Veteran comedian and ‘Abbott Elementary’ star makes her stand-up special debut on Hulu in 2026.
Lisa Ann Walter, best known to TV audiences as the tough and hilarious Melissa Schemmenti on Abbott Elementary, is taking a major career leap with her first-ever stand-up comedy special set to debut on Hulu in 2026.
Though she has spent two decades performing live comedy across the country, this will mark her official filmed stand-up debut—and she’s taking full creative control.
Walter directed the special herself and recorded it at the Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia, a venue known for spotlighting veteran comics with strong followings. Hulu will stream the special in the U.S., including through Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.
Internationally, the release will roll out on Disney+. The project is produced by Art & Industry, with an executive producing team that includes Walter, her Abbott Elementary co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph, Michelle Caputo, and Shannon Hartman.
Walter’s path to this moment has been long and layered. Born on August 3, 1963, in Silver Spring, Maryland, she spent years building a career across television, film, and live comedy.
Long before finding renewed fame through Abbott Elementary, she co-created and starred in network sitcoms such as My Wildest Dreams, Life’s Work, and Dance Your Ass Off.
Her film work has included memorable roles in The Parent Trap, War of the Worlds, Bruce Almighty, Shall We Dance, and Killers.
She has also been open about personal and professional challenges over the years, especially around body image and Hollywood expectations. In interviews, Walter has reflected on periods of self-criticism and how shifting standards in the industry shaped her experiences.
Off-screen, she is a mother of four—two older children and a set of twins—from a marriage that ended in 1999.
In 2011, she published the bestselling comedic memoir The Best Thing About My Ass Is That It’s Behind Me, which reached the top 15 on both Amazon and The New York Times in the comedic essays category.
Her quick wit and unfiltered perspective have long been part of her comedic identity, suggesting the special may draw from her personal history, Hollywood career, and East Coast roots.
Beyond entertainment, Walter has established herself as a committed advocate. She serves on the boards of The Entertainment Community Fund—where she famously won $1 million as a Celebrity Jeopardy! champion—the ERA Coalition, and SAG-AFTRA’s national and Los Angeles divisions.
She currently holds the role of First Vice President of the SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local.
With a loyal fan base from Abbott Elementary, decades of stage experience, and the backing of Hulu and Disney+, Walter’s debut special arrives not only as a career milestone but also as a moment of long-earned visibility in a new format.
