Anjelah Johnson-Reyes blends motherhood with her funny tia tendencies in ‘Ugly Baby’

There’s a consistent theme in comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes’ orbit: gratitude. From her hit podcast “Funjelah” to the way she shapes her stand-up material about her life, that perspective carries into her latest milestone, releasing a new special, “Ugly Baby,” on Mother’s Day. Considering the occasion, the due date of her seventh comedy special feels comically aligned.

Best known for her distinct characters and voices, her stand-up has a flawless way of blending physical comedy with relatable and hilarious storytelling. In “Ugly Baby,” Johnson-Reyes’ focus turns to motherhood, marriage, family “ism’s,” and the reality between how life is supposed to work and how it actually unfolds. Sure, Johnson-Reyes might still be recognized for her character Mei Ling a.k.a. “the nail salon chick,” but she’s leaned into it while building a loyal following by staying just as funny as she is grateful, no matter how audiences find her.

So here we are, almost 20 years later, are people greeting you normally or as your Mei Ling nail salon character like, “Hiiii honeyyy?”

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Both! Some people will come up to me and be like, oh gosh I’m a big fan of yours, and then the other day I walked into a BBQ restaurant to pick up my order, and there was this couple sitting at the table and as soon as I walked in they clocked me and the husband goes, [in a Vietnamese accent] “Honey, why you no have?” and I’m like, “Ohhh hayyyyy!” So you just never know. It’s wild to think that I get to have one of those moments though, because not every comedian, not every singer-songwriter, not every artist gets the privilege of having something like a “nail salon joke” that’s pop culture now. You’re part of people’s lexicon. It’s wild!

You’ll forever have kids sharing clips with parents, parents with co-workers, you hit so many demographics. I was there for your special taping at El Rey Theatre and the audience was a super fun mix and the venue is such a knockout.

I filmed my last special at a very iconic Nashville venue, Ryman Auditorium, and I talked a lot about how I moved there, because I split my time now in Tennessee and California. Now I’m talking a lot about being a California girl living in the South and what that looks like for this special. I still have my roots in California, and I still live in L.A., so this is my first special as this new version of me. Meaning, every other special before this, I’ve had jokes about how I don’t want kids, and now I have a kid, and I’m talking about motherhood. This is a whole different version of me, but I’m still the same me grounded here in California, here in L.A., and the El Rey Theatre is such an iconic L.A. venue. I also wanted this one to be more intimate, because this hour is more vulnerable, but still with an iconic L.A. theater feel. Everything from my intro and outro music is very L.A. too so I’m still here, it’s just a new me, but the same me.

Our California baby is all grown up! You mention in this special about being in your “tia era,” but I’m thinking you’re more in your mommy era, yet your material isn’t overly mommy. You blend it well.

Thank you and I appreciate you saying that because that was a concern of mine. I didn’t want to do that, and no shade to anybody. Every hour of material I’m talking about my life, what I’m currently going through and living through, and what I’m currently going through and living through is becoming a mom. It’s a lot of my new journey, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t overdo it. I’m speaking to a whole new crowd that I never spoke to before. I couldn’t relate before and now that I’m speaking to them, I want to make sure that I don’t leave anyone else behind. How do I balance sharing my new life, remember who I was, and show people I’m still the same, but just a different version? So I wanted that balance, and I’m glad it came off that way.

It absolutely does. Can we touch on the name of your special “Ugly Baby”? Who’s the ugliest baby you’ve ever seen? I’m kidding. Could you imagine?

Ohhhhh when I tell you right now a face popped into my head! I said, OK, I’m not gonna say it! I mentioned it in the show too because every time I would do that joke, I could see people in the audience get upset, and you see faces shift. You see people get uncomfortable. It’s like you’re not supposed to say certain things, and it’s not even that bad of a thing to say! Some babies are ugly!

Have eyes, have seen them! With “Ugly Baby” being your seventh special, are you ever running material by your family like hey, I’m about to blow up your spot?

You know, I’ll try it first to see how I feel in my body doing it, and if I start to feel a little guilty, then I’ll run it by them like, hey I’m doing this joke about the one time you did this and that, are you OK with it? Sometimes they’re like, yeah, say whatever, and then it’s a green light, go! I actually can’t think of a time where anybody has said no. Usually my family is very, “Do it, that’s funny.” I will say, in this hour, I do a whole piece on my mother-in-law, and I’ve talked about my mother-in-law a lot in my comedy specials, and she loves it. She laughs, she likes the video, and she’ll even leave comments on the video, but for some reason I’m nervous about this one. I think as she’s getting older, and maybe a little more sensitive — I don’t want her to think I’m making fun of her because I’m definitely not. I’m just highlighting her little “isms” with people, and I mean, you saw the show, I’m definitely not making fun of her!

I’m sure she’ll be so happy celebrating this special with you. And if not, run! What a wild ride though, from not wanting kids to being equated with Mama’s. I’m wondering how your gratitude will be this Sunday with your newborn, “Ugly Baby.”

You know, thank you for asking that, because I’ve been so caught up in preparing for this release — editing, color correcting, and all the logistics. And I directed it this time, for the first time, and I’ve learned so much in this process and I’ve been so caught up in all of that, in the emotions of it, that I haven’t really paused to reflect and feel gratitude for what I’ve actually just accomplished. And what that means not only for me and my career, but for my family and for my daughter watching me. Watching how her mom and her dad work together and how we’re a team, and how her dad supports me and uplifts me and is the man behind the curtain making it all happen. From producing and writing the music involved, to being on tour with us on the bus, it’s just really special that I get to do something like this. I know she’s young now, but I can only imagine when she’s able to fully understand the weight of what her parents do, and what her mom has been able to accomplish, I can only imagine what that will feel like. I’m so grateful that I get to experience that with her.

Oh my gosh, you are going to make me cry. Let’s flip it. Do you think there will be any mad-itude this Sunday?

Girl, yes! I’m not gonna say it here though because I don’t want people looking, but like I said, it was my first time directing so there are things that I would have definitely done differently. Overall it looks beautiful and I’m proud of the hour of material. I’m proud of everybody who worked on it, I’m proud of the audience that showed up for it, and overall it’s my hope and prayer that this special is a blessing to people. When they see it they feel good, and they walk away feeling like their internal vibration has been lifted. And I pray that it carries them into the next room that they walk into, whether it’s a board meeting, going to see a family member, whatever it is, I just pray that whatever they receive from the special, that it’s joy and they’re able to take it with them wherever they go. Maybe there won’t be any mad-itude actually because I’m honestly just so grateful.