You often hear from people in the acting industry, or people who wear Ed Hardy in general, that they aren’t just actors or music DJ’s, that they are involved in every aspect of the fame industry. Then there are the real multitaskers, the people who are so talented that they sweat creativity and work Donna Summer style. (If you don’t get that reference Google is BRO.) So who am I talking about? I’m talking about Chicago based comedian, writer, actress and stylist Monique Madrid. She’s beautiful. She’s laugh out loud funny. She’s enthusiastic. She’s kind. She’s the next big thing. Enjoy the interview below and see why we are full on the Monique Madrid bandwagon.

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Serial Optimist: What was the first comedy show you saw, and how did it impact you?

Monique Madrid: I grew up watching I Love Lucy, The Carol Burnett Show and early SNL seasons – the usual. The first live comedy show I remember seeing was a ComedySportz show in Kansas City. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember thinking “Someday, I’m going to be up there doing that”.

Not only did I end up performing there, I married a guy, who chances are, was on the stage performing when I spent my 16^th birthday there. (There’s a bit of an age difference). Besides not realizing I was seeing my future husband there, I knew there was something in making people laugh that I wanted to do.

SO: What eventually sold you on the idea of becoming a professional comedian?

Monique: I guess when I started realizing that I was actually funny. I always wanted to be an actress, but looking back now, I realize the actresses I aspired to be like were all comedians. I think I was naturally always a bit of a comedian. I wrote plays and forced my friends to be in them. I made dumb little short videos with my giant video camera, using multiple angle shots. I even made TV shows and commercials on tape recorders. Any chance I had where I could make something funny, I’d do it. The sarcasm and smart-assery probably comes from being picked on in elementary and JR HIGH SCHOOL and not fitting in as most kids feel. It’s just a defense mechanism. I finally did improv in high school and again later when I was 22. When the opportunity to move Chicago came a year later, I was ready to give it a shot.

SO: Please describe your worst show ever and your best.

Monique: The worst shows tend to be the ones where the set up is shitty. It’s really hard to do an improv show in a gym where there’s no sound system or a standup show where the TVs are on, there’s no lights and the host continues to apologize for the show. I’ve also done a show accidentally stoned on cold medicine with a 101-degree fever. Not really sure if that was the best or the worst show. It’s a bit of a fog.

My best would have to be the first Second City show I did. After years of working hard to get hired, I finally had a chance to perform for them on a cruise ship contract. Our first show was mostly archive material, which means we got to do sketches written by Bonnie Hunt, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert. It was surreal. The theater held almost 1400 people and, at least to my memory, was full. Our director was really sweet and took a moment right before the curtains went up to congratulate and welcome us to the Second City family. That moment of reaching the goal I’d made when I first moved to Chicago, made me realize I could achieve any dream if I worked hard enough. Hopefully that’s true. I remember thinking, “Wow, I really did it. What do I want to do next?

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Monique At The Laugh Factory

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SO: What would we find in your fridge right now?

Monique: I always have cheddar cheese in my fridge, sometimes a couple of bricks worth, because I know my husband and I will just go through it and want more cheese. I usually have soy milk (I’m lactose intolerant), green apples, and at least one well-intended vegetable sitting there, molding. Plus there’s usually beer and a bottle of Gates BBQ sauce. Right now I also happen to have seven different Tupperware containers with barley, lentils, rice and Mediterranean salad I just made, because I need to stop eating so much cheese and am trying to eat healthier by pre-making a bunch of healthy options. We’ll see if it works.

SO: If Hollywood made a movie about you who would you want to play your role? What would the title of the film be?

Monique: I don’t have an answer for this. Umm… Samuel L. Jackson, with Morgan Freeman narrating it.

SO: What are your pet peeves?

Monique: Passive aggressiveness. Fucking say what you mean!

Also, the weird noise my husband makes with his mouth when he’s sleeping on his back. “Phuhh! Phuff! Puhhf!” It’s like the air is just barely escaping his lips and no matter how dead tired I am, that fucking noise will keep me up all night.

SO: Who are some of your current favorite comedians?

Monique: I love TV. I grew up watching shows that most kids my age didn’t watch (Thank you Nick At Night!). For my 12^th birthday I got VHS tapes of all the I Love Lucy Episodes and not originals but someone’s DIY copies, I’d also reenact Gilda Radner sketches for my family. I still love those shows as well as Bob Newhart, All in the Family, The Golden Girls and I can watch the Cosby Show all day long.

Some of my current favorite famous comedians are Louie CK (duh), Ellen DeGeneres, Patton Oswalt, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Jim Gaffigan, Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, John Mulany, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jon Dore and I have an ever-loving respect for Joan Rivers.

Then of course there’s all the amazing local talent we have in Chicago. I am equally as inspired by hard workers as I am by funny and you can see all of that and more on any given night in Chicago.

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Dead Bird Walking

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SO: What role does comedy serve in our world? Your answer can only be 10 words or less!

Monique: Life is fucking hard. Laughter makes it a little easier.

SO: Where did you grow up and how did that impact your worldview?

Monique: Independence, Missouri. Though I think most people’s intentions were good, I grew up under pretty strict religious control. It’s affected everything about me. My choices and rebellions through high school, learning to think for myself and ask questions instead of just believing what I was told to, the growth spurts of figuring out what I believe now.

I try not to judge people that believe differently that I do, because at one point in my life, I had some pretty strange beliefs myself. I think it’s made me more diplomatic and I can often see both sides of the argument.  That’s why I try to steer clear of making fun of others and aim my comedy more at myself.

SO: What sorts of things influence your act the most?

Monique: I’m a super honest person, sometimes too much for my own good. I talk about stuff that’s true to me, things that I’ve experienced. When I say I have so little self-control, I once found popcorn in my pants and ate it… that’s because it really happened. In the videos or sketches that my husband and I have written that portray an argument, usually comes from an actual argument we’ve had.

My favorite material touches on my background. Sometime I don’t even realize the ridiculousness of the things I did or went through when I was younger until someone points it out or when I begin writing a joke about it. It’s really helped me grow as much as a person as I have as a comedian and writer. The set I do about the miscarriage I had as a teen is some of my favorite material. It can get mixed reactions from the audience, but I am so proud of it. I don’t have as much of that kind of material as I want (not about miscarriages specifically), but I’m working on it. I’m totally open to talking about any of my experiences, but sometimes I think I block the creativity to it, because some things are still kind of hard to talk about for me. Someday though. It’ll come.

SO: Are you a pessimist, optimist, or realist?

Monique: Definitely an optimist. I’d always try to look at the bright side of things and hope there’s a positive reason for it happening. If there’s not, I try to at least appreciate the lesson I might learn from it. That doesn’t mean I’m happy all the time, but I try to recognize that hindsight really can make things better and just hope the shitty thing bothering me will not be a big deal when I look back.

I live with a pessimist though, which can be… umm, a lesson in patience.

SO: What makes you smile everyday?

Monique: My dog. My husband. My midnight snacks.

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Photo by Elizabeth McQuern

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SO: Can you talk about the “Bitch I’ll Cut You” experience and when we will get to see more?

Monique: I work as a hair and makeup artist to supplement the comedy stuff. A lot of my clients are also performers and one of them suggested I cut someone’s hair onstage.

Over the last year, it’s snowballed from me cutting a random audience member’s hair to it being an on-stage salon interview show with specials guest and opening bands.

Every show is a learning experience and the show gets better every time I do it. I get to play a fun character, improvise, write a little and talk to interesting people all while playing a fun character and doing what I do everyday which is make someone look good. It’s really fun.

In the show I bring a special local celebrity guest and cut their hair on stage, while getting to know them like I would in my salon. Meanwhile I also invite a panel of comedians who join the show to talk bout current events, ask for beauty tips and generally make the “salon” more fun. The opening band is a way to make the show an event, a big fun party.

I have a meeting with them later this week, but Mary’s Attic definitely wants to do a run. Mostly likely it’ll be the last Thursday of every month.

SO: You’re all over commercials, doing sketch and improv, teaching sketch and improv, writing, acting, WHEN DO YOU SLEEP?

Monique: I’ve always been like this. Even as a baby I drove my mom nuts because I was constantly on the go. I love staying busy, especially if it’s creative. Seriously, my brain doesn’t know how to stop. I’m honestly starting to wonder if I have ADD.

What’s fun is learning how to put all the ideas I have to use. Some of them fit better in standup form, others as a video or blog post. Some ideas I even hold on to for months or years and wait until it becomes clear where they go. Once you start getting positive feedback on your material, it turns into a monster. Maybe a junkie is a better analogy? A beautiful model? (Am I doing this right?) All I know is its fun and addictive. When you’re doing something you love, it doesn’t feel like work so you don’t feel like you need a break from it.

Granted, I am also super driven, so sometimes the go-go-go thing isn’t healthy. I tend to drive hard until I crash, get sick and then I reboot and do it all again. I’ve also had insomnia my whole life, so while it can suck, I try to put that time to use and am sort of use to having a sleep schedule that’s all over the place thanks to being a freelance stylist.

Plus, over the last couple of years, I’ve learned to do nice things for myself, like say no to projects I’m not really into, go to the movies alone, sit at home and drink a bottle of wine alone. You know, things that keep me healthy. Most importantly, I’m trying to get better at enjoying life now and not just looking at the goal. I’m trying to appreciate the journey.

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SO Note: Follow Monique @moniquemadrid and check out all kinds of fun on her site moniquemadrid.com.