Conversations with Felicia Folkes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicia Folkes.

Hi Felicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am the kind of comedian who makes you laugh first and realize later she was telling the truth the whole time. Born and raised in Inglewood, California. My comedy is fearless, sharp, and unapologetically real. My comedy centers around my life as a young Black woman and a recent breast cancer survivor, blending sharp wit with vulnerability and fearless honesty. I first started performing stand up comedy at Westside Comedy Theater after classes at Santa Monica Community College. I eventually hosted an open mic there for a few years, practicing my craft After the pandemic I started taking comedy more seriously and I began my career as the first black woman to be a “door guy” at the Comedy Store, following the legacy of great comedians such as Jim Carrey, Marc Maron, David Letterman, etc. Since then Ive been featured in the Los Angeles Times and was named one of Medium’s Comics To Watch in 2025. My stand up can be seen on Hulu and Amazon Prime (“Iliza’s Locals”) and you can catch her two hilarious Don’t Tell Comedy short specials on YouTube. Most recently she was seen on Netflix reaching the Top 8 on Kevin Hart’s viral “Funny AF” stand up competition show. You can always catch her performing locally as she is one of the newest paid regulars at The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and The Hollywood Improv.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most comedians, it has not been a smooth road. I had a one woman show called “It’s Not LA, It’s YOU!” at Dynasty Typewriter and cohosted “Blame Social Media” at the Hollywood Improv. Both shows were promptly shut down due to the pandemic. Then in 2023 I was diagnosed with breast cancer which halted my career again. Ive spent the past few years finding humor in a lot of the tragedy in my life.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a comedian, writer, actress, and overall entertainer.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned in my journey is that life keeps moving no matter what. I thought the pandemic would ruin live comedy but it boosted many comedy careers online. I thought that getting cancer would ruin my sense of humor but it opened new comedic perspectives I hadn’t seen before. I’ve learned that perseverance is often the most important part of the creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://feliciafolkes.com
• Instagram: @felfatale

Image Credits
Van Corona