Meet Hannah Beth Richardson | Comedian, Actor, Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Beth Richardson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah Beth, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking is about intentionally placing yourself outside your comfort zone. Early on, I got comfortable with taking risks. Growing up as a theater kid, I would constantly find small moments of comedic improvisation during a show. When they landed, the payoff was totally worth the scathing community theater director afterwards. Since then, I have been chasing that high, those golden moments you can find only if you’re fully present with the audience. The moments you could never rehearse or relive. They only come by taking a risk.

As a comedian and a producer, it’s all about habitual risk-taking. Whether you want to work out a new joke or you are looking to share a story with the world through film, you are going to have to keep taking risks until you land on your feet. What has really helped me become comfortable with risk taking is learning how to let go of the outcome. As long as you thoroughly prepare and do what you can, you have to let the rest of it go. Being an artist is a constant act of getting outside of your comfort zone and letting go. If you fail, it was meant for you to learn from, not meant for you to have. Either way, it was meant for you. Just as your wins will be meant for you.

I say, keep taking those risks until you find what is meant for you.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started to really take my art seriously, comedy and filmmaking, at the end of 2019. Obviously, what was to come stunted me for quite a bit, especially due to the fact that a majority of my work is heavily dependent on being around others. However, this made me think outside the box and adapt to the situation we were all enduring. No, it was not easy, no journey is, but it was fun as hell.

I have never been very good at putting a brand on my work. Each time I try to label it as “x”, I find myself feeling stuck in a box. It feels disingenuous, and an audience can smell that from miles away. With my writing, I tend to pull from my past or my day-to-day experiences. I like taking a microscope to life’s mundane and off-putting moments. My childhood was lined with comedic gold, and I enjoy finding ways to spin these otherwise challenging moments into a laugh. It’s a wonderful gift to carry in my adulthood. Ultimately, I have always just wanted to make people happy. My goal is to remind us that we are all human, and life is just not that serious.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would kick it off with a studio tour, of course! Either a day at Universal or a Warner Brothers Studios tour. Then follow that up with a couple slices of pizza from Prime Pizza in Burbank, drowned in their amazing ranch.

I can’t let anyone visit without a night of comedy. Some tried and true classics are shows at the Comedy Store, The Improv, or The Laugh Factory; however, if we were looking to go somewhere a little more “underground” I would take them to The Nitecap in Burbank. It’s a small, speakeasy style room with amazing vibes and comics nightly.

At some point we would make our way to Oak and Vine in Glendale. This small cocktail bar not only makes a killer espresso martini, they have some killer hospitality, and you can’t skip on trying some of their in-house barrel-aged whiskeys!

The next day, we would sleep off the night before at Escondido Beach in Malibu. Just right up the PCH is an entrance between houses to a secluded portion of the beach.

It would not be a trip to Los Angeles without eating your way through Grand Central Market. Best way to start your Grand Central Market tour is by grabbing a beer at Golden Road Brewery to accompany your walk through the market. Be sure to get the lumpia at Sari Sari!

Lastly, we would end the trip at Verse. This popular restaurant offers some of the best food in the valley paired with craft cocktails and live music nightly. Its affiliation with the world renowned Larrabee Recording Studio makes it a hot spot for influential music industry folks. You never know who could be performing or making an appearance!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s hard to narrow down the support I’ve received over the years for my work. Between friends, family, and mentors, I have been lucky enough to have a vast support system throughout the years; however, I would like to dedicate my shoutout to a lifelong artist, my sister, Katie. She has been my most genuine and consistent fan over the years. Any time I tried any new art form, she absolutely loved it, even if it was bad. She has always found the best parts of my work, highlighted them and shared it with others. She has kept old art projects of mine that I thought were trash, but she saw beauty within them. She remembers jokes of mine that I thought were dumb, but she finds brilliant. Katie introduced me to the world of comedy and taught me how to value my art. Thank you sissy.

Instagram: @beannssy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannaherichardson/

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