You don’t need a study guide to realize that your new favorite class clown is also quite the nerd. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian/writer Holly Anabel Brown. The Los Angeles, CA native shares with us some of her favorite moments in stand-up comedy and why she owns the laughs.
Name: Holly Anabel Brown
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Instagram: @Hollybrowncomedy Twitter: @Itshollybrown Facebook: Holly Anabel Brown
Years in Comedy: 6
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: Host of the nerd podcast “Well Actually”, Funny Or Die and the comedy show “Salty AF”
Comedic Influences: Maria Bamford, Mike Birbiglia, & Wanda Sykes
Favorite Comedy Album: Patton Oswalt’s “Werewolves and Lollipops” and Mike Birbiglia’s “My Secret Public Journal”
Favorite Comedy Special: Any of Maria Bamford’s specials and Zach Galifianakis’s “Live At The Purple Onion”
Favorite Comedy Movie: Clueless
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Too many! Buffy, Frasier, Insecure, Broad City
Favorite Comedic Character: Edi Patterson on The Righteous Gemstones has to be one of the funniest performances of all time.
Favorite City to Perform In: San Francisco, CA
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Death and Video Games, how fun!
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Any! You can never assume anything about an audience
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
I was always unhealthily obsessed with comedians at a very young age. By middle school I could name every cast member that’s ever been on SNL in order like a manic, so I knew it was my calling.
How would you describe your comedic style:
Like the girl next door with an edge. Someone that could just as easily pull of a crop top as a straight jacket!
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I write down everything I say that makes someone laugh and every thought I have that I find funny. Then, once I’ve compiled at least 10 ideas I work through each of them and maybe 1 gets fleshed out into a full joke. Most go by the wayside as a causality of comedy.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
So many indie shows! I’ve done comedy everywhere in Los Angeles: Backyards, basements, rooftops, golf courses, and cat cafes (yes, with real cats).
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
Respect from my peers and obviously money money money!
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Kane Holloway and Danielle Arce are two of my favorite people to watch perform. Follow them!
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I wish it was something inspiring and beautiful, but if I’m being honest, it has to be the time I was the most hungover I have ever been after celebrating my boyfriends’ birthday the night before. I woke up that day feeling like hot garbage but got a call to perform at The Improv last minute. I drove there, barely, couldn’t talk without feeling sick, but the second I stepped on stage it all went away like a magic power and I had one of the best sets of my life.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
Your lowest lows can turn around so quickly and be your highest highs. Being able to have nearly everything working against you and still have a good set makes you feel pretty damn resilient.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
As a bartender pre-pandemic, I would always get “Tell me a joke”, so I’d say “Give me 20 bucks” Sometimes it would work! People are wild.
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
Gatekeeping and difficult. In a city like Los Angeles, you have the opportunity to work a lot and very fast, but once you get to a certain point you have to pass levels of gatekeeping to keep getting better and better opportunities.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
Sexism and the protection of predatory men. Fun, right!
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
Literally, all I can think of are all of the times men gave me advice to “not wear make-up” or “put my hair in a ponytail”. The list goes on. Would love some advice from people that actually want to talk about comedy and not my appearance.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
“Jokes About Death: Live!” or “72 hours to kill”, something that references the darker parts of my comedy.
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
When I was 14 I saw Jimmy Fallon at a concert, just hanging out at the Hollywood Bowl. I don’t know what came over me, but I walked right up to him and his group of friends, tipped an imaginary hat, stuck my hand out and in an old-timey voice say “Pleasure to meet you”. I want to have that kind of confidence again!
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any forms of comedy:
For sure at a Cat Café. Cats running around mid-performance, meowing, being all kinds of cute.
A Holly Anabel Brown Fun Fact:
I know way too much about Beer and paint custom denim jackets for nerds!
Watch Holly Anabel Brown at The Set-Up Comedy Show in San Francisco, CA:
You can stay up to date with Holly’s comedic career on the following social media websites:
Instagram: @Hollybrowncomedy
Twitter: @Itshollybrown
Facebook: Holly Anabel Brown
[…] miss Drew Landry’s monthly show Salty AF with co-host Holly Anabel Brown at The Hollywood Improv. Also, check out The Drunk Tank comedy show with co-host Kat Aegesen […]
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