Emmy and Grammy-nominated actress and comedian Margaret Cho chatted about her “Live & Livid” comedy tour, as well as being a part of “Prom Pact” and “Life and Beth.”
‘Live & Livid’ comedy tour
Her 2024 stand-up comedy tour will begin on February 22 at The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With this show, Cho is celebrating her 40th year as a professional stand-up comedian. “I am so grateful to still be doing this after 40 years. To me, every moment, is a defining moment,” she acknowledged.
“I have been really lucky. I’ve had a lot of great times in this industry in comedy, film and television. I am just so lucky,” she said. “Staying active, staying focused, and staying interested and inspired is the key to longevity in this business.”
“The tour has been great. It has been so exciting because I haven’t been able to tour since before the COVID pandemic. This is the first big tour that I have done in such a long time,” she said.
“Everybody is excited to come out and see a live performance, so I am really thrilled to be out there,” she added.
‘The Paramount’ show
Most recently, she performed at The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island. “The Paramount was really amazing. That show was so fun,” she admitted.
Cho hinted that she will be back performing in New York again in the near future.
‘Life and Beth’
Cho also discussed her involvement in the new season of “Life and Beth.” “The new season will come out on February 16 on Hulu. I think it’s really remarkable. It was really special to be in. It is beautifully written and beautifully acted,” she said.
“I love getting to work with other comedians because we know our world. This is a show where they do a lot of improvisation and that’s really funny. We really laughed,” she added.
She also stars in the Hulu rom-com “Fire Island” with SNL alum Bowen Yang, and with Iliza Shlesinger in Netflix’s “Good on Paper.”
‘Prom Pact’
Most recently, Cho starred in the Disney+ film “Prom Pact,” and she made a guest appearance on ABC’s “Not Dead Yet” with Gina Rodriguez. “‘Prom Pact’ was such a fun movie to make. I loved it too,” she said.
“We did that in Canada; it was a talented cast with special performers. This movie was very different for me. I played a guidance counselor in this really beautiful and wholesome kind of story. It felt very real and natural so that was cool. This is a genre that I haven’t done much work in so it was nice to explore that,” Cho explained.
‘Not Dead Yet’
“‘Not Dead Yet’ was so cool and such a cool show,” she said. “It was really emotional to be on set. I loved playing that character, and to me, it is just a special show and really fun. Gina Rodriguez is amazing.”
‘The Masked Singer’
In addition to “Prom Pact” on Disney +, HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant” with Kaley Cuoco and Rosie Perez, and “Hacks” with Jean Smart,” Cho has also appeared on NBC’s long-running drama series “Law & Order: SVU” and she performed on the reality singing competition “The Masked Singer” as the “poodle.”
“Doing ‘The Masked Singer’ was really cool even though it was really hot inside the mask, and it got really sweaty,” she said.
The digital age
On being an actress and comedian in the digital age, Cho said, “I love it. I’m definitely addicted to TikTok. Streaming is such a great way to watch TV shows and movies. I don’t know what we did without it. Actually, when you think about it, it is still pretty new. I actually rely on it.”
AI on the future of the industry
“AI, to me, is weird because I don’t know where it comes in,” Cho said about artificial intelligence on the future of the entertainment scene.
“It requires humanity to write and create. To me, it’s an odd things. I don’t understand the scope of it. I think there is more to art, music, television and comedy. It needs humanity to push forward. Art should stay human,” she elaborated.
Accolades and recognition
Cho was listed in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time” and CNN subsequently chose her as one of the “50 People Who Changed American Comedy.”
Vogue Magazine also listed her in its “15 of the Funniest Female Comedians of All Time” list. “All of those were huge honors,” she said. “I don’t even know how they figured that out, but to me, it’s such a big honor. I really love that; it’s incredible.”
Advice for young and aspiring comics
For young and aspiring comics, Cho said, “Go for it. We need you, we need more voices. We need more of you. Get out there and do it.”
Lisa Lampanelli
Cho had positive words about comedian Lisa Lampanelli. “Lisa Lampanelli is great,” Cho said. “Lisa needs to come out of retirement. I hope we can work together someday; that would be great.”
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Cho revealed, “Live and Livid.” “I’m just getting out there and being live and livid,” she explained.
Success
Regarding her definition of success, she shared, “Success is happiness, gratitude, and contentment.” “Those are the things that are always on my mind,” she said. “I am just grateful.”
Fans
For her fans, Cho concluded, “I love you and thank you. There will be a lot more.”
To learn more about Margaret Cho, follow her on Instagram, and visit her official website.
