Youth and education Monika Gruber was raised with her two younger brothers on their parental farm in
Tittenkofen, Upper Bavaria. After completing her A-levels, she worked for several years as a foreign language secretary. At the age of 27, she had completed a two-and-a-half-year program at the Ruth von Zerboni
drama school. Her first theater engagement was from 2000 to 2005, as an ensemble member of
Iberl-Bühne, directed by
Georg Maier in Munich-
Solln.
TV career In 2002, Gruber gained her first experience as a cabaret artist in the
comedy series
Kanal fatal , in which she portrayed Kellnerin Monique, a typical Bavarian waitress who, in broad vernacular speech, talks about her adventures in gastronomy. At the same time, she also performed in
Günter Grünwald's Freitagscomedy. From 2003 to 2009, she was a member of the
Bavarian Television sketch series
Die Komiker. In 2012, the German broadcaster
ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) gave Gruber her own TV series,
Leute, Leute!, a boulevard satire. Contrary to the wishes of ZDF, Gruber didn't extend her contract for
Leute, Leute! at the end of 2012, in order to gain more time for live performance. In the same year, she won a
Bavarian TV award in the category of comedian for
Die Große Quatsch Variety Show (
Pro7),
Monika Gruber live 2011 (BR), and
Grünwald Freitagscomedy (BR). From January 2011 to the end of 2013, Gruber, along with
Bruno Jonas and
Rick Kavanian, was a core member of
Die Klugscheißer, a monthly satirical TV series of Bavarian Television. The show was discontinued when she withdrew to focus on her stage programs. In April 2014, Gruber was again a regular guest on
Grünwald Freitagscomedy, and she continued to perform with Günter Grünwald on a more regular basis in autumn 2014. For this reason, the title of the series was to be changed to
Grünwald & Gruber Freitagscomedy. At the end of the year, however, Gruber and Bavarian Television announced that these plans would not be realized because of scheduling and conceptual difficulties. In addition to her cabaret and comedy performances, Gruber acted in various TV productions. From 2008 to 2011, she played the leading role of Hannelore Herbst in the Bavarian Television series
Der Kaiser von Schexing. From 2011 to 2013, she played reporter Barbara Hansen in the first 30 episodes of the
ARD series
Hubert & Staller. At the same time, she also played Moni Riemerschmidt in the new
Heiter bis tödlich episodes of the Bavarian police series
München 7 along with
Florian Karlheim,
Andreas Giebel, and
Christine Neubauer.
Cabaret stage program Gruber toured through the south of Germany and Austria in 2004 with her first solo program, ''Kellnerin Monique, schmeckt's ned?
In 2005, her solo program Hauptsach' g'sund
debuted. Her third stage program Zu wahr, um schön zu sein
, celebrated its premier on 13 September 2008 in Munich, and was performed at the 17th Arosa Humor-Festival. From April 6, 2011, Gruber toured with her program Wenn ned jetzt, wann dann!''. In January 2014, Guber performed a fifth solo program, ''Irgendwas is' immer''. and locally supports Lebanese refugees. On June 10, 2023 Gruber spoke on a demonstration against the climate policy of the German government, in particular against the planned update of a law regulating heating of buildings (Gebäudeenergiegesetz), mobilizing 13,000 opponents.
Personal life Gruber suffered from
anorexia nervosa for several years during her adolescence. From September 2011 to September 2012, she was in a relationship with the managing director of the Paulaner brewery, Andreas Steinfatt. == Cabaret programs (selection) ==