With her eyes set on becoming a bigger star than her hometown hero Lebron James, she has what it takes to make you laugh at her life at a moment’s notice. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Christina DiBiase. The Cleveland, OH native shares some of her favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how she always owns the laughs.
Name: Christina DiBiase
Hometown: Cleveland, OH/West Hollywood, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: IG: ohitschristinaa_ Twitter: @ohitschristinaa TikTok: @ohitschristina
Years in Comedy: 1 1/2 in Stand-Up Comedy BUT I’ve been doing improv/sketch/comedy writing/comedy acting for 10+ years.
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: You’ve either seen me making out with Jordan on CW’s All American, or you’ve seen me recreate one of the Turpin daughters trying to escape on Oxygens The Turpin 13: Family secrets exposed, or you saw me get hit by a car on Lifetime’s Revenge For My Mother.
Comedic Influences: Anna Faris & Regina Hall, Cast of Whose Line Is It Anyways, Amanda Bynes, Jenna Marbles, & Adam Sandler
Favorite Comedy Album: Niles Abston “Girls Don’t Twerk To Jokes”
Favorite Comedy Special: Kevin Hart “Seriously Funny”
Favorite Comedy Movie: White Chicks & Hot Rod. I even have a signed copy from Andy Samberg.
Favorite Comedy TV Show: I have too many. Ted Lasso, That 70s Show, Whose Line Is It Anyway and so many more
Favorite Comedic Character: It’s a tie between NoHo Hank and Erin from The Office.
Favorite City to Perform In: Los Angeles. It’s tough and challenging.
Favorite Topics to Joke About: My parents
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: The kind that understands dark humor.
Favorite Comedy Club: The Comedy Store
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
It didn’t really hit me until the end of 2021. I was always in the improv and sketch shows in college, and getting cast in comedic roles. Then after I moved to LA, people started telling me I should try stand up but I thought that was terrifying. After a while, I started realizing that I already sort of speak naturally in a joke format and I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh. Looking back on my life, and all the comedy & comedic timing I was absorbing as a child, it made perfect sense for me to pursue comedy!
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I treated my first time doing an open mic like a show. I invited all my friends and packed out the fourth wall in NoHo. I remember completely blanking on my first joke. I internally panicked for what felt like the whole 5 minutes but I just went into my next joke. And I killed it! Had the whole room laughing. It gave me all the confidence to keep doing it. I’m so happy my friends were there to see it.
How would you describe your comedic style:
Dark. Very dark. But in a fun light-hearted way.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
My writing process scares me. My best jokes that I have, have always come to me randomly. I guess I have my ADHD to thank for that. My brain runs 500 miles a minute but sometimes I get lucky and it slows down just in time. Other times, I’ll write down an idea I have for a joke. But it’s a long process of writing out everything I want to say. Then I sort of look at it like a math problem or a puzzle and move things around till it fits or I find the solution. It’s all a formula.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
It’s a big scene, but if you’re not careful you’ll get stuck in a small crowd. Constantly working on material in front of the same people. Definitely want to explore the entire scene and get a wider range of people to work out your jokes for. More room to grow that way.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
With social media, it’s become harder to “judge success.” Especially with people buying their verification badge. That’s fake success in my opinion. I’d be too embarrassed to do that, I’d rather earn it. I would say, if people are constantly asking you to be on shows, instead of yourself having to reach out, that’s the first step to a successful stand-up career. Getting booked at the big comedy clubs is the next step. Bringer shows don’t count.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Obviously my best friends Devon Drew & Devon Kane. Devon Drew is currently performing her solo show, Pop Star, which has motivated me to complete my own solo show. Her and I have similar stories getting to where we are today, so it’s pretty awesome to have someone around who can relate and joke about all the pedophiles we’ve performed in front of as children. We all run a show together too called Hello My Name Is Comedy! I also love to watch Shea Freeman perform. He booked me on my first show and we’ve been great friends ever since. Ray Lau is also an incredible comedian. His riffs are top tier. I was thrilled when he was down to be on our first show. There are honestly so many incredible comedians in the LA scene that I have nice words for. Willie Mac, Andrew Orolfo, Danny Sellers, Ian Zandi, Joy Mamey, Rachel Abrams, Sam Salem, Adam Chong, Corey Young, Rachel Dee, Raye Schiller.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
I would say it was when I was booked on one of Rick Martinelli’s shows (also a great comedian) I ended up riffing and roasting this guy in the front row. It was one of the first times I ever felt comfortable going off my material. Normally I freak out because my actor brain likes to take over and “stick to the script.” But this time I was successful at it and jokes were just coming to me at the top of my head and they were all landing. It felt really great.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is just because one joke bombed at a show, doesn’t mean it’s a bad joke. There’s a good chance the audience wasn’t “my audience.” My type of humor isn’t always going to resonate with every crowd, especially this early in my career.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
From what I’ve seen they are always extremely surprised. As an “attractive” nonhousehold name comedian, you really have to fight to get the audience on your side. There’s this notion that comedians aren’t supposed to be attractive. I think that’s bullshit. Physical features aren’t what makes a comedian great. Trauma does. And I have C-PTSD. So.
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
It’s an exhausting hustle that I love. Randomly pausing conversations to write down a premise that pops into your head. Patience when it comes to editing and adding captions to clips for social media. Going out to mics and shows. Having self-restraint so you don’t accidentally turn into an alcoholic while getting paid in drink tickets. Making genuine connections and friendships. Constantly putting yourself out there. But also living your life. If you’re not living your life aside from the hustle, then you have nothing to write about.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
GET RID OF ALL THE CREEPY MEN WHO LIKE BARELY LEGAL & UNDERAGE GIRLS!
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
Don’t cut off the audience’s laughter.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
“Only Child Syndrome”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
My first week living in San Francisco. Moved there for college, Academy of Art University. I’m drunk walking down Sutter St. with some new friends. I notice these older guys walking out of a building. I keep turning back because they look so familiar. It was Ryan Stiles and Chip Esten. So, I leave my friends and walk up to them due to liquid courage and tell them how I’ve always enjoyed watching them on tv. We all laughed and joked around. They couldn’t have been nicer. It was just crazy that it was my first week of completely turning my life around and I met my comedy idols. Made me feel like I made the right choice to move to California.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
Zoom improv show.
A Christina DiBiase Fun Fact:
I’m really good at rolling blunts and joints.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I would absolutely love to run a production company with my friends so that we can create our own films & tv shows that we write, direct and act in.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Don’t try to be anyone but yourself. Find what makes you unique and run with it.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
Independent specials are going to become the new normal because they are created out of passion. Not money-greedy studios looking to make an outrageous profit while simultaneously paying their writers scraps.
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:
That 70’s Show. The school they go to is putting on Romeo and Juliet, Kelso has a natural talent for understanding the Shakespearean language but doesn’t want to audition, Jackie tries to sabotage Donna for the role of Juliet, Hyde secretly goes to Kelso to perfect his audition monologue, Eric thinks he doesn’t need to prepare for the audition and he can just wing it, Fez is the director of the play.
If you could choose 1 comedy club and 3 comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
The main room at The Comedy Store. I’d be a feature with Zainab Johnson and Esther Povitsky for headliner, Michelle Wolf.
What’s next for you:
Currently working on my solo show titled Born To Dance! Hoping to get it on its feet by the end of the year!
Why should a person always laugh at life:
This world is a disaster. You’ll become bitter if you don’t lighten up. Laughter is the best medicine and I think it’ll heal the world if we all learn to laugh at ourselves and stop taking everything so personally.
Follow Christina DiBiase’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Christina DiBiase
Youtube: Christina DiBiase
Personal Website: Christina DiBiase
