Meet Samba Schutte | Actor, Comedian & Writer

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

Hi Samba, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.” ― Lewis Carroll.

If I didn’t take any risks in my life and never threw myself in front of the lions, I don’t think I would be as wise, courageous and successful– or cause such anxiety to the loved ones who care about my wellbeing. To take a risk is to leap into the unknown, which sounds crazy to everyone around you. How do you explain when something feels so right, when you find a trust and confidence in yourself, in your abilities and in Life that everything will work out, without a single guarantee? I’ve been called crazy when I decided to leave Ethiopia to go study Theater in Holland. When I decided to take part in the biggest national comedy prize in Holland without properly speaking the language. When I decided to leave a booming successful career as a comedian and actor behind to move to LA and basically start from scratch. When I decided to stay in Los Angeles against all odds with the impossibly high demands and qualifications of the EB1 Greencard for ‘Aliens of Extraordinary Ability’. When I decided to audition for a starring series-regular role for a network sitcom, without ever having been in one… I suppose I don’t think about risk so much as a ‘gamble’, but more as ‘faith’ that Life works in favor of those who follow their heart’s calling. Some might call that ‘naive’ or ‘woo-woo airy-fairy-ness’, but I think some of the strongest people are those who had the courage to take that leap, regardless of failure. My mom is a black Muslim African woman who married a white Christian European man despite so much opposition, criticism and discrimination- but they’re together till this day. They’re my heroes. That’s why I have such respect for the millions of creatives who decided to move to LA to pursue their deepest passions. So many people only dream and wish, and ‘if only’ themselves to sleep, without ever taking that leap of faith. And I am terrified of having regrets. It’s that saying by Joseph Campbell that keeps me taking risks: “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” My bliss is in expressing myself creatively through comedy, acting and writing. In being involved in and portraying characters, stories and messages that connect and resonate with people from all walks of Life. In being a living example that it is possible for different cultures, backgrounds and religions to come as one and enrich each other in peace and harmony. If I never listened to that bliss and stepped off that cliff, I never would have gotten the theatrical training I needed to be where I am today. I never would have won that national comedy award. I never would have had so much success as a comedian and actor working in Dutch, my 4th language. I never would have moved to LA to take my career to the next level. I never would have gotten my Greencard. I never would have met my wife. I never would have been involved in award-winning projects. I never would have made my childhood dream come true of being in videogames and cartoons. I never would have starred as a series-regular in a network show, portraying the first Ethiopian character in an American sitcom in history. There’s nothing more terrifying than taking a risk, especially when you think about what you have to lose. And believe me, I understand some people can’t just pack up and take a leap because of personal responsibilities, challenges and living situations. A year like this one has made us cling onto safety and comfort more than ever because of the unknown. But ultimately, what’s the alternative? Being unhappy and unfulfilled? Or taking that chance, following your bliss as you navigate through wins and fails, question your worth and faith, discover your abilities and shortcomings, and realize your courage and wisdom. I’m a living example, a boy born in the Sahara Desert in Mauritania and traveled across 3 continents to land in Hollywood, that fortune truly does favor the bold. Follow your bliss, step off that cliff– and realize you had wings to fly all along. And I’ll be there to champion you. 

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.
My mother is from Mauritania (West Africa – I say that ‘cause not many people know where it is) and my father is Dutch. So my mother is a strong black Muslim woman and my father is a tall white Christian man. And I look South Asian – go figure. I was born in Mauritania and my family then moved to Ethiopia. I grew up there for 16 years, and when I turned 18 in I moved to Holland to go to college. I always knew I loved to make people laugh, and I was always fascinated by the bootleg movies we’d watch in Ethiopia. So studying theater felt like the right choice to make. I studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts in Holland and graduated with a BA in Theater and Theater & Education. Basically meaning I could always teach drama if I didn’t make it as an artist. In the meantime I had started doing standup-comedy at my college bar. I had been performing in English all this time but knew I had to switch to Dutch if I wanted a career (Dutch being my 4th language after French, English and Amharic). The Dutch language isn’t made for humor, or romance for that matter. But I challenged myself, and took part in the largest Dutch national comedy competition: the Leids Cabaret Festival. I ended up winning both the Jury and Audience Awards. That kick-started my career as a comedian in Holland. I toured with my first comedy special ‘Hakili Jambar’ (meaning ‘Spirit of a Warrior’ in Mauritanian). I ended up touring for 3 years all over Holland and internationally as well (Asia, Africa, The Caribbean). I also acted in a few films and TV shows, and was a correspondent on the Dutch version of “The Daily Show”. But I always knew I wanted to work in English again, so I had my eyes set on Los Angeles. In 2011 I got the opportunity to move to LA to work as an actor and a comedian on a temporary visa called the O1 visa, or better known by its awesome name: the visa for Aliens of Extraordinary Abilities (no joke). I knew I didn’t have time to waste, so a few months later I won the March Comedy Madness contest by beating out 64 of LA’s top up and coming comedians at The World Famous Comedy Store. The manager saw me perform and asked me to become a regular performer. And that’s how I became a regular in the LA standup-comedy scene and what jump-started my acting career in Hollywood.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anybody who moves to LA would tell you ‘No’. Anybody who moves to America would tell you ‘Hell No’. Anybody who is half-black, half-white, half-African, half-European, half-Muslim, half-Christian would tell you ‘Heeeellll No!’. Jokes aside, kudos to anyone who has a strong vision and passion and pursues it fully. Because it is the hardest thing you will ever do: to stick with it, to overcome obstacles, rejection, demoralization and to keep yourself sane, kind and healthy… it’s hard. Being a mixed kid is never easy, because you don’t have solid roots. You’re from different worlds, and so you’re always seen as an outsider and that you don’t fully belong. You’re a shape that’s recognizable, but that doesn’t fit the mold. People struggle to cast me as a black man because to them there’s only one kind of black person. Or white person for that matter. And so you have to become your own mold. I had to accept I would never belong fully anywhere, and I decided to use that as a strength: in my art, in my messages, in my way of Life. Being an outsider allows you to always see things with a fresh perspective, and almost see things clearer because you’re always on the outskirts of ‘how things should be’. Once I tapped into seeing my many cultural inheritances as a strength instead of as a curse, which is how you’re made to feel, I applied that to my comedy jokes, sketches and shows and that’s when I got success. As for struggles outside of myself, well, performing in Dutch was difficult (did I mention it was my 4th language?!) Audiences in Holland are not the same as audiences in America. People in the US are very much like Africans, they love to laugh and they let you know when you’re funny. In Holland I’ve done 80-minute shows in silence, and when I’d ask the audience why they didn’t laugh, they’d say they didn’t want to interrupt me. So I’ve had to adapt my comedy to both the American, African and the Dutch cultures. Moving to America is hard. People don’t realize how much work goes into getting a work visa and leaving everything behind to start over in this country. And immigration officers don’t make you feel welcome when you first land here, even though you’ve done everything by the book. Once you’re here you can never break the law, and I mean like, Jaywalking, or it could cost you your visa. You always have to pay your taxes on time, but you shouldn’t apply for unemployment if you’re not a citizen yet and you can’t vote. LA is a huge city and it takes time to find good friends and build a solid social circle. It takes time to navigate around the city, to find out how things work and to get help from people who don’t want something from you. So God bless you genuine people out there! A final struggle I’ll mention is on a health note. The energy that buzzes around LA and Entertainment makes you want to work hard and never take a moment because you might miss out on something. In 2015 I was pushing too hard and not taking enough time for myself, and I got diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Vitiligo. It’s when you start losing your pigmentation in your skin and you start to turn white. You’d think a black man turning white was a good thing, but I was freaking out because I was losing my skin color on my face, my hands, and my lips. According to the doctors I was doing too much comedy, which threw my adrenal glands out of whack. I had to stop performing standup, and the doctors said there was no cure. So I was basically ready to kiss my career goodbye. No standup-comedy, and unfortunately nobody wants to see a spotty South Asian looking man on a TV show. But I refused to believe there was no cure, and after doing tons of research I found some books and articles on people who had managed to reverse their Vitiligo. I changed some things in my diet, found a healthier balance between work and play, and within a few months my black skin cells were starting to show some strength and slowly regenerate. #blackskincellslivesmatter. A few years later and I can thankfully say that my Vitiligo is basically gone. So anyone dealing with an auto-immune disease, don’t believe it when they say there’s no cure. Our bodies are designed to heal, so have faith. And also, don’t neglect yourself when you’re pursuing your passions. Your health comes first, only then can you really do what you set yourself to do out there…

Samba Schutte – what should we know? What sets you apart from the competition? What are you most proud of or excited about?
I recently starred as a series-regular on the NBC sitcom ‘Sunnyside’ alongside Kal Penn and executive produced by Mike Schur from The Good Place, The Office & Brooklyn 99. I got to portray the first Ethiopian character in an American sitcom, so that was a very proud achievement and I’m grateful to everyone who was involved. I’ve appeared in several movies such as ‘The Tiger Hunter’ (Netflix) starring Danny Pudi (Community) and Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite). And award-winning videogames such as Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Wolfenstein II. And I wrote for ‘Battlefield V’ portraying the first West African heroes in a war game which was super cool because my Mauritanian grandfather fought in world War 2, but those soldiers were never recognzied for their contributions. Sometimes I go to Holland to do another comedy special, or do my comedy internationally as well. My comedy is very universal. It is high-energy, positive, inspiring and I talk about my many different cultural sides, insights, observations and travels. I am most proud of how, no matter what I create in a joke, a sketch or script, I am always about celebrating our diversity. Embracing different cultures, religions and backgrounds and showing people that at the end of the day, we are not all that different from one another. My message is always a positive one, and I’d rather make people laugh and inspire them or teach them something new at the same time, then stand on a stage and complain about life, relationships and airplane food. I have a great team around me: my manager Patrick Havern, agents Kevin Turner (Daniel Hoff Agency), Nikkolas Rey (Alvarado Rey) and Natanya Rose (DPN). And of course my wife, my family and supporting friends.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
As a comedian success is when you manage to make someone laugh by something you thought about. As an actor it’s when someone is moved by what you do on the screen. As entertainers we all have dreams of that award, or that Oscar, or working with so-and so. But I think to me personally, when I think about it deeply, success is being able to get into bed every night with that feeling of ‘I love my Life’. It’s about doing what you love and what brings you joy, and about lifting others up through what you do. I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that basically sums it up for me: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch Or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh definitely Little Ethiopia. To me that’s a taste of home and I make sure I go there at least twice a month. Injera with some shiro, or doro wot, or zilzil tibbs – mannnnnn. Shoutout to Lalibela, Messob, Awash and Merkato! And you eat with your hands from the same big plate, so it’s very communal! Also Lake Shrine Temple in Pacific Palisades. It’s peaceful, serene, beautiful and my favorite spot to disconnect. Especially since everyone who visits always wants to visit Venice, Beverly Hills and Hollywood Boulevard.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom & dad: a black Muslim African woman who dared to marry a white Christian European man against all odds. They took a chance on Life to show that Love always conquers hate, racism, discrimination and fear. They’re my heroes.

Website: www.sambaschutte.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sambaschutte/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sambaschutte
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sambaschutte
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sambaschuttefan
Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2913547/?ref_=tt_cl_t10

Image Credits
Sophy Holland Getty Images Just Jared NBC