As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs while getting to know comedian Mac Ruiz. The Santa Cruz, CA native shares with us some of her favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how she owns the laughs.
Name: Mac Ruiz
Hometown: Los Osos/Santa Cruz, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @itsmacruiz @its_mac_ruiz
Years in Comedy: 4
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: YouTube as Kenzie Ruiz in Rich Ferguson’s prank videos.
Comedic Influences: Emma Arnold & Kyle Ayers
Favorite Comedy Album: Kyle Ayers “Happiness”
Favorite Comedy Special: John Mulaney “New In Town”
Favorite Comedy Movie: Step Brothers
Favorite Comedy TV Show: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Favorite Comedic Character: Linda Belcher (Bobs’s Burgers)
Favorite City to Perform In: Santa Cruz, CA
Favorite Topics to Joke About: My own personal trauma.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Big energy with people who are engaged.
Favorite Comedy Club: DNA’s Comedy Lab (RIP due to Covid ?)
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
Someone said I should try it and I was already a comedy fan and actress.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I did not do well!
How would you describe your comedic style:
Dark, Bubbly, & Sassy.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I take personal experiences and find the funny in them.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Prior to COVID we had comedy almost 7 nights a week.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
It’s based on what each individual comedian wants for themselves. For me, I want to make a career out of it.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Some of my favorite peers to watch perform are Chree Powell, Aivy Cordova, Butch Escobar, and Daymon Ferguson.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
When I performed on a New Year’s Eve show in front of almost 300 people.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
Hard work pays off and when you don’t work hard you have will slip. I’ve also learned that there is a way to fail with grace and learn from your mistakes.
How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
I think they get excited.
Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
It takes a lot of work and a lot of networking. There will be a lot of late nights and a lot of failures that you have to work through.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
I would want women and POC comedians to be booked more.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
I write a lot of jokes about difficult things I’ve experienced in life and one of my favorite comedians once told me that if it still hurts when I tell it and it bombs, it’s probably too soon and I should give myself more time to talk about it on stage.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
Nightstand Champagne.
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
Rob Schneider once yelled at me for opening his wine wrong.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
A sushi restaurant
A Mac Ruiz Fun Fact:
I’m obsessed with pickles.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I want to be a professional comedian who tours and eventually has television specials.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Be you. Never try to be anyone that you’re not and show the audience who you really are.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I think comedy has a bright future because laughter is such an important thing in life.
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 would want to write an episode for It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and it would be about the gang running a daycare out of the bar.
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
It would be at the San Jose Improv with Emma Arnold, Tom Segura, and Judah Friedlander
What’s next for you:
Just keep working on my jokes and trying to perform as much as possible with the hope of moving to San Francisco.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Being able to laugh at life relieves a lot of the stress that comes with inevitable hardships.
Follow Mac Ruiz’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @itsmacruiz @its_mac_ruiz
