by Russ White
Fortune Feimster returns to Las Vegas this month as part of Lipshtick, the first all-female comedy series in Vegas. Joining other household names in the series like Joy Behar, Wendy Williams, Roseanne Barr, and Whitney Cummings, Fortune makes her debut at The Venetian
Arriving in Los Angeles 11 years ago, Feimster struggled to be noticed in the comedy circuit. Even after finishing “Last Comic Standing” as a semi-finalist and two auditions for SNL, it wasn’t until appearances on Chelsea Lately that Fortune had her career breakout.
Feimster joined the writing team for “Chelsea Lately“ and the cast for “After Lately.” Chelsea Handler’s strong gay following embraced this new, openly gay comedienne. She was on her way to making her dreams of acting and writing a show come true.
We caught up with Fortune ahead of her Vegas performance to find out a little more about this Lipshtick lesbian.
QVEGAS: Who did you look up to as an out comic?
FORTUNE: Growing up, Rosie and Ellen were visible. They bridged the gap between gay and straight. It was so cool to see. It showed me that humor and laughter can mend fences and bring people together.
QVEGAS: Did you have any mentors?
FORTUNE: Wanda Sykes and I became good friends. It was so cool to have that kind of mentor in my life. When i was about to film my Comedy Central special we were having drinks and she gave me some really good advice. She said make it my own. They call it a special because its special.
QVEGAS: Rosie, Ellen, and Wanda came out later in their careers. How does being out early in your career make you feel?
FORTUNE: It was never a question to me that I would reveal my sexuality. Yes I am a gay comic. It’s not all of who I am. It’s part of who I am. I never thought I should hide that part of myself. Part of being a comic is being authentic to yourself.
QVEGAS: What advice would you give an aspiring comedian today?
FORTUNE: Work hard. Nothing comes easy. It’s rare in this business that something is just handed to you. It takes years of working for free and most people just don’t want to put in the work. You have to put everything you have into it.
QVEGAS: What was your biggest challenge along the way?
FORTUNE: Paying the bills. You want to do this for a living, but coming up with an act is hard. It takes years to craft. It’s constantly evolving and changing. You rack your brain trying to think of new jokes. It’s a long process.
QVEGAS: Are you excited about coming to Vegas?
FORTUNE: Vegas is such a cool city. There are so many Lately fans and I’m honored to be a part of the Lipshtick series.
QVEGAS: For our readers that don’t know you, what’s your comedic style?
FORTUNE: I tell stories. Fun stories. About growing up. Being gay. Random stuff. My mom. People love stories about my parents.
QVEGAS: You recently announced a new collaboration. What’s that all about?
FORTUNE: Yes! I just sold a sitcom about my life story to ABC. I’m collaborating with Tina Fey to produce it. It’s based on my stand-up and my life.
QVEGAS: You had worked with Tina before, right?
FORTUNE: Yes. We did a pilot together called Cabot College on Fox. It bummed me out they didn’t move forward.
QVEGAS: Nevada just received Marriage Equality, and Vegas is the Wedding Capital of the world. Any other plans while you’re in town? :-)
FORTUNE: I’m not taking the marriage plunge. I’ve been dating, but not in a relationship. I’m focused on my career. When I find someone who can put up with my work schedule, then dating and the relationship will fall into place.