Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel (née Weissman), an upper-middle class Jewish American housewife and mother who discovers her flair for stand-up comedy after husband Joel abruptly leaves her.

In 1958 New York, Midge Maisel's life is on track– husband, kids, and elegant Yom Kippur dinners in their Upper West Side apartment. But when her life takes a surprise turn, she has to quickly decide what else she's good at – and going from housewife to stand-up comic is a wild choice to everyone but her.

While Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) is a fictional comedian based on the great Joan Rivers, the show gives fictitious storylines to a few real-life, influential comedians. With Maisel coming to a close this season, it's time to focus on the unsung hero of the series, who was also a comedic icon in real life.

If you're not yet a Prime member and not sure whether it's right for you, you can sign up for a free trial. Prime members can watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as thousands of other movies, series, and more included with a Prime membership.

Although much of her career and the show's setting is based around Amy's father, a lot of Midge's experiences are based on the life of Joan Rivers. Similarly to Midge, Rivers was born in New York to Jewish parents who disproved of her career in comedy.

Joan Rivers: The real-life inspiration for Midge Maisel She was unapologetic about her penchant for controversial jokes, often saying that laughter was a way to deal with pain. Her outspokenness and refusal to censor her jokes about sensitive topics sometimes drew criticism and backlash.

Maisel its name weren't uttered until the final act of the series finale. Bestowed upon Rachel Brosnahan's Midge Maisel by Gordon Ford (Reid Scott) after a star-making set on his late-night TV show, the moniker became a symbol of an Upper West Side housewife choosing to become something more.

According to Nielsen, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” was more popular than the final season of Netflix's “House of Cards,” which debuted in November. That had an average of 1.5 million viewers over its first seven days, with the season premiere watched by 2.9 million.

Every Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Character Based On A Real-Life Person

• 9 Midge Maisel – Joan Rivers.
• 8 Susie Meyerson – Sue Mengers.
• 6 Lenny Bruce – Lenny Bruce.
• 5 Carol Burnett - Carol Burnett.
• 4 Sophie Lennon – Phyllis Diller/Totie Fields.
• 3 Shy Baldwin – Johnny Mathis/Harry Belafonte.
• 2 Moms Mabley – Moms Mabley.

Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel Rachel Brosnahan, 32, plays housewife-turned-stand-up comedian Miriam "Midge" Maisel. Before becoming The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel herself, the actress appeared on television shows like Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, The Good Wife and The Blacklist.

In an interview on WTF with Marc Maron on Thursday (May 25), the show's creator-writer-producer-director shared her thoughts on why Maisel had to end, blaming the financial priorities of the streaming platform. “It wasn't me. But things come to an end,” said Sherman-Palladino.

Maisel' Canceled: Why the Show is Ending After Five Seasons. The day before releasing Season 4, Amazon Prime Video has revealed that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is coming to an end.

Joan Rivers Midge is heavily inspired on Joan Rivers, too. Although much of her career and the show's setting is based around Amy's father, a lot of Midge's experiences are based on the life of Joan Rivers. Similarly to Midge, Rivers was born in New York to Jewish parents who disproved of her career in comedy.

New York City The hit Amazon Original series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" has returned for its fifth and final season, and as viewers know, Miriam “Midge” Maisel's journey from devoted wife and mother to stand-up sensation has taken her all over New York City, from the iconic Apollo Theater to a famous jazz club in Greenwich Village.