Meet Camille Aragon | Actress, Standup Comedian, and Writer

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

Hi Camille, why did you pursue a creative career?
Thank you for the loaded question! I came into the pursuit of a creative career the long way, but ultimately it was through healing (a lot of!) trauma. As someone who experienced a traumatic sibling loss at a young age, I’ve always been fascinated with the human mind, how we learn, and the ways childhood experiences affect how we become as adults. Initially, I placed my natural curiosities in academic and professional pursuits, and it wasn’t until I did a significant amount of work on myself – when I focused on my own personal healing, development and expansion – that I even allowed myself to use the descriptors ‘Artist’ or ‘Creative,’ when describing who I am.

After studying psychology and education in college and grad school, I decided to enter the workforce in the non-profit sector, and also became a yoga teacher. A couple of years later, I was called to serve in the United States Peace Corps as a volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean. From 2010-2012, I lived and worked alongside my community in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where I taught literacy, helped build a library, led yoga classes, and supported other local projects and initiatives. It was during this time that my creativity was really awakened, and also gave me an outlet to process and work through a lot of difficult experiences.

Following my service, I moved to Washington, DC where I taught yoga all over the city and worked at the Peace Corps agency headquarters. I had the opportunity to experience a meaningful, albeit brief, career in international development. The three years I spent in DC were also eye-opening in that I realized I was not in the career, city, or working toward the future I really desired… so I had an existential crisis, quit my job and moved to Berkeley, CA, where I lived for a very expensive, heavily parent-funded year and a half before returning to my hometown in Southern California.

Just as I was starting to settle into my life back in SoCal, and right before I started my first improv class, my dog died and I was devastated. I went on to take the improv class with the mentality, “Well the ‘worst’ has already happened – multiple times in my life! – so why not try comedy?” My trauma actually gave me the freedom to take big swings, put myself out there, and lean into what scared me.

Ever since then, when presented with any opportunity, I ask myself two questions: 1)Does it interest me? 2)Does it scare me? If I can check both boxes, it is going to be a hard yes, given I have the space and capacity to pursue it.

I’ve been pursuing a career in entertainment for six-ish years now as an actor and standup comedian. The joy I feel when I get to make an audience laugh, and work with other creatives who are also living in pursuit of their dreams, is unmatched. My goals for the next chapter are to also write and produce for TV and Film.

Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about why I gave up the career path I had before, and what it means to me to be in the entertainment industry. Ultimately, what I wanted to accomplish with my previous work, and what I’m pursuing now as an Artist, has remained unchanged. My desire was, always has been, and always will be, to make an impact. I want to educate and inspire people around the world through my work, and to ultimately bring about a greater sense of happiness and peace. Now, I get to do this by telling stories and making people laugh, and to me, there’s no better job or career than that.

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’m a Filipina-American mother, actress, standup comedian, and writer. What sets me apart from others is the unique set of circumstances of my life that have given me the inspiration, strength, and resilience to pursue these art forms and to keep going when faced with challenges.

The biggest hurdle I’ve faced in this journey was to begin. I came into the professional pursuit of the arts a bit late in my life, well into my 30s, after having had many interesting and unique life experiences. As a kid I wished I had the confidence to audition for a school play or a musical, but I didn’t. Growing up, I did have artistic outlets in playing piano and learning different forms of dance, but neither of these creative endeavors was ever encouraged as a potential career path. What did I want to be? “A doctor,” I’d tell everybody proudly, just to see the impressed look on those grown ups’ faces.

I didn’t become a doctor, but I did study education at Harvard, with a focus on human development and psychology. Even though I no longer work in the field of education, I appreciate the knowledge I gained from those studies, because it gave me the tools to think deeply about a character’s psychological development when taking on a role.

It took years of therapy, self care, and investments in my personal development before I was ready to claim myself as an artist. What I learned in that process was that while there was, indeed, so much for me to heal from, those same experiences that caused grief, pain, and confusion in my life also gave me the capacity to develop compassion, empathy, and the clarity to envision a life for myself that feels fulfilling, meaningful, and whole.

Another huge challenge and simultaneous blessing for my creative career has been the birth of my son. He arrived November 2022, and my journey of motherhood has been unfolding beautifully, but not without its own challenges. As difficult as it can be to continue in pursuit of your passions as a new mother, I have found it to be not only fulfilling and life affirming, but also life-giving, and potentially for some, life-saving.

When I was four months postpartum, I was tapped by playwright, actor, and producer, Mike Talplacido, to join in a table read of his new play featuring an all-Filipino cast and crew. The play, called #DONT, premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2023, in which I played Victorina, a former beauty queen turned politician’s wife. For Mike and the other producers to see me, a still-nursing, four months postpartum, hormonal new mom, and envision all of that as a beauty queen on a Hollywood stage, truly gave me life. I had so much fun and loved doing the work of playing Victorina alongside so many talented Filipino Americans, and it has been a highlight of my time as an actor so far.

What I would love for people to know about my story is that I believe in alignment when it comes to pursuing your dreams. I believe it took me all those years of trying on different degrees, careers, moving to different parts of the world, and having a variety of failures, to prepare me for a career in the arts. While I don’t believe I necessarily have thick skin, I do have the belief that I’m on the right path, and that what’s meant for me will never pass me by. My job is to show up and do the work, and everything else is up to the Universe.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Get in, Bestie – we’re going to kid friendly places because I have a toddler!

Since we only have a week, I want to make sure we get to my top 3 touristy places in LA.

Number one is The Getty. Enjoy the views up to the campus, walk around the exhibits, dine in the cafe or restaurant, walk through the gardens, and roll down the grassy hill.

Number two is Venice Beach boardwalk. Rent bikes, or go on foot. Peruse the vendors, appreciate the sidewalk performers, the ocean!

Number three is the Griffith Observatory. Be in awe of the great expanse of the cosmos! Soak in the Los Angeles skyline. Watch the planetarium show and learn something about stars.

I say we spread these activities out over the week so we can have some downtime to chill.

For meals, I highly suggest anywhere in Koreatown, or making the drive to Cerritos or Alhambra for some bomb ass Asian food; there is every ethnicity’s food to choose from.

As an extra tip for moms or parents of young kids – always check out the calendar at the local libraries. There are very often free story times, music classes, and playtimes for babies and toddlers, and a great way for parents to socialize with other grown ups!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
God, first. My creativity, in many ways, is a spiritual practice. I am always working to be more creatively open and receptive to inspiration from all around me, and letting God move through me. Sometimes God tells me to add a d**k joke to my comedy set, and I do, and it works. So thank you, God.

My mom, of course. She sacrificed so much, leaving the Philippines in pursuit of a more promising and boundless future for her family. She thought I was going to be a doctor, but now I’m a comedian and she laughs when I tell jokes about my doctor on stage.

My partner, Fredo, and my son, Raphael. These two are my reason for doing what I do. I’m so fortunate to have such a supportive and loving partner, who is there for me through everything. The fact that we co-created our beautiful baby boy is nothing short of a dream come true. They are everything I have ever wished for, and I am so grateful that we can share in so much of each others’ journeys.

The Filipino creative community – I have gained so many opportunities, learned so much, and most importantly, formed so many beautiful friendships with my fellow kababayan in the entertainment industry in LA. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat, at mahal na mahal kita!

Jess & Mariah – my New Narrative Productions family. We have found a partnership with each other that I am excited to see grow, flourish, make bank and create lifelong memories.

The ‘moms who do standup’ community – especially Orchid Cameron, Lin Sun, and Amanda Slater – these women are my kindred spirits! Anytime I feel myself waver, or get it in my mind that I should quit comedy, I turn to one of my standup mom friends, and instantly am inspired again. After I had my baby, none of these ladies asked me IF I would do standup again; they just asked me WHEN, and that meant so much!

Website: thecamillearagon.com

Instagram: @thecamillearagon

Twitter: @camillearagon

Facebook: facebook.com/thecamillearagon