“I love crafting a joke,” says comedian Samantha Ruddy. “Writing a misdirection that makes a crowd or viewer laugh gives me such a huge sense of accomplishment, and I’m constantly chasing that feeling, for better or for worse.” Her love of the chase landed her a job as a digital producer at “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” and has put her on the path to a lucrative career in comedy. She’s performed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and her debut comedy album, “Logging Out,” was named one of the best albums of 2020 by NPR. Much like her desire to make people laugh, Ruddy’s queerness came naturally and publicly. “I had an epiphany that I was queer in my late teens and immediately told everyone I could as if it were a breaking news story,” she says. While her queerness has become an integral part of her life and career, her science background has been put to less use, although it does help a bit with her comedy. “I have a STEM degree and go about joke-writing in a somewhat technical manner which sounds boring and pretentious, but it’s extremely rewarding to figure out a formula using words and execute it well — or subvert it,” Ruddy tells GO. This ability to craft jokes, and make the audience laugh, might just be the most rewarding part of her career. “It’s either that or all the free drinks.” —IL
