Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Jones.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started doing comedy when I was 14 years old. My first taste of validation was like getting addicted to a hardcore drug. When I was growing up my teeth were messed up and I had a growing disorder. When I heard laughter, it was like being back in the womb. It made me feel safe.
I ended up in Chicago studying theater pretty intensely while also doing the stand-up circuit in Chicago. In 2010, I finally ended up in Los Angeles doing stand up. When I first got here, I got a lot of opportunities that I honestly not ready for. I had a major case of imposter syndrome and when I got the chance to change something that little thought would bubble up that says, “You don’t deserve this.”
Through a lot of self-reflection and just the art of “keeping going” I wound up writing, producing, and casting everything I acted in, and it’s been bringing more and more attention and I’ve been getting asked to write for other comics along the way.
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?
Oh, it’s been anything but smooth. I always realized that one of the most important things you can do is have the clarity of where you want to end up. It’s a cheesy self-help thing to say, but you need to write your goals down. It’s taken longer than I ever thought it would.
My biggest failure was I got cast to be in a pilot with a major comedian. This was six years ago. I forgot all of my lines in front of a live audience as soon as the cameras turned on. I ad-libbed a very horrible monologue and walked off stage.
I made a promise to myself that that would never happen again. I had pretty bad social anxiety so I got back into therapy. And one by one, I began to attack all my fears. I enrolled into Meisner classes, on camera technique classes, and finished the two years program at Second City. I was in 5 classes a week for two years straight while continuing to do stand up comedy. As a way to combat my nervousness, I felt around people I made myself go on stage for two years and just improvise. I did it to detach myself from what other comics and people thought about me. If I could melt that last mental restriction of caring what comics and people thought, I knew I would become super successful.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
When people ask me what I do, I always say I’m a comedian. I am. I’ve done stand up since I was 14, but I always knew I would end up in movies. Two years ago, I had a gut-level feeling while I was praying that I should start releasing a sketch a week. My friend contacted me shortly after and told me that a social media company with a huge following was hiring. I sold them three sketches. Then I just kept releasing a sketch every week. I starred in most of them, I wrote all of them, and I usually edited them too. I never saw myself as a producer, but I’ve worn many hats these past two years.
I thought to myself if Hollywood isn’t going to give me a show at the moment, the best thing I can do is pretend that I have my own sketch comedy show. My deadline is always on Monday. I always upload. I plan to do this until I have my own sketch comedy show on TV. As soon as I’ve done that, I plan to write and star in my own movies. And eventually, I’d like to create a vehicle for other actors who haven’t gotten the chance.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to the image in my head and the one in reality to co-exist. I know everyone says to not have expectations, but I really believe my desires are going to come about. The ideal situation is to have my own sketch comedy show and then after that, I want to star in films. The phrase jack of all trades and master of none is true. You can do amazing things in your life, but you need to say no to a lot in the moment. I’m a firm believer in focusing on one thing (two at the max) and really honing in on that one thing. If I told people my entire plans, they would think I was crazy. I’m a bit superstitious on laying out everything I want to do so I’ll just say for the time being it’s to have my own sketch comedy show, star in films, and then later on, it’s even bigger.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.youtube.com/mattjones9999
- Phone: 424-653-8413
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: mattjones_90
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Matt-Jones-Comedy-168650388058/
- Twitter: mattjones_90
Image Credit:
Headshot courtesy of Michael Soll Photography. All other images from Random Sketches.
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