Interview: LIFE AS I BLOW IT! Comedian And NYT Best Selling Author Sarah Colonna Appears At The COPA Palm Springs 10/24

The COPA Palm Springs presents funny lady Sarah Colonna for one very special performance on Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 pm. Sarah is well known as a popular roundtable regular on the hit late night talk show "Chelsea Lately." She also served as a full time writer on "Chelsea Lately," as well as a producer, writer and star of the show's spin-off scripted series "After Lately."She was recently seen in Michael Rosenbaum's new movie "Back in the Day," alongside Rosenbaum, Nick Swardson, Harland Williams, Morena Baccarin and many others. She's also recently appeared in Diablo Cody's "Paradise," CBS' "Battle Creek," and "Killing Hasselhoff" with Ken Jeong. Her first book, "Life as I Blow it," debuted at number 5 on the New York Times Bestseller list, followed with a sold out book tour in several major cities in the country. I had the chance to chat with Ms. Colonna for a few minutes as she was preparing for her stint at The COPA. Here are a few excerpts from that conversation:

DG: When did you first discover that you made people laugh?

SC: That's such a good question. I wish I had a really good answer for it. But, I don't know. I just grew up always wanting to be in entertainment and do stand-up and write and act - and, I don't know - I think I was just like blindly confident, and I was like "I can just go and it will work". So, I don't even know for sure that I knew what I was doing and I sorta had to stumble my way through and figure it all out. But luckily it finally ended up working out. Definitely the first time I did stand-up and it went well I was like "okay, I can do this" - and granted now I look back and all those jokes were terrible and people were just being polite - but I think, had it been really, really bad the first time I would have been afraid to do it again -- so, I'm grateful to everybody who laughed that first time. (she laughs)

DG: Where did you grow up and how did your life lead you into a career in comedy?

SC: Well, I grew up in Arkansas - so, I wanted to leave. (she laughs) I grew up in Arkansas for the most part. My parents divorced when I was really young so we moved to Arkansas. But my dad -- he moved out here, he actually lives in Palm Desert - and so my dad moved out here when I was not even in the double digits yet, I think I was eight or nine. He was a sports editor at the Orange County Register. So, even though I already wanted to do it, and I would act our Soap Operas and my mom would just stare at me, I think visiting California and doing things like going on the cheesy tours of the stars homes and going to the Walk of Fame - I think it just like set my desire to be out here.

DG: Do you consider yourself primarily an actor or a comedian?

SC: I'd say both, for sure. I think sometimes there are actors who try and do stand-up to see how it goes, and there are comedians who try acting to see how it goes, but I just always wanted to do both. I grew up - In Arkansas, we didn't have any comedy clubs so I was always in plays - but I was always cast in the more broad, funny roles. I would write stand-up but I didn't have anywhere to perform it because we didn't even have a club at the time, where I was. So, it took until I moved out here to actually finally get on my feet and do stand-up. I think it's probably split down the middle. I'm definitely making my living doing stand-up, for the most part, but I would really like to spread it our more to both. But stand-up has really gotten me everything I've achieved and I'm really grateful for it. There's nothing like a live audience, that's for sure.

DG: You're possibly best know for your work on Chelsea Lately. How did that all come about for you?

SC: Well, you know, I knew her -- we kinda started doing stand-up around the same time - we did open mics together and we met in an improv class we were both taking - so I met her kind of as one of the first people who was stumbling through the open mic scene with me. So, I'd known her for long time, and then when she got her show - of course they were trying to book bigger celebrities - I was still doing stand-up and working here and there, getting commercial work and hidden camera shows, but nothing big - but, she was also looking to bring out everyone she knew that she had worked with to get them on the show, on the panel. At that point, it would be up to you. If it didn't go well, that was it, That was a lot of pressure because you didn't want to let your friend down for giving you the opportunity to be on her show. Luckily, the first time I did it it went very well and I eventually became a regular and then they asked me to write on the show - probably about six months after that - so, I think there's was probably an advantage to knowing her - not knowing her, but knowing her style and her humor - that was probably an advantage to me getting the writing job, But, for the panel - for doing our own thing - it's definitely all up to you. And it was really great because I got to do both on the show. I got to write for her and I got to do my own thing too.

DG: Who makes you laugh?

SC: God, there's so many ... I think Kevin Hart is one of the funniest people I've ever seen in my life. I saw him live in Montreal a couple years ago at the festival and I was like elbowing people next to me - it was great. Stand-up wise, there's always Sarah Silverman - she's awesome - and Jen Kirman, who was on the show with me is probably one of my favorite stand-ups - I know she's not a huge name, but should be -- and her stand-up and writing is something that I envy.

DG: What can the COPA Palms Springs audiences expect from an evening with you?

SC: Definitely I like to talk about anything that's relatable. I talk about my family, I talk about friendship, I talk about dating - I'm engaged now, so that's different for me (she laughs) -- so, I talk about that. I don't do as much - on Chelsea we did all the topical stuff and I figure, that's for that -- and for stand-up I think, even though some stuff you have to bring up, but for me, anything I can relate to with the audience - because everyone has a family, everyone has a relationship - they can all sort of get where you're going even if they're not in the exact same place in your life. I do interact with the crowd some, and I love doing that, because you never know when you ask someone a question what they're going to say. It keeps me on my toes and it keeps it really fun for the audience too. And there's a runway at The COPA so maybe I'll use that. (she laughs)

DG: Are there any topics that are off-limits or taboo for you?

SC: I'm definitely the kind of person that steers clear of any tragedy - making fun of a tragedy. I understand there are some people that do it, and some people that do it really well, but just for me - I remember after the Boston Marathon there were a couple comedians, or maybe not even comedians but some jokes - and I felt, for me, I can't find a way to make it funny - I don't want to find a way to make it funny. Yes, we have to laugh through hard times but I think sometimes you have to remember - there are some things you have to just let lie.

DG: What would you consider one of your proudest career accomplishments so far?

SC: I think becoming a New York Times Best Selling Author was probably the biggest so far There's obviously certain things I've loved doing, and keep loving doing - even back was I was opening for Chelsea instead of headlining on my own, I gor to open with her at Radio City - that was amazing! But I think that the New York Time Best Selling Author title - just mostly because nobody can ever take it away from me. No matter what. If nothing else goes right for the rest of my life I can cling onto that title with a death grip. (she laughs)

DG: Do you have a preference over writing or doing stand-up?

SC: That's interesting. It's really down the middle. Because on stage you get that instance feedback - but you don't have as much freedom, because people are paying to see you - it's not as much that you can write something out longer - I mean, I am a storyteller on stage, but I get to the jokes. In a book you have the opportunity to write the tougher stories - in my latest book I definitely wrote a couple of more serious stories, with an angle of laughing at the hard parts - but you don't really have that opportunity on stage. In a book I get to go on and on a bit more - and that makes me happy.

DG: Final question - what advice to you give to aspiring actors or comedians who might want to try their hand at stand up?

SC: Definitely not to give up in your toughest moments. I definitely had times when I could have given up, but thank God I didn't.

DG: Thank God for all of us!

SC: I know, right? You're welcome world! (she laughs)

The COPA Palm Springs presents funny lady Sarah Colonna for one very special performance on Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 pm. For tickets or further iuformation visist www.copapalmsprings.com.

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