Iliza Shlesinger

Um, yeah, my parents, I just, I remember specifically with my mom, my parents were divorced and my dad, they're both very supportive and funny people, but my, I had a, I graduated college and I got an office job because that's why that's what had a degree. I got an office job. I was a horrible assistant, whatever. My bosses were so cool.

And I remember when I told my boss I had been asked to do a military tour in Central America. And so he gave me the time off to go do that. Was it Singapore? I may have been Singapore. There's been more than one. And I came home and I had cobbled together enough acts and I was writing stuff for people as well.

And I remember when I told my boss I had been asked to do a military tour in Central America. And so he gave me the time off to go do that. Was it Singapore? I may have been Singapore. There's been more than one. And I came home and I had cobbled together enough acts and I was writing stuff for people as well.

And this was at the beginning when the internet was first starting to not so much monetize but have content, like comedy content. And I was writing for people and news shows. Like I was... And I told my boss I was leaving and I called my mom and I said, I'm going to quit my job to do comedy full time. I need to borrow $1,500 so I can buy a laptop. And she did. And I paid her back.

And this was at the beginning when the internet was first starting to not so much monetize but have content, like comedy content. And I was writing for people and news shows. Like I was... And I told my boss I was leaving and I called my mom and I said, I'm going to quit my job to do comedy full time. I need to borrow $1,500 so I can buy a laptop. And she did. And I paid her back.

But there was never like, are you sure you shouldn't? She was like, okay. And this wasn't as if like I had this body of work to prove it. She just, okay. Because maybe she knew it wasn't for her to say or she always thought it was funny. My parents come to my shows. My mom's going to come with me this week. I've got Charlotte Charleston and Durham. So I invited her.

But there was never like, are you sure you shouldn't? She was like, okay. And this wasn't as if like I had this body of work to prove it. She just, okay. Because maybe she knew it wasn't for her to say or she always thought it was funny. My parents come to my shows. My mom's going to come with me this week. I've got Charlotte Charleston and Durham. So I invited her.

When I play Texas, my dad comes. My fans know who my parents are. I think I'm just doing something that they... I think when you're a baby boomer, you didn't necessarily always have the luxury of getting to do the thing that you were passionate about. And so I think it gives them great pleasure to see that I get to do that.

When I play Texas, my dad comes. My fans know who my parents are. I think I'm just doing something that they... I think when you're a baby boomer, you didn't necessarily always have the luxury of getting to do the thing that you were passionate about. And so I think it gives them great pleasure to see that I get to do that.

Having finished it, so not the actual writing.

Having finished it, so not the actual writing.

So you don't like pumping breast milk, but knowing that you've given the baby the breast milk makes you feel good.

So you don't like pumping breast milk, but knowing that you've given the baby the breast milk makes you feel good.

Unbeknownst to you, what you're asking is actually an incredibly complex question for me because I have strived in my career for so long to get to be creatively fulfilled in other ways. Multiple failed pilots, just for anyone listening. Multiple failed pilots.

Unbeknownst to you, what you're asking is actually an incredibly complex question for me because I have strived in my career for so long to get to be creatively fulfilled in other ways. Multiple failed pilots, just for anyone listening. Multiple failed pilots.

pilots at things written, so many auditions for so many things that you've heard of that I was like this, you know, just living in failure. It's not that it doesn't define me, but it does inform a little bit of a perspective. And so, because I have the standup and there's failure within that, there's not getting X, Y, and Z. There's not getting to a certain tier.

pilots at things written, so many auditions for so many things that you've heard of that I was like this, you know, just living in failure. It's not that it doesn't define me, but it does inform a little bit of a perspective. And so, because I have the standup and there's failure within that, there's not getting X, Y, and Z. There's not getting to a certain tier.

You're forever climbing, forever failing. When I didn't get the things that I was hoping for, you know, when you at the buzzer, you get the call at 10 o'clock at night, like we're not going with your pilot, you know, and it was about you and it rips your heart out. Not so much anymore. It happens enough that I'm like, okay, whatever. Oh, you rejected everything about me. That's fine.

You're forever climbing, forever failing. When I didn't get the things that I was hoping for, you know, when you at the buzzer, you get the call at 10 o'clock at night, like we're not going with your pilot, you know, and it was about you and it rips your heart out. Not so much anymore. It happens enough that I'm like, okay, whatever. Oh, you rejected everything about me. That's fine.

You always have, I always have the work. And so I think that I've placed, and I think I maybe should work on this now, I've placed so much in the work, the hustle, the grind, doing multiple spots because that's what was bearing fruit. I can't, you know, you can take an acting class, but like once you've done the audition, like there's not much you can do.