Cristela Alonso
Rising standup comedian Cristela Alonzo is one very funny Latina, and now she’s in the fast lane, headed to television.
Deadline.com reports that a half-hour multi-camera comedy co-created by and starring Alonzo has received a script commitment with a sizable penalty (said to be in the six figures) at ABC. (That means if they don’t go to pilot with the script, they have to pay her a great deal of money. It’s a sign that they’re very high on her, and confidant that the project is worth the investment.)
The series is called Cristela, and it’s inspired by Alonzo’s life: “the story of an American Latina straddling two cultures while not fully belonging to either.” Alonzo will co-write the script with writer-producer Kevin Hench; the company backing the project is the same one that’s producing Tim Allen’s new series, Last Man Standing with Hector Elizondo, also on ABC.
Alonzo, originally from the south Texas border town of San Juan, has appeared on Conan, Live At Gotham and Last Comic Standing. She made her acting debut on FX’s Sons Of Anarchy, and her first stand-up special, The Half Hour, recently premiered on Comedy Central.
If the show is half as funny as this clip from Gabriel Iglesias’ Stand-Up Revolution, we’ve got a winner on our hands, and ABC’s making a smart bet:
You can keep up on all things Cristela at her own website, including her blog, twitterfeed, and most recent news.
