Interviewed by: Joseph Santiago
Carmen Lynch, born in California, is a Spanish-American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer based in New York City. She is the daughter of a Spanish mother and an American father, which has influenced her bilingual comedy career.
Lynch has made numerous appearances on late-night television, including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Conan,” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Her television credits also include roles in “The Good Wife,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” and “This Week at the Comedy Cellar.”
In 2017, she performed a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her show “Lynched.” She has also entertained American troops in Iraq and Kuwait. Lynch performs stand-up in both English and Spanish, catering to audiences in the United States and Spanish-speaking countries.
Her comedy album “Dance Like You Don’t Need the Money” was highlighted by The New York Times as “one of five to stream” and was voted the #1 comedy album of 2017 by SiriusXM.
In 2023, Lynch released her English-language comedy special “Queef Week,” followed by a Spanish-language special titled “En Español” in 2024. Both specials can be found on YouTube. Queef Week is on Mark Normand’s YouTube channel. “Carmen Lynch en Español” is on her own channel. Notably, she is the first female comedian to record two different specials in two different languages back-to-back.
Lynch continues to perform regularly at venues like the Comedy Cellar in New York City and tours internationally, delivering stand-up shows in both English and Spanish.
In this exclusive interview, Carmen shares her journey, the challenges of stand-up, and how she tailors comedy for different cultures.
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in comedy, and who were your biggest influences growing up?
Carmen: “I pursued acting, but I was taller than all the male leads. Comedy has no boundaries. Influences: Lucille Ball & Carol Burnett.”
2. Do you have a favorite joke or bit from your career that you still enjoy performing?
Carmen: “I enjoy writing new ones too much to keep the old, although I’ll still do old ones if the crowd doesn’t get me.”
3. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a comedian, and how did you overcome it?
Carmen: “I had to learn how to be disciplined. All of my old jobs had bosses. In comedy, you’re on your own.”
4. Your comedy often touches on personal topics such as relationships, body image, and mental health. How do you balance sharing personal experiences while ensuring they resonate humorously with your audience?
Carmen: “I love the balance of what’s real and what’s funny, and seeing how much the audience will relate. Sometimes they’ll get what I say about myself vs. what I say about my parents. There’s a little for every age group, and everyone knows someone going through something similar.”
5. You’ve performed stand-up in both English and Spanish, with specials like Queef Week and Carmen Lynch en Español. How do you tailor your material for different audiences?
Carmen: “There’s no other way to do it than to just try out the material in both languages. Some jokes are too subtle and don’t work, or the words don’t line up correctly to make the joke funny. It’s like a puzzle; you have to figure it out, which is the most enjoyable part.”
Carmen Lynch continues to perform at Comedy Cellar in NYC and tours internationally, delivering her signature stand-up in both English and Spanish.
Carmen Lynch
Check her out on all social media @carmencomedian and carmenlynch.com for all shows and tickets
