My Other Life, Erin Hart, Stand-up Comedian

By day you can catch Erin Hart doing nails at The Nail Lounge in Costa Mesa, Calif., but most weekends around 8 p.m., you’ll find her spouting off about her life in front of an appreciative audience at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. Actually she’s appeared at all the major clubs around Southern California including The Laugh Factory and The Improv in Hollywood and Irvine.

Her stand-up career has its roots in acting class. “I was taking an acting class in 2003. It was full of serious actors and the teacher was very serious. I kept making jokes and interrupting the class, so the teacher said, ‘That’s it. You need to do stand-up comedy,’ she recalls. “I never thought at that time I could do stand-up, then I took a stand-up comedy workshop. Our graduation after only six weeks was a show in front of a live audience. I didn’t realize that until after I had signed up! I did the show and was so freaked out, but as soon as I got my first laugh I fell in love with comedy and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Hart’s act is based on her life experiences. “I talk about being from Ohio, being the mom of a son with learning differences, and trying to make it all work by being an ex-stripper-turned-manicurist,” she says.  “I joke by saying it’s the natural progression — what else can I do with glitter!”

One of her comedic role models is Ellen DeGeneres. “I love her silliness and her free spirit. I believe my comedy has those same things. I also love Chris Rock, Ron White, and all of my up-and-coming comic friends,” she says. “I think my act is rated PG-13. My conservative, Midwest sister would say NC-17.”