Kalea McNeill always wanted to be a comedic actor, and she’s done that, playing Hanifa Downey on The CW’s hit show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” But wait … there’s more. She’s on her Less Than 10K Tour – 10K meaning her number of social media followers – but we think that number is bound to go waaaay up after the tour stops at Comedy Plex at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
How did you get into comedy?
When I was in college at Clark Atlanta University, I used to host a lot of events, step shows and parties, not realizing I’m on stage, activating this part of my brain to do what I do now. People asked, “Why aren’t you doing standup? You should try it, you’re so funny.” In January 2012, I’m like “Fine, I’ll go up.” I did an amateur night, I thought that was the end of it, and here we are 13 years later, paying the bills. Once you’re in it, you’re in it.
What’s harder – playing the role of Hanifa Downey on TV, or doing standup?
They both require two completely different parts of myself. At the end of the day, Hanifa’s words are written by someone else. Standup is about me, myself and I. Whether it does well, it’s all on you. So I’d have to say standup is harder.
Congrats on your debut comedy special, “Sma’am,” which is available on Amazon Prime Video. What was the creative process like in that venture?
I think the thing you have with your first special, you have this wealth of material. This is introducing the world to me, I had 10 years of work. My background, my dog, my dad, my family. You always take notes and write down your jokes. With that, you find what those really strong jokes are, and you start molding.
How important is social media to you and today’s comedians?
I don’t care for it, and I think the reason I don’t care for it is because it makes it easy to “catfish funny.” With social media, I’m deciding what goes on here, what gets cut and trimmed, and so I decide what’s funny. But how important is it? It’s extremely important. Thank goodness we have clubs like Comedy Plex, they put funny over fame. I know what I could do to get a million followers. What I like where I’m at now, I know I’ve touched everybody on my list.
What advice would you give to a comedian looking to break into the business?
Outside of looking at somebody for inspiration, be honest about whatever you bring to the stage. As long as what you’re saying comes from a place of honesty, and not said to be an asshole, you’re good to go. When I come up with my bits of stories, it’s not coming from a place of anger. If you’re writing in anger, that’s like cussing somebody out.
Introduce yourself to Kalea McNeill before the weekend. Begin at Amazon Prime Video with “Sma’am” or her comedy album (pro tip: Start with the track Millennial Grief). Hit her website, too, along with her Instagram.
TAKE 5: KALEA McNEILL