Ruby Wax (née Wachs;[1] born 19 April 1953)[2] is a British-American actress, comedian, writer, television presenter, and mental health campaigner.

Wax was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Special Honours for services to mental health.

[10] Wax majored in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, leaving after a year without completing her degree.

[13] In 1978, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, working alongside Juliet Stevenson in Measure for Measure, as Jaquenetta opposite Michael Hordern in Love's Labours Lost, replacing Zoë Wanamaker as Jane in The Way of the World[13] and appearing in the Howard Brenton three-hander Sore Throats.

[16] Wax made a one-off appearance in a 1980 episode of The Professionals, Bloodsports, playing Lonnie, an American student.

[17] In December 1989, she appeared in the Red Dwarf episode "Timeslides" as the television host Blaize Falconberger of the fictional show "Lifestyles of the Disgustingly Rich and Famous".

[20] She also made two guest appearances in Absolutely Fabulous, a programme on which she served as script editor throughout the run of the series.

Wax's legal team apologised in court, accepted Danaher had made no racist or anti-Semitic statements, and announced there had been a financial settlement.

[23] In November 2005, Wax was criticised by the Daily Mail columnist Richard Kay for allegedly opposing a proposed disabled-access ramp for the Couper Collection charitable art gallery.

"[20] Wax appeared in a supporting role opposite Olivia Williams and Andie MacDowell in the 2005 film Tara Road.

In September and October 2005, she appeared as a celebrity contestant in Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon, progressing through to Sale of the Century before getting knocked out.

[26] In September 2013, Wax graduated from Kellogg College, Oxford, with a master's degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Still related to mindfulness, it discusses her discovery of new ways for education, community, self-sustainability, business or volunteering to improve lives internationally.

Wax's 2010 stand-up show Losing It dealt with her mental health, including time she spent in a psychiatric clinic.

[37] In the 2015 Special Honours, she was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to mental health.

[38][39] In May 2023, Wax released her new book and accompanying audiobook I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was, which details her recent life including further time spent receiving psychiatric treatment and battles against depression.

in 2017, Wax revealed her great-grandmother and great-aunt had been committed to mental asylums in Brno and Vienna as they were incurably "agitated".