I've realized that I can never not do the nail salon joke, and I will have to talk about Bon Qui Qui for eternity. Anjelah Johnson More Quotes by Anjelah Johnson More Quotes From Anjelah Johnson I live my life not to please my pastor or my church or fellow Christians. I live my life according to my own convictions and morals and core values and principles, and a lot of times, that's not going to add up to other Christians. Anjelah Johnson live my-life church life My sister was always supportive. When I first moved to L.A., she was like 'I know you can do it!' But my parents, in the beginning, not so much. They were kinda like, 'I'll believe it when I see it.' But when I actually started booking things, my dad was like, 'Oh, I knew it all along.' Anjelah Johnson parents you dad believe Don't try to be anyone else. Don't try to emulate what someone is doing. Play to your strengths. Anjelah Johnson your doing someone try I'm Mexican. I eat salsa with everything. Anjelah Johnson eat everything mexican There's a joke that I do where I make fun of myself for being bow-legged, and I compare myself to a camel and how a camel walks and sits, and that has become a joke that people - when I deliver that joke, people are in tears. Anjelah Johnson myself tears fun people I'm from San Jose, CA, which is very diverse, and I grew up around a lot of different types of people. Anjelah Johnson which up different people I like to be the only one who uses my toothbrush. Anjelah Johnson toothbrush only who like Nobody wanted to help me get my start, not to mention it's tough being a female in a man's world of stand-up comedy. It's a very competitive world, and it was a challenge to find my own voice, stick to my guns. Anjelah Johnson challenge me man world Deep down inside, I'm really a black girl stuck in a Mexican girl's body. But I'm also in touch with my inner white girl and my inner Asian girl. I feel like a little bit of everybody. Anjelah Johnson feel black girl white You don't want to let people down, and that's so hard because you're never going to please everybody. There's always going to be someone that's a naysayer. Anjelah Johnson down never you people I love sharing my life with people. Anjelah Johnson my-life love life people I'm a very observational storyteller, and I'm always relational - a lot of stories stem from relationships, whether it's me with my husband, me with my mom or my siblings. Anjelah Johnson me always husband mom Don't try to be anybody else, because that's what I do. I do me. I'm not trying to impress anybody. I'm not trying to please my pastor at church. I'm not trying to even please my mom, to be honest. Anjelah Johnson me impress church mom It's always nerve-wracking when people say they look up to you or that you're a good role model. It's such a double-edged sword, because you realize you've been put on this pedestal, and you have to make sure that you don't do anything to get torn down. Anjelah Johnson good look you people I went to L.A. to become an actress, and I started from the ground up. I worked as an extra, and then I started taking this joke-writing class because it was free. I didn't want to be a comedian, but I was like, 'Free education? Yeah, I'll take a class.' Anjelah Johnson free like want education One of my best friends growing up was Vietnamese, and he and his mom would teach me how to say certain things so I could impress my nail girls. Then the nail girls would teach me how to count to 100 and basic things like 'Thank you' and 'You're welcome.' It's funny, because any accent that I do now always turns into Vietnamese. Anjelah Johnson best me you funny People want to call me racist for doing the Bon Qui Qui character, and I'm like, 'Look, Bon Qui Qui is a representation of a hood chick. That's it.' There are lots of hood chicks out there: some are black, some are Mexican, some are Salvadorian, and some are white. Anjelah Johnson me black character people I do a joke in my stand-up where I say I'm a Christian, but I'm not a Christian comedian. I think that's definitely how I see my acting. I'm an actor who happens to be a Christian. Anjelah Johnson joke say see think There's been roles that I have turned down. There's no rule book or handbook... It's just... whatever I'm comfortable with. Anjelah Johnson whatever down just book I never thought I was going to be a comedian. Anjelah Johnson going never thought comedian
