An interview with. . . Julia Scotti Transgender Comedian
Julia on stage.
The Italian word corposo refers to a rich, full-bodied wine. Rich and full-bodied is also an appropriate descriptor for the life of comedian Julia Scotti.
Since 1980, Scotti has been honing her craft in clubs and theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada, performing for the first 20 years as Rick Scotti, and now, after a 10-year hiatus, as Julia Scotti for the second 20. Her second act has been the very definition of Corposo.
The new and improved Julia Scotti has been described by colleagues and press as, among other things, “a force of nature,” and “a comedy chainsaw flying through the room.”
As Julia says, her comedy always must be “fearless and honest,” and America can feel both in her performances. Since coming back to comedy in 2011, she has been named one of the Top Five Transgendered Comedians in the country by Advocate Magazine, and has performed at LGBTQ events nationwide, and was one of the winners of the Laughlin Laugh Festival in Nevada. But she was not done yet.
In 2016, Simon Cowell said that “you genuinely made me laugh” as she introduced herself to a national audience on Season 11 of America’s Got Talent. She was the first transgender comedian to appear on national television and was a quarterfinalist on the show.
Not content to sit on her laurels, in 2017 Scotti went on to record her first, best-selling comedy CD entitled, Hello Boys I’m Back! and is gearing up to record her second one later this year. This same year, she is being featured on the Showtime television network special, More Funny Women of a Certain Age.
2020 continues to be a big year. After five years of working with director Susan Sandler, a documentary of her life entitled Julia Scotti: Funny that Way is set to premiere at the prestigious Nantucket Film Festival. Scotti suggested that the film have “Part I” added to the title, because she has only just begun.
If Julia were a wine, she would be aged just right. And she would definitely be molto Corposo.
TGForum: So why the change in 2000?
Ms. Scotti: I had been struggling with my sense of self for quite some time before 2000. You must remember that there was truly little information about being trans back then. The Internet was in its infancy and search engines offered very little in the way of help. Thanks to someone awfully close to me, I was able to understand what the issue finally was.
TGForum: You used to be Rick Scotti. But if you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living, or dead, real, or fictional, with whom would it be?
Ms. Scotti: No one. It took me most of my life to find out who I was. I am still discovering things I did not know. To want to be someone else, naw. There are people I would like to hang with, like aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, but I would not ever want to be someone else. I have been someone else and I hated it.
TGForum: Was comedy in your blood growing up?
Ms. Scotti: Yes! For me it was always comedy and music. I started out as a drummer but always harbored a secret desire to do standup. It was not until 1980 that the opportunity presented itself to me to try it. As scary as it was, I knew I wanted to do stand-up for the rest of my life the minute I hit that stage.
TGForum: Has COVID-19 put a crimp in performing live, public speaking, etc.?
Ms. Scotti: It has been more of a chokehold than a crimp. I have had my entire schedule for 2020 wiped out. Clubs are closing all over the place and the marginal ones probably will not be coming back. This is a very scary time for performing artists. Our entire industry has been all but destroyed. I wish I knew what the future holds for us, but I do not.
TGForum: Who or what makes you laugh?
Ms. Scotti: I love great physical comedians. The classics like Keaton, Chaplin and Harold Lloyd of course, but Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and host of others make me laugh. Michael Richards from Seinfeld was a brilliant physical comedian. British humor makes me laugh and Carlin, Pryor and several others are my comedy gods.
TGForum: Who are your heroes in real life?
Ms. Scotti: No heroes, really. They have a tendency to disappoint. I do greatly admire some people though. The Obamas, for instance. I would love to hang with them too.
TGForum: What do you consider your greatest virtue?
Ms. Scotti: Being able to have almost shed all sense of expectation.
TGForum: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Ms. Scotti: If I stay in the moment, I am always perfectly happy.
Category: Interview
About the Author (Author Profile)
Shelley Anne Baker has been part of the transsexual and transgender community for six years. Wandering about the California BDSM community, she finally found her stride in making the transition to dresses and high heels. Today, her women’s apparel, and shoes outnumbers her male apparel (that she just has to have for certain occasions, but such is life). She has seriously considered HRT, but now feels life has passed her by on that count. She is a professional writer and experienced corporate brand marketing and public relations consultant. For interview consideration and participation email Shelley Anne at [email protected].Subscribe
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