'Victoria Wood Paved the Way for Female Comics': Isy Suttie Pays Tribute

Isy Suttie is a British comedian who is best known for playing Dobby in the hit U.K. sitcom Peep Show.

I feel so shocked. I couldn't believe it when my friend texted me and told me that Victoria Wood had died on Wednesday.

I always remember seeing her on television growing up. Without me realizing at the time, she paved the way for me and other female comics who are around today. That's hard to remember because now there are loads of us. But she made a massive difference.

There was a biography about Victoria that I read when I was younger that gave me hope because I was quite shy. I always wanted to be an actress and I started writing comedy songs at a young age, at 11 or 12. Victoria and other comics I saw on TV made me realize it could be an actual career choice. She had immense talent coupled with a steely determination. She was an amazing writer and performer but she had this vulnerability that made you warm to her immediately.

I think very rarely do you get that combination of groundbreaking talent and complete originality. When I look at Victoria's body of work, I loved Dinnerladies, and I saw [1994 movie] Pat and Margaret with Julie Walters, they played sisters and Julie's character was rich and Victoria's character was downtrodden—it was just so brilliant.

I'm always incredibly flattered to be compared to Victoria. It surprises me each time. I don't really feel like I'm worthy. She was a household name and people absolutely fell in love with her. I have a long way to go, but [the comparisons] propels me forward—I like to think hopefully I've got a spark of what she has.

I did a gig for charity five or six years ago where I got to meet her. I was quite nervous because she's such a legend. She came over to me and said, "Hi, I'm Victoria." I wouldn't have gone up to her because I was so nervous. I felt bad afterwards that I didn't go over to her… I was worried I would get tongue-tied because I admire her so much. She was so friendly.

I don't think that much now about being a woman [comedian]—it's my job to be a comedian. Thankfully, I don't think we're as sidelined as women used to be in that world. It's thanks to people like Victoria that that's the case. When you're absolutely brilliant at what you do, like Victoria was, you don't consider yourself as a 'female comic'.

She's one of those people that you couldn't wait to see what she was going to do next. But she's done more in her life than if you added 10 of the greatest [comics] together.

I think she'll remembered as being an absolutely wonderful comedian who we lost too early.