Mo Gaffney

Maureen E. Gaffney, known professionally as Mo Gaffney, was born on November 5, 1958 in San Diego, California, United States, where she later cultivated a distinctive voice in both comedy and activism. Growing up on the West Coast, Gaffney developed an early passion for performance, which she honed through improvisational theater and off‑Broadway collaborations that would define her career. In the late 1980s she teamed up with fellow comedian Kathy Najimy to create The Kathy and Mo Show, producing two critically acclaimed Off‑Broadway specials—Parallel Lives (1989) and The Dark Side—both of which earned Obie Awards and cemented her reputation as a sharp, socially aware satirist. Gaffney leveraged this momentum to launch her own television talk shows, most notably Women Aloud! on Comedy Central and The Mo Show, where she blended humor with pointed commentary on gender politics. Her television acting credits span a variety of popular series; she portrayed Joanne Stupak, the girlfriend of Bob Pinciotti, in Seasons 4 and 5 of That '70s Show, held a recurring role on Mad About You, and made memorable guest appearances on Friends and Veronica’s Closet. Gaffney also ventured into film, starring in the darkly comic Drop Dead Gorgeous, a satire of beauty pageants that showcased her knack for blending absurdity with social critique. Across the Atlantic, she became a regular on Ruby Wax’s The Full Wax, embodying the brash American correspondent “Taffy Turner” in the segment “Inside America”, and later joined the cast of Absolutely Fabulous as Bo, a role that sparked talk of a spin‑off series in 2004. Beyond entertainment, Gaffney is a vocal activist for same‑sex marriage, serving as a certified marriage celebrant and officiating numerous unions, thereby turning her public platform into a catalyst for equality. She also co‑hosts the “Women Aloud” radio program on Greenstone Media, further extending her influence in media advocacy. Throughout her multi‑decade career, Mo Gaffney has remained a steadfast champion of feminist ideals and LGBTQ+ rights, using wit, humor, and heartfelt conviction to challenge cultural norms and inspire change.