Gina Yashere
She may not be a household name yet, but British comedian Gina Yashere is quickly getting there. The Hollywood Reporter recently called her ″one of the top 10 rising talents″ and she performed at this year´s The Dinah Comedy Night, along with fellow funny ladies Fortune Feimster and Erin Foley. ″I was always naturally funny as a child,″ Yashere says, ″but I didn´t know I could make a living from it. I thought the people on TV were a special, different brand of people.″ So Yashere worked as an elevator engineer for several years, but ″my spirit eventually dragged me back to where I was supposed to be.″ Not to say the journey was easy. ″I spent years establishing myself as just a funny comedian first before coming out, as I didn´t want to be labeled-not as a female comedian, not as a black comedian, not as a gay comedian.″ The strategy obviously paid off, and that´s something for which Yashere is truly grateful. ″I´m doing something I love doing and people happen to enjoy it, and I get paid. What could be better in life?″ -GH
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