CBS Announces the 21 Performers for the 2019 CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE

CBS today announced the 21 performers participating in the 2019 CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE which will begin its run of six shows on Jan. 15 at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles.

Since its inception 14 years ago, THE CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE has developed into a hybrid comedy show with Broadway-worthy live performances and original, creative writing. Recognized as the industry leader in actor showcases designed to highlight diverse talent, THE CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE is attended by executives, showrunners and casting directors from CBS and other networks as well as talent agents and managers from across the entertainment industry.

To date, 397 multi-talented actors have appeared in the CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE. The exposure from this program has helped launch countless careers through an increase in auditions, bookings, meetings and agent/manager signings. Specifically, participants of the 2018 CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE have landed roles on CRIMINAL MINDS, NCIS, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, LIFE IN PIECES, HAWAII 5-0, "American Vandal," CHARMED and JANE THE VIRGIN, among others.

Following are the 21 performers participating in the 2019 CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE:

Name: Alex Ellis

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

Education: BFA in musical theater from Elon University

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles), The Groundlings, Allen Savage, Stan Kirsch Studios

Credits: Television credits: "Vampirina" (series, Disney) and "Hot in Cleveland" (series, TV Land).

Film credit: "Moose."

Broadway credits: "Catch Me If You Can" (Original Broadway Company) and "On A Clear Day" (Original Broadway Company).

Interesting Fact: Sings in a yacht rock cover band called Harbor Party!

Name: Andy Bustillos

Hometown: Queens, N.Y.

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (New York)

Credits: Television credits: BULL (series, CBS), "Divorce" (series, HBO), "Girls" (series, HBO).

Film credits: "Carrie Pilby," "Most Likely To Murder."

Interesting Fact: Wore a fake magnetic chin piercing in high school and thought no one knew it was fake, but EVERYONE knew.

Rep Info: Buchwald, JHA Management

Name: Anna Rajo

Hometown: Los Angeles

Education: BA, English, Tulane University

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles)

Credits: Sketch comedy credits: "If College Movies Were Honest" (sketch, College Humor), "You're Not Edgy, You're Just Lazy" (sketch, College Humor) and "Oh Boy, Free Crap!" (sketch, College Humor).

Interesting Fact: Every Monday night she takes a ceramics class then gets soft serve ice-cream.

Name: Carolina Montenegro

Hometown: Los Angeles

Education: BA, theater arts performance, CSU Long Beach

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles), The Idiot Workshop

Credits: Film credit: "Fred Needs a Friend."

Stage credits: "Untitled Communion" (stage, Critical Mass Performance Group, REDCAT) and "An Odyssey" (stage, Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018).

Interesting Fact: She is a life-long professional mediator, translator and clown.

Rep Info: British American Talent Management, LB Talent (Commercial)

Name: Chris Renfro

Hometown: Riverside, Calif.

Education: BA, drama, University of California, Irvine

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles), The Groundlings

Credits: Sketch comedy credit: "Maude Night" (Upright Citizens Brigade LA house team).

Off Broadway credit: "My Little Brony."

Interesting Fact: Constantly scared of finding another spider on his bathroom towel.

Rep Info: JC Robbins (Management), Reign Agency (Commercial)

Name: Dan Lee

Hometown: North Potomac, Md.

Education: BS, finance, University of Maryland, College Park

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (New York)

Credits: Film credit: "Rough Night."

Interesting Fact: He has seen a spiritual possession.

Rep Info: Authentic Talent and Literary Management

Name: DJ Pryor

Hometown: Richmond, Va.

Training: Kim Hardin workshop and Chris Berube's improv class

Credits: Film credits: "Country Strong," "The Konichiwa Kid" and "Message Read."

Commercial credits: Allstate and Jack Daniels.

Web series credit: "The DJ Pryor Show" (web series via Facebook).

Interesting Fact: He was homeschooled and toured the country as a musician from ages 12-17.

Rep Info: Dan Talent Group

Name: Emily Fightmaster

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Education: BA, women and gender studies, DePaul University

Training: Second City (Chicago)

Credits: Stage credits: "Gaslight District" (stage, Second City Chicago) and "New Kids on the Gracht" (stage, Boom Chicago, Amsterdam).

Interesting Fact: Plays piano and guitar in the band "Dyke Dad."

Rep Info: 3Arts

Name: Filip Jeremic

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Education: BFA, theater performance/acting, Ryerson University, Toronto

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (New York), The Second City (Toronto)

Credits: Television credits: "The Amazing Gayl Pile" (series, NBC Seeso) and "Cooks vs. Cons" (series, Food Network).

Sketch comedy credits: "Maude Night" (Upright Citizens Brigade NYC house team) and "Characters Welcome"(Upright Citizens Brigade NYC house team).

Interesting Fact: He is a Dolly Parton expert!

Rep Info: Bleecker Street Entertainment

Name: Fray Forde

Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.

Credits: Television credits: DYNASTY (series, CW), LEGACIES (series, CW), "Messiah" (series, Netflix), "The Florida Files" (series, FX) and "Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up For The First Time" (special, Netflix).

Film credit: "Daphne & Velma."

Festival credit: Just For Laughs 2017

Interesting Fact: Spent teenage years touring the country as a Christian rapper.

Rep Info: People Store (GA)

Name: Katy Fullan

Hometown: Chicago, Ill.

Training: iO (Chicago), The Artistic Home (Chicago)

Credits: Short credits: "Company" (Short, New Orleans Film Festival) and "She Keeps Me Young." (Short)

Sketch credit: "My Truth As I Know It."

Interesting Fact: She once got a cop to buy her a Build-a-Bear.

Name: Lou Gonzalez

Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.

Education: BA, mass communications, Lehman College

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (New York),

Credits: Television credits: "Channel Surfing" (Series, Viceland) and "Cop Show" (Series, L Studio).

Interesting Fact: He has seen Erykah Badu live in concert eight times!

Name: Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur

Hometown: Miami, Fla.

Education: American Musical and Dramatic Academy, N.Y.

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles), The Groundlings, Ivana Chubbuck Studio

Credits: Stageplay credits: "Fat Camp the Musical" (Stageplay), "Les Miserables" (Stageplay), "Hair" (Stageplay) and "Guys and Dolls" (Stageplay).

Standup credit: The Comedy Store

Interesting Fact: He has seen a ghost, twice.

Name: Mike Millan

Hometown: Bay Shore, N.Y.

Education: BFA, musical theater, The Hartt School

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (New York)

Credits: Television credit: "High Maintenance" (series, HBO).

Broadway credit: "Escape To Margaritaville" and "Sister Act" (National Tour).

Interesting Fact: He is a proficient ribbon dancer.

Name: Nikki Mckenzie

Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.

Education: BA, theater arts, Loyola Marymount University

Training: The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles), Annie Grindlay (Los Angeles), Stan Kirsch (Los Angeles), Sara Mornell (Los Angeles).

Credits: Television credits: "The Joe Schmo Show" (series, Spike), "Fameless" (series, TruTV), "Forever" (series, Amazon), "House of Lies" (series, SHOWTIME) and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (series, Fox).

Interesting Fact: As a kid, her best friend was an imaginary stegosaurus named Ralph who lived in her grandma's closet.

Rep Info: JC Robbins Management and Prestige Talent

Name: Rashawn Nadine Scott

Hometown: Tacoma, Wash.

Education: BA, theater arts, Western Washington University

Training: iO Theater (Chicago), The Second City (Chicago)

Credits: Television credits: "Shrink" (series, NBC Seeso), "Empire" (series, FOX) and "Southside" (series, Comedy Central).

Film credit: "Win It All."

Interesting Fact: In another life, she would have been a professional glass blower.

Rep Info: Gray Talent Group

Name: Rasheda S. Crockett

Hometown: Long Island, N.Y.

Education: BBA, finance, Temple University

Training: The Upright Citizens Brigade (New York)

Credits: Television credits: "Talk Show the Game Show" (staff writer, series, truTV), "Adam Ruins Everything" (staff writer, series, truTV) and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (series, Netflix).

Sketch comedy credit: The People's Improv Theatre's sketch comedy team "BoogieManja."

Interesting Fact: She can make balloon animals.

Rep Info: WME and Seven Summits Pictures & Management

Name: Shukri R. Abdi

Hometown: Potomac, Md.

Education: BA, Latin-American studies and Spanish, Wellesley College

Training: Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles), iO West

Credits: Television credit: "Adam Ruins Everything" (truTV/CollegeHumor, digital), "Gerrymander Jewelry" (digital), "Tight 5" (writer/performer, WhoHaha) and "Black Card Revoked" (Head of Content/Supervising Producer, BET).

Sketch comedy credit: "Maude Night" (Upright Citizens Brigade LA house team).

Stage credit: "Baby Wants Candy."

Interesting Fact: While living in Mexico, she once booked a runway gig modeling lingerie in a barn next to livestock.

Name: Tien Tran

Hometown: Erie, Pa.

Education: BS in biology, pre-med, Boston College

Training: The Second City (Chicago), Mainstage

Credits: Television credits: "Hot Date" (series, Netflix), "Easy" (series, Netflix), "Southside" (series, Comedy Central) and "A Legendary Christmas" (special, NBC).

Web series credits: "Control Room" (web series, Comedy Central) and "Studio B" (web series).

Interesting Fact: She was a kid reporter for a local television show in Philadelphia called "Kidside."

Rep Info: Mosaic, CAA, Grossman & Jack

Name: Waleed Mansour

Hometown: Dexter, Mich.

Education: BA, mathematics, University of Michigan

Training: iO Theater (Chicago)

Credits: Web series credit: "And The Findings."

Interesting Fact: Previously taught high school math in Chicago.

Rep Info: Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, Grossman & Jack Talent

Name: Yasmin Kassim

Hometown: Perth, Western Australia

Education: BA, arts, University of Western Australia

Training: Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute (NYC), The Groundlings

Credits: Television credit: "Neighbours" (AUS series, Ch 10).

Film credits: "Jungle" and "Guardians of the Tomb."

Interesting Fact: First gig ever was at the age of 6, singing in Michael Jackson's HIStory Tour as an orphan girl.

Rep Info: Open Bar Entertainment, Active Artists Management

The schedule for the 2019 CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE is as follows: Tuesday, Jan. 15, Wednesday, Jan. 16, Thursday, Jan. 17 and Friday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 PM, PT, with afternoon shows on Wednesday, Jan. 16 and Thursday, Jan. 17 at 1:00 PM, PT.

As previously announced, Stephen Guarino ("I'm Dying Up Here") will return to direct with Sheila Carrasco (JANE THE VIRGIN) serving as head writer, Tess Paras (CRAZY-EX GIRLFRIEND) serving as assistant director and 11 former showcase alumi making up the showcase's first writers' room.

Alumni of THE CBS DIVERSITY SKETCH COMEDY SHOWCASE include Emmy Award winners Kate McKinnon ("Saturday Night Live") and Tiffany Haddish ("Girls Trip"), Diona Reasonover (NCIS), Justin Hires (MACGYVER), Geoffrey Arend (MADAM SECRETARY) and Nico Santos ("Superstore" and "Crazy Rich Asians"), among numerous others.

For more information about CBS Diversity & Inclusion, please visit: https://www.cbscorporation.com/diversity/.

Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS

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