One, Two, Three, Eyes on Natalie Rotter-Laitman and Charlie Bardey

This week, we’re highlighting 25 talented writers and performers for Vulture’s annual list “The Comedians You Should and Will Know.” Our goal is to introduce a wider audience to the talent that has the comedy community and industry buzzing. (You can read more about our methodology at the link above.) We asked the comedians on the list to answer a series of questions about their work, performing, goals for the future, and more. Next up are Charlie Bardey and Natalie Rotter-Laitman.

Tell us a story from your childhood you think explains why you ended up becoming a comedian.
Natalie Rotter-Laitman: As a child, I loved to laugh and play.

Charlie Bardey: There’s a picture of me as a child at maybe 3 years old from a family road trip. In it, I’m standing on a boat in front of a beautiful ocean vista, grimacing in distress. My dad wrote on the bottom of the printed photo, quoting me saying, “What if a storm comes? What if the boat sinks?” I’ve always been someone who loves to worry and agonize, and when you spend your time circling around your thoughts long enough, you might as well have a little fun with it.

What unscripted or reality series do you think you’d excel at? What archetype do you think you’d be?
N.R.L.: Chef’s Table, and I would want to be the chef’s wife who is like, “Yeah, he works a lot.”

C.B.: I want to be on Jeopardy! and to do really well!!!!!! I don’t think it’s in the cards for me, but how fabulous would it be if I could be like, “Who is Zsa Zsa Gabor?,” and win a game on TV? And I would come up with a little anecdote about my life. Mayim Bialik would say, “So it says here you like hummingbirds?” And I’d say “Yes! I saw one the other day. They’re so small.” God, that would be amazing.

What’s your proudest achievement of your comedy career so far?
N.R.L.: I think this is private, but I love, love, love you guys.

C.B.: For me it’s not private, which is fine. It’s selling out the Bell House and doing our show there. I love doing our show so much!!!!! I feel so lucky for it.

What have you learned about your own joke-writing process that you didn’t know when you started?
N.R.L.: It’s hard to get comfortable being onstage, and you’re getting better at that every time you perform, even if you don’t have material you like yet.

C.B.: I’ve learned that if I don’t write it down the second I think of it, I will simply forget it. You must write it down. Beyond that, you have to have a daily writing practice. It’s one of those things.

Tell us everything about your worst show ever. (This can involve venue, audience, other comedians on the lineup — anything!)
N.R.L.: I did a show for a high-school youth group and they talked the whole time, and I was like, “Shhh … One, two, three, eyes on me.”

C.B.: I did a show at an upstate Jewish Orthodox retreat. The mic was out, and everyone on the lineup was bombing except for Jay Jurden, who killed with a set talking about being queer. I went right after him, thinking he’d finally warmed them up, and as soon as I mentioned being gay, someone in the audience goes, “Oh GOD, not ANOTHER one.” Got my ass.

Let’s say we live in a “Kings of Catchphrase Comedy” alternate dimension where every single comedian is required to have a hit catchphrase. What’s yours and why?
N.R.L.: “This is how I feel — it is personal and evolving. I want to change in some ways and stay the same in others.”

C.B.: “All love” or “Rise and grind” or “Whateva!” or “THIS! Is American Idol.”

Nominate one comedian you don’t know personally you think is overdue for wider recognition and why you’re a fan of their work.
N.R.L.: My favorite comedian is Francesca D’Uva. She wrote the theme song for me and Charlie’s podcast, and she’s sooooooo talented. Everything she makes is original and insanely funny. I technically know her, but at the same time, can you ever really know someone?

C.B.: You know what? There’s this one girl on TikTok named Marie Pax who always makes me laugh. On Twitter, I really love @hexprax and @tonyhawktruther. And then, of course, needless to say, all of my friends, like Francesca D’Uva, Richard Perez, and thousands upon thousands of others.

When it comes to your comedy opinions — about material, performing, audience, trends you want to kill/revive, the industry, etc. — what hill will you die on? 
N.R.L.: I like when people are clear about what time the show starts, and if it’s later than when doors open, I like when they make that clear. Otherwise, people will take cars ’cause they think they’re late, but then they’re not.

C.B.: Don’t yell at the audience if they don’t laugh at your jokes!!!! I hate when you’re at a show and the comic makes a joke about, like, their mom and the audience doesn’t laugh, and the comic is like, “Oh, so you don’t like jokes about moms, huh??” And it’s like, No, we just didn’t like that one! It’s all good, queen!!! Keep it moving!!

If you had to come onstage to just one song for the rest of your life, what song would it be and why?
N.R.L.: “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele.

C.B.: “Show Me What” by A.G. Cook and Cecile Believe. You guys probably don’t even know this song, but why don’t you just trust me for once?

What is the best comedy advice, and then the worst comedy advice, you’ve ever received, either when you were starting out or more recently?
N.R.L.: I am still seeking amazing and horrible advice.

C.B.: Let me think for a second. Okay, here it is: The best advice I got is to focus on your work, not on your career. Career will drive you crazy and is out of your control, and it is so freeing to put your energy into Getting Better at your work, which you can always do even when you’re not getting any exciting life-changing emails or DMs.

The worst advice I got was that to be successful, I had to do at least three open mics a night. I’m sure that could have helped my stand-up, but it would have been so bad for my life! And that is seriously important.

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