May 6, 2019

Life and Work with Courtney Cronin Dold

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Cronin Dold.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I went to a very small high school here in West Hollywood and was always the lead in the school plays because there was no one else who wanted to do it. I foolishly thought I wanted to study theater and was accepted into the theater program at Boston University. It was there that I discovered I wanted to focus solely on comedy. A professor of mine said he saw something in me, and it was a stand-up comedian trapped in the body of a theater student. He was spot on, but I was afraid to try. I did stand-up for the first time my senior year, after a traumatic experience involving a psychotic roommate who thought he was Jesus. Hilarious right? I figured if I could get through that, I could finally do stand-up. So, I wrote a bunch of jokes about him and then did my first 5 minutes. And one year later, I was a back in Los Angeles and a regular at the Laugh Factory. So, after seven years of doing stand up professionally -and on the road- I decided that I enjoyed writing the jokes more than I did telling them. So, I got a writer’s assistant job on ESPN’s late night talk show “Mohr Sports” starring Jay Mohr and that’s when I knew I wanted to write for television. I went from that job to another writer’s assistant job at MTV for the celebrity roast of Carson Daly called, “Bash” and on both shows, I was able to write material that made it on the air. Since then, I’ve worked on over 35 series and pilots. Most recently I was a writer on season 4 of BattleBots which premieres in June on Discovery.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
None of it has been easy. Even with twenty plus years I’ve been doing this, it can still sometimes be a struggle. If you’re on a show that gets canceled or a pilot that doesn’t get picked up, you’re out looking for another job. I’ve been lucky to spend a year or two on projects and other times jumping from show to show a month here, a month there. Sometimes there are long periods between jobs but I fill the time doing stand-up on the road and writing for other comedians. But now, with the ability to create your own content and get it seen, I think it’s easier to get noticed and there are more opportunities for female comedy writers. I’ve met so many amazing women in this business that are incredible writers. I love working with Lisa Sundstedt from PRETTY, FUNNY WOMEN. It’s an amazing group of incredibly talented people. I wish that existed for me when I was new. When I co-teach classes with Lisa I always tell her students that.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I do a lot of game shows and sports comedy but my specialty is in hidden camera pranks and I love bringing rock music and comedy together. I’ve worked on thirteen hidden camera series and pilots as a writer and producer and have created several prank shows that I am currently pitching to networks. Currently, I’m producing a live show called PUNCHLINES AND BACKLINES. It’s a stand-up comedy and music show where a rock star does comedy for the first time, and a comedian gets to jam on a song or two with them at the end of the night. It’s at the Grafton hotel, the last Thursday of every month and is always a “who’s who” of LA rockers and Dennis Rodman and his lovely wife were also at our last show. These are my passions as I am a huge music nerd. I have opened for Craig Gass on the KISS cruise- for the band Kiss- twice and I’m very involved in the world of the KISS ARMY podcasts and events. It’s my happy place and like a second family.

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Have no fear, and ask questions. I was always afraid of being yelled at and afraid to speak up when I didn’t know something. Now, I ask lots of questions, it’s better to be sure of what you’re doing, then to try and guess and be wrong. Decide what kind of writing you want to do, and put all your energy into doing it. If you’re good, you’ll get the gig. And be pleasant to work with. Whatever world of television writing you work in, it’s a small one. Everyone knows everyone. Confidence is great, but arrogance is unbecoming. Keep your ego in check and keep writing every day, even if it’s just one joke. Always flex your comedy writing muscle or it’ll get flabby like my upper arms.

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