Marian "Rene" Hicks obit

Actress & Comedian: Marian "Rene" Hicks

 

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René Hicks was born Marian René Hicks on June 28, 1956-70 years ago, in San Francisco, California to Bertha Lee Hicks and Marion Hicks. She attended Brett Harte Elementary School, Portola Junior High School and Lowell High School. René Hicks was a comedian and actress, and a Roller Derby star. She has appeared on Comedy Central's Comedy Central Presents and in numerous college shows. She was twice named NACA Comedy Entertainer of the Year, in 1995 and 1997. René was also a former accountant and former college and professional athlete.

Career Turning Point

Born and raised in the vibrant city of San Francisco, René Hicks grew up as the second youngest of five children under the watchful eye of her father, a dedicated Pentecostal preacher. Her upbringing was one of structure and discipline, and her father and mother emphasized the importance of education. Following their guidance, René pursued a degree in business, earning her credentials. After college at City College of SF and San Francisco State University, she started an auditing career in public accounting. However, a spontaneous detour during a night out with friends changed everything. On a dare laced with a $100 challenge and inspired by Robin Williams—one of her comedy idols who had once graced the very stage—René found herself on stage at a local comedy club. Her impromptu routine was met with uproarious laughter, sparking a newfound passion that she simply couldn't ignore. Less than a year later, René took a leave from the steady world of accounting, choosing instead to pursue the unpredictable and exhilarating path of comedy. This bold career shift was met with skepticism at home. René’s religious mother was concerned about the perception that her daughter, now performing in nightclubs, was involved in something unsavory. Yet, René was captivated; the world of comedy was calling, and she had to answer. René Hicks quickly established herself as a force in the comedy scene. Her intelligent and universally relatable humor earned her appearances at countless clubs across the United States and internationally. René’s talent and dedication were recognized when she became the first African-American woman nominated for an American Comedy Award for "Best Female Stand-up." Her television appearances include her own "Comedy Central Presents...René Hicks," as well as performances on "Premium Blend," "Politically Incorrect," "Full Frontal Comedy," and "Comedy Showcase" with Louie Anderson. She's also showcased her comedic chops on ABC's "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" and in the film "Low Down Dirty Shame" with Keenan Ivory Wayans. A favorite on the college circuit, René performed at over 650 college campuses nationwide, earning the National College Comedian of the Year Award twice. Transitioning from a career in public accounting to one in comedy proved to be a sound decision, aligning perfectly with her sharp wit and natural comedic timing. Also known as NayNay, her shows were described as “intelligent and universally appealing humor.”

Her television and movie credits, and stand up comedy performances include the following:

Television and Movies:

Television:

Domestic

Comedy Central Presents...René Hicks---Comedy Central (2000) Good Morning America--ABC Out On The Edge—Comedy Central 20/20—ABC Laughing Matters…More!—LOGO (2006) Tough Crowd---Comedy Central The World Comedy Tour---Comedy Central (2002) Marshall's Women In Comedy Special---PAX Premium Blend---Comedy Central Politically Incorrect---Comedy Central Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper---ABC (1994) Comic Strip Live---FOX Caroline’s Comedy Hour---A&E Friday Night Videos---NBC Two Drink Minimum---Comedy Central Stand-Up Spotlight---VH-1 (1988) Evening at the Improv---RJB Productions MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour---MTV (1990) Comedy Club Network---Showtime

Showbiz Today---CNN The Daily Show---Comedy Central (1998) Comedy Showcase---NBC Comics on Delivery---Comedy Central Full Frontal Comedy---Showtime Phil Donahue Show---Multimedia Geraldo---Tribune Entertainment Midnight Caller---NBC (1989) Best of Comedy Live TV Series (1995) Renee Hicks (1998) International

Good Morning Australia---TEN (AUS) The Stand Up Show---BBC (UK) The Glass House---ABC (AUS) The Great Debate---ABC (AUS) The Comedy Store---FIVE (BRIT) Special Recognition American Comedy Award Nominee Two-time NACA Comedy Entertainer of the Year Award (1995 and 1997)

Movies:

Low Down Dirty Shame---Caravan Pictures (1994)

Coming Out Party (2003)

Out on the Edge (2004)

Live Performances:

LIVE APPEARANCES

International Festivals/Special Events

Cat Laughs Comedy Festival---Kilkenny, Ireland Just For Laughs Comedy Festival---Montreal, Canada Edinburgh Comedy Festival---Edinburgh, Scotland Melbourne International Comedy Festival---Melbourne, Australia

International Clubs

Coconuts Comedy Club---Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Coconuts Comedy Club---St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Comedy Store---London, England C

Comedy Store---Manchester, England Hilton Guam Resort & Spa---Tumon Bay, Guam Jongulers---London, England L'Hotel du Nord---Paris, France

Domestic Festivals/Special Events Michigan Womyn's Music Festival---Walhalla, MI Essence Music Festival---New Orleans, LA Marshall's Women In Comedy Festival for the Prevention of Domestic Abuse---NY, LA Marshalls Women In Comedy Tour for the Prevention of Domestic Abuse---NY, CA, D.C. Summerfest---Milwaukee, WI Chicago Comedy Festival---Chicago, IL CAMP Rehoboth Women's Weekend Domestic Clubs (Partial List)

Hilarities---Cleveland, OH Acme Comedy Company---Minneapolis, MN Honolulu Comedy Club---Honolulu, HI Ice House---Pasadena, CA

Catch A Rising Star---NV, NY, NJ Funny Bone---Columbus, OH Comedy Corner---West Palm Beach, Fl Comedy Off Broadway---Lexington, KY Crackers Comedy Club---Indianapolis, IN Friar’s Club---New York, NY Funny Bone---Omaha, NE Laugh Factory---Hollywood, CA Pierce Street Annex---Anchorage, AK Punchline---CA, GA, FL Skyline Comedy Cafe---Appleton, WI The Improv---AZ, CA, TX Uncle Funny’s---Davie, FL Zaines---IL, TN

Casinos

The Flamingo—Las Vegas, NV Riviera Comedy Club---Las Vegas, NV Harrah’s-Lake Tahoe, NV Claridge-Atlantic City, NJ Bally’s-Reno, NV Reno Hilton-Reno, NV Silver Legacy-Reno, NV MGM Grand-Las Vegas, NV Ballys-Las Vegas, NV

Passion for Sports

René’s passion extends beyond comedy. During her college years, she was a nationally ranked, distance runner, and she was a Roller Derby star on the SF Bay Bombers for several years. Her zeal for athletics was also evident in her devotion as a sports fan. A dedicated follower (and season ticket holder) of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants, she eagerly attended home games, even flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco to cheer them on. Wherever her comedy tours took her, René found time to attend local sporting events, passionately discussing games and statistics with an infectious enthusiasm. "There's no sport I haven't played or know something about, except maybe Jai Alai," she once quipped. Despite her demanding schedule, René remained committed to fitness, participating in various sports activities whenever she could. Not one to stay sedentary for long, she carried her energetic spirit wherever she went.

Giving Back to the Community

Beyond her professional accomplishments, René was also deeply committed to giving back to the community. She volunteered with organizations like the Special Olympics and Caring for Babies With AIDS. "I feel that God has given me so much, that it's my duty to in turn give to others," she one explained, embodying a spirit of gratitude and service. No matter where her thriving career took her, René Hicks found her true home on stage, equipped with just a microphone and a stool. For her, stand-up comedy was the ultimate form of intimacy with an audience, a unique opportunity to bridge divides and foster connection through laughter. René believed in the unifying power of comedy, striving to bring joy to a world often divided by trivial concerns.

Making the move from accounting to comedy was obviously a sound business decision for René, as being funny is her greatest asset. Her deep level of passion and commitment isn’t limited to making people laugh. René has always taken time to give something back to the community, by volunteering with Special Olympics, Caring For Babies With Aids, Project Angel Food and various cancer organizations.

“I know that God has blessed me with so much, that it’s my duty to in turn give to others”, she explained. God’s blessings were never more evident than when René recently overcame a major health crisis--lung cancer. “I’ve never smoked, so I knew God was attempting to strengthen me for some greater purpose. So, I used my God given gift for creating laughter to help me heal.” “I immediately realized that it couldn’t just be a coincidence that ‘humor’ rhymed with ‘tumor’ and in comedy, comics look for words that sound funny and ‘tumor’ is a funny word.” “Two tumors go walking into a bar...see you don’t even need a punchline, it just sounds funny."