--- description: Find out how Amber Ruffin is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: 2021 TIME100 Next: Amber Ruffin image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf94cde66c9ff5853/698a171b16d88457c5c391a5/Amber-Ruffin.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Feb 16, 2021 # Amber Ruffin by Seth Meyers  THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW -- "October 23, 2020" Episode 104 -- Pictured: Amber Ruffin -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/Peacock/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) THE AMBER RUFFIN SHOW -- "October 23, 2020" Episode 104 -- Pictured: Amber Ruffin -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/Peacock/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)Lloyd Bishop—Peacock/NBCU /Getty Images Amber Ruffin combines a boundless optimism for the best humanity has to offer with a wary eye for when it lets us down. She pulls no punches, but with each knockout she extends a friendly hand to lift you off the mat. She won’t tell you things are O.K. to make you feel better. She’ll tell you how to be better so things are O.K. Amber Ruffin has been ready for this moment for a long time, but there’s never been a moment we have needed her more. She’s a hilarious writer, gifted sketch performer, talented singer, so-so dancer (Don’t be mad, Amber! TIME fact-checked it!) and loving truth teller. People have correctly noted that 2020 was not the finest of years, but it did give us _The Amber Ruffin Show_, and for that we should look back fondly and smile. It’s what Amber would do! Meyers is the host of _Late Night With Seth Meyers_ Amber Ruffin Is on the TIME100 Next 2021 List ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937663/amber-ruffin/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937663/amber-ruffin/"},"headline":"Amber Ruffin","datePublished":"2021-02-16T22:49:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:47:34.576Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937663/amber-ruffin/","keywords":["list","franchise","TIME 100 Next"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf94cde66c9ff5853/698a171b16d88457c5c391a5/Amber-Ruffin.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf94cde66c9ff5853/698a171b16d88457c5c391a5/Amber-Ruffin.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2021/5937663/amber-ruffin/","name":"Amber Ruffin"}}]}] ```