Meet Samantha Sammy” Jennifer Larsen Hernandez | Stand-Up Comic Actress Producer”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha “Sammy” Jennifer Larsen Hernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha “Sammy” Jennifer, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” – Confucius. This philosophy never gets old and it means everything to me. My dad used to come home tired and stressed out after a long day at the post office in Dumont NJ. Mom would cook and I would put on my own shows, mini plays if you will to entertain my parents, dogs, birds, fish, and stuffed animals nightly. I really enjoyed making my parents laugh, and giving them a real good show! I felt so proud and happy to put my parents in a good mood and making them laugh just really did it for me it gave me a real kick a real high.

I went all out I built stages with cardboard I colored them I painted them etc and would play records and sing, and make (what I know now) to be storyboards with pictures etc. My dog Maxine, a Lhasa also, was my assistant and always dressed the part.
After my nightly performances we would watch Carol Burnett, I love Lucy, Laverne and Shirley Threes Company I was hooked. I knew I would have to “get a job” when I was older so I all ready knew I wanted to have a “job” like the comedic actors on those shows! There’s nothing better than laughing so hard your gonna cry thats the best!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have never fit in anywhere so just living and being myself in a world where people love to fit is worthless to me and I gave up on that years ago. I had to lean into my weirdness, my different sense of humor and work with that. I absolutely love people and can talk to anyone and everyone all day long, so thats makes it easy for me to create my own characters and adapt to roles, I think all good actors must have a serious love for the human condition and human nature.

I love character acting for sitcoms, I have been a series regular in some great sitcoms My Name Is Earl, Animal Practice, The Guest Book and currently 3 sitcoms projects that are in post right now all fun character roles and so many through the years.
Dramatic roles are super fun as well I book alot of detective roles for lifetime, documentaries, crime series , thriller movies and horror. Basically Im over the moon to be on set and make the story come to life. I love it all and I am passionate about all my roles. I even had a role in a movie called “the crying women” (Burning Shadow) I can cry on cue so………..

Improvising in front of the camera and doing my own productions is what makes me special. Im great on my feet there’s no lack to my crazy improv skills. I am motivated daily to be productive and have always been writing, pitching and filming my own shows for years, that is what lead me to being an independent producers for others as well. For longevity you have to do your own thing, that way you do not have to sit around waiting on auditions you make your own visions happen, from tv to stand up I do my own projects.

For example I wanted to showcase female stand ups so I created the Wonder Wonder all female line up show for THC (The Hollywood Comedy) and it was super successful and I booked the ladies, hosted and it was amazing always a full house! It ran for a year I had all the top female comics it was a hit! I do really love rawness and instant gratification of stand up its like nothing else your have to be willing to be in the ultimate state of vulnerability (most humans never get to this) and than there’s magic you take the crowd on a journey its like your driving and they are the passengers I will do stand up comedy for the rest of my life and my stand up special is planned for 2024

Chowtime is my own human-dog cooking show I create recipes you can make and eat with your dog I filmed over 30 episodes in my own kitchen with my own human grade dog safe recipes you can watch them all on my Utube channel. I was pitching it for a year and heard “no one cooks and eats with their dog etc etc………. so I filmed it myself! From that youtube series people started to notice I’m not just an actor and stand up comic but I write, film and produce.
That led me to Doc of DocTV33, a mobil app and indie channel on roku and he encouraged me to film more of my own projects.

I was his “artist of the month” and he features my “On the Street with Pete” segment where I film my artist husband (DanOne) and his partner (Ian Lantz) “Raised In LA” as they create art installations in Los Angeles and beyond. I also get press passes and film at many local art shows where they are exhibiting thier art or speaking on a panel about art.

Being behind the camera is just as much fun as being in front over 30 years and came on as a producer with Skye Film Studios this February and also filming their BTS (behind the scenes) documentaries has been a blast. They are a women owned independent film and television studio with a bright future and plans of expanding into reality Tv as well. (thats my division) I have been in many reality shows and even got married on one!

I learn things everyday I have literally made every mistake in the book with 30 years in the business the biggest one is you must believe in yourself YOU MUST! I have been told I’m to weird looking I am to this to that to non conformist too edgy to young to old you name it!

People that love you will encourage you and thier will always be nay sayers and negativity you have to cut that loose. Surround yourself with positive people that believe in you and believe in themselves and are successful. Surround yourself with successful people working on thier dreams they elevate you Being in your comfort zone is death: the closest I come to comfort “zone” is comfort food my love : pizza.

Another huge lesson is that my time is valuble! I respect everyones time is limited and very precious you must always make the most of your time here on earth as thats all you have in life.

My husband motivates me everyday not with words but with his unequivocal, unwavering work ethic. I have never in my life seen another human being so dedicated to his art, for years I have watched him do his art projects everyday without fail 365 days a year. He inspires me daily.

Currently I’m writing a ten episode thriller series and a 13 episode reality series, not a day goes by that I do not either write, act or get on stage telling jokes. Besides my career my other passion in life is dogs, all animals but especially dogs. I volunteer with a couple amazing rescue organizations and we have 4 special needs rescues of our own 2 birds and 2 dogs. I have always had animals in my life since I was born really I can not imagine coming home to a house without animals! I adore my animals and try to help as many as we can fit in our house!

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?
Im from Bergenfield NJ and lots of my friends come to visit us I always take them to Pacific Palisades Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine! Its 10 acres of beautiful foliage, a huge lake with turtles ducks swans lotus flowers and it was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda! Than we can walk down tot ocean or take a drive up PCH the views are breathtaking!

Many friends want to do the Hollywood Walk of fame look at the stars and than we go to my favorite Mexican restaurant El Compadre on sunset in hollywood, thier flaming margaritas are amazing and something I can’t find anywhere else is their deep friend peppers with cheese aka Chile Rellenos so good! hubby always gets their Chicken mole! Everything they make is fresh and delish I can fill up on thier fresh hot chips and salsa I have to refrain lol!

My absolute favorite food on earth is pizza, in Jersey you eat pizza like every other day (well I did) and Esco’s Pizza on La Brea in Hollywood is our new go to place for pizza we take everyone thier and the owner is an artist as well its very cool and they have a movie screening night!! Dan and I go thier weekly and a huge large pizza is still around 20 bucks OMG! Its just like jersey pizza thin crust and perfect sauce! I would eat pizza everyday if I could seriously!!

My east coast people always want to see my husbands graffiti art and other artists so I take them on a walking down Hollywood Blvd as they paint alot of electrical boxes and down fairfax to Melrose Ave. Fame Yard on melrose has beautiful creative space and many local artist paint thier and they also have cool events, our freind Eddie Donaldson is one people that runs it. The art changes up so there is always new murals to see and enjoy.
A new art

When friends (and me) want deserts their is only one place to go Better Than Sex Desert Restaurant on Melrose! Our friend Ian Lantz is the manager and it literally only has deserts and they are sexy and decadent with fun provacative names and its not just date night my girlfriends and I go for girls night out and we bring out stepdaughter thier as well. They have a chocolate cake thier to die for and they are always adding new surprises also. They have sext drinks as well and I love thier peanut butter whiskey shot the name is toooo sexy to mention.

We can burn off the calories with a hike to Runyon Canyon it has beautiful views and on a clear day you can see Catalina Island.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Pursuing an actor and stand up comedy career just seemed like a natural progression from being the class clown in grammar school, high school and college with the gratitude for my friends always encouraging and believing in me from a very early age. Maureen Avila was my other half and my adopted sister she believed in me since we both were 4 years old. Im sure she is still with me in my heart, she passed at an early age in 2016.

Although my parents loved my singing and acting skills and of course my sense of humor (I got that from dad) I did get a scholarship for Marine Biology to the University of Tampa so yes. they wanted me to be a scientist because the life of an actor is not an easy one unless your born into it and than its could not be easy.
When I was living in Manhattan my friends literally forced me to do an open mike contest at Caroline’s Comedy Club my first time doing stand up and I won! I was hooked and started training with Micheal Gellman (Second City) and he definitely deserves a huge thank you and encouraged my move from NY to Los Angeles he was a great mentor.
Cut to now 20 years later, my biggest and most loyal fan is my husband and my parents. My husband gets on me to constantly do better go out and film, go network, write more episodes to stay active and productive everyday! I can’t be lazy in the Hernandez House he believes in me and makes sure Im doing all I can to be the best version of myself I can be. Also he’s a great dad and doggie dad! I appreciate and love all he does for our family and our creative lives entertain so beautifully. He is an artist as well.

Website: imdb.me/samanthajenniferlarsen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammylarsen_hernandez_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-j-larsen-67ba578/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SammyLarsenH

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samanthajlarsen/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamanthaLarsen/featured

Other: I use IMDB as my website