Last Things First: Marcella Arguello
Episode #420
Marcella Arguello is a stand-up comedian, writer and actor originally from Modesto, Calif., who has made a name for herself in the Los Angeles comedy scene by standing tall and true to herself. Her regular show, “Women Crush,” started as a weekly showcase at NerdMelt, and is now monthly at the Hollywood Improv. Arguello has performed stand-up on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, Night Train with Wyatt Cenac, was a regular on Comedy Central’s @Midnight, performed on The Funny Dance Show, and has multiple other TV credits as writer and/or performer. She released her debut album, “The Woke Bully,” in 2019, and in February 2023, put out her first special on HBO Max, Marcella Arguello: Bitch, Grow Up! Arguello met up with me to reflect on how far she has come, how long it took her to get to this moment, and what comes next.
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Before we jump into the conversation, check out the trailer to Marcella’s new HBO Max special!
This transcript has been edited and condensed only slightly for your convenience.
Marcella Arguello, last things first, congratulations! Your new special on HBO Latino and HBO Max. I loved it. One of the things I loved most about it is, as somebody who watches and reviews stand-up comedy, so often it's difficult to really capture the essence of live stand-up in a special. But one of the things your special does, is it not only captures the essence but it also makes viewers want to come see you.
That was the intention. That was the intention. Yeah. Thank you for noticing. Thank you for saying, because that was very much the intention.
I know you're a pretty rabid promoter.
Yes.
Especially as this special was coming out. One of the things I noticed you posted was that it took you 17 years to get to this point. So we're talking now, the special has been out for a week. So how do you feel now? I mean, that 17-year wait and now you made it and now it's been out for a week? What does that feel like?
You know, it's been a little bit of a rollercoaster because I've been telling Aida (Rodriguez, who directed the special), a couple of my friends, my boo thing, that like I have to now let go of some of my bitter feelings. Like I have to! I have to! I can't say that, you know, the industry didn't give me an opportunity. It's happening and it's been interesting in this last week, processing all those old feelings I used to have, and I'm trying to let some of that shit go because I can't say what I used to say. I can't say that the industry doesn't fuck with me. Because now it does. And that's been kind of wild to have to let go that stuff, some of those bitter and angry feelings.
Right, that feeling of being snubbed or overlooked.
Yeah, and it's interesting, too. I was talking with Debra DiGiovanni yesterday at Women Crush, because she was like, ‘I liked that it took 17 years.’ Part of why I said it and I hadn't mentioned how long I’ve been doing it for a minute, because I think that we've now too often gotten used to younger comics getting shit maybe before they're ready. And we don't get the quality that we used to get. And Debra was like this is perfect timing. I was like, No, I agree that it's perfect timing — in the sense of if you're a stand-up, through and through, then you know that 17 years is just about time you start getting a little more attention for your stand-up.
I always go back to, not that I'm the biggest Jerry Seinfeld fan, but I go back to his documentary Comedian that came out in 2002. Where he's talking about how a comedian, your age is relative to your career. So 17 years, you're still a teenager.
Exactly. Yeah, I know. I used to tell my mom when I first started. I'm like, I'm basically in school right now. Like I'm basically in elementary school. And then by the time I'm 40, I'm gonna be in college. And it kind of helped her understand that it's like a long journey, especially if it is exactly what you want to do. Just do stand-up because that's what I've always wanted to do, what I want to be known for. I want to be known for being myself as a stand-up. It takes time. And you’re right. 17 years is like, you know, we're just getting started.
So whose idea was that montage at the beginning?
Mine. That was mine. Aida hit me up. She was like, what do you want for your intro? I was like, fuck, I haven't thought about it, because that's not something I give a shit about. The 30 minutes is what I care about. And we were on the phone and she's like, we need to come up with an intro and I was like, what if I just find a bunch of clips, so we just like splice them together? To show it's been a long time — because I didn't want anyone to see this and be like, this is a new brand-new comic on the scene, this is an overnight success. It's not true. I want everyone to know that it's been a minute. Like I've gone through multiple looks. My hair like grows and gets short and gets long in that montage because we put it in the order that it was.
Yeah, it did feel chronological.
It was great. I loved that. A lot of my closest friends were crying when they saw the montage because they're just like, ‘I remember. I remember.’
One of the things you mentioned in the special was working as a bank teller. Was that your last “day job?”