Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller (born July 17, 1917) is an American comedian who created the stage character of a wild-haired, oddly-dressed housewife who was ugly but didn't realize it, and who spent her time cackling and waving a long cigarette holder while making jokes about a husband named Fang.

A housewife, mother and advertising copywriter, she first came to public attention as a contestant on Groucho Marx's quiz show You Bet Your Life in the mid-1950s.

Diller has appeared in more than a dozen, generally low-budget, movies and starred in two short-lived television series: The Pruitts of Southampton on ABC in 1966 and the variety show The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show on NBC in 1968. Her main claim to fame is her stand-up comedy act.

In recent years, Diller has publicly discussed her plastic surgery, which has changed her persona from being deliberately ugly to chic and attractive for her age.