Meet Rosie Tran

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosie Tran.

Rosie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My Dad is still shocked that I am a stand-up comedian. As he always used to say, I was his “shy little girl.” Honestly, I think God, the Universe, Fate – whatever you want to call it – brought me to the entertainment industry. I say that because it is something I never would have consciously chosen for myself. My family was always pushing me to be a doctor, or something “safe and sensible”. I was a straight A, straight laced student. In High School, I dated a guy that dreamed of becoming a stand-up comedian. We moved to Los Angeles together. After we broke up, I missed going to the open mics and comedy nights with him to hang out. He was always encouraging me to just “write five minutes.” At first, I thought I would never be able to do something like comedy, but I had it in the back of my mind. I wrote some jokes in my head and just never told anyone.

Something happened the first time I went up on stage, I was home. For most people, it takes years and years to gain confidence on stage and have stage presence, but (despite my super shy personality) when I was on stage, an alter-ego came out. I was always comfortable on stage from Day 1. I think I was born to be an entertainer, but I just never knew it. I never knew something like that was possible for me.

I don’t have the typical comedy story. A lot of comedians I know tell stories about watching Johnny Carson growing up or writing routines and performing them for their families. I never even knew what stand up comedy was before I met my ex. I was into fashion and other things. It was such a blessing in disguise because when most comedians start out, they have comedians they look up to. They try to emulate those comedians. So, if you were influenced by Eddie Murphy, if you are a new comedian, your material is very similar to Eddie Murphy’s. Then, you have to learn to write in your own voice. You have to become your own comedian. Because I had no idea about anything having to do with stand up, I just wrote material that I thought was funny – things that made me laugh. Usually, they say it takes ten years to develop your comedic voice, but I think within two or three years, I had my voice already. I was just Rosie telling Rosie jokes. My ignorance allowed me to be a clean slate for creativity.

Years later, here I am. I’m still telling jokes, and I am still making people laugh. It is a true blessing.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a smooth road as far as the creative process. Writing and performing have always been natural and easy for me. The hardest part has been the stereotypes and the business. A lot of people really hate and despise funny women. It shocked me. I had a booker of a large comedy chain e-mail me early in my career and tell me that he really liked me and thought I was funny, but that “nobody wants to see funny, cute women do stand up comedy.” This was a huge blow and honestly puzzled me, especially since I had just come back from doing a sold-out, all-girl comedy show where male and female audiences alike told us that they loved our show and were refreshed to see something other than white, male comedians performing.

I once had a fellow male comedian make a fake email account just to send me hate mail for getting booked on shows he didn’t feel I “deserved”. Stereotypes are also awful! I regularly get comments from audience members after my show saying they were shocked I was so funny because I “look so submissive” which I think is a comment clearly based on race and gender. I don’t think anyone would say that to a black male, for example.

Overall, I am very grateful for the career I have had. Despite the struggles, I am truly a success because I get to do what I love. I have gotten to tour internationally, open for some of the biggest names in the comedy business, and meet celebrities and people of all walks of life. I get to bring joy and laughter to people. Sharing the gift of laughter with people is the greatest gift.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am most proud of my comedy based volunteer work with kids and my tours overseas for the US Troops. I was a lead mentor for an amazing non-profit called “Stand up With Comedy.” We go to underserved schools and support the kids through teaching the basics of stand up comedy. It has been a genuinely rewarding experience to inspire the next generation of comedians. I never even knew comedy was a potential career choice, and I hope that our work mentoring kids will show them they can do anything! I am especially excited when I see young girls signing up for our workshop!

My comedy tours with the US Military were also life-changing. We got the chance to go to some of the really remote bases where they really needed a smile in Iraq. Years later, I was performing at a show in Southern California, and a former army veteran came up to me after the show. He thanked me from the bottom of his heart for my work overseas. He said the troops always looked forward to the entertainers who donated their time, and on more than one occasion, we even were responsible for saving lives! He told me how he was on a really tough mission out in the desert and thought about suicide. Thinking about the jokes from the comedy show on base had kept him going. His story brought me to tears and made me realize how much good we really were doing.

Finally, my most proud moment was after a show one night in New York. A group of Asian and East Indian medical students came up to me and told me how amazing it was that someone from our ethnic background was pursuing comedy. Several of the students told me that they were inspired by me for not following the conventional road and becoming “just another Asian doctor!” I am not bashing the wonderful men and women who choose the medical field, but it was nice to be validated.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Yes! I have seen a big shift. When I started comedy, it was very much an all-white, all-boys club. That was really hard on me. I am so happy to see how inclusive comedy has become in the past five years. There are so many people of all ethnic backgrounds doing comedy now. There are so many women. I used to do comedy shows, and sometimes I was the only woman on the show! Usually, I was the only minority. Now, there are all-girl shows, festivals, theme nights. It is really an exciting time to be in stand up comedy. Some of my best friends in the business are white, male comedians. I do not want to come off like I hate men or white people! My husband is a white male! I love white males! But I think society is eager to hear some other voices in comedy, and I am ready to be part of this comedy revolution.

I have also seen a shift in control. You don’t have to wait for Hollywood anymore to create content. You can create your own comedy album, youtube videos, and podcasts. I created my show, Out of the Box Podcast with Rosie Tran (www.outoftheboxpodcast.com) so that alternative voices could be heard. I interview people I find interesting or have something important or positive to say that might not get mainstream media exposure. I have met so many unique and amazing people through my show. They are doing good work that deserves attention!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rosietran.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/outoftheboxrosie
• Facebook: facebook.com/funnyrosie
• Twitter: twitter.com/funnyrosie
• Other: www.outoftheboxpodcast.com

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