Art often imitates life. And for Chris Estrada\u2014LA-raised writer, actor and comedian\u2014spending his youth in Inglewood and South Central LA provided plenty of life experience for artistic material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As co-creator and star of Hulu\u2019s critically-acclaimed This Fool<\/em>, Estrada will be back on TV when the second season of the charming, wildly funny comedy series returns this July. But this weekend, he brings five sets of standup to the Improv in San Jose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highlighting facets of Mexican-American culture and tradition, This Fool<\/em> is an incredibly engaging comedy centered on \u201cpunk ass bitch\u201d Julio Lopez (played by Estrada), his life and family, and his attempts to navigate working class life in South Central, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like his character, Estrada was a late bloomer, diving headfirst into the comedy scene through stand up and open mics at 29 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were a few rooms in South Central, Inglewood\u2026I went to those open mics when I could, but there weren\u2019t that many or that often. I also went to rooms in East LA that had more of a Latino base.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After frequenting venues throughout these two LA boroughs for a year or so, he expanded to the Greater LA area, performing at open mic nights in Hollywood and Downtown LA venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I started branching out and going to different places, I was one of the few Latino comics,\u201d he says. \u201cI didn\u2019t start comedy until ten years ago, but there\u2019s always been a lot of variety\u2014Black, Palestinian, you name it\u2014in the stand up scene in LA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The funnyman cites Colin Quinn, Maria Bamford, Greg Giraldo, Dave Atell and Last Comic Standing<\/em> winner Felipe Esparza as some of his comedic influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Estrada\u2019s own delivery and timing are impressive. A cinephile and tv series binger, Estrada fills his own films and television productions with hints of influence from others that have inspired him over the years, films by Scorsese or the Coen Brothers (especially Fargo<\/em> and Raising Arizona<\/em>). Television series like Reservation Dogs<\/em>, The Sopranos<\/em>, The Wire<\/em> and Atlanta<\/em> also inspire the cinematic look, feel and dark humor of the world he\u2019s trying to cultivate for his current Hulu comedy show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith Julio, I wanted to play someone similar to me\u2014Mexican American, into punk music and alternative culture. These are the things that defined me, and my taste, growing up,\u201d Estrada says. \u201cWith Julio\u2019s character, having him be into punk music and other alternative cultural things was very much, \u2018let\u2019s show it, and not talk about it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The series\u2019 set designs and everything from the character\u2019s wardrobes to the music they listen to, feels well-researched and accurately portrayed, adding layers of complexity and dimension to the characters and story on screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven though I don\u2019t consider myself specifically a \u2018Latino\u2019 comedian, if I did a show and there were no Latinos there, I would think something was wrong,\u201d he says. \u201cThe hard thing about being a comic sometimes is people put the burden of representation on you. I want to represent without being representational.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Estrada says he just wants to be himself, \u201cwithout being profound or corny\u201d in the way he goes about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think sometimes when you do comedy, and other things in entertainment, people label you as Latino first, then what you are, after. But I don\u2019t think that\u2019s right, or fair. With my comedy, I want to make everyone laugh. Everything I\u2019m doing now, stand up, writing and acting\u2014which I\u2019m newer to\u2014is fun and I love doing it all. But what I really love is creating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His first love, however, will always be film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe idea is to direct, film, or act in a full feature someday.\u201d \u201cWe approached the show wanting it to look like a movie, cinematic, because that\u2019s my favorite kind of TV,\u201d he says. \u201cI grew up not that far from where they filmed Friday<\/em>. I love the way the people in the neighborhood were their own heroes and their own villains. This Fool<\/em> is [like] Friday<\/em> but directed by the Coen Brothers.\u201d Fri-Sun, Various Times, $20+<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Improv, San Jose<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Art often imitates life. And for Chris Estrada\u2014LA-raised writer, actor and comedian\u2014spending his youth in Inglewood and South Central LA provided plenty of life experience for artistic material. As co-creator and star of Hulu\u2019s critically-acclaimed This Fool, Estrada will be back on TV when the second season of the charming, wildly funny comedy series returns […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14825,"featured_media":20168174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":1690352569,"_expiration-date-type":"draft","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[1932],"tags":[10768,584,5274],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
This Fool<\/em>\u2019s second season is set to air on July 28 on Hulu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chris Estrada<\/p>\n\n\n\n