Danielle Krage:

Today I am excited to have Kelly Pantaleoni with me. Kelly is an Australian actress, filmmaker and philanthropist, which I think is a super awesome combination. And today I get to talk to her about all things comedy. So Kelly, for those who don’t know you, what are some of your connections to creating comedy?

Kelly Pantaleoni:

Yeah, I started out at the Upright Citizens Brigade. I took their Improv 101 class and I really, really loved it. So I started with Improv and from there I actually created my own comedy short film called Fifty Shades of Quarantine during the pandemic because you know we all had so much time on our own and we’re all losing our minds and I thought why not capture it? So it was like this quirky quarantine comedy of six different characters that we had been seeing throughout the pandemic like the alcoholic Fitchick who was teaching workout classes with a bottle of wine that was actually based on you know a friend of mine that was doing happy hour yoga zooms.

Danielle Krage:

Amazing.

Kelly:

There’s the Conspiracy Theorist who’s out there searching for aliens which was myself after watching Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind which is a documentary about aliens. So they were just like amplified versions of myself during the pandemic. And yes, I made that, that actually premiered at the Portland Comedy Film Festival and did the International Comedy Circuit for film festivals. And then from there, I really wanted to continue focusing on comedy. I actually did a comedy short that made it on the, it’s a comedy site called Who Ha Ha? I did a comedy show that was featured on that site for their Halloween specials. And then when I moved back to LA, I got back into improv school and I wanted to try out groundlings. So I actually auditioned for groundlings and got in there.

Danielle Krage:

I’m going to have to ask, what was your audition like for Groundlings? Because I’ve heard different stories about what’s asked of you. How did you find the audition process? And maybe, for people who don’t know about the Groundlings tell us a little bit about who they are and why they’re so awesome as a training.

Kelly:

Yeah, so Groundlings is iconic because a lot of Saturday Night Live stars got their start there. And, you know, I think I would have been really intimidated if it was in person, but it was actually still like at the tail end of when everyone was still doing Zoom classes. And so the audition was actually on Zoom, so it was really like no pressure because it was nobody except your computer screen in front of you. So I was really relieved. I think I’m also one of the weirdos  that just loves that everything’s moved to Zoom because I’m lazy and I don’t like driving places and it was just so like yeah chill because there’s no pressure of having this audience in front of you.

Danielle Krage:

That’s amazing. And what did you learn from your first foray into the groundlings? Because I’ve had a few different guests on so far, and we’ve all talked about improv and how useful it is. I’d love to know what is it that has drawn you to improv and why are you focusing on it now as such an important part of that ongoing comedy training?

Kelly:

Yeah, improv is definitely the best acting class I’ve ever taken because not only does it help with all facets of acting and every genre of film and TV that you might end up going out for, but it also helps in real life. I actually started UCB because a friend who’s not an actor really wanted to go because he thought it would just help him get more confidence, public speaking and just thinking on his feet. He’s in business. It helps you out in any sort of awkward situation. Any sort of situation where you might be arguing with friends or family and you want to just dominate the conversation and just flip the script. Improv’s great for that. Highly recommend it.

Danielle Krage:

I agree. And I’d love to circle back to those characters that you mentioned, the six characters in your short film. I wanted to ask about their creation process because they’re all so distinct. And what I really like about them is each of them does put their finger on a particular kind of truth, but without it seeming, I don’t know, almost like cruel or exploitative, which sometimes it can do. Particularly when people are focusing on women and making them into caricatures. So that makes sense to me…basing it on a friend, basing it on yourself. Was there anything else that helped you with that process to find the comedy, but to still make them so that women like myself will watch them and find them funny rather than alienating.

Kelly:

Yeah, I think the key is you definitely have to seem like you’re on their side, like you believe in them. And that kind of goes with any kind of character you play. You have to believe in them, especially with villains. I love playing villains. But you have to really believe in their mission. You’re not, like you said, you’re not trying to make fun of them or exploit them.  You actually genuinely believe in what they believe in. So for instance, there was The Vlogger, let’s go for her. Like she really loved waking up looking beautiful. And you know, she woke up with like a full, you know, face of makeup and she was really into how she looked. You have to have fun with that. You can’t just be poking fun at it. You have to have fun while you’re in that character and really believe in it. And like she just really genuinely wanted other people to wake up feeling beautiful. The fact that you know she had a full face of makeup on and it wasn’t natural but you just have to really believe in your character and what their mission is and how they’re trying to help others. Like the alcoholic fit chick really genuinely believed that she was helping people even if it was working out with alcohol like even if she did have a problem but she was still trying to you know help people get fit while they’re drinking wine.

Danielle Krage:

Yeah, I love that. That’s such a simple, clear way of explaining it. That makes so much sense. I love it. And how did you think about structuring it so that it holds together as a whole short film rather than sketches? I could see how there was further thought required to keep it moving. It looks so simple the way that you put it all together, but I’d love to know what your process was for taking it from sketch into something cohesive that does have a bit of an arc, which I love.

Kelly:

That’s interesting, I’ve never really thought of that. Probably because I was filming for over three months during the pandemic and I filmed about 90 minutes of footage. So it was really just following my own journey, I think, during the most intense period of lockdown where we’re all stuck at home. And so I think that’s where maybe the natural arc came from for these characters because I was really taking my time and filming this content while I was actually doing these things, like while I was actually working out while I was like, you know, a family friend came to visit and she does makeup and so she did my makeup really well. So it was like, it just organically happened. It wasn’t really like, I wasn’t actually, like nothing was written. It was all completely, you know, improvised, nothing was staged. I didn’t even have tripods. I was just literally using my iPhone. On like, the hippie chick when I was out in the woods, I was just

out in the woods with my phone and just, you know, filmed whatever I wanted to. I didn’t even set it up, the tripod, I was like setting it up on tree stumps. And the things that I was finding, like the saw that looked like it was covered in blood, like I literally just found that in that moment, like nothing was set up. And then I have to thank my editor, Jared Curtis, he was incredible. He really made it cohesive and made it seem like it was a storyline. And he was an editor on Life of Pi. So he’s incredible at what he does. I gave him all the footage and he managed to make it work.

Danielle Krage:

Amazing. I love that. It’s really interesting to know what the process was behind that. And it makes sense to me then if it’s following your journey, and that you shot that much footage to then condense. We do get this distillation. We do believe that their characters are living off screen, living the rest of their lives, which doesn’t always happen in sketch sometimes. It can, you know, be such a quick process. Sometimes it’s a really fun idea, but we feel like that character has literally just come with that prop and that costume. Whereas yours, they did feel like real people. I could imagine them walking off camera, walking around. That’s lovely, that’s really great to know. So were you in Australia for the pandemic or were you already in LA?

Kelly:

It was a bit of both. I was actually at my dad’s place in Northern California filming all of this and then I came back to LA. I did a movie and a series and then I really wanted to visit my family in Australia And it was still somewhat locked down here, but Australia was completely open this was the first round when Australia like really nailed it and got it under control and it was completely open and free and while America was still like fighting about masks. And so I thought, okay, I’ll go visit my nephew and my family who I haven’t seen in two and a half years, usually visit them every year. So you know, I’ll go be a good daughter, a good sister, and I arrive in Australia after a 14 hour flight and two weeks in hotel quarantine, two weeks in a hotel by myself. I actually loved it because the food was amazing. Luckily I requested a view, so it was a nice spot. But anyway, I spent the two weeks in hotel quarantine, a nine hour train to get to my hometown and then like, well, I was actually not even my hometown, it was still two hours from my town. So it was like, it was a voyage. It was a spirit journey. It was the adventure of a lifetime. And I get there and then within two weeks, Australia goes into lockdown. So it was awful. My two month trip ended up turning into six months. And yeah, it was rough. I’m not gonna lie.

Danielle Krage:

My goodness, yeah, that does sound rough and amazing that you managed to still syphon through so much creativity. That’s something that I really love about you from what I’ve been reading and also that I can see in the work, and that  I’m seeing that I can find snippets of online is you seem to be so good at catalysing things and self-generating projects and being really proactive, as well as figuring out how to be part of an industry like in LA and with an agent. What advice do you have for other creators when it comes to being proactive, self-generating, and how has that helped you, do you think, in establishing the career that you do have?

Kelly:

Yeah, I was told this probably within a couple years of moving to LA and you know, classic didn’t listen to the advice until like I was really in a situation where I had to just create because my mental health was suffering. I was told from the beginning, create your own content. I was like, but do I have to really like….look how pretty I am….won’t I just get cast? But there are way too many pretty people out here, way too many talented people, and the people who really do make it are the ones who are so innovative and creative and just go out there and make their own shit happen.

So the first time I really made a short film that mattered to me was living up in Vancouver and like I said I was just in a really bad place mentally and I had to move that energy somehow. So I put that energy into this short film that I made, and that was the opposite of comedy. That was a drama about mental health. So, you know, I always try and sprinkle some lightness into it, even drama, you know the levity definitely helps improve any storyline.

So yeah, I just kind of was forced into it then. Not forced. My mind forced me into that situation. And then coming back and then in the pandemic, it was like, well, there was no, like no one was shooting anything. And anything that was being shot was like, you know, such a bare, like skeleton crew, bare minimum. And I thought, okay, so this is actually a great opportunity to shoot something then because there’s no pressure. I cannot have a full, you know, cast and crew. So what am I gonna do? So they did kind of come out of situations where I didn’t really have much of a choice. But moving forward, I really want to continue to create my own content.

Danielle Krage:

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And are there any really independent, inspiring, comedy creators that you love and that you look up to who are self-generating their own work?

Kelly:

I mean, I actually grew up watching a lot of sketch comedy in Australia. We had quite a few TV shows like Chris Lilley, I absolutely love. He did Summer Heights High. Was it Trailer Park Boys? No, that’s the Canadian one. If you look up Chris Lilley. I’m so bad even remembering what it’s called. But he did a lot of different comedy sketch shows. So I loved all of his content.

Danielle Krage:

Amazing, I’m gonna have to look him up. Did you say he’s Australian?

Kelly:

Yes, the show is Australian. Although they had a lot of Kiwi cast, so I’m not sure if he’s from New Zealand or Australia, but we like to claim Kiwis as our own sometimes. Just not the athletes. That’s sporting rivalry.

Danielle Krage:

Great. I think sometimes comedy can get so siloed. I’m aware that there’s all kinds of British comedy, I’m in the UK, that just doesn’t particularly get seen outside the UK. And then some will find its way across the Atlantic or some will just be remade across the Atlantic, like The Office. And I often think there must be so much fabulous comedy that’s in Madrid or that’s in Brazil that I just never see. I mean, I think that’s changing and that’s one of the things that’s amazing about having so many online creators where we can see people’s work. But I haven’t seen Chris Lilley so I’m definitely going to go and check him out now. That’s awesome.

Kelly:

I was just gonna say, I’ll sometimes spot Summer Heights High clips on Instagram. So I think it kind of made it over here a little bit. Oh, and Kath and Kim, that was another classic Aussie  comedy show you have to watch. I’ll sometimes spot Summer Heights High clips on Instagram. So I think it kind of made it over here a little bit. Oh, and Kath and Kim, that was another classic Aussie comedy show. You have to watch.

Danielle Krage:

Right I’ll have to check out those tips. And are there any other shows that you’re watching right now that you love, they don’t have to be Australian or Kiwi, they can be anything. What comedy shows are you enjoying?

Kelly:

Oh, Shrinking is so funny. I’ll be honest, I was not sold on the trailer, but then somebody in the industry who I really respect told me it’s a great show, and I was like, okay, I’ll give it a shot. It is so bloody funny. I’m actually laughing out loud and chuckling all the time, which, even when you watch something funny, you know, you like, clock, oh, that was funny. Or you’ll think, oh, you know, that was humorous. But you don’t actually laugh. No, this one has me laughing.

Danielle Krage:

And what’s the difference do you think? Because I really appreciate all kinds of comedy, but to get me to like really laugh out loud in comedy, like when I’m watching something. is quite challenging. I often feel really bad that I’m the person sat there going…hmm, that’s funny… but not actually laughing. So what got you to laugh out loud, do you think? Is it the characters or the setup? What do you think?

Kelly:

Yeah, I think when it’s so natural and it’s such a human response and it’s so awkward, when somebody’s acting awkward, I think that’s the funniest. And it’s just a very natural situation and just their response is like they’re just trying to play it off, but the way that they respond just makes it so much worse.

Danielle Krage:

Yeah, that makes sense. I love that. And so in terms of where you are in 2023, I know you were involved in so many different kinds of projects. What are you excited about as a creator?

Kelly:

Well, I’m in the Web3 space. I work in Web3. That’s kind of my day job and something I’m really passionate about. And through that… so Web3 covers NFTs, crypto, Metaverse, AI. Through that, I ended up being cast in a lot of different animated NFT series. And what I’m really excited about is, with NFTs, when you purchase the NFT, and this is not for all of them, so like, hashtag not all NFTs. But for the most part, you get to own the IP. So I will actually be purchasing these NFTs or these characters or these faces and these different animated characters who I would love to play in a series. And maybe I’ll even produce them to be in a series of my own. But I really like to collect them based on something I would like to do voiceover for and eventually turn that into my own content as well. Yeah, doing voiceovers is really fun for me and, you know, tying back to the fact that I’m lazy sometimes, you know, you don’t even have to do your hair and makeup. You just show up and it’s just your voice. So great.

Danielle Krage:

That’s great, I’m getting this lovely picture of you now. Like… I only do Zoom, in fact, I only do Zoom with a video off, in fact, it’s amazing. But I also love that you’re open to the Web3 space. I am too. And some people listening to this might be saying, what words are they speaking? Isn’t it all awful? But actually, I love in all the things I’ve read about you that you are a real innovator, whether it’s in the philanthropy space, whether it’s in the generating space. And I think Web3 and NFTs fit right. Like, there’s a lot in the space that can be challenging or problematic. There’s a lot of questions, there’s lots of things to be answered, but there’s also tons of opportunity, tons of amazing creators, tons of new ways of doing things. So it’s very forward-looking, and I think it’s so smart that you’ve already

Kelly:

Yeah, that’s how we met.

Danielle:

Yes. So I think it’s great that you’ve already got your eye on some of this IP and I can see how that would be so fun for animation and voiceover.

Are there any comedy animation series that you particularly love? For example, I have to admit I do really like Rick and Morty.

Kelly:

Oh, I was going to say that.

Danielle:

Were you? Okay, that’s good. Tell me.

Kelly:

I also love, shout out to the OGs like Futurama. Futurama was a great, you know, animated series that I used to watch. It was one of a few that actually made it to Australia. And The Simpsons like, you know, any sort of show that really has commentary on the world and climate and society that we live in, like South Park. Shows that really talk about that I think are quite clever. They’re not just silly mindless entertainment. But I also like something like Adventure Time, where it’s just a little bit absurd.

Danielle Krage:

Yeah. And I know from some of the projects that you’ve spearheaded and been involved in, that you do have a real interest in a wide range of different social issues and you really care about the impact that you’re having. What do you think comedy has to do with that? Because it might sound like it’s kind of separate, but I think there’s all kinds of ways in which it makes sense that they fit together.

Kelly:

Yeah, well that’s what Fifty Shades of Quarantine was. And if anyone wants to watch it, it’s just 50ShadesofQuarantine.com. And you can watch it there on the site. And it really was commentary. I think we have such a responsibility as filmmakers. And like you said in the very beginning, comedy has a beautiful ability to cut right to these very serious issues or not serious always, but it could be something that’s like, people just don’t really talk about or they don’t feel comfortable highlighting. But comedy, you can do that, that’s why I love watching stand up. Because they’re talking about very political issues quite often or very serious problems in society and that people don’t really feel comfortable talking about because they might feel like they’ll be shunned or judged. But comedians can do that in a way that’s entertaining and it’s funny. And they say it in a way where it’s not so harsh. I think Aussies and Brits actually… Well, Brits are a little bit more harsh in their delivery, you know. But there’s some cultures where we really were able to talk about serious things, because the way that we say it, or the openness in which it is portrayed and received, isn’t so confrontational. It’s really more of a, you know, you’re making a joke about it, or you’re being playful with it. Do I have to talk about that? This serious thing that’s gonna make everyone so serious and depressed. You know, you say it in a way where, instead of making people sad, you’re making them happy and laugh. It’s magic.

Danielle Krage:

It is magic. I quite agree. And that’s, I think, a lovely place to land with regards to getting a bit of an insight into behind the scenes and how you create and what you’re up to and what your vision is. Before we wrap up finally, I’d love to know though, if there’s any advice you’ve been given that you found really helpful or applied as it comes to comedy or craft or being a creative.

Kelly:

Yeah, something that my improv teachers have taught me really well is, like you don’t think about yourself. Oh my God, I’m going to sneeze.

Danielle Krage:

Oh, bless you!

Kelly:

That’s all of them coming to haunt me….like, I taught you better than this. I have better advice than don’t think about yourself. Sorry. Look at me. Just making it about myself. No, you really focus on, in part when acting and anything to do with comedy, and especially in improv and stand up, like really pay attention to the audience and really pay attention to your colleagues and people you’re on stage with because you get so much live information that if you try and stick to your script or stick to any sort of idea you’ve got in your head, you’re screwed because you’ll, all of a sudden you’ll be in your head, You’re trying to present a certain way, say a certain thing, and you will forget that in the moment that’s not how humans are. Like when we’re in a conversation, we are so aware, if you’re a good listener, which most people in LA are not, so pay attention.

Danielle Krage:

Oh.

Kelly:

When you’re in a conversation, you’re really paying attention because if somebody reacts odd or differently, you’re going to completely change the way that you’re speaking or you might even be like, oh, what did you think of that? Or like, are you okay? always pay attention to who we’re communicating with so the same is for… my cat almost fell. Stay safe.

Danielle Krage:

Oh no!

Kelly:

Doja.

Danielle Krage:

You knocked him over with your sneeze. It’s the reverberations, I think.

Kelly:

Oh yeah, it’s still going. That’s how strong my energy is. You know, there’s big vibes. You know, there’s crows, big crows, like giant crows. I don’t know. I think they’re eating children here in LA. Massive and I have a fire escape, so she’s like really paying attention to them.

Danielle Krage:

It’s good. We’ve had a pet theme so far in this podcast. In the last interview, my dog was reacting to guinea fowl that were tapping on the window like they were burglars. So it’s all good. This is the comedy slash animal intervention podcast.

Kelly:

Oh my god! My mom has guinea fowl. They’re the most obnoxious, loudest creatures ever. I remember she was woken up by them one morning at like 6am or something absurd. It should be illegal. And she like, just ran out there with a gum boot or something like, you know, boobs flapping. She didn’t care. She was just like on a fucking rampage against these guinea fowls.

Danielle Krage:

Oh my goodness, okay, that’s a very strong image to end on.

Kelly:

I’m no, I am, I’m actually the least funny person in my family, I have to tell you. My mom, my older sister, and my younger sister are all so bloody funny. I just try and like, I just try and absorb as much as I can and be just an umpteenth fraction, see, I’m like making up words, just trying to be as cool as them, of how funny they are.

Danielle Krage:

Now I’m imagining that we have to do a redo of this podcast, like around Christmas time or something and have the whole Pantaleoni family coming in. That would be amazing.

Kelly:

Oh my god. Well it’s actually women of three different families. So my mom is in Australia. My older sister grew up with her father in America. She’s in North Carolina. And then my younger sister grew up with my dad in North, Northern California. So it’s like three very funny families and I’m, like at the bottom of the ranks. Let me just tell you.

Danielle Krage:

Oh, I don’t believe that for a minute. No, I think you’re just very humble. But that’s wonderful. And I think that is really good advice about listening. And okay, so everyone in LA, listen up to Kelly. Stop what you’re doing and listen to Kelly and do what she says.

Kelly:

I’m begging of you.

Danielle Krage:

Yes. So if people want to connect with you and find out more about your work, including your hilarious short film, which I so enjoyed watching, where should they go to find you? And of course, I will put this in the show notes too.

Kelly:

Yeah, so I am quite proudly the only Kelly Pantaleoni out there. If there’s any others, just please just sit back and be humble and let me have the spotlight in this lifetime. So you can find me on all social media platforms as Kelly Pantaleoni. It’s a very long and obnoxious Italian last name. So definitely look in the show now how to spell that. But it’s actually spelled exactly how it sounds. Americans need to learn how to spell, I think. And I have a fiftyshadesofquarantine.com up online. The drama that I made in Vancouver that I mentioned earlier, it’s also online. It’s 40 seconds. So it’s 40seconds.com. And that’s based on the statistic that every 40 seconds somebody commits suicide. I should say somebody dies by suicide, because committing suicide was a phrase when it was illegal, so it’s a very backwards old-fashioned term. So yeah, you can find that at 40seconds.com and then also on my YouTube, which is under my name, Kelly Pantaleoni.

Danielle Krage:

It’s such a good name. It just makes me happy just saying it. I love it. Kelly Pantaleoni. Thank you so much for your time today Kelly.

Kelly:

Thank you.