February 1, 2023 • 23 mins
Host Caroline Hendershot is joined by "Saturday Night Live" Comedian Punkie Johnson. The two discuss how Johnson got into her career as an actor/comedian (0:40), what her experience was like as a stand up comedian (6:00), and the move to the iconic "Saturday Night Live" (7:30). They go on to discuss what it is like to work at "SNL" (9:25), the pressure to perform on such a big stage (14:30) and her promotion to Repertory Player in 2022 (16:15). Lastly, they talk about her favorite part of working at "SNL" (18:00) Johnson then gives updates on upcoming projects she is working on (19:30), and her experience attending a Jets game this season (20:40).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome into another episode of New Yorker. I'm your host,
Caroline hinder Shot, and today we have an amazing, amazing guest.
I'm joined by Punky Johnson. Punky is a repertory player
for Saturday Night Live who returns for her third season.
You are a comedian and writer. You have been involved
with everything under the sun. Thank you so much for
(00:24):
coming on. I'm so excited to have you. No, no,
thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. Okay,
So let's dive right into your background and how you
first got interested with becoming a comedian and actor, because like,
did you know from a young age this was something
that you were just kind of meant to do or
did you more so fall into it? Oh no, no, no,
I know, I know. I mean it's a scary business. Um,
(00:48):
you know, because you you've seen in the public and
you heavily judged and looked at and you know. Um,
but my family was goofy. My whole family was goofy
and dumb. And you know, my mom would like I
would get in trouble and she would crack jokes on
me as I was punished, and usually on the weekends,
you know, when your family clean your houses. A lot
(01:10):
of people listen to music, but my family listened to
like Richard Pryor and all the great comedians as we
clean the house. So I've always been interested in and
I never went to sleep without watching comicview before bed
and just dreaming. I'm like, I'm gonna be like that
one day. So it's been it's I think it's been
in the blood since Yeah, yeah, it's been. It's been
(01:31):
a long time coming. Okay, so you graduate college and
what was your first move in getting started in your career?
How did you kind of break into the industry. So
what had happened was I graduated college, I moved back
to my hometown in New Orleans. I had this crazy
breakup with uh uh with someone I was seeing for
(01:53):
eight years. Um, I was very young. I didn't know
how to be hurt, so I would I would god
with stalker. Yeah that was a quick look term for you.
And then I got up one time and I was like,
what are you doing? Like you can't be out here
sitting in trees and meeting neighbors across the street just
(02:13):
to watch with this girl like get like stop, and
that that me being crazy that made me say no,
get up and go chase your dreams and stop tripping
and chasing this girl like you out of control. So
then I just I packed up everything. I mean, it
happened within a week. I'll quit my job. I'm like,
I'm moving to my parents, I'm moving with the Hollywood.
Went to like an acting school, and then I got
(02:36):
hired at the world famous commedist store and it just
went from there. Did you ever have like a moment
where it kind of felt overwhelming or you didn't think
that you would be able to break into the industry? Oh? Yeah,
every day still yeah, stop, you know what I'm saying.
I feel like it's a you know, it's not a
nine of five. You go into every day and kind
(02:57):
of know you know what's gonna happen. You just you know,
sometimes you don't know if you're gonna have like all
these actors and actresses out here that's on like these
these movies and on these series that's gonna stop one
day and then they're not gonna have a job, and
then they gotta get to they got an audition or
you know, write something. I'll get to the next job.
So it's consistent, but it's inconsistent and it could get
(03:19):
scary at times. But also like I could sit down
one day and be like, I'm just not talented enough.
I mean, it's it's a it's a game of the mind,
I think. So a lot of meditation is needed for
me and uh just just just uh what. I wake
up in the morning and I just say all these
things to myself just to be like, all right, come on,
(03:41):
let's go out here and get the day. Let's go
out here and be happy with it, regardless what have happened.
Let's go ouhre and be creative. Let's just you know,
you just gotta wake up every day and just do it. Yeah,
how do you deal with that? Because I mean, for me,
same thing, like sometimes I am out there doubting myself
or saying like, oh I could have done this better,
I could have done that better. How do you kind
(04:03):
of rally around yourself to also be your own biggest
fan and advocate at the same time as like, sometimes
when you're struggling and having these thoughts, therapy a lot
of that. Oh yeah, I do not like looking at myself.
I do not like listening to myself. I'll go back
(04:25):
and rewatch something like why do I make that face?
Why would I talk to I do this thing with
my chin? Why do I keep you my lips? And
and then the next time I do something, now try
to change it. But then I'm messing everything up because
I'm in my head making sure I didn't do all
those all the rest of the stuff. So I don't know.
I think like I think, I think every day. I
just try to be like I look just just the
(04:46):
way you look, okay, the way you sound, like, fall
in love with yourself, and stop being an idiot, like
come on now, let's go. So it's hard, Yeah, I talked.
I talked to myself a lot sometimes in public. I like, lord,
I do I look crazy? But I just I have to.
I have to, I think. And because you're you're in
the public side, so you know, it's not a lot
(05:07):
of nice people out here either. I mean, there's a
lot of nice people, but some people just want to
insult you for no reason. It's like I was minding
my business. I have to come over here and say that.
It's crazy because a lot of times people will pick
up on small things that you're like, oh, I hope
nobody saw that. Or realized that I stumbled over those
(05:27):
words and people will be the first one to kind
of pick up on that, and then you're like, oh, shoot,
people did notice it. So it's hard to kind of
balance what people are saying and ignore it and kind
of stay in your own groove. I'm sure, yeah, but
that's what you got to kill a fun Yes, yes, definitely,
I had my medic Okay, So what was your first
(05:51):
movie or TV show or stand up routine and what
was like the biggest thing that you felt like it
taught you? You know what? Um, I would I wanta
go I'm a director to my standard routine. I think
I think a lot of my routine come from my
real life, so I'm always talking trash about myself and
(06:11):
with relationships something or whatever. So, um, I think the
biggest lesson was comedy helped me to navigate through a
marriage because every time we would do something or get
into something to go somewhere, I would go on stage
and talk about it. And I think with that it
helped me to get through my marriage, which I'm now divorced,
praise God. And um it also helped me relate to
(06:33):
the audience because I wasn't just a gay comedian to them.
Now now I'm a person in a relationship, and they
have things to relate to because all kinds of things
happened in relationships, and they're like, that happened to me.
How you deal with these girls? Probably? So now I
now have a relationship with a lot of people because
of of my marriage. So I appreciate my wife for
(06:56):
at least that. Yes, the relationships and across the board,
no matter what career you're in or whatnot, it's the
relationships that get you through it, get you to the
next step, but then also make it worthwhile because then
you meet amazing people that you form these relationships with
and you get to really know and understand, which is
(07:16):
so nice. Absolutely, you were at the comedy store correct
in in l A. How did you make that jump
from that gig to then going to Saturday Night Lives? Like,
how does that happen? You know, I'm the type of
comic I'm like, you know what, I'm just probably gonna
do comedy for us of my life. I might get
lucky with a couple of TV shows here and they're like,
(07:37):
you know, the dream is always big. But SNL was
one of the things I'm like, yeah, I don't even
put that on your list. You're never gonna be there,
and so um, I ended up COVID. I ended up
moving because I didn't have a job anymore and it's
expensive in California, and I moved back home with mom
and I was so embarrassed. I used to cry over day.
I'm like, I'm moving backwards. And then um, I I
(08:00):
gotta I gotta audition for us. And now I'm on
the phone my manager. He was like yeah. I was like,
you're serious. He said yeah. I was like, like serious,
He said yeah, do the audition. So I played with
it for the first one because I was like, you know,
these people don't this is this is foolishness. They don't
want me. And then I got the second audition and
I was like what. He was like, yeah, you're sent
(08:21):
in the same characters, so you could change it up.
I stop changing it up. So by the time I
sent like six, and then the second time I doubled
it and sent twelve, and I just really I was like,
you know, I'm gonna put out put I was just
gonna try to come up with some original stuff with
some other characters for television. And I was like, we'll
see if this work. And I mean, man, look it worked,
(08:42):
and I was like I I was like, all right,
I don't you know, I don't know what's going on
up in here. But because it's a big turn, you know,
from you know, and you know, I get there and
all of these people went to school for this stuff.
So I'm just like, Jesus gosh, I went to school.
I was just like, man, I don't I don't know.
I don't know, but know, the carousel never stops turning,
so you just gotta get in there and and stick
(09:04):
with it, or you could or you could be a quitter.
So I'm just learning every day. But it's a big change. Yeah.
Now does how does your day to day change from
what you were doing at the comedy store to now SNL?
Because I'm sure SNL is just like like you were explaining,
just such a big undertaking every single week. Yeah, it is.
(09:28):
It's it's six days a week, which is which is uh,
it's it's well, first of all, with comedy, you go
outside every day, period, Like when you're hustling in the street,
you go out every day. Look, I gotta hit this, mic,
I gotta hit this mic and that's how you grow
and make relationship with the clubs, and you become a
regular at the club, and that's how you start making money.
So I was already used to being outside every day,
(09:49):
but with this, it's more of I use my brain
so much. And I don't think people understand how mentally
exhausting that can be. Because we you know, we get
a lot of resting time because you go in your
office is kind of a lot of downtime. It's like
a Harry up and wait type game. We just need
you here until we get here. But the mental stress
is it's, um, it's a lot. But it also helps
(10:11):
me to be on a on a like a schedule,
because now I'm like that I'm gonna workout at nine.
As long as I'm working out every day, I'm good.
Once I stopped working out, that's when I get all crazy.
I'm like, oh my god, I'm but it's like, I'm
on us, I'm on a schedule, like I know. I
sometimes it could be a lot of like, um, cancelations
(10:33):
or maybe you added to this and added to that
and and it you know, but I already know money
do Saturday is I'm on call already know that from sure,
so don't we We can't go nowhere, we can't do nothing.
We could try a lot of friends, I always hit
me up, yeah I'm being town at on Friday at too,
and I'd be like, Okay, we're gonna see And I
could be like, my schedule clear. I don't think I
(10:54):
gotta go to work one FF and nine. They're like, oh,
you gotta go to the studio. I'm like, we almost one. Yeah,
I know, to keep the week clear because you never
know when they're gonna need you, and when they need you,
they need you gotta go period, right, Yeah, it's it's
it's funny because like working as the team reporter and
a comedian six days a week, that's like your norm,
(11:16):
Like especially in season when we're working on Sundays when
there's football games and everything. You just get used to
working six days a week. And then of course when
we're out of season, we get that day back, which
you don't unfortunately. But I'm like, oh my gosh, Sundays
or I have Sundays again, Like I have so much
time to do things, Like I think it's a crazy adjustment.
(11:36):
It is. The time off is the reward because you know,
we'll we'll go like three weeks on, two weeks off,
two weeks on, one week off, have a schedule will be.
But when we do have the hiatus is sometimes we
go back to work, you know, because sometimes we go
do comedy somewhere else, so we might book a nice
guest off spot on a series or something. So you know,
(11:58):
you really have to pay your self and make sure
when you have the hiatus to get your rest. Um.
If not, you're gonna come. I mean, it's just you.
You just you just gotta make sure you're self caring
a lot. I guess you know what I'm saying. You
don't want to burn out? Right? How do you how
do you kind of balance that? Because I mean for
me especially, I find that difficult. In an eighteen weeks
(12:21):
season and you're getting towards the end of it and
everything is just so taxing. At that point, you're constantly tired,
you're doing a lot six days a week. How do
you kind of make sure that you do get that
R and R and you don't burn out? Um, all
I can tell you is I take a lot of
vitamins every day. I'm on a be twelve That fish oil,
(12:46):
vitamin E, vitamin cave for you know, I just I
just try to put the necessary things in my body
to help me to keep going. And when I can rest,
I do rest. I don't, I don't. I don't say alright, cool,
I say that I was going do this, but um
I said I was gonna go home and rest. But yeah,
I'll come out with y'all like, no, was you. I
just have to have that control to say no, because
(13:08):
it's hard to say no because something always going on.
It's New York City, yep, yep, you know, always something happening. Yeah.
I had to turn down going to a basketball game,
and oh I hate turning on the games because they're
so fun, you know. But I was just like, it's
my only day. I just can't do it. I appreciate
it so much, but I got to go to bed. Yeah,
(13:29):
you're gonna prioritize yourself. It's hard to do, but you
kind of have to. Yeah, it's necessary. So in you
joined US and L as a featured player, can you
explain what that is for people that don't fully understand that. So,
in my own words, a feature player is S and
(13:52):
L saying yeah, we're gonna see how you do. We'll
put you in from time to time and see what's
going on with your little cameras and all of that stuff.
That's my own words, not they probably have a better term.
That's how Punkt Johnson explains it. Were gonna, We're gonna
(14:13):
see it's kind of what that means. And then you
know I didn't make it pass. Then you know, did
you feel like, uh more pressure in that stage than
like you had before? Because it almost is like a
constant try out in a sense, you know what. I
I don't know because I'm learning in this game that
(14:34):
you can't care, you know, like the more you care,
the more you can hurt your feelings. Like so I
can't lie. Like I do feel the pressure sometimes, but
I always have to be and like like I told you,
I'm doing a lot therapy, a lot of meditation, So
I'm always in like this world of you know, whatever
gonna happen, happen. If it's for you, it's gonna be
(14:56):
for you. If it's not, they got something else out there.
So I'm always trying to That's how I feel like
I have to live in this so uh yeah, I
mean I do feel the pressure, but I don't. I
can't let it get to me. I just I just
going in. I be myself and if you like it,
you like it. If you don't, somebody else will and
I'll figure it out down the road. Yeah, it's it's
(15:19):
hard because that pressure sometimes like makes you a better performer, comedian, reporter, actor, writer.
But then at the same time you don't want too
much of it because then it will like eat you alive.
So it's it's a very fine balance in a sense.
I think. Yeah, I think balance is the key word.
That's a good word because now I live under the pressure.
(15:41):
Now I ain't gonna because see now if I wait
to see my problem is I procrastinate. It's just in
my name. I mean, like, I'll get to it, and
I'm where my back is against the wall to have
something written for some reason. If I wait till the
last minute, it's great, Yeah, it's gold. Yeah. But if
(16:02):
I do it when I got time left and I'm
just chilling because I'm like, oh I did that already,
it sucks. So you know, just like you said, yes, yes,
So when you got kind of promoted to the repertory status,
what did that mean to you? Did you like have
a moment where you kind of looked back and you
(16:22):
were like, wow, I kind of made it. Um. I
definitely was like, Okay, that's how you feel. Okay, you know,
and uh, I don't know, you know, it just kind
of makes you feel like, uh, like you're part of
the family. And I think being a part of family,
you know, as I pulled back the layers of life,
I always be like, you know what, the important the
(16:44):
real wind is loving family. So for me, so when
I'm at work and I'm around these people, I'm like,
you know what I think I'm I'm finding a family
and it feels good to be have a family in
the industry. Like the other day, I went to try
on some clothes. I had no idea that now I
have a closet and the main closet with the rest
(17:04):
of the people, and I'm emotionals. Sometimes I get really weird.
But I was with the person that dresses me um
and I just bust out crying and she's like, oh
my god, what's wrong with you. I was like, I've
got a clip, so I just you know, it's a
it's a very very very happy feeling, but it's also
like all let's go punk. You gotta step up and
(17:26):
and and like hang with the big dogs, now, you know.
So that's that's what they feel like. Okay, Well, I'm
glad to know that I'm not the only one that
will randomly burst out crying, because that happens to me.
I would say on a daily basis, I'll like start
thinking about something, I'll be like, I'm just so happy
and so at least we're in it together. Yes, yes,
(17:49):
I'm definitely a happy crier. And when I'm excited about something, yes.
So what would you say is your favorite part of
your day to day and just your job in general
at snl UM. I've always been a clown, Like I
think dressing up it's my favorite part. Putting heels on
(18:10):
is my favorite part because I can't walk in them.
So when I'm in a whole studio and be like,
oh my god, hit come punking goofing ass, Oh my goodness,
maybe like here she go, everybody gotta help me get
to where I go, I think that part. But I
just honestly like it's really cool and it's really fun
being on TV and the supporters of this show and
(18:32):
my fans especially, they are just so amazing and they
make you keep going. But I think the relationships that
you build in the building is really nice because you're like, wow,
because I didn't think I knew how to make friends anymore,
because I'm like, I'm oh, I have enough friends. I
don't know how to you know, we're not kids anymore.
So it's like, how do you get in and say, okay,
(18:53):
let's be friends? You know? So I think that's important,
just the just the building the relationships, and it's authentic.
It's you don't want nothing from each other but the love.
So I think that's that's one of the most important things.
But the but acting, being a grandmother and old auntie
and when church hats never gets old, never get know.
(19:15):
I love it. I love every piece of that. Is
there anything, um in particular that you're either like new
projects that you're working on outside of SNL or just
new skits coming up with SNL that you're really excited for?
Oh yeah, see, my goal is to get to that
update desk, you know. Um, I haven't been able to
get up that this year, But that don't that that
just me and I gotta just write better updates, um,
(19:38):
so I'll be there. Like, that's a goal. Never get
out of that without an update. So I'll be there.
I have faith in that, and um, I got Uh.
I'm working on my comedy special, my one hour special,
and so this year I'm hoping to put that on
one So but if I'm going to Moontower this year
out in Austin, Texas for the festival, and they are
giving me an opportunity to present my one hour and
(20:00):
managers my team, they're gonna watch it. If it's ready
to go, We're gonna we're gonna put that. Uh. That's
that's that's gonna be on the goal of list of
things to do for this year before the years out,
and it's gonna be real. It's gonna be it's gonna
be dope. I'm gonna put it all out there for
people of my marriage and what happened in it and
love and toxic relationships and you know, I'm gonna put
it all out there so we'll see. My gosh, that's
(20:22):
so exciting. I can't wait till that comes out because
I will be all eyes glued to that. That sounds
so exciting. But I know you also came to a
Jets game this past season I have to ask, did
you grow up loving football? Was this something that you
like wanted to come do, or did you just have
the opportunity kind of presented to you. You You were in like, heck, yeah,
(20:43):
sign me up, um football. So I grew up My
family is basically all boys, um my my mother's side,
So I grew up around men all my life. And
I grew up in New Orleans, and New Orleans is
a huge football city. Like, we don't play over the
Saint play over them. They could be trash can like
(21:04):
they was this season. I mean trash can, but we
don't play. And then we got Drew Brees and now
he's like, you know, like I tell everybody he's my
baby's father and his wife Brittan I check because I
love that man because he did so much for our city.
And he he woke up, you know, he came at
the thing and it was then I fought harder in
(21:25):
love with football. So I've always been a football fan.
Thanksgiving Us a thing I do with my dad every year.
I'm like, Thanksgiving us for me and Papa. We laid
down all day, watched football all day, and it's just
it's just a fun sport. Like I had a good
weekend with it this weekend. It's just a it's a
fun sport. M It's always there's always something new. I
feel like every game that you watched where you're like,
(21:46):
oh man, I didn't know that that could even happen,
or like how did you even design that play? Or
how did you even think of that? And the miracles
that happened, it's so crazy, Like one of the biggest
miracles happened against my team, and I am angry about
it because they freely on an anniversary of it every year.
But it was it was a bizarre, amazing play, you know,
(22:07):
So anything happened in football. And I do love coming
to the Jets game. Not too long ago, I met
the owner and his wife and that was a great experience.
And the food. I've been going for the food and
the open bar too, and it's just it's just it's
just good. I was just like, you know what, I'm
in New York. Ever, like I lived in Los Angeles.
(22:27):
I'm like, all right, cool, I gotta pick a team. Yep,
when you live there, you gotta pick a team. So
I'm like, I'm in New York. I gotta pick a
team's gonna have to be the Jets. Okay, so we
know you're you're secretly a Saints fan at heart, but
we'll we'll claim you as a Jets fan for the
for the time being while you're in New York. Well,
we'll take that ownership. Yes, I love it. I love it. Awesome, Punky,
(22:49):
Thank you so much for hopping on. We appreciated so much.
So great to hear about your rise to SNL. Can't
wait for the one hour special that will hopefully come
out later this year, and we'll see you Saturday night
on SNL. All right, you bet. Last Saturday I got
a chance to uh tell Michael B. Jordan he was
my man. So that was fun. Well, well, well we'll
(23:11):
see what's going. We'll see who I claim this exactly.
We'll see we'll see how you can top that this weekend.
M
Welcome into another episode of New Yorker. I'm your host,
Caroline hinder Shot, and today we have an amazing, amazing guest.
I'm joined by Punky Johnson. Punky is a repertory player
for Saturday Night Live who returns for her third season.
You are a comedian and writer. You have been involved
with everything under the sun. Thank you so much for
(00:24):
coming on. I'm so excited to have you. No, no,
thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. Okay,
So let's dive right into your background and how you
first got interested with becoming a comedian and actor, because like,
did you know from a young age this was something
that you were just kind of meant to do or
did you more so fall into it? Oh no, no, no,
I know, I know. I mean it's a scary business. Um,
(00:48):
you know, because you you've seen in the public and
you heavily judged and looked at and you know. Um,
but my family was goofy. My whole family was goofy
and dumb. And you know, my mom would like I
would get in trouble and she would crack jokes on
me as I was punished, and usually on the weekends,
you know, when your family clean your houses. A lot
(01:10):
of people listen to music, but my family listened to
like Richard Pryor and all the great comedians as we
clean the house. So I've always been interested in and
I never went to sleep without watching comicview before bed
and just dreaming. I'm like, I'm gonna be like that
one day. So it's been it's I think it's been
in the blood since Yeah, yeah, it's been. It's been
(01:31):
a long time coming. Okay, so you graduate college and
what was your first move in getting started in your career?
How did you kind of break into the industry. So
what had happened was I graduated college, I moved back
to my hometown in New Orleans. I had this crazy
breakup with uh uh with someone I was seeing for
(01:53):
eight years. Um, I was very young. I didn't know
how to be hurt, so I would I would god
with stalker. Yeah that was a quick look term for you.
And then I got up one time and I was like,
what are you doing? Like you can't be out here
sitting in trees and meeting neighbors across the street just
(02:13):
to watch with this girl like get like stop, and
that that me being crazy that made me say no,
get up and go chase your dreams and stop tripping
and chasing this girl like you out of control. So
then I just I packed up everything. I mean, it
happened within a week. I'll quit my job. I'm like,
I'm moving to my parents, I'm moving with the Hollywood.
Went to like an acting school, and then I got
(02:36):
hired at the world famous commedist store and it just
went from there. Did you ever have like a moment
where it kind of felt overwhelming or you didn't think
that you would be able to break into the industry? Oh? Yeah,
every day still yeah, stop, you know what I'm saying.
I feel like it's a you know, it's not a
nine of five. You go into every day and kind
(02:57):
of know you know what's gonna happen. You just you know,
sometimes you don't know if you're gonna have like all
these actors and actresses out here that's on like these
these movies and on these series that's gonna stop one
day and then they're not gonna have a job, and
then they gotta get to they got an audition or
you know, write something. I'll get to the next job.
So it's consistent, but it's inconsistent and it could get
(03:19):
scary at times. But also like I could sit down
one day and be like, I'm just not talented enough.
I mean, it's it's a it's a game of the mind,
I think. So a lot of meditation is needed for
me and uh just just just uh what. I wake
up in the morning and I just say all these
things to myself just to be like, all right, come on,
(03:41):
let's go out here and get the day. Let's go
out here and be happy with it, regardless what have happened.
Let's go ouhre and be creative. Let's just you know,
you just gotta wake up every day and just do it. Yeah,
how do you deal with that? Because I mean, for me,
same thing, like sometimes I am out there doubting myself
or saying like, oh I could have done this better,
I could have done that better. How do you kind
(04:03):
of rally around yourself to also be your own biggest
fan and advocate at the same time as like, sometimes
when you're struggling and having these thoughts, therapy a lot
of that. Oh yeah, I do not like looking at myself.
I do not like listening to myself. I'll go back
(04:25):
and rewatch something like why do I make that face?
Why would I talk to I do this thing with
my chin? Why do I keep you my lips? And
and then the next time I do something, now try
to change it. But then I'm messing everything up because
I'm in my head making sure I didn't do all
those all the rest of the stuff. So I don't know.
I think like I think, I think every day. I
just try to be like I look just just the
(04:46):
way you look, okay, the way you sound, like, fall
in love with yourself, and stop being an idiot, like
come on now, let's go. So it's hard, Yeah, I talked.
I talked to myself a lot sometimes in public. I like, lord,
I do I look crazy? But I just I have to.
I have to, I think. And because you're you're in
the public side, so you know, it's not a lot
(05:07):
of nice people out here either. I mean, there's a
lot of nice people, but some people just want to
insult you for no reason. It's like I was minding
my business. I have to come over here and say that.
It's crazy because a lot of times people will pick
up on small things that you're like, oh, I hope
nobody saw that. Or realized that I stumbled over those
(05:27):
words and people will be the first one to kind
of pick up on that, and then you're like, oh, shoot,
people did notice it. So it's hard to kind of
balance what people are saying and ignore it and kind
of stay in your own groove. I'm sure, yeah, but
that's what you got to kill a fun Yes, yes, definitely,
I had my medic Okay, So what was your first
(05:51):
movie or TV show or stand up routine and what
was like the biggest thing that you felt like it
taught you? You know what? Um, I would I wanta
go I'm a director to my standard routine. I think
I think a lot of my routine come from my
real life, so I'm always talking trash about myself and
(06:11):
with relationships something or whatever. So, um, I think the
biggest lesson was comedy helped me to navigate through a
marriage because every time we would do something or get
into something to go somewhere, I would go on stage
and talk about it. And I think with that it
helped me to get through my marriage, which I'm now divorced,
praise God. And um it also helped me relate to
(06:33):
the audience because I wasn't just a gay comedian to them.
Now now I'm a person in a relationship, and they
have things to relate to because all kinds of things
happened in relationships, and they're like, that happened to me.
How you deal with these girls? Probably? So now I
now have a relationship with a lot of people because
of of my marriage. So I appreciate my wife for
(06:56):
at least that. Yes, the relationships and across the board,
no matter what career you're in or whatnot, it's the
relationships that get you through it, get you to the
next step, but then also make it worthwhile because then
you meet amazing people that you form these relationships with
and you get to really know and understand, which is
(07:16):
so nice. Absolutely, you were at the comedy store correct
in in l A. How did you make that jump
from that gig to then going to Saturday Night Lives? Like,
how does that happen? You know, I'm the type of
comic I'm like, you know what, I'm just probably gonna
do comedy for us of my life. I might get
lucky with a couple of TV shows here and they're like,
(07:37):
you know, the dream is always big. But SNL was
one of the things I'm like, yeah, I don't even
put that on your list. You're never gonna be there,
and so um, I ended up COVID. I ended up
moving because I didn't have a job anymore and it's
expensive in California, and I moved back home with mom
and I was so embarrassed. I used to cry over day.
I'm like, I'm moving backwards. And then um, I I
(08:00):
gotta I gotta audition for us. And now I'm on
the phone my manager. He was like yeah. I was like,
you're serious. He said yeah. I was like, like serious,
He said yeah, do the audition. So I played with
it for the first one because I was like, you know,
these people don't this is this is foolishness. They don't
want me. And then I got the second audition and
I was like what. He was like, yeah, you're sent
(08:21):
in the same characters, so you could change it up.
I stop changing it up. So by the time I
sent like six, and then the second time I doubled
it and sent twelve, and I just really I was like,
you know, I'm gonna put out put I was just
gonna try to come up with some original stuff with
some other characters for television. And I was like, we'll
see if this work. And I mean, man, look it worked,
(08:42):
and I was like I I was like, all right,
I don't you know, I don't know what's going on
up in here. But because it's a big turn, you know,
from you know, and you know, I get there and
all of these people went to school for this stuff.
So I'm just like, Jesus gosh, I went to school.
I was just like, man, I don't I don't know.
I don't know, but know, the carousel never stops turning,
so you just gotta get in there and and stick
(09:04):
with it, or you could or you could be a quitter.
So I'm just learning every day. But it's a big change. Yeah.
Now does how does your day to day change from
what you were doing at the comedy store to now SNL?
Because I'm sure SNL is just like like you were explaining,
just such a big undertaking every single week. Yeah, it is.
(09:28):
It's it's six days a week, which is which is uh,
it's it's well, first of all, with comedy, you go
outside every day, period, Like when you're hustling in the street,
you go out every day. Look, I gotta hit this, mic,
I gotta hit this mic and that's how you grow
and make relationship with the clubs, and you become a
regular at the club, and that's how you start making money.
So I was already used to being outside every day,
(09:49):
but with this, it's more of I use my brain
so much. And I don't think people understand how mentally
exhausting that can be. Because we you know, we get
a lot of resting time because you go in your
office is kind of a lot of downtime. It's like
a Harry up and wait type game. We just need
you here until we get here. But the mental stress
is it's, um, it's a lot. But it also helps
(10:11):
me to be on a on a like a schedule,
because now I'm like that I'm gonna workout at nine.
As long as I'm working out every day, I'm good.
Once I stopped working out, that's when I get all crazy.
I'm like, oh my god, I'm but it's like, I'm
on us, I'm on a schedule, like I know. I
sometimes it could be a lot of like, um, cancelations
(10:33):
or maybe you added to this and added to that
and and it you know, but I already know money
do Saturday is I'm on call already know that from sure,
so don't we We can't go nowhere, we can't do nothing.
We could try a lot of friends, I always hit
me up, yeah I'm being town at on Friday at too,
and I'd be like, Okay, we're gonna see And I
could be like, my schedule clear. I don't think I
(10:54):
gotta go to work one FF and nine. They're like, oh,
you gotta go to the studio. I'm like, we almost one. Yeah,
I know, to keep the week clear because you never
know when they're gonna need you, and when they need you,
they need you gotta go period, right, Yeah, it's it's
it's funny because like working as the team reporter and
a comedian six days a week, that's like your norm,
(11:16):
Like especially in season when we're working on Sundays when
there's football games and everything. You just get used to
working six days a week. And then of course when
we're out of season, we get that day back, which
you don't unfortunately. But I'm like, oh my gosh, Sundays
or I have Sundays again, Like I have so much
time to do things, Like I think it's a crazy adjustment.
(11:36):
It is. The time off is the reward because you know,
we'll we'll go like three weeks on, two weeks off,
two weeks on, one week off, have a schedule will be.
But when we do have the hiatus is sometimes we
go back to work, you know, because sometimes we go
do comedy somewhere else, so we might book a nice
guest off spot on a series or something. So you know,
(11:58):
you really have to pay your self and make sure
when you have the hiatus to get your rest. Um.
If not, you're gonna come. I mean, it's just you.
You just you just gotta make sure you're self caring
a lot. I guess you know what I'm saying. You
don't want to burn out? Right? How do you how
do you kind of balance that? Because I mean for
me especially, I find that difficult. In an eighteen weeks
(12:21):
season and you're getting towards the end of it and
everything is just so taxing. At that point, you're constantly tired,
you're doing a lot six days a week. How do
you kind of make sure that you do get that
R and R and you don't burn out? Um, all
I can tell you is I take a lot of
vitamins every day. I'm on a be twelve That fish oil,
(12:46):
vitamin E, vitamin cave for you know, I just I
just try to put the necessary things in my body
to help me to keep going. And when I can rest,
I do rest. I don't, I don't. I don't say alright, cool,
I say that I was going do this, but um
I said I was gonna go home and rest. But yeah,
I'll come out with y'all like, no, was you. I
just have to have that control to say no, because
(13:08):
it's hard to say no because something always going on.
It's New York City, yep, yep, you know, always something happening. Yeah.
I had to turn down going to a basketball game,
and oh I hate turning on the games because they're
so fun, you know. But I was just like, it's
my only day. I just can't do it. I appreciate
it so much, but I got to go to bed. Yeah,
(13:29):
you're gonna prioritize yourself. It's hard to do, but you
kind of have to. Yeah, it's necessary. So in you
joined US and L as a featured player, can you
explain what that is for people that don't fully understand that. So,
in my own words, a feature player is S and
(13:52):
L saying yeah, we're gonna see how you do. We'll
put you in from time to time and see what's
going on with your little cameras and all of that stuff.
That's my own words, not they probably have a better term.
That's how Punkt Johnson explains it. Were gonna, We're gonna
(14:13):
see it's kind of what that means. And then you
know I didn't make it pass. Then you know, did
you feel like, uh more pressure in that stage than
like you had before? Because it almost is like a
constant try out in a sense, you know what. I
I don't know because I'm learning in this game that
(14:34):
you can't care, you know, like the more you care,
the more you can hurt your feelings. Like so I
can't lie. Like I do feel the pressure sometimes, but
I always have to be and like like I told you,
I'm doing a lot therapy, a lot of meditation, So
I'm always in like this world of you know, whatever
gonna happen, happen. If it's for you, it's gonna be
(14:56):
for you. If it's not, they got something else out there.
So I'm always trying to That's how I feel like
I have to live in this so uh yeah, I
mean I do feel the pressure, but I don't. I
can't let it get to me. I just I just
going in. I be myself and if you like it,
you like it. If you don't, somebody else will and
I'll figure it out down the road. Yeah, it's it's
(15:19):
hard because that pressure sometimes like makes you a better performer, comedian, reporter, actor, writer.
But then at the same time you don't want too
much of it because then it will like eat you alive.
So it's it's a very fine balance in a sense.
I think. Yeah, I think balance is the key word.
That's a good word because now I live under the pressure.
(15:41):
Now I ain't gonna because see now if I wait
to see my problem is I procrastinate. It's just in
my name. I mean, like, I'll get to it, and
I'm where my back is against the wall to have
something written for some reason. If I wait till the
last minute, it's great, Yeah, it's gold. Yeah. But if
(16:02):
I do it when I got time left and I'm
just chilling because I'm like, oh I did that already,
it sucks. So you know, just like you said, yes, yes,
So when you got kind of promoted to the repertory status,
what did that mean to you? Did you like have
a moment where you kind of looked back and you
(16:22):
were like, wow, I kind of made it. Um. I
definitely was like, Okay, that's how you feel. Okay, you know,
and uh, I don't know, you know, it just kind
of makes you feel like, uh, like you're part of
the family. And I think being a part of family,
you know, as I pulled back the layers of life,
I always be like, you know what, the important the
(16:44):
real wind is loving family. So for me, so when
I'm at work and I'm around these people, I'm like,
you know what I think I'm I'm finding a family
and it feels good to be have a family in
the industry. Like the other day, I went to try
on some clothes. I had no idea that now I
have a closet and the main closet with the rest
(17:04):
of the people, and I'm emotionals. Sometimes I get really weird.
But I was with the person that dresses me um
and I just bust out crying and she's like, oh
my god, what's wrong with you. I was like, I've
got a clip, so I just you know, it's a
it's a very very very happy feeling, but it's also
like all let's go punk. You gotta step up and
(17:26):
and and like hang with the big dogs, now, you know.
So that's that's what they feel like. Okay, Well, I'm
glad to know that I'm not the only one that
will randomly burst out crying, because that happens to me.
I would say on a daily basis, I'll like start
thinking about something, I'll be like, I'm just so happy
and so at least we're in it together. Yes, yes,
(17:49):
I'm definitely a happy crier. And when I'm excited about something, yes.
So what would you say is your favorite part of
your day to day and just your job in general
at snl UM. I've always been a clown, Like I
think dressing up it's my favorite part. Putting heels on
(18:10):
is my favorite part because I can't walk in them.
So when I'm in a whole studio and be like,
oh my god, hit come punking goofing ass, Oh my goodness,
maybe like here she go, everybody gotta help me get
to where I go, I think that part. But I
just honestly like it's really cool and it's really fun
being on TV and the supporters of this show and
(18:32):
my fans especially, they are just so amazing and they
make you keep going. But I think the relationships that
you build in the building is really nice because you're like, wow,
because I didn't think I knew how to make friends anymore,
because I'm like, I'm oh, I have enough friends. I
don't know how to you know, we're not kids anymore.
So it's like, how do you get in and say, okay,
(18:53):
let's be friends? You know? So I think that's important,
just the just the building the relationships, and it's authentic.
It's you don't want nothing from each other but the love.
So I think that's that's one of the most important things.
But the but acting, being a grandmother and old auntie
and when church hats never gets old, never get know.
(19:15):
I love it. I love every piece of that. Is
there anything, um in particular that you're either like new
projects that you're working on outside of SNL or just
new skits coming up with SNL that you're really excited for?
Oh yeah, see, my goal is to get to that
update desk, you know. Um, I haven't been able to
get up that this year, But that don't that that
just me and I gotta just write better updates, um,
(19:38):
so I'll be there. Like, that's a goal. Never get
out of that without an update. So I'll be there.
I have faith in that, and um, I got Uh.
I'm working on my comedy special, my one hour special,
and so this year I'm hoping to put that on
one So but if I'm going to Moontower this year
out in Austin, Texas for the festival, and they are
giving me an opportunity to present my one hour and
(20:00):
managers my team, they're gonna watch it. If it's ready
to go, We're gonna we're gonna put that. Uh. That's
that's that's gonna be on the goal of list of
things to do for this year before the years out,
and it's gonna be real. It's gonna be it's gonna
be dope. I'm gonna put it all out there for
people of my marriage and what happened in it and
love and toxic relationships and you know, I'm gonna put
it all out there so we'll see. My gosh, that's
(20:22):
so exciting. I can't wait till that comes out because
I will be all eyes glued to that. That sounds
so exciting. But I know you also came to a
Jets game this past season I have to ask, did
you grow up loving football? Was this something that you
like wanted to come do, or did you just have
the opportunity kind of presented to you. You You were in like, heck, yeah,
(20:43):
sign me up, um football. So I grew up My
family is basically all boys, um my my mother's side,
So I grew up around men all my life. And
I grew up in New Orleans, and New Orleans is
a huge football city. Like, we don't play over the
Saint play over them. They could be trash can like
(21:04):
they was this season. I mean trash can, but we
don't play. And then we got Drew Brees and now
he's like, you know, like I tell everybody he's my
baby's father and his wife Brittan I check because I
love that man because he did so much for our city.
And he he woke up, you know, he came at
the thing and it was then I fought harder in
(21:25):
love with football. So I've always been a football fan.
Thanksgiving Us a thing I do with my dad every year.
I'm like, Thanksgiving us for me and Papa. We laid
down all day, watched football all day, and it's just
it's just a fun sport. Like I had a good
weekend with it this weekend. It's just a it's a
fun sport. M It's always there's always something new. I
feel like every game that you watched where you're like,
(21:46):
oh man, I didn't know that that could even happen,
or like how did you even design that play? Or
how did you even think of that? And the miracles
that happened, it's so crazy, Like one of the biggest
miracles happened against my team, and I am angry about
it because they freely on an anniversary of it every year.
But it was it was a bizarre, amazing play, you know,
(22:07):
So anything happened in football. And I do love coming
to the Jets game. Not too long ago, I met
the owner and his wife and that was a great experience.
And the food. I've been going for the food and
the open bar too, and it's just it's just it's
just good. I was just like, you know what, I'm
in New York. Ever, like I lived in Los Angeles.
(22:27):
I'm like, all right, cool, I gotta pick a team. Yep,
when you live there, you gotta pick a team. So
I'm like, I'm in New York. I gotta pick a
team's gonna have to be the Jets. Okay, so we
know you're you're secretly a Saints fan at heart, but
we'll we'll claim you as a Jets fan for the
for the time being while you're in New York. Well,
we'll take that ownership. Yes, I love it. I love it. Awesome, Punky,
(22:49):
Thank you so much for hopping on. We appreciated so much.
So great to hear about your rise to SNL. Can't
wait for the one hour special that will hopefully come
out later this year, and we'll see you Saturday night
on SNL. All right, you bet. Last Saturday I got
a chance to uh tell Michael B. Jordan he was
my man. So that was fun. Well, well, well we'll
(23:11):
see what's going. We'll see who I claim this exactly.
We'll see we'll see how you can top that this weekend.
M
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