The Comment Section with Drew Afualo - WHO WANT ME? Ft. Fortune Feimster | Episode 183

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

This week, the hilarious Fortune Feimster is here!! Drew and Fortune talk on-screen smooches, Fortune’s past as a debutante, being a red carpet interviewer, Velour tracksuits, the Lifetime movie that made Fortune realize she was gay, and so much more.Fortune IG: https://www.instagram.com/fortunefeimster/?hl=enFortune Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fortunefeimster?lang=enFollow The Comment Section on IG! https://www.instagram.com/thecommentsection/ Shop Off-to-College at Amazon and save on college, save the everyday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm a 45-year-old woman in Nike. What? That's crazy. But that's West Coast, baby. That's you blending in. Everyone that else my age is not wearing this, I promise you. Hey, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the comment section show starring me, your favorite. Everybody knows me who cares about me.

On to the guest. Today, we have the iconic, the legendary, the unbelievably hilarious fortune fiepster. Woo! Welcome to the show. I wanted to get in on those woo. Yeah, you have to. It's real group thing. I love it.

The energy is. Everyone's a sheep in here. It's great. Yeah. Don't better woo. It's a real like monkey sea monkey kind of vibe I have over here. But I'm honored to have you. I am so honored to be here.

Thank you for having me. Please. You're an icon and a legend. Oh, stop. So hilarious. Oh, thank you. And I've been watching you for a while, not in a creepy, I love it. I love to be watched from afar. In a creepy or non-creepy way, I'll take it.

You're not picking either one. As long as you're watching. This episode of the comment section is presented by Amazon. This off to college season, save on college, save the everyday. College is a chaotic time full of change, but also the starting point of some pretty great experiences. From stocking your dorm with study snacks and cleaning supplies to stocking your closet with everything you need to slay those theme parties. With Amazon's great deals and everyday low prices, you can find comfort in the chaos shop off to college at amazon save on college save the every day how you feel how's life going for you life's all right yeah you're a busy bee i am yeah you got a lot going on i just got back from iceland oh my god how was that it's so fun i did a show over there ooh okay what's the crowd like in

iceland very great i mean icelandic people were kind of quirky anyway yeah so they i think got the silliness that i'm bringing to the table they were picking up what you were yeah we kind of and and i'm a sturdy woman and they have sturdy women. It's the one country where I don't get called sir. I loved it. That is a win. Yeah. Yeah, depending on who you ask. That is a win. They're like, you're one of us. I said, sure. I get it, though. I'm also a sturdy woman. Listen, but we hold it down. I think so. People come to us. They want us to be the base of their pyramids when they, you know, one of those cute pictures. Everyone's on each other or the base. We're holding it down.

Well, unfortunately, we're at the bottom. Yeah. Okay. I got you. It's either that or I'm taking the picture, so. Either one. They're like, she'll take the picture. Right.

I know, being a big, everyone in Hollywood is itty-bitty small. They're itty-bitty, but we're doing our own thing. I know. I just, I was shocked when I got here. A lot of short people. Yeah, everybody's so unbelievably tiny. Like, I had Marin Morris here. Yeah.

And she sat in that chair like an American Girl. She's like this part of the chair. Yeah, like her feet were completely straight. I was like, you're too small. Her legs are just daily. Yeah, I was like, you need to grow more. I'm like, God, thing. Can I have fitness?

I know, you and me both. But I come from a big family. Do you come from a big family? I sure do, yeah. You know what's funny? It's like when I tell people, like my perception of like larger body people or just tall people, big people, is vastly different from other people's because sometimes when they see, because my dad is 6-6. Oh yeah. So my dad's a big dude. So like when they see me, they're like, whoa. If they saw my dad, I don't know what would happen. You're like, I ain't nothing. Well, how tall are you? I'm six feet. Yeah, I'm five, ten. Okay, nice. I think I'm going to start lying and saying I'm five, ten. Yeah. Yeah, because I'm getting into acting. Oh, yeah, when a six in front of it. I'd love to get some advice from you on that. Okay, sure. I just started dipping my toe into acting. I would love to move into it. And I obviously, like, I do self-tapes and, you know,

For the slate, they have you say, like, where you're located and your height. Yeah. And I just recently hired an acting coach. And I asked him, I was like, can I ask you a question? Yeah. Does height matter, like, when I say it. Because I say I'm six feet in the slate, but I think it's working against me, me not even factoring talent. I'm like, it has to be my height.

Who cares about my acting? It has to be my height. What do they think about my height? That's what's preventing me from getting the rolls. Can you say 5.5.11? That's why I, he took me 5. 510 5.10, 5.11. Yeah, I mean, I guess if you say 510, no one's, they don't really know. Measure me. Yeah. And if you do, then I say misogynist. And you already have the job at that point.

Well, and I, and I, when I asked him, he was like, that's a great question. In short, yes, it does. He's like, so I have some clients that are men. And I'm like, well, that doesn't make me feel good opening the conversation like that. Like, all right. And he's like, and they're like six, three, six, four. I have a couple. And he goes, when the role comes in and superhero, I'm like, he's, six, four. Right. When it's love interest, I'm like, he's 5'10. Oh. And I was like, that's a huge jump. I'm going to start telling people on 5-2. I think that you, I think five-tens were to land. I think so. That's where we're going to go. I even told my fiance, I was like, what about 5-9? He goes, no. Yeah, no, 5-10. He's like, they're going to know you're lying. Just like, I was like, all right, relax. Not too much on me. Calm down. Calm down.

Yeah, but I was really thinking. I was like, I really think guys, I was me telling my team, I know nothing. I'm like, I think it's my height. Yep. I think that's why. Because, because, because some of the reads, they're not huge parts, but like some of the they're like love interests. So if I say six feet, they're going to be like, damn. Well, because all the guys in Hollywood are like five, six. I know. And then I'm like, well, what's a girl to do? I'm not reading for the love interest part.

So I don't worry about it. I'm the quirky crazy person that flies into a scene and acts insane. Well, maybe I got to switch up my, my M.O. I mean, listen, I think you should go for whatever you want to do. But that I've learned where my sweet. And mine is being the insane person. And your book in the rolls left and right. I mean,

I got to learn from you. Yeah. I'm so curious because I had this. This is just a random fear. Me just creating problems on nowhere, but I was like, I was thinking about love scenes in movies. Have you done a lot of love scenes?

No. No one's, weirdly enough, Hollywood's not asking for that. I had my first on-screen smooge. Okay, how was that? In, uh, it truly was just a smooch. It was like, like that.

They're like, don't do too much. Not too much, okay. On the mini project, I was actually, my character gets engaged on the show and we don't kiss. In hindsight, that's wild. That is crazy. I'm just proposing this person and we're like, you sound like brothers every time you're sitting together. What's up? So, yeah, somehow my first on-screen kiss was in Fubar this last season.

Nice. And we like had some big victory. and she just gives me a little smooge, but it wasn't like the, uh, yeah, it was just, how was it?

That would be awkward doing the like, uh, that's what I'm saying, because I was thinking me, and it was so funny when I had this irrational fear, I was telling, uh, my cousin,

who's my hair makeup artist, it's like four in the morning. We're glaming. He's like, he's like glaring and I'm like, and then I'm thinking, what if I have a love scene? Like,

how am I going to do that? Like, just the thought of doing it aches me out so bad that I, like, it makes me not want to act. Like I'm being so serious. I will do it. I will do it.

I will do it. Yeah, Hollywood, if you're listening. That being said, though, I was telling him, and then what am I going to do? Am I just not going to take the role? Like, I'm creating these fake scenarios that have not happened. I didn't even have an acting agent. Yeah, I guess cross that bridge when it gets here.

Yeah, for real. How am I possibly going to do a love scene? Oh, how am I going to break it to James Cameron? How am I going to tell him? How am I going to tell Christopher Nolan? I can't go through with the scene. Just be ready to talk to an intimacy coordinator. Me prepping.

Yeah, they coordinate all that stuff. Right. And I'm telling him and he goes, okay, first of all, you haven't booked anything, so calm down. And I was like, right, you're right. Yeah. I needed that. Let's wait for that part. He's like, second of all, why don't you just wait until you book something?

Yeah. I was like, all right. Yeah. But also. Can't gab. Do all the things. Try out for the love interest part and also the crazy. I think I would make an awesome, like crazy best friend or like a for sure.

For sure. A bitchy mean girl. I think I would kill. Absolutely. Either one, a fun friend or crazy friend. You got both. How is the auditioning process? Like, do you have any tips for me?

I hate it. The auditioning part is the worst. Yeah. I book everything that's handed to me. But when they go, you got the part. Yes. Yes. But not when I audition.

It's a longer road. But at this point in my career, I'm kind of like, it's not like I'm, I would understand if it was like a part that's like way out of my wheelhouse. but most of the stuff is in the vein of what I do. I'm trying to be like you. So I'm kind of like at this point, like, you know, you've seen me do this. You know I can do it. A thousand times. My range is that big.

Like, I disagree. You either want this or you don't. I think I can see it in a house of the dragon or something. Yeah, maybe. I think you could be. Some scary-ass person in like a scary movie that's, you know. Oh, yeah. One of those. I could do something like that. They'd make me cross-dress for sure.

Yeah. They'd make me that giant, no way. that was fighting with the wildlings like that's who they'd cast me as i'd be like the woman in a trailer that's a band you know been abandoned by everyone and just like you know hadn't just a couple of stairs in a long time i'd be one of those people but yeah auditioning it's not the best because it's you know some people are amazing auditioners and then on the day they don't really bring it yeah that's too which i don't think is helpful yeah uh i i like to think i bring it on the day You said, just wait.

Well, because it's like with stand-up, too. And if I've had to, like, host something, they kind of want you to go through your material earlier in the day. You're just kind of like, I'm like, it'll be fine later. Trust me, it's going to kill. Yeah, when it's time, you kind of come alive. That's sort of how I do it.

I love that, though. I think the acting coach I worked with, too, he told me, like, a lot of times it's confidence more than anything. Yeah. Like moving with confidence is, like, a big, huge part of it. Sure. And then sometimes when people, like, they start booking off confidence, like they don't really need me as much. And then if they get

something that's harder, they'll come back to me and then we'll work on that. And I was like, okay, that makes you feel a little bit better. It's good that you're going to somebody. That helps. I mean, I've been to people throughout, you know, my career, especially if it's a hard. It's time to refresh your yard during spring backyard days at the Home Depot. Get low prices guaranteed on propane grills starting at $179, like the next grill three burner gas grill. Or get $50 off a select Weber Spirit grill and bring big flavor to your backyard, then set the scene with Hampton Bay string lights that bring it all together. Shop spring backyard days for seven days at the Home Depot.

Now through May 6th. Exclusion supplies to homedipo.com slash price match for details. ...roll or like I've tried out for things that are out of my wheelhouse and I've been proud of putting that work that, you know, push myself to do something different. But yeah, I think, you know, getting off book, very important. I used to like complain about that all the time really like I don't want to memorize this but it really makes a difference like no that's so true to be present yeah that's so true look people in the eye when you're doing the audition and um and yeah the confidence definitely helps if you're like timid or yeah totally they don't want that unsure yeah when you're doing it no that makes me feel a lot better about it especially I want to move to stand up like I would love to know like what drew you to stand up in the first place like what made you want to go into it well I start of the groundlings first love um iconic yeah they're so great uh improv first and then sketch comedy

uh how do you like improv i love it's so silly you know i love it but it's like it's ridiculous but that's the best part about the groundlings is that you you're an adult kind of not caring what people think which i love yeah you're allowing yourself to be silly and and and their their goal is to push you to the point where you're not judging yourself oh i love that there's no ego involved Yeah. So I think that's bled into my stand-up of not being afraid to be silly or be silly. Totally. I'm not trying to be some, you know, sex pot up there. I don't look like what. I'm not trying to be one. I'm just being ridiculous. Yeah. And I think that started with improv. Totally. And then sketch helped me learn how to write. And essentially, most of my acting skills came from improv. Improv and doing the sketch shows.

So I was there about six years. And while I was there, I started my own sketch comedy group. Oh, cool. What was the name? Gas money. Because we were just trying to make gas money. That's the name.

I love the name. Yeah, we were broke. I just needed some gas money. But I found it was hard to get stage time back then. Now they have a lot more opportunities. But back then, you only got stage time if you were in the company. I was like, how do we get in the company if we don't have stage time? So I started my own.

group while I went through the school and a friend came to a show and she was like, why aren't you doing stand-up? Yeah. I was like, because it looks really hard. And she's like, just do it. She helped get me in touch with a friend of hers who had a class. I took a class like a nerd. And I think it's kind of fun to do that because it's a structure where you go, oh, once a week, I'll go do this class and that will make me on stage and make me get in. talking to a microphone. And you don't necessarily, no one can really teach you how to be a stand-up,

but I can teach you like, here's some general structure. Yeah, structure and just do it. And it got me to just do it. And at the end of the six weeks, there was like a show. Oh, nice. And once I got on stage and did the set,

I was like, oh, I'm hooked. Did you love it? I loved it. Immediately. Immediately. I love that, though. Yeah. That's so great.

And I think having done improv and sketch, it made me way more comfortable on stage. because have of stand-up is just learning to be comfortable. That's true. And if the audience can sense that you're not comfortable, they are not on board with you. That's true. They sniff it out right away.

Almost immediately. Yeah. Like blood in the water. But again, that confidence, if you're having a good time, you're like, your energy's telling them they're in good hands. Yeah, totally. They'll be at ease. That's such a good point.

I like did, I tried stand-up. I was avoiding it forever because I was like, I love stand up so much that I was like, I really don't want to find out the hard way I'm bad at it. Like, because it's literally like going up there and perform. And then they're just, they don't have to laugh. Yeah. You're not funny. They're not going to.

That's true. So that was like, and I have, my ego is not too big to admit. I know I'm funny online. Yeah. Doesn't always translate. But you're confident. Yeah, that is true. I am very confident.

But I was like, I was worried. And maybe that's proof that I wasn't like an asshole being trying to do stand up. Because, you know, men will tell like a couple jokes. on TikTok and they're like, I should quit my job. I should be a professional stand-up. I should start picking up shifts at the laugh factory. Yeah, but just you're doing your podcast and I know you've toured. Yeah.

I mean, that's great like practice for that. Just being on stage, being in a mic. Yeah. It's already half the battle. And our mutual friend, Caleb, he bullied me into trying stand-up. That's what Caleb's for to bully people. Yeah. He's so funny.

For real. And he came and watched me live here in L.A. And then afterwards he was like, you need to do stand-up. Yeah. And he was telling me and I was like, I mean, maybe. But I know, you know, Caleb. I do, yeah. He wouldn't lie to me.

He wouldn't lie to me. He would not. He would have a great time, you know, just tell you the truth. If he thought otherwise, being like, girl, you should not be doing this. You wouldn't have a ball going down that road. He's like, it was fun. You shouldn't do it anymore, but it was fun. Have you, well, in stand-up, have you noticed any, like, are there any cities that are your faves to tour?

Oh my gosh, there's so many good cities. I mean, I've been touring now 15 years, period. Non-stop. I got to stand up 2007 and then started touring 2010. A lot of crappy shows and cafeterias of colleges and stuff like that. But I just, you know, every year and a half, I would go back to a new city and build, you know, we call it building the markets. And so I'm very lucky that a lot of these markets I have been building every once a year, every year and a half. So I go back to these places and have such a nice rapport.

Like Chicago's one of the best. That was fun. Chicago's fun. Yeah. Dallas. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. I mean, I'm shocked sometimes at where I sell, I sell more tickets in Dallas than I do like in San Francisco.

It's bizarre to me. I don't quite understand. Southern's winning over gay. Yeah. I don't know. So that's a trip. Nashville's great. I mean,

but then you go to some of these, like random markets, like a Mobile, Alabama. I, I was like having dinner in a restaurant on the main strip that leads to the theater. And after dinner,

my opener and I are walking, I'm like, let's just walk to the theater. And it's like a parade start. Everyone's like jumping out of their cars and like, hey, hey, and he's like,

what's happening? I go, I don't know. They're just so, pumped to like have you know people come to their city that's true because they're smaller they're smaller and so some of these bigger cities you know or have a plethora of entertainment and and they're used to it my manager says they're spoiled they are like LA San Francisco New York yeah so I like to go to these smaller markets and it's it feels like such a treat you know that they treat me well and and I have such a good time so that's at this point there's not there's very few places where I'm

I'm not going back there. Most places I'm pretty pumped to return to. Joel Kimbooser told me it was Arizona. Like he was like Phoenix specifically. He's like, I love Phoenix. Yeah, he goes, I've gone twice, bombed both times. Not for him. And we laughed about it.

And he was like, and the second time I was like, well, you know, the first time was different. He goes, second time, even worse. So I said, never mind. Don't book me there anymore. We laughed about it. But I get what you mean. Because when I was on tour last year,

I was shocked that one of our first cities that sold out was Columbus, Ohio. Oh, Columbus is an amazing movie city. y'all are freaks out here like i was shocked at how many people showed up and for me that they have a huge gay community there so i get a lot of love in columbus but it is a very good city for comedy it was so fun yeah i had a blast there Dallas too Dallas was really fun for me when i went there uh i love to ask this uh question to comics but like do you have any jokes that you know hit in certain cities versus others yeah i mean like when i'm in the south i know that i'm

talking more about biscuits and my hooters jokes and stuff. It's a bit more reverent there. Or I have jokes about church and stuff. Yeah, totally. There are churches on every corner there. And then maybe like West Coast, maybe talk more gay stuff.

But for the most part, because I'm always working towards shooting a special. Yes. So every tour of mine now is very structured. It's a year and a half to two years. Yeah. It's 100 cities, at least, 150 shows. and the whole year and a half to two years,

I'm just building the act towards filming it. Okay. So most of the time, it's a similar set, but it's constantly evolving. Yeah, and I'll change the order a lot. I'll punch stuff up.

So it's fun for people to see it like, some people will see it in the very beginning and how it evolves. Yeah, and then some stories, you know, because two years have passed, you're like,

that story's not as fun anymore. Yeah. Pull it and something new. We'll have... Two years. Yeah. That's crazy. By the time the special comes out two years.

Yeah. But still, you're working all the time. Yeah. And it's wild. Like, I've done three hours and two half hours. I never thought I'd have this much material. That's crazy. I didn't think I'd have one hour.

So I can't believe I'm, you know, to that point. But it's just a different time. It used to be comics put out a special one every four years or something. And now... When you're as unbelievably funny as you, they're like, more, more, more, more. I don't know. I just think people are like... consuming content so much faster now.

The landscape has shifted. So now if you don't put out one every two years, they're like, what are you doing? And you're like, isn't this enough? And I'm like filming in between. Like I'm acting for like five months in between. So maybe so yeah, but no, this will be about a year and a half to two years.

But yeah. Yeah, I think at this point, the people come into my shows, most of those people know. Yeah, they love you or who I am. So I'm not having to. to win them over as much. Which is nice.

It's helpful. Yeah. Well, I mean, you worked your ass off to get the audience. So that makes sense. That's part of the building those markets. Totally. Occasionally, there will be some people that wander in and you can see the shell shock. You're like, where am I?

Who are all these gays doing here? There's this many of you here. But I actually, my audience about, it's about half and half. Okay, nice. Half straight. He's half gays. Right. I get real shocked when I have.

of straight men in any room I'm like, really? Yeah, they're usually with a, the girlfriend who's, you know, exactly. And the girlfriend's always like, I dragged him here. And you're like, okay. Yeah, he's like, yeah, she did. And you're all right, relax. But there is such a victory in seeing the guys, like their arms kind of crossed in the beginning where they're like, you can tell they were dragged.

Did not want to be here and were dragged. And then they're the ones in the, you know, at the end of the show high-fiving me like that was a funny that's always feels good to see them like come on to the side of really loving it yeah get on board yeah yeah you're like I'm gonna get you don't you mr and I know you're from the south you're from North Carolina yeah where in North Carolina it's a tiny town called Belmont right outside of Charlotte okay T because my assistant we were talking yeah she's from Wilmington yeah she was telling me all about it I was like don't know anything this

that's my thing to do to white people is like when they're from the same geographical location. I'm like, I know someone who's from there. Yeah, you guys know each other. Yeah, my agent's Canadian. So any, any time I meet a Canadian person and she's in the room, I go, she's Canadian. You're so pumped about it. You guys have so much in common. You should talk.

Have you ever been in North Carolina? No, I haven't. I don't think. Wait, on tour. No, I don't think so. Me forgetting. Like, I don't believe so. No.

But we are planning to go to her hometown. Oh, really? Yeah, like, because she wants to show us. us around. It's pretty great. You'll like it. Yeah. Yeah.

She was telling us all about it. She talks about it all the time. Sometimes she tells us things and I'm like, that sounds like a made up place. Yeah. You know, it's where they shot Dawson's Creek. Yes. That's what she told us. Which is...

You said this place was steps from the water. We just haven't found the steps yet. How much did we save? Enough. Enough to get lost. Or you could book a stay with Hilton. Welcome to your ocean front room. Just steps from the water.

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It was all the rage back. Yeah, Katie Holmes, right? Yeah, I know about it. Who was it? James Vandervy. So the South is in your set a lot. I bet. Well, it's just part of you. Part of me.

Yeah. I've been here 22 years in L.A., but my accent is very thick. I don't know how to shake it. It's not going anywhere. I'm glad you still have it. I mean, I think it's different. Yeah. It helps me with comedy in that I can like ham up some things as a result and use it to my

advantage. But yeah, I think having just grown up in the South and being around a lot of characters, people that are real who you when you describe them to people are like there's no way that's a real person like that is the people that I grew up around so it's such a part of me and my storytelling totally that yeah that part of me just kind of comes out but I've been west coast for so long that it's this mix of like that southern thing and the manors with the west coast chill yeah selfishness into one yeah a lot of selfishness I'll do what I want.

And jeans. I'm familiar. A lot of jeans. I'm a 45-year-old woman in Nike. What? That's crazy. But that's West Coast, baby. That's you blending in.

Yeah, I'm like, go home and my, everyone that else my age is not wearing this. I promise you. Well, I know you said in between touring stand-up, you also film. And obviously, you're very successful. actor as well how'd you get into acting like how'd you was that kind of a natural progression from stand-up yeah I was on Chelsea lately for four years three years as a writer and then on the panel and so I would do a lot of sketches for them and coming from the groundlings doing a lot of characters and so I was dabbling in that world but not real like acting and I it just was always a goal of

mine to do it love and so I took acting classes and in my free time and then when Chelsea's show ended I got I tried out for a pilot for Fox and got it so that was like my first big booking of something and I was so excited it was a Tina Fay produced pilot and really funny and it just it was gonna get picked up it was one of those Hollywood things where it was set to go and then the they fired the of the network and the new people came in there's all that politics behind the scenes and so it went away but uh i had Tina's ear for a second and I I was like let me just picture I'm gonna just picture a show and I just picture you know they say write what you know and so I just

pitched an idea based on my life and she she really liked it so the guy that wrote the pilot I had just done he wrote it with me and we sold it to ABC and shot and we got to shoot the pilot it was called family fortune uh really cool like a little bit before it's time because i played a gay person in the south okay so this is like 10 years ago yeah and uh that would kill now oh i know back then they're like we can only put it on one gay show at time yeah and ellen's still here so you can't that's right that spot's been taken yeah and uh and it didn't get picked up um but uh one of the writers on the Mindy project, Lang Fisher, who also co-created Never Have I Ever with Mindy Kaling.

Yeah. She told Mindy about me. She's like, I just did punchups on this pilot. And they had this part of, that was of a Southern brother-sister duo. And it was supposed to be three episodes. And they hired me for the three episodes. That led to like nine episodes, which led to three seasons. So shout out to Mindy. she is who basically started my acting career. That's so cool. Everything I learned about being on set and being a professional actor was on that show. That's so sick.

I was in such good hands. I mean, Mindy's an incredible writer and showrunner and creator. And I never had to worry about anything. The jokes, the material was incredible. Yeah. So to like get to like have three years of acting classes basically. Yeah. On a Mindy Kaling show is pretty incredible.

Yeah, absolutely. And I just have been acting ever since. That just opened the door. That's so fucking cool. Did you get to do a lot of improv and stuff once you were like? On that show, no. Just because they're, her having come from the office, like, their writing was so good that it needed nothing from me. Like occasionally I'd add a little something here and there.

That's one of the few projects I've been on where I did not add a thing. That's too. But once I left there, a lot of things I've done. and they'll be like because I kept writing and I was kept selling projects and so my writing got better over the years and so they'll usually be like film it how's written and then do your thing so like in office I did this small part in my office Christmas party where I played the Uber driver to Jennifer Anderson and they said to me like this scene is kind of a throwaway scene but it has an important piece of information you have to tell her there's a Christmas party at the

office. But you can basically rewrite the scene. And I was like, oh, cool. So I completely rewrote the whole scene. Yeah. And then improvise this whole thing about her name being an old name. And God bless Jen Ranison. She just went along with it. You know, she just had no idea what I was going to say. I had no idea what I was going to say. And it just led to this whole crazy scene that ended up testing super high when they were testing the movie. And they brought me back to end the movie. And they brought me back to end the movie. So it was, it's cool when you get to like put your little stamp on things.

Hell yeah. And you're just that fucking funny. Well, I just think as my stand-up has grown. Hell yeah. People are now, like, they go,

oh, well, we know she writes for herself. Totally. So let's, there's a little more trust there, I guess. Yeah.

Do you have like, I wouldn't say a favorite, but would you say there's some aspect of the business that you like more or lean more towards like writing, acting stand-up? Definitely not writing. No. It's so.

hard even though you're really good in it i mean it's just i just do it because i have to yeah you know it feels like homework if it i i would never guess in a million years like when i was in college that i would be writing all the time it feels like college has never ended i just always like i'm like oh god it really is like that because you know you're writing like books almost right standard is like writing a book and um so and i'm always creating pilots and projects and so it's just so I've been working on one movie idea for seven years damn it's constantly being rewritten constant notes so it's my least favorite but it is the most efficient to like if I had not written that pilot for myself I would not have gotten the

menu project you know what I mean totally because if I had auditioned for the mini project probably when I got that based on my audition skills but so I learned early on in my career that to create for yourself is your best avenue you see that with your podcast it's open so many doors right yeah you're so fucking me you've got to create your own path yeah you have to show the business the industry what you can do they're not waiting to to give you that opportunity so too um so yeah so that's what I learned early on was just like I got to forge my own path because when I started being different was not celebrated yeah and it was not represented in me no and and they were they just did not know what to do with me so I had to show them yeah and you could do yeah so now I'm just continuing to do that so at this point

the writing is just a means when in I think I stand up is probably the most rewarding because um I'm actually getting to stand in front of people and get an immediate reaction. Yeah, hear the laughter. Yeah, and I'm sharing who I am. I'm telling a lot of personal stories. So I think people feel like they know me as a result. Yeah. So it's created this very like relatable interaction between me and whoever watches my stuff.

And then acting is fun. It's fun. After being on the road for so long, you know, you've been on the, I don't do tour buses, but you've been on tour. Yeah. You get so tired. You don't do the bus? I don't do the bus.

Really? I can't do the bus. I did the bus and I flew some. Yeah. Because I only did 22 dates. Yeah. Like in like four and a half weeks. So it was like almost like six days on one day off.

Okay. Like four or five days on, two days off. Like that's kind of how we did it. And I really thought I was like I'm going to hate that fucking bus. Like I just felt like that was going to be the case. Then when we started doing it and we were like driving every night, I was like, every time the bus left me. I was like, oh really?

Every time you were like in your little nudge. Yeah. And like you have what your thing. Yeah. And it's just like going in the. It sounds like going in day rooms and shit like that. Right. It felt like I was on the run.

I felt like Jason Bourne. I just felt like go in there, change my underwear, shower, wipe everything down, leave. Yeah. So it felt like every time. I was like, I can't even lay down. I can't even pull up this blanket. Yeah. I literally just have to wipe, I have to change my chonies and head out.

Yeah. I mean, if I was going to do like, I could, like, oh, you got to do like a bunch of dates in this amount of time. I could, I would do a bus. Yeah. But because I, I'd like to spread it out. Yeah. I think because I'm a. a cancer so I like to be at home I'm a home buddy me too I'm like gone for if I was gone for

months at a time on a bus I think I would have hard time with that yeah that is Taylor Tominson told me she tours like that yeah she kind of does it in long spurts yeah she's kind of wrote a little more relaxed yeah because I I want to have balance you know like I work really hard and and have my hands in a lot of different things but I think also like having a life seeing friends, seeing family, going to lunch with someone. Totally. It's important. Yeah.

And so I don't want to just disappear for like six months on a bus. I agree. I think I call that normal human people time. Like now because I'm like, I need to go hang out with people who don't give a fuck about me. Yeah. I need to hang out with people who don't think I'm the most hilarious bitch they've ever met. You need the balance.

You got to stay grounded. That's for sure. Do you have friends and family that are pretty humbling for you? Oh, everybody in my life is very humbling. Yeah. Caleb's one of them. He's in both of our lives. I have not been a lot.

to be too full of myself ever. I'll be like, I'm important and then I'm like cleaning out some junk drawer of my mom's. And I'm like, all right. Whatever. I know sometimes. I forget who it was, but oh no, I was like my sister at once, she told me I had posted a video or something that was me making fun of someone. And then she was like, how's the funniest one of you posted in a while? Oh.

So when I said, I post every day. But thanks. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I'd actually love those notes. Thank you. They mean a lot to me. Please continue giving me this constructive criticism. Have you ever gotten any notes on your, on your sentence, so from like unsolicited notes? Oh, God. All the time. From fans, men, anyone?

Yeah, of course. People like to put their two cents in. Listen, I don't mind if someone's like, hey, I have a funny tag for you. Because, I mean, usually it's. garbage but um once in a blue moon someone's got like oh you're like all right that was kind of funny I didn't think of that and I'm like very appreciative because as you heard with the writing I'll take any help I can get yeah uh but yeah sometimes people will you know throw in a few notes you're like okay I'm your host Stasi Schroeder welcome to tell me lies the official podcast

what's the most unhinged thing of season three Stephen because he's so evil I do think he is misunderstood. You see everyone face consequences. It's intoxicating. The writers just know how to trick you. There's always a twist in this show. It's nothing you would expect. Tell Me Lies, the official podcast now streaming and stream the new season of Tell Me Lies on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus.

Calm down. Now, my mom's very good about, she'll keep it real with like, oh, that's not my favorite story. But when she loves something, she really loves it. So then I know I'm on to something. Nice, nice balance. Yeah. That's take.

Do you know Grace Kulinschmidt? No, but what a fun last name. I know how she's, Cool and Schmitt? Cool and Schmitt. Isn't that funny? Yeah. She's a stand-up too.

Okay. She's really funny. I might know her face. I'm not, but I can I forget that name though. Yeah, yeah. She told me that her grandma watched her stuff once and was like,

I just don't get it. Like, you're not really marketing towards like 50 and up. Oh, God. And she was like, yeah, believe it or not that's not my target demographic she's like I don't want them to come to my show they probably won't like what I'm talking about yeah and she's and she's gay too so she's like yeah

believe it or not um over a certain age like they're not really looking at me that's funny so like yeah I get I get it though yeah it would be like but you know it's like I'm not I'm not marketing to like 20 year olds you know like what how are they going to relate to me you kind of know where your lane is that's too that is very true that's why I love to ask especially especially female comics I love to ask them if they've ever gotten notes from people in the crowd. Oh, you're always going to get notes. I mean, that's just,

that's just part of it. You're also going to just get comments in general. Yeah. Whether you want them or not, they're coming. Yeah, I try not to pay too much attention to it. I'm just sort of always doing my thing.

And you know what? That's why you're doing so fucking well, because you're not listening to some bullshit-ass notes. I guess I'll listen to the comics in my life that I, you know, same. Yeah. I welcome their notes and want the feedback. Yeah, but from a random, I'm good.

It's okay. One of us is getting paid to do it, so I think I have a pretty good idea. Yeah, you tell them. This episode is brought to you by Sephora. So look, everyone's hair is doing its own thing. Curls, coils, color damage, frizz that has a mind of its own. Yeah, we've all been there. But Sephora, she gets it.

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And I, again, like, when I did this set, like, I was put on the car, like on the lineup. Yeah. So, like, nothing about it is me asking for notes, right? Right. But this like I did get notes. Like my team met with like the people that booked me. Yeah. And they were like, oh, like we did have some notes like on the set, which I thought was shocking.

Wait, the people that booked you had notes. Oh, that's odd. And it's because that's not the norm. Right. And it's because it was brand sponsored. So these at first my team was confused because they were like, you guys have notes or. Oh, they had notes like, we don't want you to talk about, say this kind of thing. Yes.

Because it might look bad for the brand. But not even. wasn't even for that because I didn't say anything bad about the brand. In fact, I amplified the brand very much so because it was like it was something that I knew was important. So I didn't say anything bad about the brand, didn't talk bad on it. Nothing. Their note for me was that I was too mean to men and that could be isolating. So interesting. And I was supposed to be on another show and I was like, yeah, I'm not going to that shit. Like you guys are, hold on. You're telling me you're not allowed to talk about that. That's, that is interesting. And I remember I text Caleb and he said, giving a comic, notes on to just be nicer in the set is probably one of the funniest things I've ever fucking hurt. Well, just that you were being too mean about men. It's hilarious. And I barely touch them if I'm being honest. I was fighting with one hand tied behind my back because I knew. So some man gave you that. Yes. And he was like, I don't know. I just felt like she was alienating me. Mind you, he's like a 50 year old man. I'm like, believe it or not, bitch, you're not my target

audience. That's not the target. Yeah, the jokes I was telling and the laughter you were hearing was for everybody else in the room. And I killed too, if I may say so myself. Say it, say it, girl. You have two eyes and two ears. You heard what you heard. I will say in the beginning, like a joke sometimes I use is like, is there anyone here that was like a plus one and has no idea who the fuck I am?

Like that's sometimes something I start out with. And then there's always, and especially if there's men in the room, I know they're going to raise their hand because they want attention. Right. And they like to claim this spot of like, no. I don't know who you are. Yeah. And then I go, okay, well, I hope you enjoy the show.

I did this all tour or two. I was like, I hope you enjoy the show. Hope you have fun. And if you don't, I have your money already. So it really doesn't matter either way. I don't care if you have a good time. And then I just kind of get into it. Yeah.

And that's what feminism means to me. Exactly. That's called making the patriarchy work for you. Okay. I do have some fun facts about you. Oh, okay. If you'd like to get into it with me. Okay.

Right here we have in high school, it says you were debutante and you went to etiquette training to prepare. Oh my God. When I see you, I think you think a pretty little lady. A southern belle. A little delicate flower. Yeah, that's not my most proud time of my life. My mom made me. I wasn't even going to ever talk about it, but when I was doing my first special sweet and salty, my producer is a friend of mine. She's like, you got to talk about this. Like, is it so crazy. And it's so not you. That like, it's a funny, like, bit about you and it was something that my mom made me do really um because she had been one she had been a debut time but by the time i was coming around we were broke like no money and it

cost money to do these parties and have all this stuff so like you know i'd come home and the couch would be missing you know much other of a couch than go to this dumb ass party but she was so I think trying to kind of reclaim those days totally you know and I'm like we're not that's not us like my dad grew up in a trailer like those days are long gone you you did not marry well

I don't know what to tell you you did not marry a guy that was going to keep your status in the debutante world but she yeah so I did this I did this thing and I had to learn like manners and stuff and how was it like my mouth and oh like

which fork to use. Yeah, all that stuff like that. I mean, it was fine, but I, you know, so not me. And so it was the summer between high school and college that I had to do it. Oh, nice. The most humiliating age. I know. And going to these tea parties.

But a good friend of mine was in it too and that kind of left in a blow. Made it a little less terrible. I feel it. Well, speaking of brother wives. Yeah. there's a ball like you're coming out to society so I came out twice and they have usually you're presented by like your dad

but my mom's like your father's not doing this and some of my brothers did it so there's a picture of me in a white wedding gown with my brother and a tux and it looks like I'm burying my brother so I knew it you guys were on to something I knew it I was on to it I knew it They were mad because I was right. And now it's time for a new segment

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So did I. Get it. Gee, look at us. Smart girls. How did you find comfort in the chaos of college life? I love college. Me too. I loved college.

I had a blast. I went to a women's college. I didn't know I was gay, which was a real. No, you just really wanted to be. around only women. I know. It was a real missed opportunity. But I'd always been like an overachiever. Totally. Me too. In high school too. Same. College. All the thing. I like went to class all the time. I never skipped. I was like student body president. I just loved it. So I found great comfort in the chaos. I loved being busy. Love being social. Love the dorms. Chatted with everybody.

They thought I didn't study because I was constantly chatting. I would go in my room at like 11 and study for a couple hours and then sleep. You and Caleb have a lot in common. Yeah. I made fun of him when he was on my show last time. I made fun of him because I said I knew he was in a frat. Like he joined a frat. That's so funny.

And I made, I was like, what are you doing? That's philanthropic. And then I was like, I'm kidding. I know you did a lot of philanthropy in college. Because he was student body president too and shit. And he was like, yeah, I was going to say you're about to feel real bad when I tell you all this stuff I did it called. Yeah.

That's because he's a big chatter. Right. I think that's a southern thing. You love a good chat too. I love a chat. Yeah. But I can also be very quiet as well. I have both sides.

I'm a little bit more introverted than one might assume. But that's just where I regroup. Yeah. And then I go out and chat. I get that. Yeah. When I'm talking a lot or performing a ton afterwards, sometimes I go sit somewhere by myself. Yeah.

You just got to be alone for a little bit. Yeah. And I just, I'm like, I need to shut the fuck up for a second. Yeah, because I talk a lot. You talk a lot. Sometimes I'm like, I don't want to hear one more story out of my mouth. And I'm going to go sit. in the corner and yeah stare

sit on a bench yeah I'm just gonna sit and be like not gonna say a word I'm gonna stare right into the camera that's what I would do no wonder we're looking into the camera that's right that's disassociating this next one says that you realized you were gay when you were 25 while watching a lifetime movie yeah

that's right which lifetime movie was it the truth about Jane I don't know if you've ever heard of it it's it's Stalker Channing who plays Rizzo and Greece okay was the mom and her like 16 year old daughter realizes she's gay and has a mentor at school a teacher who's gay um and as i described it uh the the 16 year old comes out to her mom and her mom's like boo

and then by the end of the movie she's like yay and i was like and that's the movie um but i had had you know it was weird it was i talk about how it was just different times when i was 25 it was like YouTube was just starting. Yeah. There was no will and grace. Or maybe it just come out. The L word had just come out. But when I was growing up, there was none of that stuff, you know,

none of that representation. So I never like saw myself in anything. And I just grew up in a very small town that I did not know one gay person. I did not see a gay person hold hands until I was in college. Yeah. So I just just very. naive to that world and knowing what that was in myself and so when I moved to LA it was starting to bubble up I was starting to feel the thing and that

you're kind of like fighting like this cannot be I have to haven't found the right man insane and every time you say you gag a little yeah like now it seems like crazy that that was even a possibility right and then I was watching that movie and something about seeing this person who who's young being brave enough to like come out made me go at the end of the movie I was like oh my god i'm i'm gay and i said it out loud for the first time and it was what kind of cemented it for me of like oh this is real yeah and so my joke was you know they say that uh having gay people in movies will make people gay and they're right and in my case you are correct you're right

okay one out of a million this and this particular case you are right yep i think that's a beautiful thing oh like representation like that i think is so yeah you need it because you know especially if you grow up in a small town my my town was 12 000 people yeah um if you don't know people like you or see people like you like you like you know something's different yeah you know in that uh you don't know what it is just feels like something's off yeah and when you're young and you're gay and you don't know it you don't know it you don't know it you just know that boys don't look at you a certain way you don't have the rapport with them in a certain way so you just feel like you don't quite fit in like why and it and it can't help but chip away at

your self-esteem to an extent like why am I not the object of this person's affection and you don't know that well the reason is because you know you're meant to you're not that's not yeah you just don't know so you just think something's wrong with you um so that when you see see that in front of your face and it the light bulb goes off you go oh my god yeah that was the missing puzzle piece all along i wasn't it wasn't that i was undesirable or i was this or that or it wasn't it just i didn't know yeah absolutely and now it seems you know thankfully there's a lot more representation it's talked about a lot more yeah you see it a lot more yeah it's not quite as hidden um but but still matters for sure absolutely and that's why i think you're

even though writing is the bane of your existence in a lot of ways. I also think it's a beautiful thing that you write so much because that like that kind of writing is so important. Like writing characters like that based in real life and not always centered in trauma and of some kind. I think it's a beautiful thing. Well, thank you. I think that's why you just keep selling them over and over again. You're trying to.

I'm just telling my story, you know. I love it. I'm just trying to. Yeah, that's kind of all I know what to do is tell my story and how I see the world. and if it helps people in any way, that's like the cherry on top. I think that's why it's working so well for you. The universe is working with you and for you.

Thank you, universe. Because you're that important. Oh, thank you. Of course. Okay, we have more fun facts. This one says you got your comedy start taking improv classes at ground lanes in L.A. after moving here from your hometown. Oh, it says when you were 23,

you got a job as an entertainment journalist interviewing people on red carpets, and it turned into a full-time job for seven years. Yeah. Was that with Chelsea? two or no? That was right before Chelsea. Okay. So that was during, there was like an eight year period where I was trying to make it in comedy.

And so my day job was being a journalist. Okay. Which was really cool, like to, you know, that, to that have, sorry, we can't talk. To have that be my day job. Yeah. It was like awesome because it was like adjacent to the business. I got to. Learning a different side of it too.

Yeah, I got to go on all these red carpets. And I interviewed all these people I'd really admired all. all these, you know, huge movie stars and TV stars. And I went to like the Grammys and the Oscars and the Emmys. I went to movie premieres. And I was, you know, started when I was 23 and did that until I was 30. And that's what kept my bills paid. And then at night I did comedy.

So I love it. You have been working your ass off. Yeah. So like if I had wanted to be a journalist as a career, I would have. I've kept doing that. Yeah. Like, totally. It did not get better than that in that. in that world and I worked for some amazing people that knew I wanted to be a comic because

sometimes you're working at one job and they don't like that you have another goal yeah totally but they were so like supportive and like rooting that only enhanced your skill as an interviewer yeah I mean because I do carpets now too all the time I'd love to know your experience like how is that how did you like interviewing people well we were in the we were in the beginning stages of the internet having all the entertainment news on it right and so you would see all the these people ham it up for the cameras and then come to me and be like what's up what's going on because it

it was like print journalism right so it's different but we were like we actually reach a lot more people than this whatever you know random cable like on cable yeah and but like once people started talking to me and he heard my accent they kind of like drop

the pretences and just had like a real conversation with me totally so that's some really lovely conversations with actors and stuff and And I talked to a lot of people on the phone for like 30 minutes. And what happens was, I'm like, just really interesting talks. Right. People that I've, it's funny, I've since run into publicists or people, photographers from

the red carpet, they'll see me now on the other side. And it's such a trip. Right. It's also, they are this. It's the same people like working, especially during the award season circuit. Yeah. You see the same people every time. And they are so drama.

Rama on those carpets like in press boxes you know like in those press like areas and stuff like because everybody knows each other so it's almost like it feels to me like like if we were all at camp together and then this is like our mess hall and then we all come here and everyone's talking about each other yeah I just like something I just be listening sometimes the girls fight at those things sometimes. Oh that's funny yeah when I was doing the red carpets the it was entering into that phase of the paparazzi was becoming a big thing. Yeah. Star Magazine was a big thing. And like when they were like stalking celebrities,

like tabloids and that was a weird thing. And I would overhear them talking about all the links they were going to to like spy on you know, like y'all are crazy weird. That was like those were like the Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears. That era. Paris Hilton era where they were, you could see them all over town. I'm following them everywhere. Like it's like like a caravan almost.

Yeah, it was wild. You would just see this train of people. like what is going on it'd be like Lindsay Lohan going to the Ivy or something it's a weird time it was weird L.A. back then was there yeah it was different there was just like celebrities everywhere and cameras everywhere very weird I think that's so cool that you were on the carpets for so long too because I've been doing carpet stuff for a minute now like I'm I'm really kicking it into overdrive lately and I love doing carpet stuff yeah they could care less if I'm there though like I sometimes people were like oh my

God, you got to go to the Oscars. I'm like, yeah, they also tell me they'll shoot me dead if I step outside the shrubs. So, like, there's, you know, there's, when I get there, I'm the help. Like, when I get there, they're like, valet some cars while you're here. Yeah, it's so. It's a weird thing. It's, like, cool. You're, like, adjacent to it.

But then it's like, you're also there and that's cool. But, yeah, it's a trip. I interview, like, Anna Nicole Smith and, like, Julie Andrews. Yeah. I mean, all the way from, you know, Tom Hanks is like, yeah. All these neat people. people that I just I'm actually I because in my in that special sweet and salty I mentioned I talk about how when I first started the red carpets I wanted to look more LA so I went to Forever 21 and bought a valour

track suit with a pink cupcake on the bag and everyone thought I was kidding I was like no no I bought a velour track suit you know that said red carpet to yeah to me I thought this is very L.A. red carpet it and you know these clothes dissolved in the sun after like five days they're like $20 and dissolved in the sun and everyone was like ha ha ha hilarious and um there's a documentary about serene mckellan and i'm in i was at the lord of rings premiere and you can see me with my pink your knockoff juicy track suit yeah i have a pink cupcake interviewing sirin mckellan i took a screen grab i'm like i told you at the Lord of the Rings for me.

Yes. You're just like, I need to make a statement. I'm interviewing Sir Ann McEllan in a blue Valor Tric suit with a pink cupcake on the back. Not okay. I would love that, though. I mean, God, I just was really trying to be my best L.A. And pull focus at any point. And I did because I'm sure they were like, ugh.

What is that? I, sometimes I'm sure you got this question a lot too. like I'll get questions about celebrities like how are they like yeah are they cool and I'm like most of them are kind of weird but like they're normal they're normal for the most part I have I honestly I've had way more positive ones than negative ones and negative ones I've had they weren't talking to me like it was just I saw something so I was like oh that's kind of weird yeah but thankfully I haven't really had any terribly negative ones like it was like generally nice but I think too and you're I feel like this is the same kind of energy you have too where it's like I've told people if you just

talk to them like they're normal most often times they'll be awesome because especially when they're that famous like they've been they've been so not normal for so long like nobody treats them normal that's not their like immediate family like they're they live in this weird bubble where like everybody like is so careful and weird around them and awkward so i feel like when you're just kind of like normal to them they open up a little bit more yeah i mean that's kind of i've always been like When I was a journalist, I just was like, hey, what's up, let's chat. And that's what I'm like now on set when I, I've gotten to film with some really cool people. But I don't go in too hot, you know.

Yeah. I'm like, I'm going to let them come to me or I'll just like give people their space. And I'll just be like, hey, how's it going? This is so cool. Yeah, absolutely. I feel like it's a very, you're a big energy reader too, like a vibe reader. That's the cancer in me. And I'm a cancer mutant.

There you go. So there you go. Yeah, I just feel, I feel people's thing, you know. And so if I can pick up pretty quick if I'm like, oh, this person does not want to be bothered, I don't bother them, you know. Same same. Or if they're in a weird mood or whatever. Right. And eventually, you know, especially if you're working on set with this person, at some point they'll come around and be like, what's your deal, you know?

So you got to, you do just like let them come to you. But then you can tell if someone's energy is open. Totally. And yeah, I just kind of read the, I think I read the room well. Same. And I, and it's funny because I've told people, like, whenever they're like, oh, they should all, everyone should be journalists. Mind you, I, like on carpets, mind you, I went to college for journalism.

So I do actually have a journalism. And I was a journalist for a long time. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, I learned how to shoot, edit, write, all that stuff. So, like, I actually do have the credentials. I did not. My point being, now that I do this as like an influencer, right? There is that debate that's like, it shouldn't be influences.

It should be journalists. To which I say like I don't think the badge matters nearly as much. I think it's the ability to read a room is far more useful. Like the ability to talk to someone and have a conversation. And I feel like and I and sometimes I've joked I've been like I've seen how women on the internet treat me in real life and I'm a again I'm a clown for hire. There's no way you'd be able to talk to Timothy Shalamey normal right. I've seen how you treat me you guys treat me weird and he's way more famous than me like that's where I think like the ability. ability to relate and be normal and cool and read a room. It's very important. Because I think

sometimes too when you try to force silliness on people that do not want to be silly. Oh yeah. You can tell when they don't want that. Yeah. Immediately I pick it. I'm like perfect. No fun. Got it in the back. We're going to keep it straight in it. Yeah. And I did the White Lotus premiere this year. And Parker Posey is obviously a huge person and the White Lotus this season and she was killer. and they told me a ton they were like you know she doesn't um love interviews anymore like yeah because she's just been doing it forever i'm sure she's just sick of it and like the premiere was the last stop on their press store so they were like basically telling me like don't hold your breath like if she doesn't want to talk i'm like all right all right i'm not going to force it and i told them i was like i'll save

everybody the headache i really don't force it if they're not feeling it for sure i promise i won't and they were like okay so she came and uh she she agreed to talk to me for a little. And so I was talking around and I asked her like a real standard question. How you feel being here? Whatever. Kind of warm her up. Yeah. And then she was being so like she's so witchy. I just sensed it about her. I was like she, I feel like she loves astrology. I feel like she like she looks like that was kind of her energy. And then I said, what's your sign when she said something? She goes, there you go. I'm a Scorpio. I'm a Scorpio. Could you tell? And I was like, oh, she's a Scorpio. Yeah. That makes things a little bit. Right. Like it makes more sense. Right.

And so when she was, she was, she was, kind of protective. Yep, yeah. And then so when I said that, she was, what are you? And then we just kept talking. She talks so, like, pageantry. Like, the way she talks to was very, like, old Hollywood. Right. And so then she talked to me for a minute.

And I was like, oh, are we done? We're done now? Yeah, she wanted more. And they were so like, I can't believe she was so fun with you. And I was like, I read her vibe. And I didn't ask her too many silly things. Right. Whenever, like, I was like, older people don't like to be asked silly.

She wanted to dig into that meaningful of, of the stars the stars stuff yeah we wanted to align on the stars okay I have another fun fact for you uh it says one of your first credited roles was janitor in the movie the secret lives of dorks oh my god yeah that was like that was the very first acting role I ever did and it was like I was when I was on chelsea lately someone saw me on chelsea and just was doing like an indie comedy and they were like does she want to play a janitor and at that point I just wanted to the experience I was like sure yeah but yeah it was that was my first taste of anything I mean when I first audition I want to say I auditioned or something like I don't remember what it was early on and I did my

audition looking right into the camera and the lady had to stop me she goes um don't look in the camera look at me and I was like uh-huh okay and then she ended at the end she goes all right um now slate and I go what what is that She's like, you just say her name and... Yeah, I know what it is, but do you know what it is? So I had no... Amazon presents Jeff versus Taco Truck Salsa, whether it's Verde, Roja, or the orange one.

For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian roulette with a flamethrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea, and milk. Habaniero? More like Habiniero. Yeah, yes. Save the Everyday with Amazon. So, I mean, you know, I always say they have these acting classes for people. There should be a class of practical things.

Like, here's that audition. Don't look at the camera. And like when you're on, because I had a friend who's a big standup who had an acting role for the first time. And I knew she wasn't going to know a lot of the lingo. So I called her. And I was like, this is what, you know, this is like hitting your mark. This is finding your light. is, you know, this is what this means.

When the AD, you know, you just need a class of like, hear all the things. Right. I think that would be more as much as a help as an acting class. The verbiage. Exactly. Yeah. And they do talk in shorthand a lot. Yeah.

You know what's funny is when I did last year, I was in an NBA commercial. Uh-huh. For reasons I still don't understand. They asked me to come. I said, sure. Yeah. I'd love to be there. You're like, I'm six feet.

That's when you owned it. That's where my. That's where it was working in my favor, exactly. And in one of my scenes, or the only scene actually I had was with Kelly Roland, which is nuts. Hell yeah. And so, yeah, so she was so nice and so professional. But I remember, like, they told me what I was going to do. Like, my line was, follow me, Kelly.

That was my one line. I think I killed it. But they wanted me to, like, close a laptop and, like, in earnest and be like, let's go kind of vibe. So I was like, okay. So when I was practicing, it was one of those things where it's so simple and it's one line that I felt like I was overthinking it a little bit. And then for some reason, like for like two takes in a row, I looked at the camera twice. Like, and but I do that now. Yeah, but in a way where I was like, and then the director would be like, cut.

Don't look at the camera. And I'm like, oh my God, I'm so sorry. Sorry about that. Like sorry. And then every time it came around, I'd be like, well, it's so hard because it just naturally, you're just like sort of drawn. to it. I mean, even in this latest food war, I, I'll be, you know, talking to someone and I'll like, oh my God, I just stared down the barrel of the camera. I'm so sorry. Then they're like, well, don't end the scene. They keep going. Right. I know you're like, sorry about that

guys looking right at the camera. Like, just keep going. I agree with you though on verbiage. Yeah. You should, you should make like a glossary. Yeah, because like when you're starting out and you want to know how to audition and what to do, yeah. Right. Right. very intimidating and I feel like even with uh especially when you're on the set like in the the heat of it and everyone's watching and then when everyone gets quiet yeah because I remember too when I first started doing this um I was almost exclusively just like online people influencers right and um sometimes like at the beginning we would be everyone would have to be super super super quiet because we were trying to do obviously it's a podcast yeah but then after a while I was like I don't mind if you can hear laughter I think

that makes it more fun yeah and Caleb show is like that too which I was like that too which I was Like I think it adds to the ambiance of it. I think that's fun. But before there would be no laughing at all, like no noise. And I would have to tell like comedy creators or comics or whatever. Like I would say like it's going to feel like none of your jokes are hitting because no one's going to laugh. Right. But just keep your eyes on me.

I'll laugh the whole time. Like no matter what, I'll laugh honestly and earnestly. And they're like, okay. And then it would kind of make them nervous because it was like, because it's so quiet. And they're not used to like, you know, sets like that where everyone has to be quiet and do it. But I'm like you, like I had a meeting. with like TV movie people whatever last weekend they were like oh do you have any like preferences in terms of like we're leaning towards comedy drama whatever romance and I go my energy

right now is who want me who want me that's kind of my like that which one you want me yeah what do you need there you go yeah you have to be open to different opportunities oh absolutely I've done a lot of stuff over the years for free and a lot of you know like yeah you just you do you do the thing And a lot of people get very short-sighted about that. Right. I agree. I mean, like now I don't have to do that as much. Thankfully.

Yes. But I spent many years doing it. I get that. And my friends who wouldn't, I would just say, you know, you don't know what opportunity will come from that. And like who will, you know, who you'll meet or you have to be open to just doing, to working, doing things. It's not about the money at first.

I agree. And it's like the, it defeats the purpose of art too. Yeah. Like the goal is to be famous and make money. Yeah. So it's like for years I just said yes. You're so me. Until I could finally say no.

That's nice. Now I say no a lot. But I said yes for many many years. Yeah. And I'm so with you because I really do believe like I have a very long term vision for like. So I do a lot of things. I've done a lot of carpet stuff for free like because I knew it would be a really good look for me. But just to kind of wrap us, right?

I would love to know if you have any like advice for like upcoming artists. I can't even just call you a standup or an actor because you're a jack of all trades. A jack of all trade. But if you have any advice for any upcoming artist, maybe want to get into the industry. I mean, I guess it would depend on what field. Yeah. If it's a stand up, uh, I, well, I would recommend improv classes to anyone actually. It doesn't matter.

I love that though. It doesn't matter if you're whatever. Even I, when I started it was, I had like a lawyer in there. there, a secretary, like, a tax, the, CPA? Yeah, I was like,

one of those things called. Because people just want to be more comfortable talking. Totally. So, and if you're an actor or stand-up, I would do some improv to just get out of your own way to get the ego out of it

and be silly, you know? So I always recommend that. Groundlings is a great place because it's very silly, but also UCB. If you're a stand-up, there's no path other than you just have to do it. Like you can't wait. You just have to get on stage.

You have to write. And you won't know if you're good until you try it. And then once you start it, if you like it, it just requires you doing it a lot. Yeah. Reps. Getting reps. Tons of reps.

Yeah. I'm only, uh, it's comfortable as I am because I've done it a bazillion times. Yeah. Um, so and stand up is one of those, um,

mediums where there's it's a great equalizer like the biggest comics still have to go back to the club you know jerry signfield's a billionaire yeah probably at a comedy club tonight in new york um kevin hart has to go to the comedy club like you have to work material out and they workshop new sets and stuff all the time yeah that's such a good point yeah so if they can go to the comedy club so can you can't uh so you just have to remember that it just stand-up's just going to require more of an every day or every week effort than like acting acting your fate isn't more of the hands of other people that's why i do like stand-up is because when things weren't happening for me stand-up is what got my career going totally so tired of waiting around for someone to be like you can do this yeah

you can be in my project where a stand-up is i go get a spot tonight you know yeah absolutely um so keep that in mind uh if you're wanting to be a performer And if you're wanted to be in acting, yeah, classes. Yeah. Like you said, the networking is so important. Totally. Because in classes, you'll meet people. Like, oh, I'm going to do this short film.

Do you want to be in it? Yeah. And that stuff. Gets practice and all that. It gets practice and meeting more people. Yeah. It's basically you just have to do something. Yeah.

You know what you want to do it? That's the advice. That's true. It's like, you have to do something. If you're paralyzed with fear, waiting for someone to be. pick you, it will not happen. That's so true. Especially if you're not a straight sis. Yeah, it's just not going to

land in your lap. No, not at all. So my, all I can offer is that whatever that field is you're wanting to do, just do it. And obviously we live in a time where social media is very popular. That's a huge tool. And that's a giant tool that you can start cultivating your own fan base before you even step on stage. You know, there's a lot of people now who have a fan base and who've never done stand-up. They could go sell out a theater tomorrow.

That's just the, and that's good for them. And I've seen a lot of them. Yeah. And they love to post crowd work. And I'll say, and no other material. What does that work? I don't know, but people are buying the tickets. So, so yeah, there are different, there are lots of opportunities now to do it.

Not necessarily get famous. Yeah. But if you want to do it. You can do it. You can get a podcast, Mike. You can video yourself and put it on social media. Right. Whether or not people will watch it or listen.

No one can control that. Right. I said once to someone, because sometimes they'll ask me like, oh, how do I start a podcast? How do I start this? How do I do that? I've told them, like, with podcasting especially or any sort of long form and you want to be like funny or personality or whatever. I've told them, don't even worry about equipment.

Don't worry about lighting. Don't worry about cameras. Don't worry about anything. Put your phone up. start it and talk for 45 minutes. See if you can do it. Yeah, I know. It's hard.

Not many people can. That's why I said, you'd find it like, because I think sometimes when people think like, oh, I want to do podcasts or I want to be at stand-up or whatever. Yeah. I think a lot of times they think, especially if you're talking podcasting,

they think like, I want to be the person who gets to sit and be asked questions. Yeah. As opposed to someone who's driving the boat. You know what I'm saying? Like, someone has to drive the ship. Someone does. Yeah.

So I was like, just see if you can talk. See if you can ramble. I can talk for, so long. I could talk for 90 minutes about a sandwich. That's what makes you be able to do this so well successfully because you do. You have to be able to talk. You have to know your own skill set. Right. And also, you just have to also be yourself. I agree. Figuring out who you are. I mean, that's a bigger life thing. Yeah. But if you are, if you know who you are, if you know who you are, that is a big help too. That's true. Because I tell comics all the time, I'm like,

who you are on stage is not who I'm talking to in life. And then it's a, big disconnect there. And that means the audience knows something's amiss. Yeah, that's so true. They're a lot smarter than sometimes I think people give them credit for it. And so I'll see some of these comics that are so funny, just like pretend to be something else. Yeah.

And I'm like, no, we're on to you. We're on to you. I know it because I know you, but they're on to you. And you can feel it to like that disconnect that you're talking about. But when you see someone get up on stage and you're like, oh, that is, like a Caleb, that is who he is. Chris Fleming. Yeah.

You're like, that is who you are. That can't be anybody else. And that resonates with people. Totally. So anytime you're trying to be somebody else, it's not, it's just not going, you might get to a certain place. Because you learned a plus B equals C. Sure, you learned the formula.

But what's really going to resonate with people is if you're sharing who you are and they grab onto it. Totally. Especially ripping off other people's bits too. like what works for some people may not doesn't need to work for you right probably shouldn't because everybody is so uniquely themselves i know some of my comic friends do have told me that's been there one beef with social media and stand-up the world's kind of colliding is feeling like it's easier to steal jokes right because people can record and stuff and uh rip off material and like yeah

the internet doesn't have the capacity to like source right so like right so one person could tell a joke it doesn't do that well but then someone else could see it do it on theirs and it takes off and then that person gets credit for the joke as opposed to the other. Wayana it's just there there's so many parallel thoughts too. You can tell a joke and you're like oh so-and-so told that 40 years ago you're like what? You know what I mean? Like or or the similar idea theme. A theme of a joke.

Yeah. Many people are going to have a some, you know, think of you mean. You know like oh, playing around equipment is dangerous. You know like that it's a theme everyone's going to. think but you're going to have your own take on it i agree but it's like you can't claim a theme um and so that's i agree something that people have to keep in mind as well but if it's like a verbatim thing then yeah or it's like so specific to your life that you're like you took that shit from me yeah like that's mine yeah like if someone said they came out watching a lifetime movie and you're like wait

well don't watch my next stand-up special then i may have squirled that one away for me and they're like and it was the truth about jane you're like come on that couldn't happen to you too you don't even know that movie well thank you so much for coming on the show thank you're so fucking awesome you too this was a treat it was truly so awesome to get to know you a little bit better oh i loved and i really do think you are so talented and i can't wait to see what you keep making oh like you're a jack-of-old trades for real that's what friends are poor exactly thank you so much for coming on the show do you have anything that you'd like to promote at all just that i'm on tour i'm uh going to I'm in the beginning of this tour, so many, many cities are coming.

My website has all that, Fortunefeasor.com. I love. I have three specials on Netflix and Food Bar and all that stuff. You can find me literally anywhere. You can find Fortune literally anywhere. I'm on like 20 things on Netflix. That's true. You're not even joking.

I'm not joking. This is so funny. I'm so glad you said that because one time I was scrolling through the little like recommended for you. Yeah. I saw you in like four things. Yeah. I was like, I think that's literally fortunate. I get around.

You're real easy on Netflix, yeah. Well, thank you so much for coming. You're amazing and I'll cheering for you all the time. Same here. Thank you're amazing. And thank you all so much for joining us on this episode of the comments section. Don't forget new episodes drop every Wednesday. You can stream them on all streaming platforms, the audio,

but the video list for free and exclusively on our favorite platform, Spotify. Thank you so much to my amazing guest fortune, theme, sir. Please go check them out on literally, everything and she's going on tour or you're currently on tour. So please go check her out. She's hilarious and awesome and I'll see you all next week. Bye. Bye. Spring just slid into your DMs.

Grab that boho look for that rooftop dinner, those sandals that can keep up with you, and hang some string lights to give your patio a glow up. Spring's calling. Ross, work your magic.