she said. "Bigfoot, in my mind, is a trans person. Then I was like, Bigfoot, in my mind, is just all LGBTQ. Then I was like, Bigfoot is an immigrant."
It's an understatement to say that Ruffin always has a lot going on. The comedy veteran appears on CNN's Have I Got News For You, has worked in improv in the U.S. and Europe, had her own eponymous show, authored two books and two Broadway revivals and works on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
On Late Night, Meyers introduces her signature "Amber Says What" sketches in a familial way, and then she unloads whatever she's thinking about. She's not afraid to take on weighty subjects. And after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, she used her platform on Late Night to share stories of her own encounters with police.
At 47, Ruffin carries gratitude for the success and encouragement that has come her way.
"Not only am I happy, I'm thoroughly supported by work, the place that usually will grind you into a fine dust," she said.
Copyright 2026 NPR
