Tiffany Haddish fearless, beautiful, and guaranteed to make you laugh.
Tiffany Haddish may not have been a house hold name like Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith, or even Regina Hall; the co-stars of her new film Girls Trip, but that is all about to change. For those of us like myself who watch and study a lot of television and film especially done by people of color, her face is surely one you have seen before. Her most recent and prevalent role before this was that of Nekeisha on the sadly canceled the Carmichael show. And if you are a die-hard fan you remember her as early as her time on Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes. Haddish a lot like of excellent comedian/actresses before she has spent many years eighteen specifically honing her skills on the stand-up stage before really starting to break out onto the silver and big screen. Haddish is a Los Angeles native born on the tough streets of South Central.
She was forced to spend quite some time in the foster care system after her mom suffered severe brain damage in a very bad car accident caused by the break lines being cut by her own step father. She was forced to take care of her mom and siblings at just nine years old and then thrust into that system at twelve until her grandmother was able to regain custody of her and all of her siblings. Where she would then be reunited with a mom that still faced the severe recurring effects of the accident including schizophrenia. Despite all of this and more Tiffany rose to overcome all of the setbacks life through at her with a radiant and engulfing light and energy that brightens up any room. Even in our quick interview before her and Kate Walsh's screening at the Arclight for her fans I couldn't help but be amazed to witness in person her confidence, poise, and effortless humor. Having spent a lot of time researching more about her stand up career which is leading up to her first one-hour comedy special on Showtime later this month I watched her exemplify and articulate the impact she wants to have for women of color and their continued rise in this industry. The strength that got her through all life's ups and downs are clearly linked to her aptitude for comedy. There are three big moments I came across that had a huge part in the comedian we are seeing on the screen to day. First, when she was in Maclaren hall, she applied in a dicey situation for the 1st major time practically which she learned from Roger Rabbit. And that was if you can make them laugh they'll do anything for you. Second, at some point, her social worker saw her potential for comedy and gave her an ultimatum which landed her in a comedy camp at the laugh factory. It was here that she actually met the voice-over actor who played Roger Rabbit who became her 1st comedic mentor with whom she's friends with to this day, and it's here where she began the beginning steps to molding her stand up talents. And third, it was there at the same camp where she met the legendary Richard Prior which gave her some more priceless advice she still adheres to today and that was always to have fun on stage because if you're not having fun on stage, then the audience will be like what am I paying for. It is these moments as well as an innate desire to see people laugh that has drawn her to the stage and propelled her to become the highly energetic and hilarious comedian and actress we get the pleasure to watch today. She has put in major time developing and expanding her stand up material all over la for years. And now she has mesmerized us with her scene stealing role in Girls trip. That had even her cast mates struggling not to break character barely able to hold in their laughter at the always changing ad libs that enhance every scene with extra energy and a genuine familiarity due to its realistic unpredictability. It's these moments that fully cement the clear bond between the ladies. She also had us laugh on a weekly basis for three awesome seasons with the Carmichael show. The very definition of the comic relief while actually in a comedy surrounded by comedic legends seasoned as well as on the rise. She is breaking out through these various vehicles showing us that she is gonna be one to watch. A name that will often be able to be seen alongside names like Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis. Women of color who once given the right path at the right time could not help but captivate audiences in a way that would leave them asking for more. I'd be willing to bet that in the very near future you will be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't know who Tiffany Haddish is and can't help but giggle at just the mere mention of her name because it instantly signifies laughter. And she believes, and rightfully so there is only bigger and better to come. She is on a colossal trajectory route to superstardom. And her current film Girls Trip is already being hailed by many as her stand out the breakthrough role, and I wholeheartedly agree. I thoroughly enjoyed the film as expressed in my review and am very much looking forward to her first full hour special premiering on Showtime August 18th. Watch a clip of Tiffany special:
Check out Tiffany sit down with Keith: