Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Zigrino.
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?
When I was 15, my friends and I were watching a Stand Up Comedy special, and I imagined myself on stage in the comics place, making the crowd laugh with wild stories of being 15 and living in suburban dystopia. I had always loved comedy since I was a child. I would watch endless marathons of The Kids in the Hall and Monty Python. When I was 12, I wrote an essay about how I wanted to be a comedian like Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. After watching that special, I finally begged my father for stand up lessons and began my comedy career at 15. After a lot of starts and stops (you can’t go into bars at 16 for open mics), I officially began my comedy journey in Boston at the age of 21. Boston is one of the best places to start doing stand up comedy. So many amazing comics come from there and they have a work ethic that is unparalleled. I performed in attics of Chinese food restaurants, strip clubs, elks lodges, and punk house basements. From there, I did a small stint in NYC until I landed in 2014 in LA. By then, I was a touring college comedian, had a few TV appearances, and in 2015 I made my late night debut on Conan. My comedy journey hasn’t been a straight line – it’s been a lot of starts, stops, breaks, and bigger breaks, and then lulls. But since writing my 12 years old opus about comedy, I’ve appeared in films, TV shows, international festivals and have toured all over the world doing comedy.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been a lot of struggles along the way – and I’m sure more are to come. The pandemic, first off, for many live performers, was a huge wrench in our gears to which many of us are still recovering. Internally, there is always some level of sexism to battle. Whether it’s sexual harassment at work or having to win over a booker who just “doesn’t think women are funny”, it’s a constant battle of having to prove yourself. Then there is the industry itself – projects falling through, falling out of favor, managers and agents, keeping up with social media, firing and hiring of your team, and trying to steer your career into the path you want vs. where other people think it should go. Sometimes it’s so overwhelming I think about quitting and moving to the woods to make soap. But then you get an amazing show or a comment from a fan that reminds you why you’re in the business and why you have to keep going.
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?
As a stand-up comedian, I’ve cultivated a persona of being cheeky, crass, but brutally honest. I talk about social injustices, my own very personal struggles, and our social blindspots. I think comedians are able to have a platform and should use it for good. One thing I focus on in my work is fat activism and body positivity. So many comedians are self-deprecating or use fat people as the butt of the joke. It’s exhausting to watch and frankly not funny. I use my comedy to change that narrative, that fat people are human and deserve respect like anyone else. My podcast, Gaudy Positive, tackles this head on with my co-host and stylist Kat Eves. I also do a lot of crowd work in my sets – I’m not afraid to talk to the audience and I actually love it. You can learn so much from crowd work if you’re actually interested in the person and not just using them for a joke. I think all comics should try being curious with their audience instead of combative.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
As a comedian, you have to maneuver an ever-changing world of social media and changing views on topics. You have to be adaptable. You can’t sit and complain about how you can’t say something anymore, but instead move on and find different ways to communicate. The worst thing any creative can do (and I do it all the time) is compare yourself to someone else. We live in a world of photoshopped bodies and fake clout. You have to stay on your own path, head down, and work on yourself. It will come when you’re ready.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennyzigrino.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyzigrino/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Comedian-Jenny-Zigrino-128362247231676/?fref=nf
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennyzigrino
Image Credits:
@photojuice Arin Sang-Urai
