They have started their comedy endeavors in Los Angeles and call the city their home. They are the ones that los-angeles.pro will tell you more about.
Mark Moron
He grew up in New Mexico, where he started his standup while working at the Comedy Store. Subsequently, when Moron moved to the East Coast, was able to recover from alcohol and drug addictions, improve his act and take it to the next level. We are talking about performances that started out as solo shows and led to hosting a political radio show.
Marc Maron’s greatest popularity came from his groundbreaking WTF podcast. The well known comedian returned to Los Angeles, where he started interviewing top stars. Fans appreciate his interviews because of their honesty and humor, which results in captivating and enjoyable content.
Another fascinating part of his growth is his acting career. For instance, people can watch him acting in the Netflix TV series Glow.
Melissa McCarthy
She is a well known actress with an impressive fan following. The fact is that Melissa McCarthy has a distinct talent for energizing an audience. Mellissa’s popularity began precisely with humor, as she is one of the best female comedians. She has repeatedly made it to the lists of the Top Most Influential People in the World and Highest Paid Actresses.
Born and raised on an Illinois farm, McCarthy began performing as a standup comic at prominent clubs in New York City after high school. In the late 1990s, she moved to Los Angeles, where she performed with the Groundlings improv troupe until 2010.
Melissa McCarthy gained fame as an actress, screenwriter and producer. Among everyone’s favorite films where she starred are Bridesmaids, Spy, The Boss and more. Her list of works is extensive and includes award-winning comedy films.
Later in life, McCarthy and her spouse, Ben Falcone, established On the Day Productions, a production company. In 2015, Melissa launched a clothing line for women wearing plus sizes.
Will Ferrell
He is an incredibly famous country comedy star who has always called Southern California his home. He was born in Irvine, California, before moving to Los Angeles in the early 90s. That’s where his career began. In numerous interviews, he recalled how peaceful and safe he felt as a child, so humor became one of the ways he entertained himself.
He had the opportunity to choose standup but found himself in something else, namely improvisation and sketches. That, in turn, caught the eye of Lorne Michaels from Saturday Night Live. Soon after, Will Ferrell became the leader of Saturday Night Live.
The American comedian is also an actor, writer and producer. Will Ferrell has received numerous nominations and awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. He was also honored in 2011 with the Mark Twain Award for American Humor and in 2015 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his achievements in the film industry.
Betsy Sodaro
She is another comedic actress known for the Upright Citizens Brigade. After UCB opened a theater in Los Angeles, Betsy Sodaro became one of the top improvisers on the Los Angeles stage. Her childhood began in Colorado. Later, she studied in Sacramento before moving to Los Angeles.
Betsy stood out amongst others and that was her advantage. Betsy started getting roles in various comedy films. Since 2016 alone, she has appeared in over 20 films and television projects.
Pauly Shore
He is well known to audiences for his roles in famous comedy films from the 1990s. These include the hit 1992’s Encino Man and many other successful works. Shore started out as a standup comic when he was just 17 years old. It was a fascinating path leading up to the VJ moment on MTV in 1989.
Interestingly, Paul Shore was practically born into a family that practiced comedy professionally. His mother, in particular, ran the well known Comedy Store in Los Angeles, while his father was a famous comedy actor. The young man grew up surrounded by gifted comedians, so it was not unexpected that Paul would follow in their footsteps.
Shore grew up in Beverly Hills, California, where he finished high school. He was raised following Jewish traditions since childhood. The achievements of his parents inspired him to launch his own business, making him decide against further studies.
Though he no longer produces teenaged stoner comedies, he still attracts a large audience of fans performing his standup act nationwide.
Shore made a significant career breakthrough as a VJ on MTV between 1989 and 1994. During the same time, he hosted his show and the annual Spring Break parties. Shore also took an interesting direction by shooting a music video named Lisa, Lisa, the One I Adore.
Chelsea Handler
It is worth saying a few words first about the childhood of the future star. Chelsea Handler grew up in New Jersey and was the youngest of six brothers and sisters. As a teenager, she entered the Miss New Jersey beauty pageant.
She first moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Feeling unable to achieve that, she tried her luck at standup. Subsequently, Chelsea was featured in the Girls Behaving Badly television show, which premiered in 2002.
Chelsea Handler is known to audiences as one of the country’s most honest and outspoken comedians. She is not shy about sharing love stories, blunders and even “adventures” with alcohol with her audience of fans.
Among Chelsea Handler’s significant accomplishments stand out the following:
- Her hit show, Chelsea Lately
- Author of bestsellers. Her first book, My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands (2005), portrays the diverse sexual encounters she underwent throughout her life.
- Star of two Netflix shows, documentary series Chelsea Does and talk show Chelsea.
- Since 2022, she has been starring in the Netflix special Chelsea Handler: Revolution.
Chelsea Handler’s acting dream became a reality when she landed the lead role in the online comedy series In the Motherhood in 2007. She also appeared on other popular TV shows and programs. In 2010, Handler hosted the MTV Video Music Awards, followed by the Critics Choice Awards in 2023.
Chelsea’s story is an inspiration for those who dare to dream and persevere to succeed in the end.
Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla, the famous comedian, began his career working in construction in North Hollywood. It may not appear glamorous, but in truth, Carolla grew up in a modest family that could not boast of good earnings.
He has lived in Los Angeles all his life, but his comedy career only took off when he volunteered to be Jimmy Kimmel’s boxing trainer for a radio show in which Kimmel was involved. Those two subsequently became close friends and even screenwriting partners. They started working on segments for The Kevin and Bean Show. Over time, the Man Show has emerged. After a while, The Man Show appeared, followed by a job as a co-host of the Loveline radio show, where he gave listeners relationship advice. He has succeeded in building a podcast empire.
When reflecting on Adam’s humble beginnings, his journey is truly motivational and inspirational. Adam is a director of numerous documentary films, creates his own podcast and has even addressed Congress emphasizing freedom of speech.
Retta
Before moving to Los Angeles, she worked in the pharmaceutical research field. Subsequently, she left it all behind to build a successful comedy career. She practiced performing for two years until she could start earning money. She toured colleges and thus was able to make a name for herself.
Then there were television projects and film roles, where Retta landed starring appearances in the television series Parks and Recreation and Good Girls. There is no end in sight for Retta’s career.
So, it was a list of some well-known Los Angeles comedians. What the stars have in common is that their perseverance, hard work and sense of humor helped them become famous, fulfill their potential and achieve their ambitions.