Miriam (Midge) Maisel seems like one of a kind. She’s funny, sharp, ambitious, and relatable, but she’s also flawed, with a self-destructive tendency to hurt those around her by revealing their secrets in her stand-up routines. The most interesting thing about Midge, though, is that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is partly based on real people and events!
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, currently in its 4th season, follows Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) as she tries to build a career as a stand-up comic after her husband Joel’s (Michael Zegen) sudden decision to leave her. With the help of her manager Susie (Alex Borstein), Midge navigates the thorny world of the 1960s comedy scene, while also embarking on adventures like working in a department store and dealing with the hijinks of her tightly-wound parents. All the while, Midge seeks to find her voice, get the attention of comedy bigwigs, and make a name for herself as a comedienne.
Inspiration for the comedians of Mrs. Maisel
Our first hint that the show is based on real life is in season 1, episode 1, when Midge gives her very first drunken performance at the Gaslight Cafe and gets arrested for using profanity. In the police car, Midge meets another comic arrested for obscenity, and he introduces himself as Lenny Bruce.
Lenny Bruce, of course, is one of the most famous comedians of all time. Known for his liberal use of sex jokes and vulgar language, Bruce was actually tried and convicted for obscenity in 1964, and the trial ended up serving as a landmark case for freedom of speech in the U.S. He was posthumously pardoned in 2003.
There’s another comic in Midge’s orbit who’s similar to a real-life celebrity. Early in the show, Midge attends a performance by comic Sophie Lennon (Jane Lynch) and, later, gets to have lunch with her. Onstage, Lennon takes on the persona of a loudmouthed working-class housewife, wearing a kerchief and brandishing a feather duster. Midge is stunned when she finds out that, in real life, Lennon is fabulously wealthy, wearing evening gowns as she lounges in her expensive townhouse and having her waitstaff give Midge French macarons and a fur coat.
Although her possible real-life inspiration didn’t lead quite so drastic a double life, Lennon bears a resemblance to comedians Moms Mabley and Phyllis Diller. Like Lennon, both Mabley and Diller incorporated stereotypes of housewives and mothers into their acts, turning themselves into caricatures for comedic effect. Although Amy Sherman-Palladino, Mrs. Maisel’s creator, hasn’t said explicitly that Lennon is based on Mabley and Diller, the parallels are definitely there.
Who is Midge herself based on?
In March 2017, when The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel premiered, Sherman-Palladino sat down with Vanity Fair to discuss where she got the inspiration for the show. In the interview, Sherman-Palladino revealed that Midge herself is based on none other than Joan Rivers. Midge’s first performance—the one that lands her in jail with Bruce—sets the tone for her comedic style throughout the show. She’s feminine, eventually adopting a signature look of a black cocktail dress and heels, but she’s also not afraid to be raunchy, inappropriate, and explosively angry.
“[Joan Rivers] had that wonderful mix,” Sherman-Palladino explained to Vanity Fair, “that battle of wanting to be accepted on a feminine level—[but] you can’t have that many balls and be accepted on a feminine level. It just doesn’t work that way. It was such a wonderful dichotomy, and she crafted those monster jokes.”
Indeed, Joan Rivers was known for her biting and acerbic comedic style. Like Midge, she got in trouble more than once for making jokes about the private lives of other celebrities in her stand-up routines. Rivers even came under fire for joking about topics like the Holocaust and the Ariel Castro kidnappings. It’s clear where Midge’s frequent lack of self-awareness or self-control comes from. Also, like Midge, Rivers could often be found at resorts in the Catskills.
Is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel based on a true story? Technically, no. There was no Jewish stand-up comic named Miriam Maisel performing at the Gaslight in New York City in the 1960s. However, Midge’s story is loaded with references to real-life performers, complete with their triumphs and flaws.
Season 4 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
(featured image: Amazon Studios)
