Actress and comedian Rosalee Mayeux spoke with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about her new comedy special and her new indie movie “Love at First Spite.”
Let’s start at the beginning… How did a girl from Louisiana who grew up on a rice farm end up as a top Ford Model turned stand-up comedian?
Sometimes I feel like I’m Huey The Baby cartoon! Following the next thing, out and up, is the only way. All the good things that have happened to me were because something went wrong first, almost like my dreams had to die for better dreams to present themselves.
I flunked out of LSU and got a job as a store model, my husband cheated on me and I became a model in a bigger city, where I got discovered and taken to NY, when I was told next step was Paris, then eventually back to NY and got preggers so stopped modeling and got acting gigs, then got too old to act and learned directing, then got the bad diagnosis and started telling silly stories about all the painful stuff that now seems funny to me. Somehow, very funny after, you survived it!
You’ve spoken about wild adventures in the 80’s as a model. What was one of the most memorable moments from that experience?
My first print job was on the back of a Cigarette speedboat in Texas, with two cougars in heat, I had to stay calm, and my second job was on a buoy in the Caribbean Ocean surrounded by sharks. I began to wonder if I was going to be a bikini model or just a straight up zoo keeper.
You later went on to star in the likes of THE LAWNMOWER MAN with Pierce Brosnan, BLAST FROM THE PAST, and THEY CAME FROM OUTER SPACE. What has been your favorite role to date, and who have you enjoyed working with the most?
I did a scene on Magnum P.I. back in the day, with Tom Selleck and Carol Burnett, that I will never forget. She ad-libbed a line about Tom and my steamy connection: “Is there a fire hose somewhere …” and they kept it in the final edit, of course. Classic Ms. Burnett! Icon.
Do you have any Hollywood icons or other performers whom you’ve looked to for inspiration or who have shaped your path in any way?
Phyllis Diller and Lucille Ball are my heroes. And Carol Burnett. The Carlin and Pryor albums were so far above me that I couldn’t imagine trying their craft. If it wasn’t for The Comedy Store letting me get up on produced shows, the club’s “door guys” constant encouragement, the Improv letting me do 5 minute development spots, and The Laugh Factory putting me on a showcase, I could have never kept going. It really takes all that. It’s hard.
After working as an artist in residence with Quentin Tarantino’s commercial directing division, you ended up with a cancer diagnosis… How did you navigate such a challenging time, and how did humor play a part in your recovery?
That was a wild time in my life! I thought I was going to become a world-class commercial director, and ended up in a hospital being told to get my affairs in order. I didn’t have any time left. Wild. And scary. The boys were in their early twenties and moved back home to take care of me. Most of my laughter came from having them take care of me those years. Do NOT let your kids be in charge of cooking for you. If the cancer doesn’t kill you, their food will.
Your new comedy special, Model Mom (now streaming), blends sharp humor with relatable life experiences. What inspired you to tell this chapter of your story now, and what do you hope audiences take away from it?
I wrote Model Mom as a love letter to my kids. It was born out of my first five years of writing standup, which really was stories about being a tired single mom, and I mixed it with a short story called Coyote Nights, which won the Columbine Award at the Mermaid International Film Festival in Colorado. It was given for Non Violent Conflict Resolution.
I like to say, they gave it to me because I didn’t kill my sons’ pot dealer. I hope audiences will take away from Model Mom how strong we all need to be to raise good young men in today’s world. You have to be courageous and have a great big sense of humor!
Your latest film, Love at First Spite, showcases another side of your storytelling. Does acting in a romantic comedy tend to be easier or more challenging than commanding the stage as a stand-up comedian?
It’s a different muscle for sure, but it’s still comedy. Following a story someone else writes is a complete joy, you can lose yourself in another world. Standup, it’s all me, my thoughts, my words, which, God Help Us, can be annoying.
Your comedy often balances vulnerability with fearless honesty. How do you decide which personal experiences are ready to become material and which ones are still too close to home?
All the fear and pain eventually ends up in my act. I suppose by the time I’m done, all my underwear will be on display. The only thing that’s sacrosanct is my kids. All the fun I make never touches anything that’s currently in their lives. I ran everything by them that was about them, and all they said was, “damn, mom, hilarious.”
The entertainment industry is constantly evolving, especially for women redefining themselves later in their careers. Have you found audiences becoming more receptive to stories centered on resilience, authenticity, and second acts?
Yes! My first shock was when a group of twenty-year-old girls ran up to me after a show and said they were going straight home and paying their mom $500.00. Hilarious. They totally got me. Fun discovering how relatable my material was to them!
Looking ahead, what kind of legacy are you hoping to build—not just as a comedian or actress, but as someone who has inspired others to laugh through life’s toughest moments?
Be strong and brave, we only have a little time. Whatever you’re going through will only be a blip on your timeline. Be kind. You don’t know what the other person is going through. And then, if they’re still going to be horrible people, take ‘em out with Lucille Ball/Don Rickles clarity. Don’t miss.
For more information on actress and comedian Rosalee Mayeux, visit her official website and follow her on Instagram.
Photographer: Storm Santos
Stylist: Anna Schilling
H&MU: Kimberly Bragalone
H&MU Assistant: Alysha Marcantonio
