Rising Stars: Meet Christy Miller of BiCoastal LA/NYC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Miller.

Hi Christy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started when I was 7 years old and saw “The San Francisco Big Laff Off” on Showtime. I instantly knew I wanted to be a comedian, but I as only 7 LOL. As I got older, the it was all I could think about, but I thought “that only happens to cool people” and never tried to pursue it in the Bay Area. In 1994, I left the SF Bay Area and moved down to Hollywood to “follow my dreams” as the old saying goes. I immediately got into doing extra work and my first gig was on the movie “Strange Days”. That lasted for almost 6 months. after that wrapped, my best friend at the time kept bugging me to do an open mic because she was sick of me talking about it all the time. So, I went to The Comedy Store on Sunset and applied for a job as a waitress. If I got the job, that meant I was supposed to be there and do the open mics and learn from the top dogs. If I didn’t get it, it wasn’t meant to be and I needed to put my energy elsewhere. Needless to say, I got the job instantly and my comedy career was born. That’s when I met Mr Paul Mooney and the legend himself, Andrew “Dice” Clay. As I got stronger on stage, I got the chance to open for the Diceman on one show of his and was featured on his album cover “Face Down, Ass Up.” But, it was Paul Mooney who really took me on the road to feature for him. He was my mentor, my comedy father. Back in 1999, he took me to New York City for the first time and made her his permanent feature act at Caroline’s on Broadway by 2005. Relocating to NYC, I found my groove in the comedy scene with Paul Mooney and built quite a name for myself in the urban circuit. Due to my quick wit, sharp tongue and my on the spot roasting ability, Paul Mooney gave me the nickname “Nasty Barbie” because he always said “no one can do dirty like she can.” During my first year living in NYC, I fell into the world of roller derby in the Bronx with the Gotham Girls Roller Derby. Tryouts landed me in the draft for the ‘06 season skating for the Manhattan Mayhem. After 2 seasons, under the alias ‘Bitchie Slambora’, I retired to focus more on my original calling of stand up. All the years spent at Caroline’s on Broadway opening for Paul Mooney gave me the balls to go out on her own and pave my own way. Since then, I have created 2 podcasts, done Roast Battle and am passed at all the major clubs in and around NYC. As a result of all my hard work, I have reconnected with Andrew “Dice” Clay and sometimes I get to tour with him when his main opener is not available. Which that has brought me back to Los Angeles again and I am now officially BiCoastal. Best of both worlds! Back in 2023, I recorded my live comedy album at The Comic Strip in NYC called “Brutally Yours” on Realize Records, and it can be found on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc, wherever you stream your music. My next comedy album is going to be recorded back where it all started… “The World Famous Comedy Store”…stay tuned for that.

If you’re into podcasts, you can listen to my “Old Skool New Skool Comedy” podcast where I talk shop with top touring headliners and up and coming comedians. Currently, I have a weekly afternoon talk show podcast called “Lunch Money” which airs every Thursday at 12pm EST with my best friend, Comedy Cellar manager, Gina Savage. Both podcasts can be streamed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a bumpy, rusty rollercoaster ride, but its so worth it! I love every minute of it. The biggest struggle is doing this all alone with no support. I’ve had bad luck with representation so I decided to stay solo and keep pushing forward. Its rough, but its been amazing.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m best known for my crass, quick witted stand up and also my hashtag #strongestfemalecomedian because when I’m not on stage, I’m in the gym lifting heavy 💩. Its my zen. I can honestly say, there is no one like me that I know of.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
You don’t get anywhere in life without taking risks. My whole career is based on risks. I have never played it safe which is a good thing and a bad thing all at athe same time, i feel. As I get older, the risks seem less daunting because, after a certain age, you really stop caring about what others think and do what makes you happy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @christymillercomedy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christy.miller.comedy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristyMillerComedy

Image Credits
Headshot: @thetradephotographyllc on Instagram

Album cover: @catitudephotos