Standup comic Anjelah Johnson-Reyes makes her way to Corpus Christi with comedy tour

Standup comedian, actress, dancer and former NFL cheerleader Anjelah Johnson-Reyes has made her mark in the entertainment industry.

After one year of performing as an Oakland Raiders cheerleader in 2002, Johnson-Reyes embarked on a move to Hollywood to pursue acting.

She became a viral sensation overnight after a YouTube video showcased her “Nail Salon” standup bit, receiving over 100 million views. Shortly after, Johnson-Reyes became a cast member of sketch comedy show “MADtv,” where her sassy, loud-mouthed character Bon Qui Qui was born.

Since then, Johnson-Reyes has starred in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” NBC’s “Superstore” and “Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.”

Currently on a nationwide tour, Johnson-Reyes spoke with the Caller-Times about what attendees can expect at her show in Corpus Christi, her new memoir and what the future holds for her.

This interview has been edited for length.

Q: What can people expect at your show?

ANJELAH JOHNSON-REYES: It's kind of like my life after COVID and all the things that have changed for me, and finding out that as I do these shows, some of the things I experienced a lot of others have experienced as well. I feel like my comedy is always very relatable and connective. I feel like people often connect with what I'm saying and the stories I'm telling. They can expect more of that.

Q: What made you want to get into comedy in the first place?

AJR: Oh, man, I was in an acting class at a church. Every Tuesday night, they would do their creative arts night. They would have an acting class, dancing class, singing and all different kinds of different classes. I was in the acting class and there was a standup comic there who asked me, "Would you like to take my joke-writing standup comedy class?" I was like, "I don't know, is it free?" She said yes and that's how I started writing jokes — in a free class at a church.

Q: How did you come up with your popular MADtv character Bon Qui Qui?

AJR: Bon Qui Qui is a mix of a lot of people I met throughout my life. More specifically, a girl in a Burger King drive-thru in Memphis, Tennessee, years ago when I was a teenager, and my brother. My brother is the main influence for that character. He, at the time, was not sober and had no filter and would say whatever he wanted. He was a trendsetter — he is a trendsetter. People talk the way he talks, act the way he acts; he's a very sassy guy and very funny. That's kind of who Bon Qui Qui is; she's a leader, she's sassy and has no filter.

Q: What was your time like on MADtv?

AJR: It was great. It was my first time being a series regular on a TV show. I got to work on a show I had watched for years. I got to work with actors I had watched for years. To be a cast member with them was pretty incredible. I'm very grateful for that experience.

Q: You do accents very well with ease. How did you get into that?

AJR: I have a good ear, whether it's accents or singing. I'm not a trained singer, but I like to sing. One thing I can't do is harmonize.

Q: This day and age, comedians are being held accountable for certain types of comedy. What do you think about your other character that gained some popularity, the Vietnamese nail tech?

AJR: I think she's great. She's relatable. She's a human being that represents a lot of other human beings. Again, like I mentioned before, I connect with human beings in my comedy. My goal is always to make people laugh and connect with people on a human level. I think the reason that joke went viral and was so loved by people is because people related with it and connected with it.

Q: I noticed you have several podcasts, including some with your husband. What inspired you to go down that alley?

AJR: Different reasons. My husband and I would give advice to people and we decided to make that a podcast and share our life and things we're going through. That's called "Mangela." We have a podcast called "Nights of the Round Table." That's where we deconstruct our faith and reconstruct our faith, love, relationships and ideas about anything really. We talk about what we subscribe to and no longer subscribe to in our lives. That came out of us having these deep conversations with our friends in our home.

Q: What prompted you to write your own memoir?

AJR: I'm a storyteller on stage; I like to share stories of my life. There were certain stories that would not work on stage because there's a rhythm within standup comedy and there's technique to it. It's called "cutting the fat" where you take all the details out of your story. You want to get to your punchline as quick as possible. I had some stories that every detail was necessary to really feel what I was feeling, to really see what I was seeing and to really experience the story with me. There were certain stories that would not work in standup form and I would say, "You know what, I'm going to save this for a book one day." I started a document where I would add these stories. ... I had a document for about 10 years before I actually decided to write the book.

Q: Where did you get the idea for the title?

AJR: "Who Do I Think I Am?" is layered. It's stories of self-identity growing up Mexican-American, but I didn't speak Spanish. My last name was Johnson. I wanted to be a chola real bad, but nobody was scared of little payasa (clown) Johnson. There's that, but there's also the layer of who do I think I am to dream such big dreams and go for these dreams? I'm just this little Mexican-American girl from San Jose, California; what do I know about being an actress? I didn't know anything about being an actress, but I still went for it. Who do I think I am to chase these dreams? Who do I think I am to write a book? Who do I think I am to have the audacity to dream so big and go for it, as well as a journey to self-identity. ... It was very therapeutic.

Q: What do you hope readers get from your memoir?

AJR: I hope that when people read my book, it unlocks something within them. They walk away feeling inspired, feeling encouraged, feeling seen and feeling heard. I've gotten a lot of people message me saying, "I relate to you so much just reading your book. I feel like I'm reading my own story." I love to see that. That's always been my goal in my standup: make people laugh and connect with people.

Q: What does the future hold for you?

AJR: Hopefully, something amazing, huh? Hopefully, more blessings on blessings.

Q: Where can people find you to stay up to date on what you're doing with your career and life in general?

AJR: My website is anjelah.com. From there, you can find my tour, tickets to my tour, my book, merchandise and my social media handles.

If you go

WHAT: Who Do I Think I Am? Tour with Anjelah Johnson-Reyes

WHERE: American Bank Center, 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17

COST: $39.75 to $49.75 at americanbankcenter.com

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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva. Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.  

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes makes her way to Corpus Christi