A Comedian’s Guide:

Laugh Your Way to Fame & Fortune


Comedy has always been an unshakable genre in the glittery world of Hollywood over the decades. In fact, comedians have become an integral element in tinseltown’s entertainment scene. Many have cast aspirations of the almost elusive dream of becoming one of the prominent celebrities who are certainly making quite a fortune in acting and making people laugh.

Star Material

Are you a budding comedian? Or do you have an extraordinary knack of throwing punchlines, impersonating people, or you are a certified class clowns back in high school? Then maybe you might want to entertain the thought and set your sights on pursuing a career on becoming a professional comedian?

But mind you, it is not as simple as that. Sure, you have the flair for comedy, but then so are a lot of people out there. It takes an exceptional amount of talent and determination to be in the league of the famous star comedians.

So to give you some ideas, let’s take a look at the profiles of famous comedians and their humble beginnings.


Jim Carrey

Undoubtedly, he is presently one of the most well loved comedians in Hollywood, famous for his bizarre sense of humor and taking the word “wackiness” to a different level. Early on, he was an extrovert who has always relished performing in front of many people. At the tender age of 10, he had the initiative to actually mail his resume to the producers of the Carol Burnett Show.

Most of his early days in high school were spent performing stand up comedy routines in front for his classmates. Finally, after seeing his potential and charmed by his persistent desire for an audience, his teachers relented an allowed him to perform a 10-minute act at the end of each school day. At 16, he dropped out of school and pursued his dreams by performing in clubs.

Later, he caught the eye of fellow comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who immediately signed him up to perform on his tour. With his sheer talent and unwavering determination he finally made it big. The rest, they say is history.


Robin Williams


One of the most endearing comic characters in Hollywood surprisingly grew up as a very shy and quiet boy. He only overcame his timidity when he got a role in his high school drama.

A classmate of the late Christopher Reeve in the elite Julliard School and were only the two students that John Houseman deemed eligible to attend his acting program. He was then noticed during his stand-up routines in Purple Onion in San Francisco. His first big break was an acting role in the TV series Mork, where he starred as an alien. His unique and funny portrayal became popular to a lot of TV viewers because of his improvised dialogue and nonsensical catchphrases. He later landed to juicer roles and major roles in films.


Learning the Ropes

Along with having a lucrative career in Hollywood, celebrities also enjoy the perks and thrills of becoming a household name worldwide. The lure of popularity can be quite intoxicating, and most people aggressively wrestle their way to the top. In your case, you have to concentrate on being obnoxiously funny to get such attention and finally share the limelight with other renowned comedians. So how to you exactly find your way around becoming one of Holywood’s top comedians?

Prepare your Portfolio

Build up a really impressive portfolio of brilliant and outstanding materials for your routines. Most comedians have their own brand of comedy, so work on towards finding your very own and unique comic voice. Needless to say, it is important that all materials should be original and imaginative. In the cutthroat and demanding world of Hollywood, it leaves no room for mediocre and lame performances. Genuine talent and a tunnel vision determination are the key ingredients to penetrating the all too exclusive world of Hollywood.


How to Get Noticed

1. Perform in Clubs

Comedian celebrities have humble beginning in performing in comic clubs and bars. To get noticed, set your sights on performing in the popular clubs, such as:

* Stand Up New York
* The Comedy Zone
* Caroline’s on Broadway
* Boston Comedy Club
* Comic Strip Live
* Dangerfield’s
* Gotham Comedy Club

One of the popular venues for getting some much-needed exposure is in performing in New York comedy clubs. It’s actually the home of several famous comedians and where agents are always roaming in the lookout for new talents.

2. Get Professional Training

It might be helpful to know that even professional comedians still attend some workshops to further hone their talents. Getting booked on comedy clubs doesn’t mean you got all what it takes. As they say, it’s always good to be open to some new learning experience to improve your craft. No matter how good you are, there’s always some room left for improvement. Most of the schools and institutes for comedy require students to perform live in some popular comedy clubs at the end of their weeklong sessions. It will of course give you a change to show off your craft to some key people who might be able to help you in the future.

Here as three of the best comedy schools in the United States:

* American Comedy Institute – Based in New York City and you’ll get a chance to be trained by no less than the highly acclaimed Hollywood comedy director Stephen Rosenfield. For more information of their curriculum, visit http://www.comedyinstitute.com/.

* San Francisco Comedy College – offers a lot of packages specifically created for professional comedians that are always on the road. If you will not be able to attend regular sessions, the school can provide a workable schedule for you to fit your schedule. Visit their website for more details - www.sfcomedycollege.com.


* Manhattan Comedy School- You will be trained by top-notch comedians and comic scriptwriters will several awards and citations under their belts, not to mention several nominations in the prestigious Emmy Awards to boot. Check out their website www.manhattancomedyschool.com for more detailed information on their course offerings.

3. Join a Reality TV Competition

The reality TV show Last Comic Standing the nationwide talent search for professionals and non-professional stand-up comics, and compete for an exclusive contract with NBC. You will compete with other budding comedians, and forced to live with them in the entire duration of the contest. Winner or not, you will surely have the TV exposure you would want to jumpstart your career.


Acing your Auditions

No matter what conventional or unconventional road you will want to pursue in your dreams of becoming the next famous comedian to hit Hollywood, you will definitely go through auditions. Preparing your audition tape is critically important since booking agents will generally base their selections on you’re audition material. So put in more energy and painstakingly prepare an audition tape that will surely make them take notice of your talent.

If you will be asked to audition personally, here are some helpful tips that will help you in your preparations:

* Always prepare for an impromptu improvisation, which means you will be asked to dish out banters that will definitely test your mettle, quick wit and ability as a comedian without some scripts.

* If you are extremely good at impersonating or producing different voices and sound effects, by all means use it to you advantage.

* Prepare a 2-5 minute routine of your best original gags and practice on delivering with impeccable timing and finesse.

* Be natural and try not to overexert your effort on being funny. Agents who have been in the business for a long time have a keen eye and will definitely see through the façade. You don’t want to appear contrived.


A Sprint Vs. A Marathon

The all too important key to remember in the Hollywood industry is to know the secret ingredients of having the lasting power. It’s usually a stiff competition, a race to get to the top. But the fame can be fleeting and people are often fickle minded. One day your on the top, and the next, your in the dumps as quickly as that. A real nightmare, but presents very huge possibilities if you take into account the rise and fall of most comedians and other actors through the years. So keep in mind that reaching your dreams should not be a sprint, but a marathon of sorts, the race of who stays longer in the business.


You can take a leaf off Jay Leno’s Book, who has been in the business for years. Another comedian who is definitely still in the running is David Letterman. Both have not struck gold in doing movies, and have no acting awards to speak of. They have however two of the most popular talk shows in America today.

Letterman and Leno are strong TV adversaries and often heard making jokes about each other and any other topic that is the current interest in America. Jay Leno has been around in the business for over 20 years and has performed in roughly 300 comedy shows in his entire.

On the other hand, the show Late Night with David Letterman on CBS can be seen on television since 1982, an extraordinary feat in view of the ruthless competition ensued by many TV programs nowadays. He is especially famous for his offbeat sense of humor and smart aleck comments that he dishes out regularly. He easily rose to the top position and his s how became one of the most watched TV program and highest paid TV personality in the United States.


Both of course have maintained their popularity and bankability as a comedian, even in view of the influx of reality TV shows have not affected their ratings. So you want to know their secret? It’s keeping up with the trends and apace with the whims of most American people. Both TV shows have live interviews with the hottest personalities that everyone would look forward to a great comedy format that keeps Americans amused.

The road to success can be quite treacherous and intangible to some, but persistence and determination coupled with an extraordinary amount of talent are the prime ingredients to fame and fortune. So while you are still in the process of climbing your way up, be sure to enjoy every minute of the journey.