Toronto-born comedian, actor and writer Sabrina Jalees has certainly faced some monumental challenges in her career.
From her racial background — Jalees is half-Swiss and half-Pakistani — to her sexuality (she’s gay), Jalees has had a number of hurdles to surmount while trying to build her image in both Canada and the U.S. After coming out to her socially conservative extended family, they “brownlisted” her (Jalees’ own term), and she was left to her own devices. Thankfully, she still had the support of her parents.
So what did she do? She headed to New York City from Toronto to try and “make it.” Things didn’t turn out quite like she thought and she ended up on the west coast in Los Angeles, penning material for NBC TV show Crowded. She’s now working on an another show and couldn’t be happier with her place in life.
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Aside from Jalees’ no-nonsense style (she can make you blush with some of her jokes), one of her most redeeming qualities is her love for where she comes from. Not shy to broadcast her love for Toronto and Canada, she’s an advocate for the country even though she left it. She’s returning home once again for JFL42, the Toronto comedy Festival by Just For Laughs, for three shows on Sept. 23, 24 and 25.
Global News spoke with Jalees over the phone in L.A. about the last few years of her life, what people can expect from her current stand-up and the difference between the U.S. and Canada.
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Global News: So you bounced out of Toronto. What happened?
Yeah, so New York broke me. But I’m at least grateful that I went there first because it made me a much stronger comic. The emphasis there is really on being real, being honest, getting to something deeper onstage. I really appreciate what’s happening in New York… there’s a lot of stage time, great comics… it pushes everyone doing stand-up to at least see what the goal is.
Are the audiences easier or harder in New York?
Do you cover the same topics, or have you “grown”?
Of course. That would be f**king horrible if you saw me and I was still doing the same thing, wouldn’t it? That would literally be a nightmare. Life is about balancing between taking risks and leaning back on things you know you’re good at. To be 100 per cent honest… I don’t want to paint a picture that I’m coming to Toronto and you’re going to see me just rippin’ away… but I perform things that I’ve prepared, that I’ve been chewing on and polishing. Being present and connecting with the audience, along with being present and connected with myself, allows you to care about what you’re saying.
If I’m saying the same things over and over and over (which I have done), I’m less connected to it. The breakthrough I had in New York was it’s not about always performing a showcase or routine, it’s about keeping yourself and the audience engaged.
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It’s surprising that you didn’t succeed in New York. To be blunt, you’re brown, you’re gay, and you were probably one of the first brown gay women out on the comedy circuit.
That’s also young baby Jalees, but I’ve grown up since then. There is no better way to mature as a comic than performing in New York City.
Now you’re in L.A.
Yes, it took me way longer than it should have to find a good manager and a good agent. They managed to set me up in meetings, and I got signed on to write for NBC show Crowded, which was an amazing experience, and I’m taking the time to learn the ropes on how a good TV show is made. Going back to that time when I moved to New York, I had this fantasy… like, “I deserve it! I can do it!” rather than “How are the best people doing it?” or “What are the traps people fall into so I don’t make the same mistakes?”
That’s the journey I’m on now in L.A., I’m working on a new show called Powerless, it’s a comedy set in the superhero comics world. It’s a great cast and a wonderful team of writers.
And you’re heading back to Toronto for JFL42.
What other things can people expect from you at JFL42?
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In your opinion, which audience is better, a Canadian one or an American one? A lot of performers and comics say Canadian audiences “suck.”
It’s not that Canada sucks, let me clarify that. When people say Canada sucks, it’s like looking at a river and comparing it to an ocean and saying, “This stream sucks. In the ocean, there’s waves!” It’s like taking a s**t in that river and then walking away. That river is my home country and I really love it. When you go to the river to do things that you can do in a river, it’s an amazing place.
You can create an international career for yourself in Canada. That is possible. But if you’re a performer like me, you have to go to the marketplace, and the marketplace is mainly in L.A. and the market incubator is New York. The Hollywood machine is located in those two cities. It really opens a lot of doors in your heart and existence to grow up in Canada, though, where, on autopilot we take care of each other. Growing up, I didn’t have the crazy rhetoric around me about sexuality, being black or brown, all of those things so prevalent in the U.S.
As for crowds, I’d be surprised if anyone said Canada had bad crowds. That openness trickles down through all of us. I’m going to make sure my crowd is happy.
Sabrina Jalees is performing at JFL42 on September 23, 7 p.m. at Revival, September 24, 9 p.m. at Revival and September 25, 9 p.m. at Rivoli. Check the official website for details and tickets.
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