Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Bailey.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a comedian, actor, writer, host and emcee who holds a BA in Communication. I was nominated for two Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards for her work on WHYY specials, Destination: City Hall and The Next Mayor. I went on to work on and write for other television productions including: Labor and Delivery (TLC), WomenDocs (Lifetime) and This Far By Faith: African-American Spiritual Journeys (PBS).
After earning a Master of Divinity degree in ethics and worship in the arts, I began an acting and comedy career. With a saucy Philly attitude, I tell stories about life’s lessons with irreverence, intelligence and a divinely inspired, diva-esque flare. I was a featured comedian for Loni Love’s “Laugh Off” on BET’s The Real in 2016 and appeared in David Krumholtz’s IFC show, Gigi Does It. I also played a supporting role in the short film, Missed Connections, that premiered at Outfest LA in 2017.
I am also a corporate trainer, facilitator and coach with 10 years of experience in the corporate world. I brings my sparkly, energetic comedy to corporate trainings, team building events and conferences across the country. I’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, school boards and diversity & entrepreneurial conferences.
I am the author or Soul Smarts for Day Starts: 31 Days of Creative Inspiration and Activities. My article, “Girl! I Am So Over Church!” is featured in the book, Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay. (Both available on Amazon.com).
I am the founder of Fatch: The Fat Sketch Comedy Show. We perform the 4th Friday of every month at The Palace Production Center at 6843 Lennox Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91405. I produce and co-host Caffeine and Cackles: The Clean Open Mic at Cafe Culture on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7 pm. I also write and perform with WOCA (Women of Color Anonymous), a sketch comedy ensemble in-residence at UCB Sunset Inner Sanctum on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 8:30 pm.
My Story:
I moved to LA on January 1st, 2015. I told the folks back home that I was moving for the weather but, in truth, I was secretly hoping to pursue my life-long dream of being a professional performer.
For as long as I can remember, I have felt drawn to acting, singing, writing…basically, anything that would allow me a creative way to showcase my own personal brand of crazy which I refer to as my Sparkle.
Though I’d worked in TV as a producer in Philly and NYC and studied and pursued acting in my hometown of Philly, I’d never done it full-time. So, when I got to LA, I dove right in with classes and submitting for auditions.
But I quickly became disillusioned. I am a fat black woman in her mid-40s. I wasn’t seeing many casting notices for my “type” and what I did see was deeply offensive – based on stereotypes of people who look like me. Rude.
So, I decided to find a way to create opportunities to perform without having to be cast or judged by other people. I wanted to tell my own stories and be in spaces that would celebrate all of my uniqueness. I wanted to Sparkle on my own terms and I dare anyone to try to stop me. So, I turned to standup comedy! I took a class and quickly fell in love! I’m hella good at it and being on stage comes naturally to me.
Since then, I have branched to sketch comedy, doing speaking engagements and hosting podcasts. I’m a founding member of the UCB-based sketch comedy group, Women of Color Anonymous. I am the creator of Fatch Comedy: The Fat Sketch Comedy Show. I am podcast host for several after show podcast at AfterBuzz TV. I am the new co-host of Plus This! Show which airs every Thursday at 6 pm PT on Youtube, Facebook and UBN Go. And I’m still working on my acting career. I am repped by Prestige Talent Agency and I go out on auditions all the time.
I recently appeared on The Young Turks show to talk about body positivity. You can see the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU9KG_tEXrc
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t all been easy. Sometimes I bomb on stage. Sometimes I don’t get booked for gigs I really want. Sometimes I get discouraged.
So far, I’m not really making money for my creative work. It’s hard to work a full-time day job AND run shows, write material and prepare for auditions. I’ve been “Lordt-Jesus-Please-help-a-Sista-out-cuz-I’m-broke-and-don’t-have-rent-money-yet” broke more times than I can count. I’ve driven Lyft and Uber. I’ve begged, borrowed and been tempted to steal.
A few years ago, I ended up being homeless for about five months. I drove around LA with all of my belongings in my car. I slept on couches and house sat for folks. I used discount sites to find cheap hotel rooms to avoid sleeping in my car. LA is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t have people funding your life, it can be hard to find a way to be financially stable here. I’ve been super blessed to have been able to stay here and to have enough friends and family that I never had to go hungry or live on the street.
Fatch Comedy – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Fatch Comedy is a sketch comedy team comprised of fat writers and actors whose mission is to increase the visibility of people of size in the entertainment industry and the world at large (pun intended…you’re welcomed). Our vision is to provide a sketch comedy experience that eschews cheap, self-deprecating fat jokes (unless they’re just really freaking funny) in favor of smart, critical, revelatory funnies about Fat reality.
The goal of Fatch Comedy is to provide a platform to talk about our thin, diet-obsessed culture and what it’s like living in it while Fat. Our mission is to increase the visibility of people of size in the entertainment industry and the world at large. We want to show people of size that we are beautiful, valuable, lovable, talented and worthy. We want to challenge the status quo that privileges thin bodies and shames anyone who does not conform.
The Fatch Comedy team includes professional actors, comedians, Broadway performers, writers for stage and screen, podcast hosts, visual artists and features the Fat Fly Guy Dancers! You can see us perform the fourth week of the month at The Palace Production Center in Van Nuys, CA. You can find us at @fatchcomedy on IG and FB.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My friend, Lynn Jordan, does hand analysis (which is a fancy, scientific-sounding word for palm reading). My palms say that one of the biggest challenges in my life is about finishing things. In hand analysis, success is the not-so-simple act of bringing things to completion. So, that’s how I choose to define success.
I may or may not become famous. I may or may not be able to pay all of my bills with my creative work. I may or may not EGOT or have an HBO special or a Netflix deal. But, to me, I know I am being successful if I am finishing what I start.
I practice success every day. I keep a daily list – not a To Do list – of what I have completed that day. I track everything – big or small. If I bring it to completion, I was successful that day. And then…I celebrate!!!
That’s my woo woo spiritual answer. The practical answer is that I will know I am successful as an artist if I am able to do what I love for the rest of my life.
Oh, and if it pays.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nikkibaileycomedy.com/
- Phone: (323) 596-7685
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkibailey_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkiBaileyCom/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBailey_
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Vj-v5D0Fdl297TK1dpK4w
Image Credit:
Edrea Lara, Kathryn Hack
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
