Meet Brandon Leonardo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Leonardo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, why did you pursue a creative career?
Once I discovered the function of art, there was really no other route I would want to take. What other choice was there? I have A LOT of feelings, and through art, I learned that feelings are everything. Art is everything. Engaging in creativity leads us closer to divinity and the truth. To gauge someone’s feelings is a step to creating empathy and making this world better. As a comedian, I learned early on that the world is just a sad ass joke, but it’s still funny. There’s always some relief from the tension, and it’s my job to find it and present it. Laughter is just a reaction to writing. Granted, I’m not in a position to be a comedian full time (can’t really pay my rent with exposure and drink tickets), but I want to do all I can to get there so I can keep speading the inspiration, the way I was inspired when I was a quiet kid with a lot of feelings and no outlet to express them.
I really like how “Arts and Sciences” are paired together, because they’re both sides of the same coin with a mission of discovery. And it’s common rhetoric that the arts aren’t “important” compartively, because being an artist isn’t a “real” job. Like how could writing a joke remove a tumor? I’m not saying that it can. But maybe a joke can brighten some doctor’s mood after they’ve removed 4 tumors this last week and needs a little inspiration to remove the other 3 tumors they have on this weeks schedule (I have no idea of tumor removal frequency. Is it one a day? once a week? This is why I’m a comedian). Art is just as important as food and water.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a stand-up comedian, or as my mom likes to say, “at least a clown knows how to do make-up.” I am a queer man whose inspirations in comedy were a lot of funny-ass women (indirectely/directly including my mother. She has sick burns but I only find them funny once the sting wears off). In terms with what i want to do with my comedy, you know that laugh that comes after feeling a bunch of tension, and whatever is happening is so unbelievable that you just have to laugh at the absurdity of it? That’s me! I’m just this absurd sad man with a bunch of feelings that knows I’m not alone. I was a really quiet kid growing up, and I cried a lot because I didn’t know what else to do. I like to say that I was a cry baby, now I’m a cry adult. I am much sadder than I look. I love a story, and I’m addicted to contrast. I love telling these jovial absurd jokes, and juxtapose them to something dark, like grief or my dating life. Getting here certainly wasn’t easy and I am still a novice compartitively, but I feel more and more in tune with my voice. The more I grow up and become more honest with myself, the better my comedy gets, which is annoying because it makes me that much more exposed. Like I wish I can talk about airline food and not about the pile of unfolded laundry on my bed I call my boyfriend, because I cuddle it and I’m alone. But doing this has made me conenct with more people. I love it when people talk to me after the show and share like, “My mom said the same thing, what an ass.”
Comedy has really made me conenct with people and share myself when I thought I wasn’t worth getting to know. And it doesn’t pay the bills fully, and I would love more chances to perform, but I think I’m exactly where I need to be with my journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well first, I would take them to downtown LA near the Walt Disney Concert hall. There’s so much to do and everything is a walk away. I would get some food at Grand Central Market, stuff my face with pupusas, then take that little trolley that you pay a dollar to take you up a block to check out the Broad. While there, walk to the John Ferraro building and look at the fountains where you can see the LA landscape. Then I’d probably look up an outdoor event, maybe something hosted by the Hollywood Forever cemetary to watch a horror movie (there’s nothing like consenting to being spooked at a cemetary). I’ll probably take them to silverlake and visit some of my favorite bars like Akbar, or if it’s a Sunday, take them to El Cid for the Hot Dog event to dance and check out queer cuties. I’d look up events like A Club Called Rhonda or any concerts around the area to shake some booty.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to all the funny women who inpired my artistry, and specifically my comedy mentor, Monique Marvez. I thank the universe for bringing us together, because without her, I wouldn’t understand the structure of comedy. In my youth and before I really loved comedy, As a little gay kid, I would see men doing stand-up like Dane Cook and Kat Williams and thought that it was amusing and funny, but I didn’t really connect to it. It wasn’t until I was exposed to Wanda Sykes and Margaret Cho when I thought, “NOW THIS THE GOOD STUFF. I want to be just like them.” That’s when the obesssion began. I research and discovered other female comics in parallel to me deconstructing patriarchy and learning how rooted sexism exists within our society. Through these comedians, it made me want to be a better man and pursue comedy. Before I had the confidence to go on stage myself, serendipity led me to met the wonderful Monique Marvez (by serendipity I mean that I was hooking up with her hairstylist and he made the connection). Through the kindess of her heart, sheprovided lessons and gave me the foundation on how to write a good joke. She would have me list out the things I cared about and the things that would fire me up, and alchemizing these feelings into a premise, and with more structure and rumination, writing a complete joke. And through this, she’s become a dear friend that I will cherish forever. Monique taught me the importance of sharing knowledge, and I hope to make her proud by reaching that level, and sharing what I know for the comics after me.
With all these lessons, practice, and belief, I can have the confidence to say that I’m funny… for a man.

Instagram: @realhonesthips

Image Credits
Davide Laffe- The photos with the jeans and the jean jacket