Hebba Gouda is Hella Good-a
Hebba Gouda is a long-time GOLD member-turned-DPT-administrative-assistant, freelance contributor to Sporked, and comedy enthusiast who will die on the hill that a hot dog is not a sandwich. She’s dabbled in improv, sketch, late night, and stand-up, and her only qualm with comedy is that the shows start so darn late. She’s proud to spend weekends listening to podcasts, always uses the Oxford comma, and has been described as “the only person who actually likes New Jersey.”
What were you like as a teen?
I don’t know if I was funny, but I do remember carrying around a stack of index cards with physics jokes on them and telling them to everyone in my physics class. I guess it makes sense that I finished college as a physics major and creative writing minor.
Did you have an un-sexy job?
Yes. My first jobs were cleaning my school during the summer (literally scraping gum off the tables) during the day, then going to scoop ice cream at night. From those, I got an increased tolerance for sweat and cleaning products, and a pretty jacked right forearm. Some of that ice cream is hard to scoop.
An industry un-sexy starter job? Also yes. I interned for a comedy summer camp at The Second City in LA. I had to wrangle a lot of very loud kids, but I got comped an improv class (which was my first formal comedy training), access to Second City shows, and met a ton of very wonderful people.
What’s your biggest comedy achievement to date?
I wrote and performed a stand-up set! It was short, very low-key, and I did it with a whole lot of hand-holding from an intro to stand-up class, but I’ve always been terrified of performing (especially performing alone), so doing a set was a big deal for me.
When you were coming up in/around comedy, what helped you stick with it?
Simply loving it, and loving it enough to do it in spite of everything else.
Have you ever dealt with trolls or hecklers?
It’s helpful to remember that this is an industry of “no,” and that those rejections are not always personal. Comedy is painfully and beautifully subjective, and my favorite jokes might not land with the person next to me.
On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian?
Speak up!!!
Best comedy advice you ever got?
“Make other people say no for you.” I get that this is pretty context-dependent and definitely NOT to be used with respect to consent. But when I was given this advice, I was going back and forth about whether I should audition for an improv group. I thought “Oh, I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. I don’t want to get my feelings hurt. They won’t take me anyway, etc.” The person I was talking to stopped me and told me to stop counting myself out before I gave other people the chance to see what I have to offer.
Worst comedy advice you ever got?
Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve ever gotten very bad comedy advice? I only hang out with brilliant and perfect comedians, so.
How has being funny helped you in your life?
I’ll let you know when I finally get funny 🙂
What specific things should a novice comic do to shape their voice?
Make comedy every day! Do it tired! Do it uninspired! Do it stressed! Do it sad; do it happy; do it relaxed: just do it! In some way, shape, or form, every day. If nothing else, sit down with a pencil and paper and force yourself to write for two minutes straight. Don’t stop writing, even if you have NOTHING to say, and get used to being okay with writing nothing. Get comfortable not expecting the best from yourself every time, and that will make things seem a little less daunting.
Was there one person who inspired you to go into comedy?
Tracey Wigfield. I remember being in high school and reading an interview she did about what it was like in the writers’ room of 30 Rock. She talked about the process of pitching jokes and creating comedy, and that was the first time I realized “wait, this is…a job?” I realized that having a career in comedy didn’t have to be standing up on stage, by myself, telling jokes at other people.
Do you have a writing routine?
Dump everything on the page first. Walk away. Edit. Walk away. Dump more on the page. Edit more. Walk away. Repeat as needed.
What is your go-to show or movie?
Love a good baking show. And a bad baking show, honestly. Just let me watch cakes get frosted and forget about my woes.
What single word always cracks you up?
The only one that’s coming to mind right now is “pizzazz,” which isn’t really funny but is very enjoyable.
Any parting wisdom?
Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.