Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Wilson.
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a standup comedian. A job that I never thought I’d have. It’s a weird thing. I had a bad phobia of speaking in public. I would be the kid in class on report day, faking a sickness to get out of reading a paper out loud. My stomach would be in knots all day long. I couldn’t stand the idea of people looking at me, as I’d be the center of attention. Fast forward many years, and now I do that constantly! It doesn’t even bother me anymore. I am still determining how it happened. I just got used to it. Suppose you told me I’d be a standup comedian when I was younger. I’d say you were crazy! I started doing open mics around town, and the next thing you know, almost three years have passed. I’ve lost count of how many shows I’ve done, which blows my mind because I never thought I’d make it farther than open mics. I couldn’t imagine actually getting paid to tell people jokes. I’m still not used to it. I’m still shocked when people ask me to do shows.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. Like I said, having a phobia of public speaking is rough. It’s sickening to your stomach to think about having a room full of strangers looking at you as you stand there with nothing but a microphone in your hand, and you have to entertain people. Then, make them laugh and hopefully keep them laughing. It is tough when you don’t do better than you’d hoped “Bombing.” Bombing is the one word that nobody who does comedy wants to hear. I always hated when people told me that I would bomb and have those bad nights. But it does and will happen. That’s just a part of comedy. If you bomb, you have to take it in stride, and hopefully, you will learn something from it. Traveling is hard for me. I have Cerebral Palsy, and it hinders me from driving. I need help getting to out-of-town shows. I have done so primarily thanks to my mother and other fellow comics. Writing jokes is hard. It takes work to write funny things all the time. Being able to keep coming up with jokes is tough. I get “writer’s block” all the time. You must write jokes that aren’t short, have enough punchlines, and won’t offend people. All those things can be challenging to juggle. Plus, you must write things you hope somebody still needs to do. It is a lot of work! There is more work than people might think.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a standup comedian. I get to go up in front of groups of strangers and try to make them laugh. I specialize in storytelling. I have been told by many people that stories are my strong suit. I’m also good at finding the humor in bad situations. I can take an awful experience and make it funny and more lighthearted. I was able to record my comedy album. “What’s Wrong With Your Ass?” a couple of years ago, and this year I was able to get it on major streaming platforms. (NSFW) I got to do a “Don’t Tell Comedy” show recently; that was cool. I co-host a comedy competition called “Funny or Fired” with fellow comedians Ryan Rubin, Brad Deaton, and Tom Emmons at The Comedy Zone Greenville in Greenville, SC. It’s an interactive comedy game show where the audience controls who advances or who is eliminated. I’ve been a participant three times, and I’ve won three times. I’m proud of that. I talk a lot about my disability (Cerebral Palsy). It’s something most people don’t talk about, let alone joke about it. It gives a unique perspective that most people don’t get to hear.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
You have to be likable. You have to have a good personality. Those two things are essential. With those, making people comfortable enough to laugh will be easy. Most important is a sense of humor. If you don’t have one, comedy might not be your thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chriswilsoncomedy.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chriswilsoncomedy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/chriswilsoncomedy
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chriswilsoncomedy/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@chriswilsoncomedy
Image Credits
1-4: Hue Kirby Photography 5-7: Kali Passafiume Photography 8: Ben Jennings 9: Kali Passafiume Photography
