The Wayans family continues to shine bright in the entertainment industry, and Chaunté Wayans is the latest member making the smoke in Los Angeles. Wayans spoke with rolling out about who’s making the smoke as a comedian, and she dispenses advise to those who aspire to build a career in entertainment.
Who’s making smoke as a comedian?
There are a lot of people. A few of my favorite comedians off the top are Clayton Thomas and Franqi French. There are a lot of people out there, but we’re all out here making smoke.
What makes Los Angeles a great place to be a comedian?
You will get a lot of laughs. Now, if you go to the East Coast, which is where I’m from, then you got to figure s— out. But Los Angeles is a good place to make your mark, and you get to be around people who’ve been in the game for a while and can give you advice.
What advice do you have for people who want to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t be afraid to bomb. Don’t be afraid to try s— on stage. You are developing something that’s going to become a masterpiece later on in life. You have to work, and you have to figure it out. Sometimes you have to go on stage and figure out what that joke is and it might not hit. Don’t necessarily let that go, just keep trying to get work in. You have three times. If it doesn’t work the third time, put that s— aside or throw it in the trash. Most importantly, be true to yourself. Keep writing, keep working, and get some followers up because right now you don’t even have to be funny. If you can do a good “knock-knock” joke and it goes viral, you are on your way.
