Life & Work with Atheana Ritchie of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Atheana Ritchie

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From Cop to Comedy: The Wild Ride That Changed Everything

Okay, let me tell y’all something—I have a very unique story. No, seriously. Picture this: fresh out of college, broke, and yet full of ambition, I did what any responsible young adult would do—I applied to be a cop. Yeah. A damn police officer.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “You? A cop?” Yes, me. Badge, gun, the whole nine. I really thought I was about to be out here making a difference in my community, serving justice, flipping on sirens just for the hell of it—you know, real hero shit. I was locked in, ready to start my life as Officer ‘Bout-to-Clean-Up-The-Streets’.

And then… the universe hit me with a big fat PAUSE—like, “Oh, baby, nah, this ain’t for you.” You can’t even do a pushup girl. So, Instead hand cuffs, life handed me something very different… a spot on Wild ‘N Out.

Now, if you know Wild ‘N Out, you know that’s about as far from a police job as you can get. One minute, I’m preparing to chase down criminals—the next, I’m on national TV hyping up battle rappers and introducing games like I was born to be there. It was wild (no pun intended). I wasn’t even a main cast member—I was a Wild ‘N Out girl, which meant my job was to look cute, keep the energy high, and occasionally dance on beat. But something about being in that comedy space just clicked. Seeing how humor could shift the whole energy of a room? That did something to my soul.

And at that moment, I knew—this is what I wanna do. PERIOD.

But wait—let’s not forget about my cop dream. That was still happening! I had passed all my tests, done my ride-alongs, and even had a mentor. I was right there. But deep down, something was telling me… this ain’t it, sis. And sometimes, you gotta listen to that little voice before life forces you to.

Then, life forced me to.

A double foot and ankle surgery later (because apparently God said, “If you won’t sit your a*s down, I’ll do it for you”), my cop career was in the rearview mirror, and my focus shifted completely. I was gonna figure out how to write comedy.

Now, let me tell you—writing did NOT come easy. Structure? Discipline? Focus? Chile, please. I got ADHD on steroids. My brain is like 47 open tabs with house music playing from every where. Sitting down and actually writing a cohesive, structured script felt damn near impossible. But I knew if I wanted this bad enough, I had to figure it out.

And I did.

Fast forward to 2020. The world shut down, everybody’s baking banana bread and learning TikTok dances, and I’m sitting there like, “Alright, it’s now or never.” I knew I had to start reaching out—what’s the worst that could happen? Somebody tells me no? Guys hear no all the time I’ll survive.

Then, a name popped into my head… Nick Cannon.

Now, Nick has always been solid. Always been cool and supportive. So I thought, what the hell? I sent him a message, told him I wanted to write, and sent some writing samples. Next thing I know—BOOM. Interview. BOOM. I’m working in his production studio. BOOM. I’m a Creative Consultant & Writer for Wild ‘N Out—the very show that first put me on! Six damn seasons later. Talk about a full-circle moment.

Also, because I do have raging ADHD I always have my hand in several pies. During 2020 I also took an interest in Astrology, human design, and numerology. I created 4 comedic astrology pages on TikTok that have proved to be very creative and lucrative. I roast peoples birth charts and drag them all across the universe and back down to reality. Check out my pages: @aintastrologyfunny, @damnyoureagemini, @damnyoureascorpio, and @youreanaries.

So if I can leave y’all with one piece of advice? NEVER. GIVE. UP.

You’re gonna hear 100 no’s—but guess what? You only need one yes. Just make sure you stay ready. Keep writing. Keep creating. Even if nobody’s watching right now, they will be. And when that moment comes? You better be ready as hell.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, you wanna talk about this industry? The one where if you ain’t a nepo baby, a trust fund kid, or morally flexible enough to sell your soul for a writer’s credit, you gotta claw your way up like you’re in a damn action movie? Yeah. That industry.

See, I didn’t come in with a last name that gets me a free pass. I don’t have some Hollywood daddy sliding me scripts like bedtime stories. I had to lace up my hiking boots and climb this mountain from the bottom—no ropes, no shortcuts, just sheer willpower and an unhealthy amount of caffeine.

And let me tell you something—being a BIPOC woman in this industry? It’s like running a marathon with weights strapped to your ankles while everyone else is on a damn hoverboard. I couldn’t just be good—oh no, I had to be exceptional. No room for mediocrity. No space for “oops, I’ll try again.” If I walked into a room, I had to make sure my voice was heard. If I put pen to paper, it had to be undeniable. Because let’s be real—these rooms? Male-dominated as hell.

But here’s the thing—when it hits, it HITS. That feeling of knowing you earned your spot, knowing your work is speaking louder than any privilege ever could? That’s the real flex. And that’s why I keep going. Because at the end of the day, I didn’t just want a seat at the table—I wanted to build the whole damn table myself.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Im truly a creative at heart. Whether it’s my comedy writing, tear jerking drama scripts, roasting peoples birth charts on TikTok, or diving in deep into my photography. I am always creating something to make people feel. To make people think. To change people. That’s all I truly want to do. And what sets me apart is that you can see “me” in everything that I do. I will not water myself down or assimulate my writing so that it’s more palatable. I’m me- straight up, with no chaser or lime. I am who I am and what you see is what you’re gonna get. And I’m proud of that.

What’s next?
My plans for the future are to keep pushing, keep writing, and work my way into the next writing room. Hopefully a cable show so I can cuss.

Contact Info:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atheana-ritchie-13b081a1/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@aintastrologyfunny