What is Bonnie McFarlane’s net worth?
Bonnie McFarlane is a Canadian-American comedian and writer who has a net worth of $400 thousand.
Bonnie McFarlane is a multifaceted Canadian-American comedian, writer, and director whose raw, honest approach to comedy has earned her a devoted following and industry respect. Born on March 28, 1969, in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, McFarlane rose to prominence appearing on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and co-hosting the podcast “My Wife Hates Me” with her husband Rich Vos. Her impressive credits include an HBO special, two Comedy Central specials, appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and regular contributions to The Howard Stern Show and the Opie and Anthony radio show. Beyond stand-up, McFarlane directed the award-winning documentary “Women Aren’t Funny” and authored the memoir “You’re Better Than Me,” which has been optioned for a scripted television series by Cineflix Productions. Known for her edgy humor and refusal to self-censor, McFarlane continues to challenge comedy norms while maintaining her authentic voice.
Rural Roots and Early Life
Growing up as the youngest of four daughters on her parents’ rural farm outside Cold Lake, Alberta, McFarlane’s upbringing was far from conventional. Her memoir describes her childhood as an “inappropriately loud tomboy” on the farm, where her daily life included farm chores from dawn until dusk and developing her creativity through storytelling to entertain herself. This isolated upbringing on a farm without many modern conveniences shaped her original perspective and humor. The rural Canadian setting of the 1980s—described as “the world of pre-cell phone, pre-internet, 1980s small-town Canada”—provided the backdrop for McFarlane’s formative years before her comedy career began.
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Breaking into Comedy
McFarlane’s comedy journey began with her first open mic in Vancouver, British Columbia. The club manager recognized her talent and encouraged her to enter “The Search for Canada’s Funniest New Comic” contest, which she won. This early success propelled her move to New York, where she secured both a manager and an agent. Her memoir chronicles the ups and downs of her early career, describing the thrill of her first stand-up set as a “hit of crack,” followed by less successful outings. McFarlane divided her time between New York and Los Angeles pursuing both stand-up opportunities and writing work. Despite early setbacks, including being cast in a doomed sitcom and subsequently fired by the William Morris Agency, McFarlane persevered through the challenges of breaking into the male-dominated comedy world.
Career Highlights and Achievements
As her career progressed, McFarlane established herself as a national headlining comedian with multiple television specials. She appeared as a panelist on “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn” and “Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld,” and was featured as one of Dr. Katz’s patients on the animated series “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.” Her participation in season two of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2004, though resulting in her being the first contestant eliminated, increased her visibility. This was followed by her own HBO “One Night Stand” special in 2005 and a “Comedy Central Presents” half-hour special in 2008. Her acting credits include roles in “The King of Staten Island” (2020), “Anything Boys Can Do” (2018), and “Social Studies” (1997).
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Documentary and Writing Projects
In 2012, McFarlane directed the documentary “Women Aren’t Funny,” which took a humorous approach to the debate about whether women can be as funny as men in comedy. The film features an impressive lineup of comedians including Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Rosie O’Donnell, Joan Rivers, Chris Rock, Adam Carolla, and many others discussing the sexist attitudes women in comedy have faced. McFarlane has stated about the project, “I really just wanted to make fun of people saying women aren’t funny.”
In 2016, McFarlane published her memoir “You’re Better Than Me,” released through Anthony Bourdain’s publishing imprint. In the foreword, Bourdain wrote: “Some people have a unique voice — a special way of looking at the world, seeing it, describing it. Others have a story.” He praised McFarlane for having both. Bourdain was instrumental in encouraging McFarlane to write about her past, with McFarlane acknowledging, “If not for Anthony Bourdain, I would have never forced myself to write about my past.” The memoir has since been optioned for a scripted comedy series by Cineflix Productions, inspired by McFarlane’s high school years in Cold Lake, Alberta in the mid-1980s.
Personal Life
McFarlane married fellow comedian Rich Vos on September 17, 2005, after meeting him during the second season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, where he served as a judge while she was a contestant. The couple has one daughter together, and their family life occasionally features in McFarlane’s comedy material. Their relationship, both personal and professional, has become central to their shared career paths, with the couple frequently performing together at venues across the country.
The combination of their different comedic styles and personalities—McFarlane’s sharp, edgy wit complementing Vos’s more confrontational approach—provides the dynamic tension that makes their podcast “My Wife Hates Me” so engaging for listeners. The title itself playfully reflects the good-natured antagonism that characterizes their on-air relationship, though beneath the barbs lies an evident mutual respect and affection.
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