If you didn’t blink, you may have been able to catch this man in one of your favorite films and TV shows growing up. Now that he has taken his talents to the world of comedy, he’s kind of a big deal. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Chris Londo. The Los Angeles, CA native shares with us some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and why he owns the laughs.
Name: Chris Londo
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @londochristophe @londoslaughs @londoscomedyvault
Years in Comedy: I’ve been performing and producing my own shows for 4 years.
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: I’ve done a few things on TV both on and off-screen here and there. If you ever watched The Little Richard Story (2000), I was the VO for young Richard. If you check out The Proud Family “She Got Game” (2001) episode, I was a part of a small group singing there also. Check out George Clooney’s “Ides of March ” (2011) I was in the choir. More recently I was singing background for Adam Levine at the Super Bowl 2019 alongside some of the greatest voices in the industry!
I’ve worked with so many names, appearing on shows for Jimmy Kimmel, David Alan Grier, and America’s Got Talent just to name a few.
Comedic Influences: Growing up, the voices of Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker, and Eddie Murphy really influenced my childhood. Way back in the day when we had Limewire, young folks didn’t know the struggle, I would download audio and play them over and over without ever seeing an actual stage performance. I honestly didn’t even know comedy like that until later in life. I’ve always been overly happy, lucky, and full of humor, so much that I got in trouble a lot. But never did anyone suggests being a comedian. They just called me a troublemaker.
Favorite Comedy Album: It wasn’t until I got older that I started watching standup as a fan. I would have to say my favorite album would have to be Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious”. His energy is what really grabbed my attention. From listening to the album first, then actually seeing him perform it, I realized the double whammy effect of stage presence and comedic material.
Favorite Comedy Special: Dave Chappelle’s “Sticks and Stones” special is considered the comedy Bible New Testament. His comedic genius is unmatched. He’s really a funny professor when you think about it. He teaches through comedy and with my background somewhat in education, that spoke to me and my comedy style a lot.
Favorite Comedy Movie: Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2, I can almost recite word for word. Since I’ve started comedy, I can appreciate different styles of comedic writing. I spent way too much time mentally dissecting the writing when watching movies and tv shows now.
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Hands down it’s “Martin!” I’m going to watch over and over. He was like a father figure to me growing up. I got the DVDs of the show as a gift and I canceled my cable subscription the next day.
Favorite Comedic Character: I’m a huge fan of Abbott and Costello, I’m an old soul and my grandparents had me watching this dynamic duo and I could not stop laughing. Physical comedy always grabs my attention. And of course “who’s on first?” how it’s written will forever be one of the greatest written material ever done.
Favorite City to Perform In: Los Angeles is home, unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to perform in other cities too much yet. But I AM AVAILABLE! Book me, and I’m on the PLANE!
Favorite Topics to Joke About: If I can’t talk about the struggles of dating, don’t put me on the show. I have a twisted mind and have so many questions about one both women and men act when single it’s comical. I usually like to talk about things that actually happen to me and that are relatable. A lot of comedians talk about dating. But I’ve been told I do it in a way that doesn’t sound redundant. I just like to bring perspectives together.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Performing for kids is always easy. But I really enjoy performing in a room that quiet. You know when the audience is intentionally not trying to laugh. Or a room full of comedians and no one wants to laugh. I love those rooms. I’m so stubborn (Taurus) that I’ll skip the jokes and feed into the awkwardness that fills the room.
Favorite Comedy Club: I have only performed in a few places. But I love performing at the Ice House in Pasadena! I produced my first few shows there starting out and it was always fun.
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
I enjoy making people laugh and seeing people smile. I’ve always been that way. But never thought about doing comedy. I even took a stand-up comedy weekend course in Burbank off a Groupon for fun. Still then, had no intentions of becoming a comedian. But when I got on stage, which I’ve done a lot outside of comedy, being free to speak how I want and people receiving and laughing, I instantly fell in love with stand up.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
My first time performing stand-up was at the Comedy Store in the Main Room in 2016. I had 3 mins and I had no material. Well, I had material, but I had no idea what “material” meant. I just had a list of things that upset me. I was one of those complaining comics, I just happen to be funny doing it. The crowd enjoyed it and I was invited back by the producer at the time. I remember being in the backroom, butterflies in my stomach, but always filled with Mamba Mentality, I was ready. I told myself, just go up there and act a fool, look stupid, embarrass yourself and get off. Sure enough, that’s what I did, with my material and I had the best time. I wasn’t concerned about anything but getting up and getting off. There was a lot of funny in between getting up and getting off. After a few shows, I started and still put on my own comedy shows as a producer and performer.
How would you describe your comedic style:
I find my style to be observational and anecdotal. I enjoy crowd work and being relatable. There’s nothing like a good story that people can put themselves into and laugh at their own experiences.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Oh, I just bullet note a lot of my material. I like to perform with the energy I have the night of the show, so I feel scripting my jokes would force me to act and not be authentic, my comedy bros say I freestyle. I’m still learning how to write jokes. Because you have to respect the kings and queens that’s mastered the art. Practice makes you perfect.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
There are a few parking lots shows popping up here and there. A lot of Zoom shows, other than that I hear people are til toking their asses off.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
Comedy success should be judged by if you can afford to ONLY perform and have all your bills paid. There are 100,000+ comedians. Millions if you count their family members trying to offer jokes. Not everyone is going to be Kevin Hart or Wanda Sykes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t live off of comedy. You absolutely can. As long as you’re smart with your money and have the work ethic and spirit to keep going. You do comedy because you love to perform. The money comes to those who really love to perform.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
There are so many great newcomers as well as seasoned vets who I enjoy seeing perform. But I try to keep from seeing too much to not be too influenced by a joke. I like to make sure my jokes are inspired by my own experiences. A good joke will have you thinking about it and recreating it to make it your own. I guess that’s cool, but I feel better if I feel like I came up with the idea from nothing.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I like meeting different comedians and different showgoers. My favorite moments are always after the show when I get to meet the audience. When the audience can remember your jokes after a long show, and they want to tell you how much they enjoyed your set, that is when I know I had a great night.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
In comedy, the experiences you have, especially “failed” ones, are what make you funnier in the future. Not everyone has succeeded in life, but everyone has failed before. Failing is relatable, being the underdog is inspiring. We learn how to use our failures in our material, it allows the audience to know you more and like you as a person not just a comic. When the audience starts to get emotionally invested in you. You can contort to room however you want.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
“Here’s a joke for you”. I get that a lot. Sometimes I get “oh that makes sense.” How does that make sense? No clue. But it’s always appreciated.
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
So far it’s just been fun. Meeting different people, seeing who’s really good, who’s really fake, who’s stealing jokes, and who’s always lending useful advice. Building a comedy career by yourself is hard, it’s the network of people you put together that makes it easier, more fun. It’s really competitive, but there’s only one YOU so that’s your advantage. As far as producing my own shows, I started very early in my career and lost a lot of money. But the network I’ve been able to build made it worth it. I learned that comedy was what I wanted to do when I performed in front of 3 people several different times and my mind was still driven to solve how to increase audience attendance. That’s telling. Don’t quit after bad shows, bad shows should make you glad you have more room to grow. Bad shows allow you to get all your bad jokes out before you become the famous comedian you want to be. Just keep getting better and keep showing up.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
The entertainment business is not an honest one. It’s not for the brittle spirits, as Dave Chappelle calls it. If you can’t handle being boo’d or a show producer promising pay, then not paying, you will not like it at the start. It’s also amazing when I go to shows and hear people using others’ jokes. Let me, tattletale, on you all right quick, THAT’S STEALING! Shows a lot about your work ethic. Tells us you were the one in middle school getting an A for the group project and all you did was stand up there on presentation day with a prewritten cue card that your classmate wrote.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
Keep performing. Keep showing up. Be early to shows, talk to everyone. When you go to open mics, treat it as an actual show. Even in a room full of comedians, an audience is an audience. Whoever’s in front of you, needs to be laughing while you’re up.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
I haven’t thought about it, but I like statements and phrases that rhyme so I’d probably make my special title rhyme with my name or about the overall topic being performed.
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I went to Michael Jordan camp in middle school. The GOAT chose me for an example in front of the whole camp. Nervous? Hell no (yes). He told me to shoot from the elbow and said “bet you miss”. I said “bet I don’t…” I missed it. After explaining to the campers what I did wrong and him allowing me to go sit back down. I went over and tapped him on his bald tap. He looked back and just laughed. I’ve got so many embarrassing stories that are funny to me with celebrities. Come out to a show and I’ll tell you more details!
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
I don’t have much to say here other than performing in a small hallway is probably not the thing to do anymore.
A Chris Londo Fun Fact:
I’m extremely introverted. It’s to conserve energy for when I perform. I’m a huge fan of people-watching. But I always analyze and pick up other people’s energy. Sometimes it’s exhausting to be around too much different energy, good or bad.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I want to be able to make the world laugh and change how people view others’ perspectives. Hopefully making it easy for others to express themselves without feeling judged.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
You have to have the courage to embarrass yourself. The whole point of being on stage is to make people laugh. Finding out how to use your embarrassing moments and making them funny is what gets the crowd on your side and wants to see you succeed. Keep performing. Keep showing up.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I hope that comedy can get back to being straight talk. Making jokes about everyone on the planet. No one is safe from jokes. Jokes are meant to be funny or raise awareness. Jokes are meant to create equality. As long as it’s a joke, anyone can be the target. So I hope we can get the whole field back to that.
If you could write one episode for one classic TV sitcom which show would it be and give a brief detailed sentence on the episode:
I don’t have a tv show idea, but I think black comedy needs another Harlem Nights type movie with today’s black comedy legends. I’d sign up for that.
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
If you put Dave Chappelle, Katt Williams, and Eddie Murphy on one show together. Anywhere and time. That show will be iconic and woke.
What’s next for you:
I’m available for booking effective immediately. Follow me on Instagram and let’s laugh together!
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Kevin Hart made a special called “Laughing at My Pain” and that’s not just a title, it’s a true statement. There’s so much pain in the world, laughing helps overcome and keeps you alive. So go out there be embarrassed, go look stupid. Do talk to that girl/guy at the grocery store with all the butterflies in your stomach. Just go do it, and laugh about it if it doesn’t work out. You’ll have a good experience attached regardless of the outcome.
Follow Chris Londo’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram: @londochristophe @londoslaughs @londoscomedyvault
