Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendahl Landreth.
Hi Kendahl, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started doing comedy at the age of six in a local theater group in my small town and instantly fell in love. I continued doing theater and improv through high school and eventually attended the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts where I received a degree in acting for TV and Film. During that time I also performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade doing improv and sketch comedy. When the pandemic hit and live performing stopped happening at all, I started making videos of my characters on the internet and went viral, specifically for doing an impression of my liberal mother. I eventually was able to quit my job as a gym janitor and now do characters and comedy on the internet full time as well as cohost the podcast The BCC Club alongside Sarah Schauer.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My first couple of years in New York were not easy. I was working full time at a restaurant and would leave work and perform improv until sometimes the early hours of the morning. I look back on those times very fondly because though I was so deeply exhausted and overworked, I have the greatest memories of performing with my friends just because we loved it. Most of the time it was for an audience of around 3 people, but it felt so important to us and so fulfilling. When I went viral online, I felt a huge sense of imposter syndrome and was insecure that I had found success before I was fully ready. I’m a person who likes to really study and be perfect before I show something to the world, so when I all of a sudden had millions of people watching every video I made, I put a huge amount of pressure on myself and my mental health struggled. It has been a bumpy road to finding the confidence at 23 years old to believe in myself fully and know that I am worthy of the career that I have. I see so many people online and in the LA comedy scene every day that are so incredibly hilarious and it’s hard to not compare myself constantly. Having to fake that confidence in order to be able to continue doing my job is a challenge I think I will be forever grateful for. No time like the present to become your biggest fan!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a character actor, podcaster and comedian. I do all sorts of impressions ranging from people in my family to celebrities on reality tv. I’m most known for the impression I do of my “liberal midwestern mom” who absolutely adores the LGBTQ+ community. I really try to do impressions of people from a place of love. All my characters, no matter how kooky, are people I would genuinely hang out with. I never want to make someone feel made fun of but rather see a quality in one of my characters that they identify with and feel pride. My mom is one of my favorite people in the world and since I was a toddler has always made it so clear to me that she would love me no matter what. When I do an impression of my mom on social media her unconditional love is the core of who that character is and I am glad people who don’t have that relationship with their parents are able to find comfort in my videos even though they are very silly. I really do love people and when I do a character, I feel like I’m able to celebrate my favorite part of them.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I was raised in California and it really holds a huge place in my heart. I think I will probably live here my whole life. Los Angeles to me is the best of both worlds, because you are surrounded by art and there are so many things to do but you don’t have to live in a 5 story-walk up apartment with no AC. Compared to other places I have lived, people really prioritize the quality of life here and I appreciate that so much. Also, the weather is incredible and there is no humidity. I really don’t have a least favorite thing. The obvious thing to say would be the traffic, but there’s been traffic in every city I’ve lived in. A lot of people say the people are fake, but I’ve met my favorite people in LA so I can’t agree with that either. I guess my least favorite thing about LA is that any time I’ve done Karaoke here, everyone who goes up is a professional singer and it makes me feel like an idiot when I sing Kelly Clarkson in all of the wrong keys.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendahllandreth/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KendahlLandreth
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kendahllandreth?lang=en
Image Credits
Headshot- Chris Jon – [email protected]
