WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. We take the research, 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.839 you get the insight. Today, we're diving deep 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:10.439 into someone truly multifaceted. The comedian, 00:00:10.779 --> 00:00:13.699 the writer, the actress, Fortune Feinster. Yeah, 00:00:13.740 --> 00:00:15.939 and our goal here isn't just, you know, running 00:00:15.939 --> 00:00:17.980 down a list of credits, although, wow, there 00:00:17.980 --> 00:00:20.339 are a lot. We really want to unpack the journey 00:00:20.339 --> 00:00:22.879 because there's this paradox at the heart of 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:25.579 it. Right. How does someone go from like a really 00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:28.120 structured, almost traditional Southern upbringing, 00:00:28.300 --> 00:00:31.679 debutante balls, academics, then veer into entertainment 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:34.399 journalism and then become this major comedy 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:36.960 voice, even in animation? Exactly. It's definitely 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.880 not the usual path. So the question is, how did 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:41.039 that happen? How did that transformation from, 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:44.020 say, a North Carolina debutante to someone starring 00:00:44.020 --> 00:00:46.219 alongside Mindy Kaling and voicing Pixar characters 00:00:46.219 --> 00:00:49.060 actually unfold? Because the range is just huge. 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:51.020 You look at the resume and it's the Mindy Project, 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:53.979 a main role, then Counselor Jerry. D in Pixar's 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:55.979 Soul, which is pretty abstract, and now she's 00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:58.100 lined up for Zootopia 2. That's Disney blockbuster 00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:01.820 territory. And that kind of range, that versatility, 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.680 it doesn't just appear out of thin air. What 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:06.599 the sources really suggest is that the foundation 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:08.280 for being able to switch between these different 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:11.859 worlds was actually laid way back in places that 00:01:11.859 --> 00:01:14.599 seem, well, totally opposite to a comedy club. 00:01:14.780 --> 00:01:16.219 Okay, so we need to start at the beginning then. 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:18.560 Lay that foundation. Definitely. Let's go back 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.340 to her roots. She was born Emily Fortune Feinster, 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.239 July 1st, 1980, in Charlotte, North Carolina. 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:28.280 So as we're recording this in late 2025, she's 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:31.760 45. And that name, Fortune, it sounds like the 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:33.680 perfect stage name, but it's real, right? Totally 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:35.840 real. It's a family name, her maternal great 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.280 -grandmother's maiden name, which is pretty cool, 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.400 actually. She's the youngest of three kids, two 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:43.180 older brothers, Price and Jay. So you get that 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:45.319 picture, Southern family, memorable name. Okay. 00:01:45.629 --> 00:01:47.650 And she grew up mostly in Belmont, North Carolina, 00:01:47.890 --> 00:01:50.329 went to Belmont Central Elementary, Belmont Junior 00:01:50.329 --> 00:01:52.150 High. This is where that contrast you mentioned 00:01:52.150 --> 00:01:54.909 starts setting in, yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Because 00:01:54.909 --> 00:01:56.950 look at high school. South Point High, graduated 00:01:56.950 --> 00:02:00.290 in 98. And she was seriously into sports, like 00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:02.969 really into them. Played basketball, softball, 00:02:03.049 --> 00:02:06.549 and tennis. Wow, a three -sport athlete. That 00:02:06.549 --> 00:02:09.930 takes serious dedication. Time management, competitiveness. 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:13.189 Right. She was clearly focused, driven. Not just 00:02:13.189 --> 00:02:16.150 playing for fun. But then the juxtaposition is 00:02:16.150 --> 00:02:20.050 just amazing. That same year, 1998, the year 00:02:20.050 --> 00:02:23.409 she graduates as this jock. She's presented at 00:02:23.409 --> 00:02:26.310 the Gastonia debutante ball. Can you even picture 00:02:26.310 --> 00:02:29.400 it? One minute she's sweating it out on the court, 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:31.819 maybe playing softball. The next she's in the 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:34.740 white dress, the gloves, doing the whole formal 00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:37.259 Southern debutante thing. It's wild. It really 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:40.539 speaks to an ability to navigate completely different 00:02:40.539 --> 00:02:42.460 worlds, different roles, different expectations. 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:45.460 It's code switching. basically, and mastering 00:02:45.460 --> 00:02:48.020 these very specific social structures, even if 00:02:48.020 --> 00:02:50.180 maybe later she'd, you know, poke fun at them 00:02:50.180 --> 00:02:52.539 in her comedy. It shows this adaptability, this 00:02:52.539 --> 00:02:54.500 social intelligence. That's maybe the key right 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:56.699 there. The ability to fit into the jock world, 00:02:56.860 --> 00:02:59.080 the academic world, and the super traditional 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:01.319 debutante scene. Those are skills, right? Schools 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:03.580 you'd need to transition from a small town to, 00:03:03.659 --> 00:03:07.460 say, Hollywood. Absolutely. And that focus, that 00:03:07.460 --> 00:03:10.000 discipline, it wasn't just for sports or social 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.419 events. She carried it straight into college. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:14.840 She went to Peace College, which it's worth noting 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:17.099 wasn't all women's university back when she attended. 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:19.520 And she didn't just scrape by. She excelled, 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:22.280 majored in communications, kept playing sports, 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:24.740 soccer, and tennis in college. And wait, there's 00:03:24.740 --> 00:03:26.960 more. She was elected student body president. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:28.740 Student body president, on top of the sports 00:03:28.740 --> 00:03:31.599 and the major. And graduated summa cum laude. 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:33.819 Okay, hold on. Summa cum laude, student body 00:03:33.819 --> 00:03:36.860 president, college athlete. Yeah. This is not 00:03:36.860 --> 00:03:38.599 the profile you imagine for someone who ends 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:41.430 up doing stand -up about, I don't know. Hooters. 00:03:41.610 --> 00:03:45.909 Right. It shows this incredibly high level of 00:03:45.909 --> 00:03:49.569 achievement, structure, leadership. She was operating 00:03:49.569 --> 00:03:52.169 in a very organized, high pressure environment. 00:03:52.370 --> 00:03:55.050 And that academic success led to a really key 00:03:55.050 --> 00:03:57.069 moment. She was picked to be the student speaker 00:03:57.069 --> 00:04:00.610 at her graduation in 2002. And the main speaker 00:04:00.610 --> 00:04:03.409 that day was actress Emily Proctor, you know, 00:04:03.409 --> 00:04:06.610 from CSI Miami, also North Carolina native from 00:04:06.610 --> 00:04:08.669 Raleigh. Ah, the connection. So they meet there. 00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:11.400 They get acquainted. Yeah. And this connection 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.659 becomes like her initial roadmap after college. 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:17.300 Because think about it. She graduates with top 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:21.360 honors, leadership experience. What's next? Does 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:23.079 she hit the open mic nights? Doesn't sound like 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:25.899 it. Not yet. Nope. First, a bit of a breather. 00:04:25.939 --> 00:04:28.180 She lives in Spain for a year, maybe finding 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:31.899 herself exploring. Then, 2003, she does the L 00:04:31.899 --> 00:04:34.800 .A. move. Her plan wasn't just wing it and hope. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:37.019 It was practical. Use that connection. Exactly. 00:04:37.180 --> 00:04:39.439 The initial goal was to become Emily Proctor's 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:42.279 personal assistant. Secure a job, get mentored, 00:04:42.339 --> 00:04:44.240 while trying to figure out the comedy thing on 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:46.639 the side. See, very structured thinking again. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:49.120 Yeah. The student body president making a plan. 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:52.360 But then there's this detour, a big one. Huge. 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:54.879 She connects with Proctor's neighbor, who happens 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:56.399 to be a journalist for the Los Angeles Daily 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:59.800 News. And this leads to a job, not as PA, but 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:01.680 as a journalist. And not just for a little while. 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.319 She does this for seven years. Seven years. That's 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.259 a proper career. Entertainment, journalism, writing, 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:10.360 interviewing, deadlines, the whole newsroom environment. 00:05:10.660 --> 00:05:12.759 Think about what that does for you. Okay, yeah. 00:05:12.819 --> 00:05:15.439 Let's unpack that. Seven years of journalism. 00:05:16.860 --> 00:05:19.360 How does that feed into comedy? Well, what does 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:22.420 journalism demand? Getting to the point fast. 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:25.939 Finding the essential angle. Writing concisely. 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:28.980 Hitting deadlines. Observing people, situations 00:05:28.980 --> 00:05:32.079 critically. Right. Boiling things down, finding 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.439 the hook, the lead, cutting out the fluff. That 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:36.319 sounds a lot like writing a good joke, doesn't 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.899 it? Exactly. It trains you to structure your 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:41.579 thoughts, your observations, to find that core 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:44.439 truth and deliver it effectively. It gives your 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:46.699 writing and maybe even your standup a kind of 00:05:46.699 --> 00:05:49.699 structural backbone that pure improv might not 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:51.819 always have. So while she's doing this demanding 00:05:51.819 --> 00:05:54.100 day job, she's also starting to build her performance 00:05:54.100 --> 00:05:57.560 skills. In 2005, she starts taking improv and 00:05:57.560 --> 00:06:00.480 sketch classes at the Groundlings, which is legendary. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:02.480 Oh, yeah. Huge names came out of there. It's 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:04.920 super competitive, right? Not just a casual class. 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.199 Definitely not. It's a whole program, takes years. 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:09.660 You have to progress through levels. She studied 00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:12.100 there for four years, four years of intense work. 00:06:12.540 --> 00:06:14.800 Learning the craft. Well, holding down the journalism 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:18.120 job. That's commitment. Total commitment. And 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:20.560 after those four years, she gets selected for 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:23.019 the Groundlings Sunday Company. Ah, the Sunday 00:06:23.019 --> 00:06:25.259 Company. That's the big leagues within Groundlings, 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:28.220 right? The feeder system for SNL, for movies, 00:06:28.339 --> 00:06:31.019 for TV writing. Precisely. Getting into the Sunday 00:06:31.019 --> 00:06:32.959 Company is basically the industry saying, OK, 00:06:33.100 --> 00:06:35.980 you've got the chops. You're ready. It validates 00:06:35.980 --> 00:06:38.420 all that hard work. And this intense period, 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:41.279 learning improv, breaking into the Sunday company, 00:06:41.540 --> 00:06:44.480 it's also happening alongside something major 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.459 personally. Yeah. Around the same time, 2005, 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:50.000 when she's about 25, she comes out as lesbian. 00:06:50.430 --> 00:06:53.110 So you've got these two huge developments happening 00:06:53.110 --> 00:06:55.790 simultaneously, finding her authentic personal 00:06:55.790 --> 00:06:58.430 voice and finding her professional comedic voice. 00:06:58.649 --> 00:07:00.610 It makes sense that they'd be intertwined, developing 00:07:00.610 --> 00:07:02.990 that confidence on stage, being more herself. 00:07:03.389 --> 00:07:06.189 It probably fueled the comedy, especially since 00:07:06.189 --> 00:07:08.490 so much of her material draws on her life, that 00:07:08.490 --> 00:07:10.889 contrast between her Southern background and 00:07:10.889 --> 00:07:12.949 her identity. Absolutely. The contradictions 00:07:12.949 --> 00:07:15.889 became the goldmine for her material. The debutante 00:07:15.889 --> 00:07:18.629 who's also gay, the Southerner in L .A. It all 00:07:18.629 --> 00:07:21.139 starts coming together. And even though she's 00:07:21.139 --> 00:07:23.639 building this career in L .A., she stays connected 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:26.779 to her roots. Very much so. The sources confirm 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:29.259 she keeps homes in both L .A. and back in Belmont, 00:07:29.339 --> 00:07:32.019 North Carolina. That's not just symbolic. It 00:07:32.019 --> 00:07:34.899 feels like a deliberate choice to stay grounded, 00:07:34.899 --> 00:07:38.040 to keep accessing that part of her life and culture. 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:40.540 That's pretty rare in Hollywood, I think, holding 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:43.279 on to both worlds. Okay, so the foundation is 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.029 laid. The discipline, the journalism training, 00:07:46.209 --> 00:07:49.350 the groundlings chops, finding her voice. Now, 00:07:49.370 --> 00:07:52.189 how does this translate into getting notice? 00:07:52.490 --> 00:07:54.250 Well, the first flicker on the national radar 00:07:54.250 --> 00:07:57.550 is NBC's last comic standing in 2010. She's on 00:07:57.550 --> 00:08:00.129 for four episodes. It's a start. Gets her name 00:08:00.129 --> 00:08:02.170 out there a bit. But competition shows are tough. 00:08:02.370 --> 00:08:04.629 Lots of people appear, but few make the leap 00:08:04.629 --> 00:08:07.399 to something sustainable. True. But for her, 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:09.660 the real launchpad comes next, the Chelsea Lately 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:12.740 era. Ah, yes. Huge show at the time. Massive. 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:15.740 From 2011 to 2014, she's a regular Roundtable 00:08:15.740 --> 00:08:19.720 co -host. Our sources say 158 episodes. 158 episodes. 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:21.680 That's not just a guest spot. That's practically 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:23.459 part of the furniture. What does that kind of 00:08:23.459 --> 00:08:25.759 regular exposure do? It's like comedy boot camp 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:28.579 on national TV. You're riffing on pop culture, 00:08:28.740 --> 00:08:32.490 live, nightly. You have to be sharp, funny. quick 00:08:32.490 --> 00:08:35.289 and develop a persona that connects. It forces 00:08:35.289 --> 00:08:37.750 you to hone your timing, your angles. It made 00:08:37.750 --> 00:08:39.950 her a familiar face, comfortable in front of 00:08:39.950 --> 00:08:42.269 millions. And you start seeing that pay off in 00:08:42.269 --> 00:08:44.629 scripted roles pretty quickly after that, right? 00:08:44.830 --> 00:08:48.230 Yeah. 2014, she pops up in Two Broke Girls as 00:08:48.230 --> 00:08:52.149 Sherlock Mary, which sounds fun, and in Workaholics 00:08:52.149 --> 00:08:55.429 as a character named Joe. Small parts, but crucial 00:08:55.429 --> 00:08:58.690 steps. Proving she can act, deliver lines in 00:08:58.690 --> 00:09:01.230 a scene. Not just comment on the news. Showing 00:09:01.230 --> 00:09:04.129 she's more than just a panelist. And then comes 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:06.940 the big one. The Mindy Project. This is where 00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:08.799 everything converges, the groundlings training, 00:09:08.980 --> 00:09:11.840 the Chelsea Lately confidence. In 2015, she joins 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:14.120 the main cast. As Colette Kimble -Kinney. And 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:15.759 she stays right through the end. Yep, seasons 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.580 four through six until 2017. That's 39 episodes 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:20.700 of the main character. That's a career anchor. 00:09:20.860 --> 00:09:22.840 Absolutely. And Colette was such a great character 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:25.700 for her, the slightly awkward but lovable gay 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:28.240 Southern nurse. It really let her use that blend 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.259 of sweetness and sharp wit. And being a main 00:09:31.259 --> 00:09:33.759 player in a Mindy Kaling show, those scripts 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:37.500 are fast, smart. Joke dense. Holding her own 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:39.519 in that ensemble cemented her as a legitimate 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.679 actor, not just a comedian doing a cameo. It 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:45.740 gave her stability, visibility. And she uses 00:09:45.740 --> 00:09:47.500 that momentum. She doesn't just stick to one 00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:50.279 thing. She's doing other TV, too. Oh, yeah. She 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:52.860 balances it expertly. She plays Dougie on Life 00:09:52.860 --> 00:09:55.419 in Pieces for seven episodes between 2016 and 00:09:55.419 --> 00:09:57.879 2019. That's a network family sitcom. And then 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:00.200 in 2018, she's Ruby and Champions, another NBC 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:03.039 show, for 10 episodes. While still keeping the 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:05.899 stand -up going strong. Crucially, yes. She never 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:07.899 abandoned her roots. She gets her own episode 00:10:07.899 --> 00:10:10.320 of the Netflix series The Stand -Ups in 2017. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:12.779 Think of that as the appetizer. For the main 00:10:12.779 --> 00:10:14.820 course. Which was her big Netflix special, Sweet 00:10:14.820 --> 00:10:17.700 and Salty, released in 2020. That was huge for 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:20.340 her. It really showcased her storytelling, drawing 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:22.700 heavily on that Southern upbringing, the coming 00:10:22.700 --> 00:10:24.980 out story, all those contrasts we talked about. 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:26.899 Sweet and Salty, the title itself kind of sums 00:10:26.899 --> 00:10:29.740 up that persona, doesn't it? Perfectly. And that 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:32.100 special really broadened her appeal. You see 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:34.240 it in the roles she gets afterwards in the 2020s. 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:38.620 She plays Pam Fox on Kenan for 14 episodes, 2021, 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.360 2022. Network sitcom again. But then a complete 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:45.759 genre jump. F you bar. Right. The Netflix action 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:47.740 comedy series with Arnold Schwarzenegger. She 00:10:47.740 --> 00:10:51.600 plays Ruth or Rue across 16 episodes in 2023. 00:10:51.899 --> 00:10:55.559 Looks like extending into 2025. Going from Keenan 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:59.019 to a big budget action show with Arnold. That's 00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:01.460 range. Studios have to trust you can handle both 00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:03.519 the comedy and, well, the action environment. 00:11:03.820 --> 00:11:06.259 It shows incredible versatility. And marketability. 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:08.519 She could fade into a family sitcom and a spy 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:10.759 thriller spoof. Plus, she makes these interesting 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:13.179 targeted appearances, too. Like the L Word reboot. 00:11:13.419 --> 00:11:15.700 Yeah, the L Word. Generation Q played Heather 00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:19.299 for three episodes, 2019, 2020. And then, totally 00:11:19.299 --> 00:11:21.480 different vibe, she turns up as a judge on Is 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:24.399 It Cake in 2022, leveraging that mainstream appeal. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:26.980 She's just everywhere. Which leads us nicely 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:29.039 into another huge part of her career, maybe one 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:30.740 that uses her voice in a totally different way. 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:32.559 The film work, and especially the animation. 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:35.200 Right. Before the animation really took off, 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:37.799 she had some live -action film roles. Office 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.980 Christmas Party in 2016, The Happy Time Murders 00:11:40.980 --> 00:11:43.799 in 2018. Fun parts, but the animation work is 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:45.919 where you see this next level of reach becoming 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:48.980 part of these massive global franchises. And 00:11:48.980 --> 00:11:53.000 the benchmark has to be Pixar. Soul. 2020. Voice 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:55.779 and Counselor Jerry D. Getting cast in a Pixar 00:11:55.779 --> 00:11:58.960 film is like the gold seal of approval for voice 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.210 acting, isn't it? Especially a role like Counselor 00:12:01.210 --> 00:12:03.029 Jerry Dee representing this abstract concept. 00:12:03.169 --> 00:12:05.970 It means your voice has warmth, authority, recognition, 00:12:06.230 --> 00:12:09.190 but also flexibility. Yeah, Counselor Jerry Dee 00:12:09.190 --> 00:12:11.570 needed that perfect blend of calming and slightly 00:12:11.570 --> 00:12:13.789 bureaucratic. It's amazing how much character 00:12:13.789 --> 00:12:16.529 she conveyed just with her voice, playing basically 00:12:16.529 --> 00:12:18.629 a line drawing. It's a different skill set entirely. 00:12:18.950 --> 00:12:21.110 Totally different. Requires pure vocal performance 00:12:21.110 --> 00:12:23.629 imagination. And once you're in that Disney Pixar 00:12:23.629 --> 00:12:26.659 world... Other doors open. Like more big animated 00:12:26.659 --> 00:12:29.480 movies. Exactly. We've got upcoming projects 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:31.080 showing her strength in family entertainment. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.820 She's voicing Kitty Fridge in Gabby's Dollhouse, 00:12:34.019 --> 00:12:37.440 the movie. That's out in 2025. And then there's 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:39.620 a role, we don't know which character yet, in 00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:43.019 Paw Patrol, the dino movie for 2026. Okay, Gabby's 00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:45.580 Dollhouse, Paw Patrol. She's definitely cornering 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:48.379 the market on beloved kids franchises. But the 00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:52.080 really huge one? Is Zootopia 2. Confirmed. She's 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:53.840 voicing a character named Nibbles Maplestick. 00:12:53.899 --> 00:12:55.919 That film is in production, slated for 2025. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:59.379 Wow. Being part of the Zootopia sequel, that's 00:12:59.379 --> 00:13:01.899 massive. That guarantees visibility for years 00:13:01.899 --> 00:13:04.940 across generations. The same person telling jokes 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:07.600 on Netflix specials is now a key voice in one 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.279 of Disney's biggest modern hits. It speaks volumes 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:13.000 about the trust studios have in her, her broad 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:14.919 appeal. And don't forget the live action comedy 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:17.309 she sprinkled in during the 2020s, too. Often 00:13:17.309 --> 00:13:19.370 stealing scenes. Oh, yeah. Like the fairy gay 00:13:19.370 --> 00:13:21.610 mother in Friendsgiving. Hilarious. And Pinky 00:13:21.610 --> 00:13:24.070 and Barb and Star. Good. Vista Del Mar in 2021. 00:13:24.429 --> 00:13:26.570 Barb and Star. She was perfect in that. That 00:13:26.570 --> 00:13:30.509 kind of quirky, specific comedy. Absolutely nailed 00:13:30.509 --> 00:13:32.820 it. Playing that slightly awkward friend. Brilliant 00:13:32.820 --> 00:13:35.679 physical comedy and deadpan delivery. Then there 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:38.080 was Jean the Paramedic in Yes Day, also 2021. 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:41.080 And Coach Kim in Family Switch, just last year, 00:13:41.179 --> 00:13:44.519 2023. It's just relentless. And on top of the 00:13:44.519 --> 00:13:46.399 movies, she's doing a ton of recurring voice 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:48.500 work on animated TV shows too, both kid stuff 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:51.460 and adult animation. The workload is incredible 00:13:51.460 --> 00:13:53.460 when you list it out. For younger audiences, 00:13:53.659 --> 00:13:57.059 she was Ava on Summer Camp Island for 25 episodes, 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:00.419 right up to 2023. And Laura Mercer on Craig of 00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:02.779 the Creek for seven episodes. over several years. 00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:05.340 Warm, character -driven stuff. But then you flip 00:14:05.340 --> 00:14:07.080 the switch. And she's doing adult animation. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:10.840 Brenda in Bless the Hearts for 26 episodes. And 00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:12.860 more recently, Olive in the Velma series for 00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:15.299 15 episodes. Okay, Summer Camp Island to Velma. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:17.879 That's a serious tonal shift. Gentle fantasy 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:21.419 versus edgy adult meta humor. It requires totally 00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:23.419 different vocal performance, different timing, 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:25.940 shows the depth of that groundlings training, 00:14:26.059 --> 00:14:28.379 maybe that ability to embody completely different 00:14:28.379 --> 00:14:31.100 characters through voice alone. Versatility isn't 00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:33.419 just genre, it's performance style. Speaking 00:14:33.419 --> 00:14:36.799 of voice, we have to talk about the purely audio 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:40.559 side of her career, too. Podcasting, radio. She's 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.019 built a whole other platform there. It actually 00:14:43.019 --> 00:14:45.960 started with radio, interestingly. Back in July 00:14:45.960 --> 00:14:49.460 2019, she launched What a Joke with Papa and 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:52.820 Fortune with Tom Papa. Oh, I remember that on 00:14:52.820 --> 00:14:55.279 SiriusXM. Yeah, and it was a big deal because 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.159 it was the first live show on the Netflix is 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.480 a Joke channel. It's a major partnership, positioning 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:02.519 her right at the center of the established comedy 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:05.850 scene via Netflix and SiriusXM. And then she 00:15:05.850 --> 00:15:08.009 branches into podcasting more directly. She does. 00:15:08.070 --> 00:15:10.509 She has her own podcast, Sincerely Fortune, which 00:15:10.509 --> 00:15:13.509 is much more personal, conversational, lets her 00:15:13.509 --> 00:15:15.610 connect directly with fans. And she's part of 00:15:15.610 --> 00:15:18.730 that other podcast too, Handsome. Yes. Co -hosting 00:15:18.730 --> 00:15:21.090 Handsome with Teague Notaro and Mary Martin. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:24.659 I mean, talk about a comedy power trio. Being 00:15:24.659 --> 00:15:26.480 in that company just shows her standing among 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:28.480 her peers. Definitely. And looking at her guest 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.940 appearances. She's everywhere. People clearly 00:15:30.940 --> 00:15:33.340 want to talk to her. The list is insane. It cuts 00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:36.279 across all sorts of genres. The Joe Rogan Experience, 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:39.919 episode 1440, reaching that huge audience. Anna 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.440 Faris is unqualified. Political comedy like Love 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.700 It or Leave It. Multiple times on BirdCast. Comedy, 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:50.080 bang, bang. She's clearly a great guest. Reliable, 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:53.700 funny, engaging. And brings depth, too. Look 00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:55.519 at some of the episode titles where she's guested. 00:15:55.620 --> 00:15:58.460 On the Sporkful the Food podcast, the title was, 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:01.179 You Can't Hate Yourself Constantly, says comic 00:16:01.179 --> 00:16:03.440 Fortune Feimster. That tells you she's bringing 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:06.379 more than just jokes. And the Glennon Doyle one. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:08.559 Oh, yeah, on We Can Do Hard Things, the title 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:11.870 was just perfect. Fortune Feimster. A queer debutante 00:16:11.870 --> 00:16:14.509 walks into a Hooters. That's basically her entire 00:16:14.509 --> 00:16:17.049 story in one title, isn't it? It is. It captures 00:16:17.049 --> 00:16:19.250 the collision of worlds, the identity, the humor. 00:16:19.389 --> 00:16:22.250 Her life is her material, and podcasting is the 00:16:22.250 --> 00:16:23.909 perfect medium for her to share that authentic 00:16:23.909 --> 00:16:26.090 story. Okay, before we wrap this all up, we should 00:16:26.090 --> 00:16:27.809 touch on the personal side during this period 00:16:27.809 --> 00:16:30.610 of massive career growth. Her relationship was 00:16:30.610 --> 00:16:32.470 often part of her public story, part of her comedy. 00:16:32.809 --> 00:16:35.769 Right. She started dating Jacqueline Smith, who's 00:16:35.769 --> 00:16:38.909 a teacher, back in 2016. This is right when Mindy 00:16:38.909 --> 00:16:40.769 Project is really taking off for her. They got 00:16:40.769 --> 00:16:44.029 engaged in 2018, married in 2020. Yep, married 00:16:44.029 --> 00:16:48.029 October 23, 2020, in a small ceremony. So that 00:16:48.029 --> 00:16:50.610 relationship really spanned her biggest breakout 00:16:50.610 --> 00:16:53.450 years, becoming a major TV and voice actor. But 00:16:53.450 --> 00:16:55.490 there's been a recent update on that front, hasn't 00:16:55.490 --> 00:16:58.360 there? Sadly, yes. Our sources confirmed they 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.440 released a joint statement just recently, June 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.379 2nd, 2025, announcing they've made the difficult 00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:06.859 decision to divorce. Ah, that's tough. It's a 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:08.700 reminder, isn't it, that even with huge career 00:17:08.700 --> 00:17:11.660 success, life happens. And that relationship 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:14.180 was a big part of her narrative for fans for 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:16.500 nearly a decade. It really was. So it marks an 00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:18.779 end of one chapter, personally, just as these 00:17:18.779 --> 00:17:21.500 huge new professional chapters like Zootopia 00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:23.720 2 are opening up. Okay, so let's try and pull 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:37.440 this all together. We've gone from Belmont. And 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:40.720 now voicing characters for Pixar, Disney, Netflix, 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:43.599 hosting podcasts, starring in action comedies. 00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:50.599 It's a lot. I think it's clear her success isn't 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:53.079 just about being funny. It's built on this really 00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:56.859 unusual foundation of, like... Extreme discipline. 00:17:57.099 --> 00:18:00.460 The sports, the academics, summa cum laude, president 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:02.640 that's serious rigor. Fused with the structure 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:04.880 of journalism, the writing skills, the observation. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:07.319 And then pouring all that into the creative chaos 00:18:07.319 --> 00:18:10.019 and performance demands of the groundlings. The 00:18:10.019 --> 00:18:12.140 result is someone who's just incredibly versatile. 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:15.200 She can handle tightly written network sitcoms, 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:18.819 big budget action, nuanced voice work, and personal 00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:20.819 stand -up storytelling. She's like a quadruple 00:18:20.819 --> 00:18:23.539 threat. Writer, actor, stand -up voice artist. 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:26.440 And studios trust her across all these different 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:29.640 arenas, family, adult, streaming, network. That 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:32.920 speaks to professionalism, reliability. Traits 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:35.960 may be honed way back in college. the newsroom. 00:18:36.099 --> 00:18:38.200 I think so. Which brings us to a final thought 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:40.140 for you, the listener, to kind of chew on. We've 00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:42.140 seen this blend of comedic edge and mainstream 00:18:42.140 --> 00:18:44.799 appeal, this underlying discipline. So think 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:46.859 about managing a career like hers today. It's 00:18:46.859 --> 00:18:50.000 multi -platform, right? Podcasts, tours, film 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:54.279 shoots, TV series. It's complex. Now, consider 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:56.819 her background. Not just the comedy training, 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:58.880 but being student body president, graduating 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:02.519 summa cum laude. Does that early experience in 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:05.400 leadership in navigating structured institutions 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:08.880 actually inform how she makes creative and business 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:12.019 decisions today. Does that summa cum laude graduate 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:14.400 and student leader manage her production company 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.539 or negotiate deals differently than someone who 00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:18.839 only came up through comedy clubs? It's an interesting 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:21.279 idea, isn't it? How that early structure might 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:23.359 enable her sustained success and adaptability 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.640 in the very unstructured world of entertainment. 00:19:27.289 --> 00:19:29.430 Yeah, maybe the most rigid parts of her past 00:19:29.430 --> 00:19:31.490 are exactly what gave her the foundation for 00:19:31.490 --> 00:19:33.349 the incredible creative freedom she has now. 00:19:33.470 --> 00:19:35.589 Something to ponder next time you hear her voice 00:19:35.589 --> 00:19:38.509 pop up, whether it's Counselor Jerry D or Nibble's 00:19:38.509 --> 00:19:41.069 Maple Stick. Absolutely. That's all we have time 00:19:41.069 --> 00:19:42.730 for on The Steep Dive. Thanks for joining us.