Alex Borstein

Alex Borstein

Birthday: February 15
Birthplace: Highland Park, Illinois

Alex Borstein is an American actress, voice actress, singer, writer, and comedienne who is well known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv. A native of Deerfield, Illinois, Borstein is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where she studied rhetoric. She was trained in improvisational comedy at the ACME Comedy Theatre, near Hollywood, California, and was selected to join MADtv after being scouted by talent agents who noticed her work at the theatre.

Alex Borstein is an American actress, voice actress, singer, writer, and comedienne who is well known for her long-running role as Lois Griffin on the animated television series Family Guy, and as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv. A native of Deerfield, Illinois, Borstein is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where she studied rhetoric. She was trained in improvisational comedy at the ACME Comedy Theatre, near Hollywood, California, and was selected to join MADtv after being scouted by talent agents who noticed her work at the theatre. She was a writer and voice actor for several television shows, including Casper, Pinky and the Brain and Power Rangers: Zeo, before joining the cast of MADtv as a featured player, and later as a repertory player in 1997.

As an actress, Borstein made recurring appearances on Gilmore Girls throughout the show's run, first as the harpist Drella. She has also made appearances in such films as Killers and Dinner for Schmucks. She played the school principal in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, the best friend of Halle Berry's character in Catwoman, and an employee at CBS News in Good Night, and Good Luck. She also had an uncredited cameo in the Will Ferrell movie Kicking & Screaming as an obnoxious coffee shop patron. She also had a small role in the movie Bad Santa.

In 2010, Borstein joined the first season staff of the Showtime dramedy Shameless, as a writer and supervising producer. In its second season she held the position of writer and consulting producer. She also guest starred in the first season episode "But at Last Came a Knock", as Lou Deckner. Borstein's production company is called Crackerpants, Inc. 

Show more

Awards & Nominations

11 Nominations | 3 Emmys
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2024
  • Nominee
  • Alex Borstein, as Lois Griffin
  • Family Guy
  • "Teacher's Heavy Pet"
  • FOX
  • 20th Television Animation
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2023
  • Nominee
  • Alex Borstein, as Lois Griffin
  • Family Guy
  • "A Bottle Episode"
  • FOX
  • 20th Television Animation
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2023
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2022
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2020
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2019
  • Nominee
  • Alex Borstein, as Lois Griffin, Tricia Takanawa
  • Family Guy
  • "Throw It Away"
  • FOX
  • 20th Century Fox Television
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2019
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance - 2018
  • Winner
  • Alex Borstein, as Lois Griffin, Babs Pewterschmidt, Natalia, Female Hippo, Woman in Car, Female Voice
  • Family Guy
  • "Nanny Goats"
  • FOX
  • 20th Century Fox Television
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series - 2018
Outstanding Voice-Over Performance - 2013
  • Nominee
  • Alex Borstein, as Lois Griffin/ Tricia Takanawa
  • Family Guy
  • "Lois Comes Out Of Her Shell"
  • FOX
  • Fox Television Animation
Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or more) - 2008
  • Nominee
  • Alex Borstein, Supervising Producer
  • Family Guy
  • "Blue Harvest"
  • FOX
  • Fuzzy Door Productions in association with Fox Television Animation Studios

The Television Academy database lists prime-time Emmy information. Click here to learn more

Alex Borstein presents an award at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys.
Alex Borstein speaks to the press at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys, September 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Alex Borstein and Cherry Jones at the 71st Emmys Governors Ball.
Jeff Bezos and Alex Borstein attend the 71st Emmys Governors Ball.
Alex Borstein accepts her award at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Alex Borstein accepts her award at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Alex Borstein on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein
Alex Borstein and Jackson Douglas on the Red Carpet at the 65th Creative Arts Emmys
Fill 1
Fill 1
Alex Borstein presents an award at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys.
Camera

Alex Borstein at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein speaks to the press at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys, September 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Camera

Alex Borstein speaks to the press at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys, September 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein and Cherry Jones at the 71st Emmys Governors Ball.
Camera

Alex Borstein and Cherry Jones at the 71st Emmys Governors Ball. 

Invision/AP
Jeff Bezos and Alex Borstein attend the 71st Emmys Governors Ball.
Camera

Jeff Bezos and Alex Borstein attend the 71st Emmys Governors Ball. 

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein accepts her award at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Camera

Alex Borstein accepts her award at the 71st Emmy Awards.

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein accepts her award at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Camera

Alex Borstein accepts her award at the 71st Emmy Awards.

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Camera

Alex Borstein on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards.

Invision/AP
Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards.
Camera

Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein on the red carpet at the 71st Emmy Awards.

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein
Camera

Alex Borstein at the 70th Emmys Governors Ball.

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein
Camera

Alex Borstein accepts an award at the 70th Emmy Awards.

Invision/AP
Alex Borstein and Jackson Douglas on the Red Carpet at the 65th Creative Arts Emmys
Camera
Invision/AP
Browser Requirements
The TelevisionAcademy.com sites look and perform best when using a modern browser.

We suggest you use the latest version of any of these browsers:

Chrome
Firefox
Safari


Visiting the site with Internet Explorer or other browsers may not provide the best viewing experience.

Close Window