As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Jesse Martin. The Columbia, MD native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and explains how he always owns the laughs.
Name: Jesse S. Martin
Hometown: Columbia, MD/Los Angeles, CA
Instagram/Twitter/Tik-Tok: @jsmartinlive
Years in Comedy: 5
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: Hulu, Amazon Prime, All Def Digital, and Investigation Discovery
Comedic Influences: Michael Che & Chris Rock
Favorite Comedy Album: Chris Rock “Bigger & Blacker”
Favorite Comedy Movie: Friday
Favorite Comedy TV Show: The Boondocks
Favorite City to Perform In: Washington D.C.
Favorite Topics to Joke About: Life’s Oddities, Personal Experience, and Relationships
Favorite Comedy Club: D.C. Improv or Houston Improv
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
Doing skits in high school.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I was in Brooklyn and went up without telling anyone it was my first time. The owner brought me back and said, “You aren’t very funny, but you got charisma,” and brought me back to host weekly.
How would you describe your comedic style:
Observational & Introspective
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Write down everything you find interesting, then decide how to make others care about it.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
LA is a melting pot of people who either came here to do comedy or came to showcase their talent from their hometown. Interesting mix.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
Did you get what you wanted out of it? Some people want fame and money, some want acceptance, and some want to just get their story out. I judge by what you get out of it.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Skeet Carter, Chinedu, Malik B, G King, and Nore Davis
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
Performing at Magooby’s in Baltimore in front of my parents for the first time.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
Stage is similar to life, can’t let a joke bombing ruin a whole set, adjust, just like in life, don’t let a setback ruin your day/mood, adjust find the next thing.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
Hopefully, they don’t ask me to tell a joke
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
Decide on your goal. If you don’t have one, then just start doing mics, building community, and having fun. Just working at it will lead you to places you didn’t know you would go.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
Reduce the dependency on following up with bookers.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
If you don’t believe what you’re talking about, neither will the audience.
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
“Intention”
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
I thought a famous comic thought I was another comic when he approached me, but then he said, “I know you’re not him, man, I’m not that old,” and then complimented me on my set.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
A super small hair salon.
A Jesse Martin Fun Fact:
I wrote a feature film for a Peabody Award winner, and when they were about to film it, production got shut down cause of COVID, and it still hasn’t been shot.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
Sell a Show I EP, hopefully also star in, but I’m not greedy.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Tell your story and decide how you can make people care about it.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
In the future, everyone will consume only what is pushed to them through an algorithm, so comedy will get super siloed into small niche segments. Most success will come when people carve out specific niches, which I don’t necessarily think is a great thing, but it is what it is.
If you could write an episode for ONE classic TV sitcom, which show would it be:
A Keenan & Kel episode about each of them auditioning for All That or SNL.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
DC Improv with Malik B., Skeet Carter, and Chinedu
What’s next for you:
I have a live show Idea that I’ll launch later this year. Then, I’ll turn my focus to projects I’m currently pitching.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because no one makes it out alive.
Follow Jesse Martin’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter: Jesse Martin
Youtube: Jesse Martin
