By Elia Esparza
HBO Latino Presents Erik Rivera: Super White Debuts
Friday, November 1st at 9:30-10:000 PM (ET/PT)
Funnyman Erik Rivera has been on a steady rise for several years. I first became aware of him in 2011when he made his late-night debut on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, a springboard opportunity that every comedian dreams of!
After that Guatemalan/Puerto Rican comedian was invited to perform at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Kevin Hart‘s Laugh Out Loud Network, and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. In 2014, he starred in Jeff Valdez‘s NUVOtv special, Erik Rivera: I’m No Expert.
Ever since the NYC comedy scene discovered Rivera, his star has consistently been on the rise and a regular at NYC and L.A. comedy clubs such as The Comedy Cellar, Comic Strip Live, Gotham Comedy Club, The Laugh Factory, and The Comedy & Magic Club. Recently, he co-starred in CBS’s most talked-about episode of Superior Donuts, where he tackled the current state of immigration in the U.S.
After Rivera’s unforgettable, heart-warming performance on HBO’S Entre Nos: Spot On earlier this year, he returns to star in his own HBO Latino half-hour comedy special, Entre Nos Presents Erik Rivera: SuperWhite. In his first solo stand-up special for the network, he jokes on “levels of whiteness,” gross ba
LatinHeat: Congratulations on your HBO Latino special! Was it hard to convince HBO on the subject matter ‘Super White?’ It had to rattle some non-Latino nerves.
Erik Rivera: Yeah, well at first they were a bit taken aback but when they listened to my show, they totally got it and there just couldn’t be any better title.
LH: How much different is performing for cable television than performing on your normal tour circuit?
ER: Television and live is always going to be different. I mean it’s comedy but stand-up audiences and TV audiences are
LH: When did you first realize you could make people laugh?
ER: [Laughs] With family. I guess during summer family gatherings we’d be sitting around BBQueing and we’d all sit around making fun of each other, making each other laugh. But from an early age it was obvious I had those comedy chops. I always tell people that I come from a family who if they laugh at your jokes, it’s because they love you.
LH: Do you see your comedy as educating the audience or more
ER: I think that with this HBO special I’m doing a little bit of both. I just want to entertain and give everyone a break and I’m not preaching at you because I respect that if you’re going to watch the show, then it’s great if I can give them a half-hour of funny where they can forget about whatever else is going on in their day. And at the same time, I’m subtly educating you. With Super White, I am talking about my life and sort being an American born Latino or what it means to be an American Latino in this country during this climate right now. I talk about my family. I talk about myself, my marriage, and assimilating to be “American,” also at the same time of trying not to lose my culture. Sad that this is not a conversation we’re currently having and as Latinos at times we can get lost [somewhere in between].
LH: Yes, it’s a conversation we should be having.
ER: Yes it is and why I feel a lot of platforms are failing because they’re not buying that content that provides those important stories that we need Latinos need to hear. HBO Latino created the Entre Nos brand that showcases comedians who are of different shades and flavors of brown—Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Panamanians, Mexicans, every Latino in the United States. Entre Nos is spotlights comedians if all shades of brown like myself allowing us to tell our particular stories. If you look across the board, the other networks are failing. There is no network Latino sitcom telling our stories. One Day At A Time was on Netflix and now they’re on POP TV, but
LH: In your opinion are comics made or born?
ER: I believe you are funny. But when it comes to standup comedy you have to learn how to structure a joke. There are comedy classes out there to take but it’s not going to make you funny. I believe you’re either born to be funny or not. I think you can learn the structure of it and see if you have what it takes to be funny.
LH: Hanging around with comics… I’ve picked up on some comic lingo they use to describe their experiences in dramatic terms… ‘I bombed’ or ‘I killed’… Can you recall the first time you died and how you felt?
ER: [Laughs] You know it’s funny because when you bomb it is not the best feeling in the world. It is very humbling and at the time you’ve got this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. The first time I bombed, I wanted to quit. I was at this club that wasn’t in the best shape and I could hear water from a pipe behind me dripping. That’s how quiet it was and I just remember wanting to quit. Now that I’ve got years under my belt, I look back at it, I know it was a lesson. And in comedy lessons can be brutal. But the only way to learn is you really have to fall down.
LH: Conversely, do you remember the first time you killed?
ER: Some of the favorite times I remember was that time on Jay Leno and I killed it big! This feeling will stay with me for the rest of my career. Oh my God, that was the most amazing show ever! And, when I shot the special in San Antonio the live audience gave so much energy it was almost overwhelming.
LH: How long did it take you to get from opening act to middle act and eventually to closing? – the headliner?
To every young man or woman thinking of pursuing comedy, know that it’s a tough road. Stay focused on your goals and surround yourself with a support group– trusted friends– And, understand there is no
rymne nor reason as to why some ‘make it’ or some don’t. If you’re Latino, support each other, root for each other. It’s not good to be divided. Support and uplift each other because it is the only way we Latinos will finally be able to forge ahead and break the barriers holding us back.” — Erik Rivera
ER: It’s very different for everybody and everybody’s trajectory is different. I always feel bad for comics just starting out when they ask ‘so what’s the timeline?’ Look, it’s different for all. I mean Dave Chappelle got his first TV deal when he was 18, or you look at someone like George Lopez, his big TV deal didn’t come until he was 40. There is no rhyme nor reason to this. My wife and I talk about this a lot. She comes from the corporate world and she’s like ‘in two years if you work hard, there’s a promotion.’ I remember when I first started out she would ask those questions, ‘so how does it work for comic do you sit down in front of a board?’ [Chuckles] No there is no me sitting in front of Chris Rock or rocket science to it… no way to really chart it when it comes to a profession in comedy.
LH: Was there any established comic who reached out to you and gave you encouragement or mentors who gave you advice?
ER: When I first started in New York there were a lot of guys when I was on the road would help me out. Robert Kelly, who was based in New York and had his own show, there’s Godfrey, who was a big spokesperson for 7-Up and has been on everything from Soul Plane to his own specials out, and in time as I started getting more experience I always tell people you should get your own little foundation– your own group of friends, people you can rely on. I have that now where comics like a Felipe Esparza and actor-comic Anthony “AJ” Johnson whom I can reach out to and other friends, guys who I trust. It’s good to have a circle of people you can trust and rely on when you’re unsure or conflicted about something. You need your own support group.
LH: Comics all have their idols or role model… who are yours? Who has helped you most in your career?
ER: I’d be lying if I didn’t say, my father. A lot of times my mother would work nights and my father was left to watch me and if you know anything about old school Latino fathers, they were not equipped to watch children. Him watching me consisted of, ‘Hey, your mom’s gone, go get me a beer out of the frig.’ And, we’d watch HBO shows that really a child should not be watching because there is a lot of adult content. But, I remember at a young age watching an Eddie Murphy special, or watching Richard Pryor and John Leguizamo’s Mambo Mouth! I was just a young kid and I shouldn’t have been watching any of these shows at that time but little did my father know as he’s having his beer and having a good time, I’m being influenced by these people. And, maybe that put the comedy seed in me at an early age that I was unaware of. Up until I started watching these comedians on TV, I didn’t know that was what I wanted to do one day.
LH: What are the elements of pain in your life that help fuel your comedy?
ER: I think as you go on in life there are different things you deal with and as a comedian, I have the ability to talk about different phases in my life and it does help people. I have spoken a lot about my father’s passing. He died of Parkinson’s and it was something my family and I had to deal with for 15 years. I didn’t realize how much it was going to resonate with people until I started talking about it on stage and then I did that special and I received so many messages and feedback. The outpouring of positive response was amazing– people thanking me because they too were going through the same thing. And by me talking about it really helped a lot of audience members who were dealing with the same
LH: What do you hope to accomplish most with your career?
ER: Working with Eva Longoria again, and we’re hoping that we can finally get representation on the network platform. We need to finally get a Latino sitcom back on the air. There haven’t been that many in recent times– George Lopez, Cristela, there is just a lot of gap in between where nothing has happened and even though networks claim they want to do this, well we’re out there! We’re ready! We’re waiting. We want to see us represented! It’s sad how we’re not represented because we make up a big chunk of the majority of the population!
Thank you, Erik!
In high demand, Rivera continues to tour comedy clubs and colleges nationwide. When not touring, the comedian calls both New York City and Los Angeles home.
Follow Erik Rivera on social media:
Website: https://www.erikrivera.com
Facebook
Twitter @ErikRivera
Instagram @erikriveracomedy
HBO Latino Presents Erik Rivera: Super White
Debuts Friday, November 1st at 9:30-10:000 PM (ET/PT)
Simultaneously across all of the channel’s platforms including HBO Now, HBO Go®, HBO On Demand® and partners’ streaming platforms.
