Meet Jessy Greer | Actress & Comedian

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

Hi Jessy, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What makes me happy is being a creative and allowing myself to participate in the community I’ve built around comedy. I did stand-up at the beginning of my career, but over the last seven or eight years, I’ve really focused on sketch comedy, and now, I’m trying to film more content, because I think that’s my favorite thing to do.

Still, nothing compares to the rush I get from performing. The high from a laugh, the joy I feel being part of a community at the Pack Theater, and the fun of creating with friends on weekends, all bring me so much happiness.

This year, my team Whoops! performed at the San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival, and later this month, we’re heading to iO SketchFest in Chicago. Funny enough, it’s comedy that’s letting me travel more, something I never imagined when I first started.

Anytime I start thinking maybe I should quit comedy, or stop trying to pursue performance in that way, I’ll have a show, or leave rehearsal, or just laugh so hard with friends, and I’m instantly reminded why I do it.

I used to think I was pursuing this for financial gain. And, sure, I’d still like recognition someday for the comedian I am. But right now, as cheesy as it may sound, the best thing I can do for myself is enjoy the little things: the chance to create, to be on a team, to feel the privilege of having a community I get to play with.

To be silly. To de-stress from the pressure of work and life. To just laugh.

That’s the most important thing to me. And doing it with people I love and care about? That makes it all the more meaningful.

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 didn’t come from a traditional theater or acting background growing up. In my teens and early 20s, I was more into athletics. I was a figure skater, a cheerleader, on the drill team and dance team, and even competed and taught beginner hip-hop classes in Houston. The only time I took theater was once in middle school, and while I enjoyed it, I pursued the more physical, performance-based activities.

It wasn’t until my early 20s that I felt a little lost and unsure of what to do next. Some people in my life kept telling me, “You’re so funny…you should be on SNL one day.” Growing up, my friends and I were always filming silly sketches on their parents’ camcorders, improvising, and staying up all night making short films. But I never really thought beyond that as a career.

Eventually, I auditioned for the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood, got accepted, and moved out here. A lot of my friends and family were surprised because I hadn’t done much formal acting before.

I’ve now been in L.A. for 13 years. Early on, I did a stand-up comedy workshop that led to gigs at the Comedy Store and other venues like the Pasadena Icehouse, Hollywood Improv, and Second City. Around 2017-2018, I discovered the Pack Theater and have been part of that amazing community ever since, focusing mainly on sketch comedy.

I’m grateful to have representation and to have appeared on a few TV shows, but I’m still chasing my next big break, that’s the story so far. Finding the right representation has definitely been a challenge, and dealing with constant rejection is something every performer knows all too well. You have to choose yourself over and over again, believe in yourself almost to the point of delusion, that you will make it. It really takes a certain kind of personality to keep moving forward, striving toward something so uncertain.

Success in this industry requires a mix of talent, timing, luck, and opportunity. At this point in my life, I’m still pursuing my dream of being a performer, an actress, and a comedian. I hope it all pays off someday, yeah, I’d love to get that SNL audition one day!

What sets me apart is that my background is rooted more in physical performance, dance, cheer, and figure skating, than traditional acting. That physicality influences my comedic style and how I approach roles. I lean into dark humor, dry sarcasm, and love mockumentary-style comedy. I often play the straight man in sketches, which lets me bring in my dramatic acting skills, because, as they say, it takes a good actor to be a good comedian.

When it comes to my style and brand, I’m still figuring it out. But I like to think my writing comes from personal experience. For example, I wrote a sketch about an ice skater, and I used to ice skate. I wrote a sketch about a dancer, and I was a dancer. I try to pull from my own life and perspective and turn those experiences into satire. I think that’s my sweet spot, though I also like to push myself to write outside the box and explore different ideas.

I’m just grateful to keep creating, learning, and sharing laughs with people who get it, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me next.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone were visiting for a week, every morning, we’d start at one of my favorite local coffee shops, maybe File Systems, or Go Get Em Tiger, because caffeine is life.

Then we might head over to The Grove or Sportsmen’s Lodge to wander and shop. For a fun lunch experience, I’d take them to The Grove Farmer’s Market or Grand Central Market in DTLA.

For culture, I’d definitely want to visit some museums, the Broad Museum and LACMA are favorites. If my friend were a Disney fan, we’d check out Disneyland (which, fun fact, I’ve never been to, even after living here for years!). Or, if they were into Harry Potter, Universal Studios’ Harry Potter World could be a cool stop to nerd out together.

One night, we’d catch a movie at the Chinese Theater IMAX, one of my absolute favorite theaters in L.A. (shout out to the Chinese Theater, hope to have a big premiere there myself someday…wink).

We’d spend a day at the beach, grab some delicious sandwiches from a nearby cafe, and soak up the sun.

We’d also hit a hike, either Runyon Canyon or Griffith Park, because you can’t visit L.A. without some fresh air and a view.

And if the timing was right, we’d catch a live show at the Hollywood Bowl or the Greek Theater, those venues are magical.

Of course, no visit would be complete without some comedy. I’d take them to the Dynasty Typewriter, the Improv, the Comedy Store, or even the Pack Theater, where I spend a lot of my creative energy.

That feels like the perfect blend to me: a little tourist, a little local, and some nature too. I think my friend and I would have the best time.

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’d like to dedicate this to the people in my life who have said yes to me. Being an actor and pursuing a career in entertainment, as a writer, comedian, and producer, comes with so much rejection. As we all know, the “no’s” can be constant, sometimes weekly. So I want to take a moment to really acknowledge how grateful I am for the people and communities who’ve given me a yes.

I’m especially thankful to be part of the Pack Theater community. It’s given me an outlet to play, perform, meet people, make friends, and collaborate. It’s a space that reminds me why I do what I do.

And I’m incredibly grateful to all of my friends, you know who you are, who’ve said yes to filming a sketch with me, who’ve spent Saturdays hanging out and shooting, who’ve put time and energy into writing scripts with me for months, sometimes years. Whether we’re collaborating on set, off set, on stage, or anywhere in between, you’ve helped bring my vision to life and allowed me to play, act, write, and produce.

Those people are the ones I’m working with right now. The ones I’m in the trenches with, creating. They’re the reason I get to keep showing up, keep training, keep sharpening my skills, so that when opportunity does present itself, I’m ready.

I’ll never forget the people who’ve helped me along the way. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by people who believe in me, who say yes, and who show up, and my hope is that we all rise together. That our collective effort, support, and joy in creating leads us all to the kind of success we’re dreaming of.

Website: https://www.jessygreer.com

Instagram: @thejessygreer

Image Credits
Jasper Lewis (Startek image)