Jay Pharoah Shares Comedy Insights, SNL Stories and More Ahead of Denver Show

From his early days performing at talent competitions to his breakout on Saturday Night Live, Jay Pharoah has a lot to share when it comes to his inspirations, favorite sketches and the challenges of the industry. We caught up with the man of many voices ahead of his headlining appearance at Comedy Works South on Friday, November 3, and Saturday, November 4.

Below, Pharaoh delves into the intricacies of his impressions, the rewarding moments of performing lesser-known characters, the intense demands of SNL, and his venture into music with his EP, Spittin’ Image. Most of all, the standup has some valuable advice for aspiring comedians, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and fearlessness when pursuing your dreams.

Westword: What inspired you to get into comedy and impressions in the first place?

Jay Pharoah: I started doing impressions when I was six and theater when I was eight years old, so I got my start there. I guess I really gravitated toward comedy when I went to private school. The kids at private school were corny, so when they tried the same tactics that the people at public school were trying, I said, “I ain’t having it,” and I turned into this superhero comedian. I would just roast and cook everybody, because I realized y’all are not gangsters. All your parents have Bentleys and you are members of the country club; there’s no gangster stuff going down with you all. And once I came to that realization, I just started getting up in front of my friends to perform.

My dad put me in a competition called the Virginia Idol Talent Search, and I got fifth place out of the whole thing. It was like 300 performers, and I’ll proudly say there were no other comedians in front of me. It takes a lot to beat the singers, you know what I’m saying? If Mariah Carey hits a perfect pitch, you ain’t going to give a damn about the joke that I just said. But that was the genesis, and I just continued with it. Comedy was the one thing that I was consistent at. I tried a lot of stuff when I was growing up to find my place: I played guitar, did tae kwon do and played football, but when I got on the stage, that’s my home.

What are some of your favorite impressions, and which one is the most challenging for you to perform?

I really don’t have a list, but I like when people ask me to do the obscure ones, like John Mulaney, Jason Momoa, Jason Statham or Joaquin Phoenix. I like those, because I’ve been asked a million times to do Kevin Hart. I’ve been asked 20 million times to do Eddie Murphy. I’ve been asked 40 or 50 million times to do Denzel and Barack. So when I get a chance to do those weird ones, it’s much more rewarding for me as a performer. But the hardest one I would say that I’ve ever done before was probably either Samuel L. Jackson – because that’s a lot of yelling – or Gillie Da Kid. He’s got this podcast called Million Dollaz Worth of Game, and he’s challenging because there’s so much vocal stress when you do his voice. Because he’s like, “You don’t think that makes sense? You punk ass!” He talks like that all the time. It takes a lot for me to stay like that. I’m not doing any shows after I do that impression for twenty minutes; I need about a week to recover.

Wow, that sounds intense on the vocal cords.

It is intense! Bro, there’s so many impressions, I know that I forget how many of them I can do. That’s how many impressions I have. But I feel like a lot of people just go for surface-level impressions. I get that they are trying to replicate the model that’s yielded millions of hits for other sites or whatever, but switch it up. You can’t keep going viral off the same thing, you know what I mean? That’s why I like pulling out a bunch of different ones.

Who do you consider some of your comedic inspirations?

I grew up with Eddie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Robin Harris, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor. I know I’m a bit young to be saying Pryor, but when you study the game tapes, you know the greats. I admire Bill Burr, George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Dick Gregory and all of those guys. I’m a student of the game, so I like a lot of stuff, but I think those six I mentioned to you are the most influential comedians to me. Especially Eddie, Chris and Bernie, because I feel like I have a lot of those guys’ sense of humor sprinkled in me.

What was your SNL audition like?

I was super fortunate, man. I was 22 years old when I was called into that building, and ended up getting hired three weeks later. You have other folks who it was a bit more arduous. Some of my friends auditioned three or four times for that show before they finally got it. But luckily, I got it the first time I auditioned. I remember the camera guy coming up to me after and saying, “That was one of the best auditions we’ve seen in a long time. You should be very proud of yourself.” And me at 22, I was like, “Yeah, man, well, thanks. You know, I hope I get it, too!”

How did you find out you had gotten the job?

Three weeks later, Lorne Michaels calls my phone and he says, “Are you ready to go to New York? Your life is about to change; I hope you’re ready for it.” And he was right. He definitely changed my life. Chris Rock has a quote saying that since he met Lorne Michaels, he’s never been broke. With that SNL stamp, if you’re one of the people who stand out, you’re golden. Now, it is hard on that show, because you’re basically auditioning for your job every week. So if you stand out on a platform like that, you don’t have to worry about anything for the rest of your life. Of course, you have to work, but you’ll get work because of that title.

There’s still the pinnacle of my career that I have to reach. I just turned 36. I’ve been here for over a decade, and I’m still getting movie roles. It’s just a blessing to have the SNL name on my résumé. After you’re in an institution like that, all the other jobs are not as hard. That one is so mentally and physically demanding that everything else is a cakewalk. This shit ain’t nothing. What? I got there at what time? 11 a.m.? And I’m done at 5 p.m.? Oh, yeah, I’ll be there. At SNL, the writing happens late at night. For example, on Tuesdays, I would be there from 2 p.m. to about 11 a.m. the next morning. It’s a grind, man, but grind makes diamonds, bro. If you can get in there and make something for yourself, then you’re set. I mean, look at Pete Davidson; he’s in like twenty commercials right now.

What are some of your favorite sketches that you got to do during your six-season run on the show?

I do have a favorite sketch. “My Girl” was my favorite sketch. I mean, the ingredients for that sketch were sad, because it was about me and my ex-girlfriend. I was going through a breakup, but that sketch saved me, and it definitely saved my SNL career. That year was crazy. Another sketch I remember pitching was “Bride of Blackenstein.” That was so fun for me, because I came up with that right after my grandfather passed away. I remember going into the offices and talking to Seth Meyers and Colin Jost about it. And they told me they got the idea, and they just made it what it was, man. So, shout out to Seth and Colin for that one. They did their thing with that. Of course, I came up with the idea, but it takes a village. You can’t do it by yourself. You need a group of people who are going to push your voice.

All of the Principal Frye ones were fun for me. Getting to do sketches and play characters like Denny the Real, who is Winnie the Pooh’s cousin, was the most fun because I just wasn’t doing an impression. Now, I don’t take anything away from those sketches. If you want to talk funny, my “Black Comedians Meeting” video has over 250 million hits on it from multiple platforms. It was crazy how many people looked at that. Meanwhile, I’m up there like, “This is what y’all like? I can do this in my sleep!” I remember Leslie Jones telling me to do that sketch. I didn’t even want to do anything about it, but I knew I could do both of these voices. She said, “You got to do something.” I was like, “Aright.” Michael Che – shout-out to him – and I got together and put together the comedians meeting. I’d say those are my favorite ones.

What inspired you to produce your album, Spittin’ Image?

It just made sense. I had the idea for Spittin’ Image for years, but I had just never executed it. I figured people were not going to take me seriously if I just dropped a track. They’re going to be like, “Are you trying to be funny?” So, I said: Why not take that concept and marry those two things together? Take the talent that everybody knows you for, then take the talent that most people are not familiar with, and see what you get. We got Spittin’ Image. It just made sense. It’s like, you’re a great rapper, and people say you’re one of the best impressionists in the world. So take those two talents, marry them together and see what happens. Fifty Cent ain’t never made a track with me before, but I can make a track as 50 Cent with him. I think it was a smart idea, and I feel like I need to re-release that, because a lot of people didn’t even really know about it. I feel like if that gets put out again in the next year or something, it will really pop.

What can folks in Denver expect from your upcoming sets at Comedy Works South?

I just shot my special, so we’re finishing an edit on that, which is exciting. But I always tell people, “You get my life.” You get Jared Antonio Farrow. Of course, you get to see Jay Pharoah. I hit you with the classics. People say, ‘I didn’t know that you cared about that issue,’ and it’s like, yeah, I have a lot of perspective that just gets buried under personalities that aren’t mine. You just get me, man. It’s one of the best live shows you’re ever going to see in your life. I stand by it. You can check out my reviews. Seriously, go to Ticketmaster and read the reviews. I don’t tell people to say that. I tell people, if you want to leave a review, leave a review. Tell me what you honestly thought of the show; I don’t want anything sugarcoated, because when you sugarcoat things, that can stop your evolution. If it ain’t good, you let me know, but from the standing ovations, sellouts, repeat customers and the newer fan base from TikTok, I feel like now I’m in the best place of my life in terms of standup. I’m the best version of myself as an artist right now. You can expect everything at Comedy Works, so if you’re not there, you’re real dumb.

What advice do you have for other comedians looking to break into the industry?

Shoot your shot. Everybody has their own path, so it’s hard to really give advice, but I will pass along the best piece of advice I received: Never be afraid to fail, no matter what goes up there. Whatever you’re trying to do, try it and put it out there. Go for it, because you won’t know if you have a diamond until you’re put into the flames. So get up on the stage. Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to fall on your face. And if you do fall on your face, it’s okay, because you can always pick yourself up. It’s not about where you start; it’s about how you finish. So I’d say just go for it.

That’s the best advice I can give. Don’t restrict yourself, and be authentic to who you really are.

Jay Pharoah, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, November 3, and Saturday, November 4, Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village. Tickets ($30) are available at jaypharoahworld.com.