Sam Jay became a master of comedy later in life. She explains how on ‘Masters of the Game’

OPINION: Jay started doing standup at 29 because of life’s hard knocks. But she’s made up for lost time and has become one of comedy’s rising stars.

Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

Sam Jay is the most unlikely new star the comedy world has. She started doing standup at 29, she’s from Boston, she’s a Black lesbian and now she’s a widely beloved master of the craft of standup. You can see it in the confident way she strides onto the stage and gets relaxed up there. You can see it in the way she emits an air of it factor. You can see it in the way she spits jokes like she’s spitting game — calm but cocky, chill but deadly. She’s hysterical, and on several occasions, she has made me laugh so hard that I was in physical pain. She has one long bit about fooling around with her fiancée and, no, I can’t even paraphrase that one. I’m just saying she’s really sharp with hers. She told me she’s studied the science of comedy and that’s why she’s now a master of the game. Don’t miss my hysterical interview with her on “Masters of the Game” now streaming on theGrio.

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Jay came to comedy late because that’s the hand life dealt her. When Jay was a teenager in Boston, she was curious about comedy but her mother was sick for years. She passed away when Jay was 19, and after that, Jay wandered through years of depression and sickness. She dipped her toe into comedy then ran back to her regular life. But when she was 29, a very late time in life for a comedian to begin, she was living in Atlanta and dating the woman who is now her fiancée. She was coming out of her depression, she was coming into herself as an openly gay woman, and she was ready to attack comedy. She tried and realized that she wanted to succeed there more than anything. She went into the clubs and began studying, and a decade later, she’s a star who’s on the rise. 

To hear Jay’s whole story and her thoughts on how to be great at comedy, check out our interview on “Masters of the Game.”

Toure is a host and writer at TheGrio. He hosts the TheGrio TV show “Masters of the Game,” and he created the award-winning podcast “Being Black: The ’80s” and its upcoming sequel “Being Black: The ’70s.” He is also the creator of “Star Stories” and the author of eight books, including “Nothing Compares 2 U an oral history of Prince.” He also hosts a podcast called “Toure Show.” He is also a husband and a father of two.

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