Meet Sophie Forcioli | Comedian & Surgical Nurse

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

Hi Sophie, what inspires you?
I have been inspired by my father who was a restaurant owner and French chef. I have found there are a lot of parallels to being a comedian and a chef. I grew up in a restaurant, and that environment was my day care as a child. A chef works long hours and is constantly adjusting their recipes or changing things in the smallest ways sometimes to see how their audience responds to their dish. Similar in comedy, you go through things in your mind and make small adjustments to your writing or in how you deliver the joke. Sometimes you change the smallest thing and it can make a big difference in your response from the audience. I think my inspiration with comedy has been heavily influenced by my father’s own creative endeavors in life and striking the right balance to keep doing it as long as it’s bringing myself and others joy and is challenging me to push myself creatively. Creativity and joy has got to be one of the best recipes in life for happiness.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am really excited to bring meaning and purpose to my comedy. I’m producing and hosting a comedy show this Fall called In The Kitchen Comedy, which will be a show with other comedians that go to work when they hit the stage. The kitchen to me has always been a place of love, comfort, creativity, and in my father’s case hard work. We all have our own “kitchens” in life and those spaces we go to work and and are able to express ourselves. The stage for comedians are where they are working things out and creating things for their audiences. I am excited to be showcasing other comedians who have been cooking things up and working hard, but have also found their own unique comedic styles. I have also teamed up with The American Cancer Society and at the show will be promoting donations that will go to families going through cancer treatments. My family and I stayed in an extended stay during some of my father’s cancer treatments that was paid for by The American Cancer Society, so if I can bring purpose to my comedy shows and allow people the opportunity to donate to families going through hard times then that is exciting to me to be able to help others in that way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Los Angeles is the best playground and there are a million cool things to do. Downtown has some of the best restaurants, so dinner at DAMA which serves Latin American cuisine is a must. The food, drinks, and atmosphere is amazing. My friends joke that I always bring people to a furniture store to hang out, but The Restoration Hardware in West Hollywood is the best kept secret hang. There is a rooftop patio that has a great view of the hills and very comfy couches. Urth Cafe is across the street and I like to grab a coffee and then hangout at Restoration Hardware. You can look around the store at all the cool furniture and then relax on the patio and enjoy the company of a friend. The Broad Museum always has amazing art to look at and is a fun activity.

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?
My father Philippe who passed from cancer in 2015 has been the most influential person in my life and deserves a huge shoutout. Long before his diagnosis he lived a very loving and creative life as a chef. Any ounce of success I have in life is because I come from a family who has sacrificed a lot for me to be in a better position than they were in life. My father taught me to just go for things in life and do it having a good time and being respectful to those around you. My father chose to smile and make a joke in some of life’s hardest moments, and I want to carry that love and joy with me through happy and difficult moments in life.

Instagram: Jesuissophie15

Image Credits
Roy Chapman