In an exclusive interview, we get to know Reno 911 comedian Jill-Michele Meleán a little better with some party questions!
Jill-Michele Meleán made her mark in comedy by appearing on MADtv. As a staple of the show Reno 911 on Comedy Central, her hilarious nature and her accurate impressions quickly garnered attention nationwide.
Meleán recently released a stand-up special through Comedy Dynamics called White/Latina, and it lives up to every bit of the hype. She's funny; what can we say?
Her shock factor sense of humor combined with her unique and hilarious ability to tell stories makes laughter inevitable – and frequent.
If you'd like to watch White/Latina for yourself, here's the link!
Here's what Jill-Michele Meleán had to say!
OCN Interviewer, Ryan Mekkes: What's your favorite movie of all time?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: As a comic, most people would expect me to say a comedy, but nope...1984’s “Amadeus.”
OCN: Favorite food?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: The athlete in me says bananas but my salivary glands say French fries.
OCN: Are you a fake Christmas tree or real Christmas tree person?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Fake. Save a tree.
OCN: Dog person, cat person, or neither?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Dog person. My cavalier is the love of my life. But I am vegan so I love all animals more than people.
OCN: Disneyland or a cruise?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Disney!!!!!! I’m a kid again every time I’m there. I’ll never get tired of it. Fast-pass it!!
OCN: Which Disney character do you relate to the most?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Maleficent. Thank goodness Disney made that movie because I could never relate to those classic princess characters I had as a kid. They were too perfect, and their happiness always depended on a gay man in tights.
OCN: Cheesiest thing you've ever said?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: "Cool." I immediately felt like that emoji with the sunglasses.
OCN: Best mic-drop thing you’ve ever said?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: "Thank you" (after filming my one hour special “White/Latina”). So many years of material was dumped on that stage. Years of heartache and confusion turned into laughter.
OCN: You get one superhero to save you for the rest for your life; who do you choose and why?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: I choose Mrs. Incredible because she’s a badass on all levels. She’s smart, kind, strong, can morph into anything, she’ll cook, and she’ll tuck me into bed at night.
OCN: Who wins in a fight, Will Ferrell or Jack Black?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Jack Black.
OCN: How? (TKO, bodyslam, etc).
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Because Will Ferrell can run faster and he’ll escape before the first punch is thrown. Jack will be left standing there breathing heavily alone so he wins by default.
OCN: Ali Wong or Amy Schumer?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Ali Wong.
OCN: How?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Because Ali already pushed those aliens out. Childbirth is superhero status.
OCN: What's the funniest thing that's ever happened on set?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: It was just recently on the set of “Witness Infection,” a comedy horror film that Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) and I wrote. I had blood and brains power shot at my chest. The explosion went all over me. I had about 10 people trying to clean me off so I could see. I couldn’t stop laughing and ate some guts. Luckily it was made with bananas.
OCN: Most bizarre on-stage moment you've ever had doing stand-up?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: When a guy stood up and pulled down his pants. Security came and threw him out. No one was impressed with his genitalia. Not even his girlfriend.
OCN: Go-to excuse for leaving a party you don't want to be at?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: No excuse. I’m a pro at the Irish exit.
OCN: You're an impressionist – what impression are you the most fond of?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: Drew Barrymore. I know there have been attempts from others, but none compares. Drew and I have similar bone structure, and my mouth naturally moves like hers. Plus, she’s my favorite person ever.
OCN: The zombie apocolypse hits – what three people (anyone) are you putting in your survival crew first?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: 1. Tom Hardy because he’s strong, can carry me, and he's nice to look at. 2. Buddha because he’ll keep us calm. 3. Elon Musk so he can build us a space ship.
OCN: What's your go-to zombie weapon?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: A force field. That’s a weapon, right?
OCN: What's your favorite original joke of all time?
JILL-MICHELE MELEÁN: When I say “Spread Peace-dry hump someone today.” Growing up as a kid my Grandma loved to get mad at me. Out of nowhere, I started humping her leg. At first, she would yell, but I remained steadfast in my humping. Eventually, she would start to laugh. That was powerful for me because that’s when I realized that people would leave you alone if you make them laugh.
