Mark Stefanos
Fortune Feimster is one of the most endearing comics out there, the kind of comedian who, after watching for hours, you’d kinda hope she’d want to go on a road trip with you. The kind of comedian whose warmhearted roasts make you wanna say, “Do me next!! I too am a lovable idiot!” She’s got that Carolina charm with a bit off sass, basically BDPE — big Dolly Parton energy.
It’s fitting that she was the headliner at Drop of Sunshine’s Standup & Sunshine show last Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Comedy Store, a night of laughs, sweet and salty treats from Sweet Lady Jane and Curated Spread, and wine, with an all-female lineup featuring Rachel Scanlon, Andrea Jin, Allyson Vastano and Kat Bird.
Drop of Sunshine is a premium wine collab between Reese Witherspoon’s media company Hello Sunshine and Treasury Wine Estates. The show kicked off Hello Sunshine’s Shine Away weekend, designed to inspire, build community and celebrate women.
Fortune started doing comedy in LA after a stint as an entertainment journalist. She quickly proved her comedy chops, joining the Groundlings Sunday Company and becoming a regular at the Comedy Store, before being selected for “Last Comic Standing” in 2010. Then came features on “The Mindy Project” and “Chelsea Lately,” and now you can catch her basically everywhere.
She’s had three Netflix specials — “Sweet & Salty” (2020), “Good Fortune” (2022), and “Crushing It” (2024) — and you can catch her standup now on the “Takin’ Care of Biscuits” comedy tour. She co-hosts the podcast “Handsome” with Tig Notaro and Mae Martin and the SiriusXM show “What A Joke with Papa and Fortune.”
She’s in the Netflix action comedy “FUBAR” with Arnold Schwarzenegger and will play opposite Will Ferrell in an upcoming Netflix golf comedy series. As a prolific voice actor, she’s been on “The Simpsons” and “Bless the Harts,” she’ll be voicing Nibbles Maplestick in the upcoming Zootopia 2, and plays a sassy Southern fridge — yes a fridge — in Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, out now.
Read below to see how watching Carol Burnett with her grandma shaped Fortune into the comedian she is today.
Where’d you grow up and what was your childhood like?
I grew up in Belmont, North Carolina — a really cute, small town that’s boring as heck when you’re a kid but you appreciate it once you leave. My family was super silly; everyone had a great sense of humor, which taught me not to take myself too seriously.
I played three sports a year, so it was a chaotic but fun childhood with two brothers and a lot of carpooling. I was a good student, not too much of a class clown, but I had my moments. I went to Peace College, a women’s college in Raleigh, North Carolina, where I started dabbling in theater and the arts — that’s what eventually led me to comedy and to L.A.
First job?
My first job was teaching tennis and tee ball at the recreation department — and lining softball fields, which in hindsight feels like early lesbian training!
Given that you have been open about major life events, how do you decide what parts of your personal story to share on stage and on your podcasts?
I definitely have a line where I’m not sharing my entire life — you’ve got to have some boundaries. Otherwise, what’s real and what’s your own?
I don’t mind sharing family or childhood stories. My mom’s a big part of my comedy, and I always check in with her about what I tell on stage. If she wasn’t comfortable, I wouldn’t do it. I know what’s silly and relatable versus what’s too personal to share.
With my podcast Handsome, it’s a little different — we naturally talk about what’s going on in our lives. This summer, we all opened up about personal struggles, and I think when you do that, it helps people going through the same thing see things in perspective or learn from how someone else handles it.
How’d you end up linking up with Reese Witherspoon’s Drop of Sunshine?
I’ve known Reese for a long time — we first met back in my Chelsea Lately days when she did an episode of After Lately, and she was just so lovely. Over the years, we’d cross paths again and again, and when I got the chance to work with her on You’re Cordially Invited, I also got to know the incredible women at Hello Sunshine. They’re such a fun, welcoming group.
Last year, they invited me to perform at their Shine Away weekend, which was amazing, and now I’m back with them for Drop of Sunshine’s Standup & Sunshine — which honestly feels like such a full-circle moment. I did my very first stand-up set ever in the Belly Room at The Comedy Store, and now here I am, headlining on that same stage, this time with Hello Sunshine. It’s wild and really special to come back to where it all began, surrounded by women who champion storytelling, humor, and authenticity.
You’re in Will Ferrell’s new golf-centered comedy series — that sounds zany. What can you tell us about it? Is it chaos on set?
It is so much fun. Most of my scenes are just Will and me at a golf course. I play his caddy, and he plays a professional golfer who’s trying to reclaim his glory days. I’m about a month into it, and I’m having the time of my life.
I think Will and I have very similar energy and a similar sense of humor, which I credit him for — I grew up watching him, and he was such a huge influence on my comedy that I couldn’t help but have that rub off on me. We’re laughing every day, cracking each other up, giving each other jokes, and playing off of each other. I just think it’s going to be a really fun show that people are going to enjoy watching.
You voice a sassy Southern refrigerator in Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. That sounds like something between a dream job and a fever dream — which was it closer to?
I mean, I certainly never anticipated playing a refrigerator! Anytime I can do a Southern accent, that’s helpful, because I don’t know how to pivot very much — in fact, they had me lean into it even more.
Maybe it’s a dream job, just because it’s such a fun show that’s now this great movie that’s been really well received. It’s been cool to dip my toe into a whole other genre and part of the business. I’ve been really enjoying doing more voiceover lately. I’ll also be in Zootopia 2 — I’ve already recorded it, and it comes out Thanksgiving weekend. That’ll probably be the biggest voiceover part I’ve had, and I’m so excited for people to see it.
How do you balance stand-up with what seems like an endless stream of acting gigs?
I’ve been pretty lucky throughout my career that I’ve had to reschedule very little. Usually, I’ve been able to balance it well — when one is really busy, the other’s lighter, and vice versa. Lately, both have been picking up, so there’s a little more juggling involved.
Sometimes a project, like this golf show, will pop up suddenly and you just have to pivot fast. But overall, I think I’ve done a pretty good job balancing the two worlds — me and the team who help schedule everything!
Who are your comedy role models?
I grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show reruns with my grandmother, so Carol Burnett was a huge influence — seeing how she handled sketches, answered questions, and stayed quick on her feet. I loved that she never took herself too seriously.
Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon were big inspirations in high school, along with Chris Farley and Adam Sandler. I’ve always gravitated toward people who play these big, ridiculous characters — I think that’s where my love for that kind of comedy came from.
What’s your favorite city and venue for stand-up?
The Chicago Theatre is pretty special. I filmed one of my specials there and we sold it out on my last tour, ‘Crushing It’— we’re almost sold out again for our Takin’ Care of Biscuits tour! It’s such an iconic venue in a city that’s always been amazing for comedy.
What is your hottest hot take?
This might be a stupid hot take, but I think a latte is just a cup of milk. I don’t understand why people want to drink a cup of milk with a little tiny bit of coffee in it. So, I’m pushing everyone toward cortados!
Food Favorite: Biscuits!
Favorite Wine: Drop of Sunshine Red Blend