Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life of Ruby Wax — American-British comedian, actress, writer, mental health advocate. Learn her biography, career highlights, challenges, books, activism, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Ruby Wax (born Ruby Wachs on 19 April 1953) is an American-British comedian, actress, writer, television presenter, and mental health campaigner.

Wax has used her public voice to destigmatize depression and promote mindfulness, earning honors (including an OBE) for services to mental health.

Early Life and Family

Ruby Wax was born in Evanston, Illinois, U.S. on 19 April 1953.

Her father was a sausage manufacturer, and her mother an accountant.

Wax attended Evanston Township High School.

Youth, Education & Entry into Performance

Deciding to pursue acting, Wax moved to the UK and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for several years, developing her stagecraft and contacts in British theatre.

During this time she formed a long friendship and creative rapport with actor Alan Rickman, who directed many of her early stage comedy shows.

Her early acting credits include appearances in Chariots of Fire (though an extended role was trimmed) and minor roles in Shock Treatment and Omen III: The Final Conflict.

Career and Achievements

Television & Comedy Breakthroughs

In the mid-1980s, Wax gained notice in the UK by starring in the sitcom Girls on Top (1985–1986) as the loud, brash American Shelley DuPont.

She then developed her distinctive persona as a comic interviewer on UK television. Notable shows include:

• The Full Wax (1991–1994)

• Ruby Wax Meets… (1994–1998) — interviews with celebrities like Madonna, O. J. Simpson, and more

• Ruby (1997–2000)

• The Ruby Wax Show (2002)

Wax also served as script editor on Absolutely Fabulous from its early years onward (1992–2012), and appeared in two episodes.

Her style often played on the contrast between her American-accented brashness and British sensibilities, yielding comedic tension and sharp cultural commentary.

Writing, Mindfulness & Mental Health Advocacy

Later in her career, Wax deepened her focus on mental health, combining her comedic voice with advocacy and education:

• In 2013, she earned a Master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College, Oxford.

• In 2015 she was made a Visiting Professor in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Surrey.

• In the 2015 Special Honours, she was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to mental health.

Her published books include:

• How Do You Want Me? (2002) (memoir)

• Sane New World (2013) (mental health memoir)

• A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled (2016)

• How to Be Human: The Manual (2018)

• And Now for the Good News... (2020)

• Mindfulness Guide for Survival (2021)

• I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was (2023) — reflecting on recent mental health struggles and experiences

Wax also continues delivering keynote talks, workshops, and stage shows combining humor and mental health insight.

Later Stage & TV Returns

In recent years, Ruby Wax has returned to the stage with shows such as I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was, drawing from personal experience and mental health themes.

She also presents the BBC series Ruby Wax: How to Be Human.

She was appointed Chancellor of the University of Southampton beginning May 2019.

Personality, Strengths & Challenges

Ruby Wax is notable for combining irreverent humor with emotional authenticity.

Her strengths include:

• Fearless honesty — she openly discusses depression, psychiatric treatment, breakdowns, and recovery.

• Blending comedy and insight — she uses her voice as a comic to talk about serious topics — mental health, mindfulness, human frailty.

• Academic rigor — she didn’t just talk about mental health; she studied it (Oxford), taught it, and earned institutional recognition.

• Resilience and reinvention — her career spans acting, TV, writing, public speaking, activism; she has adapted over decades.

Her challenges and public struggles include:

• Long-standing battles with depression and bipolar mental health, including hospitalisation in earlier years.

• A serious horse riding accident in 2019 that injured her back, forcing her to cancel performances.

• She has spoken about ageism in broadcasting / media as her career matured, losing some opportunities or encountering prejudice.

Famous Quotes & Lines

Here are a few memorable quotes from Ruby Wax:

• “I’ve spent a lifetime giving the illusion all is well. It wasn’t and it isn’t.”

• From her work in mental health: “Depression is not a straight line. It zigzags.” (often cited in her talks)

• (On reinvention) In interviews she often remarks on how she "became a cartoon to escape how ill I was."

• On ageing and public image: she has criticized media ageism and discussed how her persona once exaggerated her “American” character, saying people “tired of that character.”

Lessons from Ruby Wax

From her life and work, we can draw several meaningful lessons:

1. Vulnerability can be powerful. Wax’s openness about mental health demystifies and normalizes what many suffer in silence.

2. Laughter and pain can coexist. She shows how humor can serve as a bridge into deeper conversations about suffering, healing, and humanity.

3. Never stop learning. Wax’s transition into academic study of therapy and mindfulness later in life underscores that reinvention and education are not limited by age.

4. Use your platform for good. Her public profile gave her a megaphone which she has used to advocate for mental health awareness and change.

5. Adapt and evolve. From stage acting to TV, books, speaking, mindfulness teaching — her career reminds us that flexibility sustains relevance over decades.

Conclusion

Ruby Wax stands out as a rare figure who combines comedic sharpness with emotional depth and social purpose. She has journeyed from acting and TV into a place of voice and leadership in mental health. Her story teaches resilience, reinvention, and the courage to speak what many feel but can’t express.