Home Comedian of the Day Comedian of the Day (9/9/21): D’Maurier Johnson

Comedian of the Day (9/9/21): D’Maurier Johnson

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Nick Larson (@nicklarsonphotography)

Spelling his name correctly will probably win you the Scripps national spelling bee. Watching him perform stand-up comedy will have you asking him for his autograph immediately after the show. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian D’Maurier Johnson. The Bakersfield, CA native shares with us some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how he owns the laughs.

Name: D’Maurier Johnson
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @thisis_djtv
Years in Comedy: 2 Years
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: I’m also an actor and model. I have been in multiple mainstream artist music videos including Mozzy and Blxst. I also write my own comedy sketches and short films.
Comedic Influences: Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, and Dave Chappelle
Favorite Comedy Album: I don’t personally have a favorite comedy album, but my grandpa has recently introduced me to Rudy Ray Moore albums which are hilarious.
Favorite Comedy Special: I can’t just pick one! To keep it short, I’ll say, Eddie Murphy “Delirious”, Jamie Foxx “I Might Need Security”, and Kevin Hart “Let Me Explain!”
Favorite Comedy TV Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Favorite Comedic Character: All of Martin’s characters.
Favorite City to Perform In: My favorite city to perform in will always be my hometown Bakersfield, California because it’s home.
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Joke about is dating and relationships.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Any crowd with a lot of people who are just ready to laugh and have fun. Age, race, gender, none of that matter!
Favorite Comedy Club: Currently The HaHa Comedy Club in North Hollywood, California. I have goals of going to many more, so this may change. Stay Tuned!

How did you discover your passion for comedy:
My passion for making people laugh has been there since I was kid. I’ve always been well-known as a class clown at school, despite being shy. I also come from a family full of hilarious characters, so it was always in me. My passion for comedy began watching Def Jam, ComicView, and The Kings of Comedy as a child. However, I didn’t start to actually see myself being a stand-up comedian until I was about 23-24.

What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
What I remember most about my first time is Tyson Paul putting me on the show without ever seeing me perform a single joke. I was super nervous, but I knew I was ready. Jerry Law, who was headlining that night gave me a lot of support and game. Lastly, I remember the crowd being pretty rowdy for most of the show because there was a bar in the back where a lot of people stood, but when I went up, they gave me their attention and a good amount of laughs.

How would you describe your comedic style:
I would describe my comedic style as very clever story-telling.

Describe your process for comedic writing:
My writing process is pretty much non-stop because all day I’m writing down premises. When it’s time to write a new set of jokes, I’ll get the premises I feel I can connect and then I add in the transitions and things like that to make everything flow.

Describe the comedy scene in your area:
I would describe the comedy scene in my area as growing. It’s definitely doing well with my group (The Class Clowns), We Own the Laughs, C-Mac Productions, and Daniel Betts group over at the Well! We’re all killing it and putting Bakersfield on the map as a place for comedy!

How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
I don’t judge success in comedy because it’s subjective. Success is whatever it is to the individual. For me, I have dreams of being in television/movies and performing in arenas. For others, success may be getting to perform at the Laugh Factory and making a little money. For some, it may be just getting on stage weekly and getting things off their chest. It’s subjective!

Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Some of my comedic peers who inspire me are all my Class Clowns members, K-Mitch, Kyrei, Tiffany Belt, Brent McClanahan, Brodi Harris, Lito Iglesias, and Ryan Bell. Then there are other comedians such as Brandon Black, Tyson Paul, Dejon “The Decon” Jernagin, and Jerry Law.

What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
So far it would have to be when I did a We Own The Laughs show with Mark Curry and I got to ask my grandpa if he ever ate ass during my set. That might always be my favorite moment.

What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
What I’ve learned most from my failures in comedy are really the 5 P’s. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

How do people react towards you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
It’s always a positive reaction. They start to find everything I say hilarious and continue the conversation because who doesn’t want to laugh?

Describe what it’s been like building a career in stand-up comedy:
Building a career in comedy has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Seeing the growth I’ve had in a short amount of time makes doing everything else in life so much easier. I know how much it took for me to even get on stage. Luckily for me, I’ve been fortunate enough to have people give me positive feedback and guidance that has really helped me grow as a performer and as a person.

If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
More freedom of expression like it used to be. I believe comedians now have to filter themselves and choose their words more wisely because one wrong JOKE can end your career. Jokes are no longer taken as just jokes in some cases. It’s an art and I feel like you can’t try to filter how an artist chooses to paint his picture or tell his story. If it rubs you the wrong way, then that artist is not for you. Change the channel because there’s another artist who is.

Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
I’ve gotten a lot of great advice from some great comedians, but the best advice I’ve ever received was from Mark Curry. He told me to always be present. Know everything that’s going on in the room! Everything that happens in the room is material, not just what you wrote down and rehearsed.

If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
I haven’t really thought about this, but I think if I released a special this week, it would be called “God Knows My Heart” (Laughs)

Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I met Kevin Hart and we had a conversation about the spelling of my name and how my mom was to blame.

Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
Tehachapi, California in front of 10 people under a tent next to the longest railroad tracks of all time with constant train movement. Great show though! (Laughs)

A D’Maurier Johnson Fun Fact:
I couldn’t swim until 8th grade and I was afraid of roller coasters until I was 18. Also, I competed in spelling bees and county science fairs in elementary school.

Where would you like your laughs to take you:
My ultimate goal in comedy is to use the stage as a vehicle, in addition to modeling, to get me to where I ultimately want to be, which is in television and movies as an actor!

What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
If I were to give advice to a potential comedian, it would be to just go for it. There’s no way to truly prepare mentally for the stage other than just getting on the stage. After that, don’t quit when things get tough. You’re only going to get better with time. It’s guaranteed.

What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I believe the future of comedy is in a great place. I believe it’s different than it was before because of the paths we have to take now, but I think there will always be a place for comedy. Laughter is the one language we all understand no matter where we’re from.

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:
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the episode, Ashley would bring a boyfriend home for the first time, which would be me of course. Uncle Phil, Carlton, and Will are trying to find ways to get rid of me, but Ashley is in love. In the end, Aunt Viv and I and the 3 men will find common ground with me helping them through some sort of conflict, they find that I may actually be good for Ashley after all.

Damian Castruita (@shot_by_dame)

If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
I’d chose to perform with Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, and Karlous Miller at Oxnard Levity Live. I feel like that show would be hilarious. I just want to come up and do a guest spot for 10-15 minutes and then let those 3 be the GOATs they are and learn from them. Karlous would provide some great energy and crowd work. Kev would then come up with his energy and storytelling. The show would close with Dave for very obvious reasons.

What’s next for you:
Next for me is going to be to work on my craft, grow my brand, and continue to be consistent while finding ways to become better. I have some checklist clubs around the country that I have to perform at, so I plan on getting to those as well! .

Why should a person always laugh at life:
Why should a person laugh at life? Because it’s actually pretty funny.

Watch D’Maurier Johnson in the comedy sketch “Why Dudes Start Hatin’ When Women Get Around”:

Follow D’Maurier Johnson’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: D’Maurier Johnson

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