Today we’d like to introduce you to Stuart Thompson.
Stuart, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started as a freshman at UC Berkeley. I always loved stand-up but didn’t think that just anyone could try it. It seemed as if comedians were another breed of human separate from the general population – like circus folk – and it turns out I was right. My friend Rich took me to an open mic in a cafe/laundromat called the Brainwash (no longer there) in San Francisco. I can’t say my performance was excellent, but I did well enough to think that I could do it again.
While in college, I visited L.A. twice: the first time for a writing internship at National Lampoon and the second to take UCB improv and sketch classes. During those visits, I did stand-up all over town and eventually got up on Potluck, The Comedy Store’s new talent night. Right after that first appearance in the Original Room at the Store (July 2011), the talent coordinator, Tommy, left the cover booth, walked across the showroom over to me, and began asking me about my background. He encouraged me to keep coming by, and I did. I got up there one more time before heading back up to Berkeley. Before I left, Tommy told me that if I moved back the following January, I could work as a doorman at the club.
I managed to finish my credits for college and graduate a semester early, allowing me to move to Los Angeles in January 2012, about a month after my last final of schooling. I remember it was a Saturday. After I arrived, I dropped off my things at my new place and headed over to The Comedy Store that night and said hi to Tommy. He remembered me and told me to come by for Potluck. The club put me on three Mondays in a row, and on that third Monday, they hired me.
Working at the Store as a doorman was an invaluable training ground for me. I hesitate to say that I was really a doorman; I was really a comedian who happened to work the door. I got to watch the best comedians go up every night, I learned how to be a host, and I learned how to perform for the world. Tourists from other countries that didn’t always speak English were the majority of the customers during the days of The Comedy Store before comedy became cool again. So in those situations where my cute references wouldn’t work, I learned how to BE funny, not just write funny.
During those years working at The Comedy Store, I met and eventually got to work with comedians I truly admire, including Bobby Lee, Ali Wong, Jerrod Carmichael, Steve Treviño, Iliza Shlesinger, Steve Rannazzisi, Erik Griffin, and Russell Peters. I also got to write for the CBS Diversity Showcase, but most of my time was focused at the Store. I’m so grateful for that time, but as I got to spread my wings on the road, I realized it was time for a change and decided to stop working as a doorman at the end of 2016. I got everything I could have asked for working at the Store, aside from being made a paid regular and getting my name written on the wall of the club. But that time will come.
Since I stopped working at the Store, I’ve booked and shot my first commercial, continued to tour the country and performed in Europe. This fall, I’ll be touring Southeast Asia. I host a live late night talk show called The L8 Night Show with Stuart & Luke with my buddy Luke Schwartz every month at the Hollywood Improv Lab. We also have a podcast together called The L8 Night Podcast that we release every week. I’m currently working on an album that I plan to record before the end of the year.
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?
Although I’ve had moments of luck that I’m incredibly grateful for, my path has definitely not been smooth. I think that’s why luck exists: to balance out how rough our journey can be.
For starters, being a new door guy at The Comedy Store at 21 was an incredibly steep learning curve. Many of the comics working there come from disadvantaged backgrounds, while I looked like nothing had ever happened to me (some say that’s still true now). I had to prove that I belonged there. After some time, I learned to let my guard down and started to peel back some of the layers, showing people what makes me funny. It really helped that I was good at impressions because I could imitate people who worked at the club and make other comics laugh. That was my way in,
When I wrote for the CBS Diversity Showcase in 2014-15, I really struggled to be noticed. There were 40-60 writers all submitting sketches that were unique and well structured. My submissions rarely saw the light of day, and when they did, the response was weak at best. Eventually, I teamed up with some writers whose work I admired and started bouncing ideas back and forth. Eventually, some of our ideas got passed on for rewrites. Two of those sketches made it to the theater and one sketch, a sketch I punched up, made the show. It was grueling, but it taught me how to make my writing concise and impactful. I feel like I can handle any writers room after that.
Lastly, stopping working at The Comedy Store was really tough. It felt like a breakup with an ex. I performed there less often for a while because I needed space to be my own person separate from the club. I didn’t want the club to define me, even though it was my training ground. For a while, I felt pretty lost and wondered if I had made a grave mistake. I would remind myself that I didn’t move to Los Angeles to become a doorman at one club; I moved here to be comedian who performs everywhere. Lately, it’s been better. I get spots pretty regularly and enjoy being there. My favorite thing is going there at 8pm, doing my spot, and leaving at 8:45, because I can. I’m not tethered there like I was, and it feels amazing.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a stand-up comedian, host, actor, and writer based in Los Angeles. I’m known for my impressions and characters and being a great host, especially on my monthly talk show (The L8 Night Show with Stuart & Luke) at the Hollywood Improv Lab.
I truly love doing voices and hosting. Watching someone do a voice that’s not their own is like watching close-up magic. When it’s done seamlessly in someone’s act, it’s breathtaking to watch. Melissa Villaseñor is someone I always admired in that arena.
Hosting is particularly important to me because it requires skill and there are rules. It doesn’t take much to be an adequate host, but when someone doesn’t mind those simple rules, it really bothers me. I also got to watch people who were incredible at hosting as I grew up in comedy. Conan O’Brien has always been my favorite late night host and always will be. At The Comedy Store, I had a contemporary in Willie Hunter, who was also honing his craft as a host. My goal was always to be as good as Willie.
I also love doing punch up on scripts. Developing ideas has always been a struggle for me, but when the framework of an idea is presented to me, I always know how to make it funnier.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m currently working on an album, which I plan to record at the end of the year. My hope is to be able to headline more on the road as more people gravitate to the album and want to come see me. Inevitably, I’ll still be featuring and hosting on the road, but any chance to headline is exciting. Of course, I’d love an acting or writing job.
In October, I’ll be doing some shows in Southeast Asia. I’ll likely be performing elsewhere in the States before and after that. Folks can see where I’ll be at my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stuartthompsoncomedy.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @stuartbthompson
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/stuartthompsoncomedy
- Twitter: @stuartbthompson
Image Credit:
Troy Conrad, Eddie Mauldin, Matt Misisco
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