If you received my most recent dispatch From The Comic’s Comic and clicked on what comedy show I’ve been plugging in The New York Times, it’s already updated from last weekend to this weekend, which also coincidentally features this week’s podcast guest!
Carmen Christopher wrote for and performed on The Chris Gethard Show, eventually hosting the first episode of “Chris Gethard Presents” on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Christopher’s other early credits included appearances on The Special Without Brett Davis, At Home with Amy Sedaris, High Maintenance, Alternatino with Arturo Castro, Shrill, Joe Pera Talks with You, and Search Party. He currently is a writer and performer on Craig Robinson’s Killing It, is a recurring character on FX’s The Bear, and a writer on Nathan Fielder’s upcoming Showtime series, The Curse. And in 2021, his Street Special performed on the streets and sidewalks of New York City became the first original comedy special for Peacock. Christopher talked to me about his early years learning comedy in his native Chicago, auditioning for Saturday Night Live, and the differences between performing in New York and Los Angeles.
Enjoy the trailer for Peacock’s Carmen Christopher: Street Special!
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This transcript has been edited and condensed only slightly for your convenience.
The first time I remember seeing you was in the summer of 2016. And the very first time I saw you, you were auditioning for Saturday Night Live.
Yeah, that was a while ago. Shit! Yeah, I remember that. That was a good show, actually. I remember leaving and feeling good about that. I mean, I didn't get hired but I felt good about it.
It was the first and only time that I've ever been invited or allowed to see one of those. Let me clarify — it wasn't at 30 Rock; it was at The PIT.
Yeah, it was like an audition to get to 30 Rock to do the screen test. So they set up a ton of those showcases to see who they want to invite to screen test, and I got invited to that. I was asked to submit a tape list, and I guess if they like your tape, they ask you to showcase. So I showcased and then the showcase that you came to went really well for me, and then I ended up screen testing at 30 Rock, and then I did not get hired — which is A-OK (laughs).
They didn't want your Turtle from Entourage?!
Oh my God! Dude, that's so funny. I forgot about that. My impressions were like so stupid because I don't do impressions but I was like, what's funny? And so I did Turtle from entourage. And it was him at a bar like ordering a sneaker. Then I did Lin-Manuel (Miranda) at a strip club. Because Hamilton was huge in 2016, and I was like, I don't know — I could pass for looking like Lin Manuel on that show. That's funny. I forgot about that. Damn.
How long had you been in New York at that point? You're originally from Chicago.