Comedienne, writer, and speaker Alycia Cooper is no doubt on
the move and making great strides as she does it. She is an energetic,
motivated, and inspirational person who is determined to succeed. She is also
is a native of Temple Hills Maryland and now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her
resume is both diverse and elaborate, and she has fashioned the stage of many
entertainment venues, including “BET’s Comicview”, “NBC’s Last Comic Standing”,
“BET Live”, and “Oh Drama”. She has been acting since the age of five, produced
for television shows, and has written for Russell Simmons, Def Fame, “The Jamie
Foxx Show”, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “Will and Grace”, and “The Bernie Mac
Show” to name a few.
We caught up with Alycia as she was
out and about in Las Vegas for an exclusive interview. While talking to her she
shared her inspiration for success, her plans for the future, and her outlook
on marriage.
On how she got started: “My
mother started me in children’s theatre when I was five and I had a natural
love for acting. I majored in Television Production in college and after seeing
“Living Single” I wanted to create sitcoms. I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
On when she decided to become a comedienne: “When I saw Def Jam on HBO, everyone was so funny and after being told
I was funny my whole life- I thought maybe I should try comedy. I didn’t know
everything it entailed. So I jumped on stage without having anything prepared
and I would crash and burn. I thought ooh maybe I’m not as funny as I was told
I was. I then learned you have to prepare and write material and after years
later I finally have success with stand up."
On her greatest accomplishment: “I
would say being one of the few African American females to perform Standup
Comedy on a late night television show. There are less than ten of us who has performed
standup on a late night talk show.”
On marriage and children: “I’m
not married and I don’t have children but I strongly believe in the institution
of marriage. I believe it is a very, very necessary institution.”
On Alycia Cooper’s perfect mate: “Someone who understands what I do and isn’t intimidated by it.”
On what she’s currently working on: “I’m working on getting my own casino in Vegas so I can work out of it
several nights a week. I’m working on filming another Reality Television show
and I’m also putting together a comedy tour.”
On where she sees herself in ten years: “I would like to be in front of the television with my own talk show
or sitcom.”
On what motivates her to strive for success: “I would like to be able to do more for my family. My parents have
invested so much in me and I have so many family members that could use a hand
up and not a hand out. So what motivates me is being able to ease the life of
my family members.”
On the moment she realized she had reached public success: “You don’t really think about it until
someone walks up to you in public and recognizes you from something. It’s a
really good feeling because you realize that you’re making a difference in
somebody’s life enough that they remember you.”
On making it in the entertainment business: “It’s not easy and there are no short cuts. You have to pay your dues
and you have to remain focused because there are so many distractions in this
industry. I would also say surround yourself with positive and like-minded
people. If you like acting, take acting classes and study. Whatever it is make
sure you become a student of it and take it seriously.”
On what she wants her legacy to be: “I can’t write my own legacy. The only thing I can do is be the best
Alycia Cooper I can be, strive for excellence, and hopefully be a role model
for others.”
Alycia Cooper is a true master of
her craft and she is all about her Funny Business. Great things are definitely
in store for Alycia and we will continue to watch as she climbs to the top. I
officially stamped her a member of the Just
Talk family. For more information on Alycia Cooper follow her at
alyciacooper.com, on Twitter @alyciacooper, and on Facebook @ alyciacooper2.
