I first met Felipe Esparza back in 2009 at the premiere of his film, I’m Not Like That No More, in which he starred with one of his mentors, Paul Rodriguez. Since then, I’ve followed his career because I found his comedy approach interesting.
A week ago I got to sit down with Esparza. We talked about his upcoming HBO special, Translate This. It was hard to keep a straight face because he had us laughing during the interview.
Angela Ortíz and Felipe Esparza
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Felipe, you should know a few things about him. He has an amazing story, starting on the streets of Boyle Heights (East L.A.) and moving all the way to sold-out comedy shows and being on television. He has never really spoken about his overall career and personal life in an in-depth interview. In his new special he speaks openly about being an immigrant and his family’s travels into the U.S. all with laughter.
Felipe Esparza
In a career that encompasses more than 16 years, he won the NBC’s Last Comic Standing and produced his first hour long stand-up comedy special, They’re Not Gonna Laugh at You (now on Netflix). He has also made several TV appearances, including recurring roles on The Eric Andre Show and NBC’s Superstore, TruTV’s World’s Dumbest, Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey and more. He was also the spokesman for a national Honda campaign and a national Target Mobile campaign.
Translate This premieres on HBO September 30 at 10P.
