Meet Zavior Phillips | Comedian & TV Writer

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

Hi Zavior, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Simple. Always keep going and never give up. I don’t mean that in the “cat poster” way. Or in the “alpha male podcaster” way. I more so mean that, to me, it’s less about giving up and more about adapting. I’m only a few years into my comedy career and I’ve already hit plenty of roadblocks I didn’t see coming, but never did it occur to me to stop altogether. In fact, after each rejection or “failure”, I’ve felt even more set up for success, because I now know what didn’t work or what path won’t be as fruitful for me. This can be true on the small level – if a joke doesn’t land, at least now I know what punchline NOT to do – or on the bigger level – if I don’t get cast in a movie I auditioned for, at least now I know what to give low ratings on Letterboxd.

Kidding. Kinda.

Overall, I try to approach every obstacle, big or small, as an opportunity for me to take a step back, analyze what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and keep pushing from there. Life is about the journey and there’s gonna be plenty of detours.

Okay, now THAT belongs on a cat poster.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My comedy career started by roasting my high school principal. To clarify, I had created a satirical school news show where each week, I did my version of “Weekend Update”, but instead of jokes on national and global news, it was more quips on the specific goings-on at Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro,Tennessee. The incredibly-titled “Mag Swag Newz” was mostly lunch menu one-liners and wisecracks about AP exams, but it represented a lot more for me. It was the first time I began to hone my craft of writing, taking in feedback from an audience, tweaking delivery. And it was the first time I realized I could make something tangible out of thin air – that I could make an impact with just an idea and belief in myself to make it happen.

Fast-forward to college, I majored in Public Policy, but in my free time, I was doing improv, sketch, writing short films, and putting up plays. I was continuing to chip away at my 10,000 hours that started with Mag Swag Newz but on an even bigger scale! By the time graduation was around the corner, I was excited to take the world by storm… unfortunately, I was set to graduate in 2020, and the storm that overtook the world wasn’t Zavior, it was COVID. It was a hard and weird time for everyone. My grandma passed away, I couldn’t get a job. But I still held onto this concept that I could make something from just an idea and belief, so I started writing more scripts – again honing my craft, getting better with each draft.

In 2021, I moved to L.A. with a pilot script, a 2012 Toyota Prius, and a dream. Within a few months, thanks to that script that was inspired by my grandmother’s passing, I was hired to write for a few award shows. A few months later, I had been staffed to write on the Netflix comedy series INSIDE JOB. Now at 25 years old, ten years after making puns about the JV baseball team on our school’s morning announcements, I’ve written for multiple TV shows, acted in projects I’ve cared about, and traveled the country performing stand-up comedy, most recently being selected as a featured comic at the 2024 Netflix is a Joke Festival.

I’m obviously very proud of my accomplishments and accolades thus far, but I’m mostly proud of the way I’ve been able to trust myself and believe in my own ideas. I talk with my other comedy friends often about how inherently delusional you have to be to pursue a dream that necessitates walking down such an unstable path, but I always end at the conclusion that it’s still worth it. And that the only real stability I need is the constant belief that my ideas matter and that every day, I’ll keep getting better.

Anyway, if anyone’s hiring, let me know…

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.
COFFEE:
My ideal day starts with a walk to grab coffee and a pastry. I live in Atwater Village, so my tops choices are Proof Bakery, Village Bakery, and Cafe Nido. Might as well hit them all – three coffees never hurt nobody!

ACTIVITIES:
I’ve tried my hardest to not be one of those people who starts playing pickleball and then can’t stop talking about it, but… here I am. If they’re up for it, I usually bring visitors to the courts and we spend an hour or two getting beaten in doubles by an elderly couple. Sheryl and Tom do NOT go easy on newcomers. It’s honestly a great time.

If it’s a nice enough day, a beach day is always an option. I love a beach activity – volleyball, Spikeball, fetch – anything to run around for a while.

Farmers Market – Nothing makes you feel more like you’re living life correctly than walking around the farmers market. If I ever need to feel something, I’ll walk to the farmer’s market and buy some broccoli or some strawberries and I know I’m gonna be alright.

Flea Markets – If you want to find a super cool jacket and spot a few entitled TikTokers, L.A. flea markets are where you need to be!

FOOD:
Marugame Udon in Sawtelle – Really good but really cheap. What more can you ask for?

Electric Karma in Beverly Grove – I used to live down the street and my friend group went here way too often.

(This has made me realize I eat in too much and don’t know enough restaurants… so go to these places and then check back in with me and hopefully I’ll have more recs by then!)

PLACES:
The Getty – I get to flex and act very cultured by bringing them to a museum but also it’s a beautiful space and has a great view of the city!

Descanso Gardens – Look it up and you’ll see why!

LACMA – specifically the Friday jazz nights! Grab some food, a blanket, some games, and sit on the lawn of the LACMA for a few hours listening to incredible jazz artists. For FREE!!!! No notes.

(I say all of this, but usually when my family visits, we just eat in and play board games. But honestly, highly recommend that as well!)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m going with a classic: my parents. I’m one of 5 kids, so they could have easily left me to fend for myself without batting an eye, but somehow, against all odds, they make each one of us feel special, loved, and supported. With 2 cars, they managed to get all 5 of us to our various daily soccer practices, theater rehearsals, band performances, club meetings. I don’t know how they did it, but they did. And they still support so much to this day – whenever I do a comedy show in my hometown, 75% of the audience is my mom’s facebook friends! I couldn’t ask for better parents and I truly am biologically and personality-wise half of each of them (except for height, my dad tries to claim responsibility for the 6’1, but I’ve been taller than him since 10th grade).

Website: https://zaviorphillips.com

Instagram: @zavior.jpeg

Other: TikTok: @zavior.com

Image Credits
Ryan Wimsatt
Brandon Exum