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Fortune Feimster Joins the Chelsea Lately Team

Posted by: Natasia Rose on January 20, 2011.

1/20/2011- by Natasia Langfelder

Out lesbian comic Fortune Feimster has hit the scene in a big way after being featured on the latest season os “Last Comic Standing.” The former Afterellen.com vlogger appeared on Chelsea Lately last night on the E! network, where Chelsea Handler announced that Fortune was the newest addition to the staff!

I watch Chelsea Lately every night and I’m so excited that there is a lesbian on staff, especially one as funny as Fortune! Congrats girl! I was lucky enough to interview Fortune this past summer. Did you miss it? Read it now!

LGR: Hi Fortune. Congratulations on appearing on Last Comic Standing! Being on the show has made you very visible, very quickly. How has that affected you?

FF: Well, I don’t want to brag or anything but my You Tube page went from 190 subscribers to 230. I kid. The biggest change is that I am starting to get recognized every now and then. I’ll be walking down the street and someone will randomly yell out, “Hey comic!” (True story, by the way). I also got hundreds of emails from people all over the US so it’s been great to have that support.

LGR: There is always a ton of criticism about reality TV shows not being “real” enough. How real is Last Comic Standing?

FF: I don’t know how real it was in past seasons because they focused more on the reality TV part than they did the comedy, but this year they really revamped the show. Now it’s about being a good comic and telling solid jokes, which is nice, because you sign up hoping that people will get to see an accurate portrayal of your comedy. The only thing they do editing-wise is shorten your sets but that’s just because they have to show so many comedians.

LGR: Is judge Natasha Leggero as hot in person as she is on television?

FF: Haha! I should have known there would be a question about the lady judge. Yes, Natasha is just as hot in person so ladies be sure to check out one of her shows because she’s funny too.

LGR: Why did you decide to audition for the show?

FF: I actually wasn’t going to try out at first. I was worried about it being a reality TV show and I didn’t want to live in a house full of comics but the people on the show were saying it was going to be about the comedy this year so I thought, “What the heck?” Plus, not many people outside of Los Angeles had seen my comedy so it seemed like a great way to finally get an opportunity for more people to see what I do.

LGR: Do you think you have a shot at winning?

FF: Hmmm, I guess we’ll find out.

LGR: If you win, will you go to Disneyland?

FF: I’m gonna go to Disneyland even if I lose! Take that!

LGR: Is Fortune your real name? How did your parents come up with it?

FF: Fortune is my middle name. It’s my great grandmother’s maiden name. My grandmother actually wanted my parents to name me Fortune but my mom said I would have to be Miss America to live up to a name like that so they named me Emily after my mom’s cousin. (I’m real upset that my mom didn’t think I could be Miss America, by the way). I was always really close to my grandmother so I started going by Fortune after she died about 10 years ago as a way to sort of pay homage to her.

LGR: Your video Katina the Pole Dance Instructor is getting tons of hits on FunnyOrDie.com. How did you come up with the character of Katina?

FF: I am a member of the Sunday Company at the Groundlings, which is a big sketch comedy training ground and a lot of SNL people have studied there. We have to write about four to six new sketches a week so we’re constantly having to think of characters. Katina was something I came up with for that and then I basically improvised a short little video. I just grabbed a bunch of random costumes in my room and, boom, Katina was born!

LGR: You’ve traveled extensively in Europe; how has the influenced your comedy?

FF: I lived in Spain for a year and backpacked all over Europe, and while it was the coolest thing I have ever done, it certainly wasn’t easy. Once I did that, I felt like I could do anything. I don’t know that it has influenced my comedy directly, but it made me a stronger person so that sort of inadvertently has helped me on stage.

LGR: Many straight stand-up comics include a lot of gay jokes. Does this ever bother you as a comic? How do you deal with it?

FF: To be honest, I don’t really pay attention to it. I figure they are on their journey and I am on mine. If they need to make a bunch of gay jokes then chances are they are running out of material.

LGR: Do you think being a lesbian has affected the trajectory of your stand-up career?

FF: It’s too early to tell I think. To be honest, I was a little nervous about doing gay jokes on Last Comic just because I would officially be coming out to the entire country and there was a part of me that was worried that it would keep me from getting jobs. But that thought was very fleeting because being gay is part of who I am and I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not just to get a job. I would rather be able to live with myself and to have the respect of people that I care about. Plus, our community needs more role models and I would happily accept the responsibility of being a good example to any young kids out there who are struggling with their sexuality.

LGR: You and fellow comedian Cat Davis have a video blog on AfterEllen.com. How did you two start working together and how do you come up with new ideas each week?

FF: Cat had her own vlog called “Cat On the Prowl,” which was really popular, but she wanted the chance to show her comedic chops as well. I was actually a guest on one of her shows and we had great comedy chemistry so she called me up a few months later and asked what I thought about co-hosting a vlog. It seemed like a no brainer so we’ve been doing “Is This Awesome?” since February, and luckily we have lots of viewers writing us every week with things they’d like us to film.

LGR: What’s it like working with Cat?

FF: Working with Cat is…awesome! She’s a really smart, talented comedian, but little do people know, she’s also the brainchild behind most of our episodes, she edits a lot of them, and just really keeps us on track.

LGR: This interview will appear in our August coming out-themed issue. How did you come out to your parents?

FF: I was 25. I had flown home to visit my family for one of my annual trips and I just knew it was the right time to tell them. My whole family couldn’t have been more supportive. I was blown away and just really relieved that they accepted me no matter what.

LGR: As a comedian, are you able to turn a loaded moment, such as coming out, into something more fun and less serious?

FF: Oh, yeah. I actually tell the story of my coming out to my dad on stage and people seem to get a kick out of it. It’s one of those things you’d have to hear so check it out on You Tube. I just think a comic’s own stories are some of the funniest so it’s nice to be able to turn something serious into something entertaining. My family certainly provides me with TONS of material.

LGR: How does your improv work with the Groundlings differ from stand-up? Which do you enjoy more?

FF: They are two totally different things. At the Groundlings, it’s more about being a good actor, writing smart scenes, coming up with characters, and just learning how to be a solid part of an ensemble. Plus, it’s a lot more structured. With stand-up, it’s just you and the mic. You can do anything you want, talk about anything you want, which is awesome, but you’re all by yourself so if you mess up, there is no one else to get you out of it. I love them both for many different reasons but I do feel like I’m better at being myself so standup is very special to me, but I spend the most time at the Groundlings.

LGR: Many people expect comedians to be funny all the time, in everyday life. When your friends/family/strangers ask you to ‘say something funny’ what do you say?

FF: People telling you to be funny is like the worst thing you can say to a comedian and I get it all the time, especially when I’m at home. I do think I am pretty funny in everyday life but I also am not one of those comedians who are “on” all the time. It’s too exhausting to everybody around you if you’re constantly doing bits. So if someone tells me to be funny, I usually just invite them to one of my shows.

LGR: Is there anything I should have asked you that I didn’t?

FF: How do I maintain this perfect body and full head of awesomely curly hair, you ask? Genetics and Super Cuts! Thank you God!

For more on Fortune, go to http://fortunefeimster.com/