As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Andrea Vicunia. The Madrid, Spain native shares some of her favorite moments in stand-up comedy and lets us know how she always owns the laughs.
Name: Andrea Vicunia
Hometown: Madrid, Spain/Los Angeles, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: @andreavicunia
Years in Comedy: 4-5 Years (with a bit of pandemic break)
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: Stereotyped (Created by me) on Amazon Prime, Libres on Sundance TV, & many bilingual commercials.
Comedic Influences: Mindy Kaling, Amy Schumer, Louis Ck, Bill Burr, Ali Wong, & etc. In Spain, my favorite is Leo Harlem!
Favorite Comedy Album: Have listened to Aida Rodriguez’s on Spotify and looooved it! Jim Gaffigan too!
Favorite Comedy Special: I recently watched John Mulaney’s “Baby J” and cried laughing! Also, remember laughing a lot with Iliza’s “Elder Millennial”.
Favorite Comedy Movie: There are movies that I can watch a million times and laugh like “Meet the Parents”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” but I also have a soft spot for French comedies like “Le Prenom” where the characters are locked in a room, and the comedy comes from a big secret revealed or “Wild Tales” from Argentina!
Favorite Comedy TV Show: I leave my dog watching “Friends, Impractical Jokers, and How I Met Your Mother on a daily basis, so those would be my go-to’s! Brooklyn 911, Inside Amy Schumer, Schitt’s Creek, and Louie too.
Favorite Comedic Character: So hard to choose! I guess the lovable loser has my heart and my laughter usually: Ross (and his physicality), Gaylord Focker, Andy Stitzer, etc.
Favorite City to Perform In: Las Vegas was super fun because the audiences are unhinged! Chicago has my utmost respect!!!
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Being a foreigner in America and stereotypes
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: Laughing (kinda drunky) and chatty ones.
Favorite Comedy Club: The Laugh Factory Chicago
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
I came to America and struggled with the stereotypes put onto me being an actress in LA, I would come back and tell my neighbors the racist comment of the day or the crazy date I had gone to and they would die laughing. That made me change my mindset and start laughing at the bad situations that happen in life. I think it’s a great way to approach life and not take everything personally. Comedy makes us realize we’re not alone in our drama and our weirdness.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I did it at Flappers Comedy Club in LA because they give you a free cookie and I thought: “If I suck… I still get a cookie!”. Anytime anyone asks me about starting comedy I send them to cookie mic!! I got booked on the club and invited every person I know to come… the entitlement!!! haha I remember feeling good but now I know about timing and structure which I didn’t back then.
How would you describe your comedic style:
I guess I could be described as “observational” as most of my comedy is about me coming to America and observing it as an outsider. Also “anecdotal” as I have so many hilarious stories that have happened to me.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
I usually pick a subject and spiderweb (is that a verb?) my thoughts on it or what comes to mind first. I’ll then start writing premises and punchlines and create a 2 min set about it and try it out on a mic.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
LA has a huge comedy scene and many shows happening every night! Lots of levels and styles so it’s a great city to go out and see people performing. I live on the Sunset Blvd Strip so I’m close to the biggest clubs and I’m able to see huge comedians on a daily basis.
It’s relatively easy to get 5-7 min in shows in LA as it’s a showcase city but I have done longer sets outside of LA.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
It’s hard to judge your success and not compare yourself. I thought getting booked in many shows determined your success but after seeing many comics, I had put on my “successful” list, live – now I focus on quality material, presence and how much continuous laughter you can achieve in a show. I feel like a booker knowing you are the person who can bring a room back is where success is at!
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Michael Yo, Alex Kumin, Patricia Galvan, Shea Freeman, Alex Bonifer, Mary Gallagher, etc.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
In 2018, I was chosen to be part of a Women in Comedy Cohort in Chicago, we would write scripts and film them and have mentoring from professionals from The Onion, The Second City, Game of Thrones… Incredible!!! My comedic film “Stereotyped” was chosen to film inside Warner Bros Studios and also won the “Best Underrepresented Filmmakers Award” and it was handed to me by Ava Duvernay in front of 4000 people! I felt seen and that my story matters.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
When I tell people I’m a comedian, the usual response is: “Omg I could never do it, what if you bomb?”
1. You learn your ego will survive bombing.
2. It makes me revisit my set and check what didn’t work.
3. It reminds me that comedy is subjective and not everyone will like your jokes or you. But others will!
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
You always get that person that says “Tell us a joke” and I’ll just respond by asking them to do their job too. I have a big personality and this accent so I don’t think it surprises people that much but it’s a hit or miss!
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
I’m still figuring that out! I guess my actress background made me understand that you have to have an entrepreneurial mindset and pitch yourself. I believe you have to go through an open mic and doing 5 minute sets for some time but don’t want to get stuck there.
Also- network, network, network!
You can go many ways:
– Becoming a show producer
– Open or feature for bigger comedians
– Start a podcast
– Tour with a show
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
NO BRINGER SHOWS!!!!!! I understand the concept, but it is exhausting to try to build material and perform it and have the pressure of inviting your poor friends every week to another show!
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
Listen to your sets, even if it makes you cringe at first; that’s the only way you’ll learn what worked this time that didn’t last time.
Repeat your set until you master it!
Writer rooms are the best – be open to feedback – if you use it or not is up to you!
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
“Immigrant Mentality”, someone said that about me as a compliment and I think it’s so hilarious!
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I bumped into Spain actor “Miguel Angel Silvestre” from a Netflix show “Sense 8” (and a ton of other Spanish shows)at The Abbey and just went to him and said:
“OMGGGG What are you doing here?”
He looked at me confused.
“Omg waitt you don’t know meee but I do know youuuu”
Died laughing but then we talked normally for a while.
Also was gambling in Vegas beside Jonathan Rhys Meyers and we talked about how much I liked “The Tudors”.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
Street alley in DTLA in horrible cold basically performing for the Homeless
Improv in Chicago in the snow
An Andrea Vicunia Fun Fact:
I hadn’t had any peanut butter until arriving to the States and a friend offered me a PB+J Sandwich and I thought he was crazy. What a beautiful discovery, America! Not getting me to eat pickles out of a jar, ew!
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
I would love to tour and travel doing comedy.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
One of the hardest things for me was to stop and let the laughs fall in that silence. That is your reward! Stop and enjoy it!
The goal for me is to have laughs every 20 secs or so, there’s technique and timing in comedy and that’s how you own those laughs. You have to repeat that set so many times and find the inflections, the pauses, the tone and then magic happens and the laughs come!
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
Laugh is so important that I don’t think it can be replaced (by AI or aliens)! Imagine how horrible the pandemic would’ve been without access to comedic content. When we were released back to the world, comedy shows were packed, and people wanted to laugh! People want to relate to each other! People want to laugh together! So I think stand-up is here to stay!
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 actually wrote a speck episode for “Modern Family” that made it to the final round of the WB Writers Apprentice Program. It was called “Cinco de Mayo” and the logline would be: “Claire, Cam and Gloria compete for who’s making the best dish for the Cinco de Mayo party at the kid’s school. Manny and Luke compete for Maria’s attention. Who’s Maria? Lily’s new Spanish babysitter. Gloria is not ready for another exotic member to join the family so Maria must disappear.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
Hmmmm… I would love to perform in “El Club de la Comedia” in Spain with my family and friends watching and I would take Amy Schumer, Leo Harlem and Jerry Seinfield. A weird mix but I would love to sit in the green room and listen to their advice!
What’s next for you:
Going to do a few shows in Vegas, La Jolla and LA so very excited for that! Also, my creator juices are reviving, so I want to film a sketch and stand-up comedy TV Show!
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Life is so much brighter when you can laugh at it and yourself. If you take yourself too seriously, life will not be easy, I think comedy is the best therapy to have internalized.
Follow Andrea Vicunia’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/Tik-Tok: Andrea Vicunia
Youtube: Andrea Vicunia
Personal Website: Andrea Vicunia
