Meet Isabella Taylor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Taylor.

Isabella, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m originally from Iowa and I’ve been in LA for three years in January. When I first moved out here after getting a BFA in Musical Theatre, I was focused on improv and taking classes at the Groundlings. I had always been involved in some version of funny- be it my Barbra Stresisand impressions, uncomfortable jokes at family dinners or intense karaoke- but I had never tapped into being solely alone on stage with my own words. While taking Groundlings, my advice in order to pass advanced was to “be more selfish on stage” which is great advice in order to advance in the classes at Groundlings particularly, but not necessarily in all improv.

From there, I began to start standup in order to gain knowledge of my own perception of what I thought was funny vs what everyone else thought was funny and to clear up my own point of view and perspective. Standup helps you solidify your beliefs once you have to announce to a group of people how you’re moving about the world in which you perceive. It’s exhilarating to have opinions but scary to know what people’s opinions are of those opinions. And it’s also weird to go from “I don’t know how that came out of my mouth” to “I thought that joke was funny because I wrote it.” And if that’s the case, maybe it should be changed- the joke, the timing, the set. You learn to let go and recalibrate. That’s the hardest part.

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?
Some of the struggles are obvious ones considering the environment of LA. LA is a challenge. Preservation is a challenge and not bitching about the stuff you want to bitch about is a challenge. Especially when it comes to standup, but EVERYONE DOES IT. You make a reference to traffic an audience and they become disinterested because everyone talks about that at the office, or to strangers in the elevator, or to their patients etc… It’s the first chosen topic of conversation when you get old. That- or your health. Or the weather.

I think that the biggest challenge is assessing my desires and organizing them accordingly. Yes, I would love to act. Yes, I enjoy standup. Yes, I love sketch comedy. But what avenue is the one that I take to allow me to be something along the lines of Chelsea Handler on her talk show after having been on SNL for ten years?

I don’t know. Now accepting solicited and unsolicited advice.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plan for the New Year is to really attack my stand up and the presentation of myself and hone in on what I think is funny and then streamline it. I want to be doing more shows, going to more shows and I want to be the go-to guest for people’s Thanksgiving dinner in order to lighten the mood. I want to get so good at stand up that I’m excited to do it, not petrified.

And I’d also like to be acting in the meantime. Auditions would be cool. A commercial would be sweet.

But honestly I just want to fulfill my mother’s dream of me becoming a Day Time TV Star.

Spread the word.

Contact Info:

• Website: isabellajeantaylor.com
• Phone: 4029176110
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: isabellajeantaylor

Image Credit:
Carley Scott Fields

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