Lianna Carrera ’07 has had a lot of cool moments in her career, but one stands above the rest.
“There’s no feeling quite like writing a script and watching Kevin Hart say the words for the first time,” said Carrera, who works as a comedy writer for the star’s media company, HartBeat. “It was a surreal moment where I was like, ‘Wow. I’m doing it.’”
Carrera moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to pursue a career in stand-up comedy, something she found a passion for while emceeing an event at Randolph.
It was a big risk, moving across the country. But she was never averse to risk, especially during her time behind the Red Brick Wall.
“Randolph is sort of a wonderful incubator,” said Carrera. “Every time I went into the Dean of the College’s office, I would make them laugh with my plans and ideas, but nobody ever said no. It’s a testament to what a small community can do. I don’t know if I would have been nurtured the same way at a larger university. I left Randolph feeling like I could fly.”
During her senior year, Carrera even delayed graduation so she could qualify for one of the few spots available in The Second City Comedy Studies Program at Columbia College Chicago.
“I feel like creative minds are always up to hair-brained schemes. That, the audacity of youth and a college environment where I was made to believe that anything was possible led me to apply,” she said. “At the time, they were even asking for prerequisites that I did not have. Things like Acting 4, which the College didn’t even offer at the time. None of this stopped me from marching into the Dean of the College’s office, telling Dean Wallace that I think I’m supposed to be a comedian.”
Carrera was eventually accepted into the program, where she took classes in acting and writing for comedy, vocal training, improv, and movement.
“For the first time in my life, I got straight As,” she said. “It wasn’t like it was easy, either. It was very challenging. I just learned what I’m capable of when I apply myself.”
And it gave her the confidence she needed to pursue comedy full time.
“Looking back, I still had no real idea of what I was in for. I hodgepodged a career performing at colleges and small theaters around the country. And when I finally moved to L.A., the period of hearing ‘no’ more than I heard ‘yes’ would begin.”
She remembered someone telling her that making it in the industry by year 10 would be considered an overnight success.
“I think what people misunderstand about Hollywood is … everything,” she said. “I know I was certainly caught off guard. Of course, everyone who comes here thinks they’re the exception. That’s the magic of Hollywood. There’s a chance you can be. But for the most part, there’s too much money and too many careers on the line for casting directors, producers, and executives to greenlight just anything and anyone.
“Which ultimately means you really have to be in it for the long haul,” added Carrera, who is a stepmom to two children, ages 12 and 7, with her wife, Kim. “I’m either really smart or really stubborn. Time will tell.”
Everything she does onstage—perfecting her timing, trying out punchlines on different audiences—were a natural fit for a career in comedy writing, which she eventually pursued alongside her stand-up.
“I think it’s important when you get into any sort of entertainment career path, you’re able to expand on what those opportunities could be and what they could bring you,” said Carrera, who also worked for Will Smith’s multimedia company, Westbrook. “I was very focused on stand-up for a long time, and it feels like stand-up opened more doors than I knew were coming.”
Carrera also hosts The Q Agenda on LATV, where she and her cohosts discuss the intersections of Latinx and LGBTQ issues. They’re coming up on their 100th episode and, last year, were recognized on Out Magazine’s Out 100, as one of 100 Titans of Media and Entertainment.
In her own personal work, Carrera continues to explore ways to use comedy in everyday spaces and everyday ways.
In 2022, she developed and wrote A Comedian’s Guide to Wedding Speeches, which premiered at No. 1 on the Best New Releases in Humor and Entertainment Shorts category on Amazon’s Kindle Store. She plans to turn it into a series of books focusing on other topics, such as divorce, break-ups, and more.
“Comedy is a point of view on life,” she said. “It’s a choice every moment to see the humor. Even in tragedy, there’s wisdom in trying to see the glass half-full. My goal is to put out a series of books that help people apply the philosophy of comedy to hardships in their lives and process things like a comedian might.”
At HartBeat, she flexes her creative muscles writing, pitching, and executing ideas for campaigns featuring Hart and other leading comedians and entertainers. She’s worked across a range of categories, from movies, TV, and gaming to retail, tech, and travel.
She and her team have written digital content funded by brands like Hulu, Hyundai, Sam’s Club, Venus, and more. She also received her first television writing credit for Hart’s end of the year special on Peacock.
“As a writer, I get to touch a lot of different projects and different things,” said Carrera, the only full-time staff writer and creative on her team. “Kevin has so many different business ventures, so I get to tap into that. I still keep my stand-up ties, but I’m finding it so much more exciting to be part of a team that gets to creatively output content that millions of people see.”
This story appears in the Spring 2024 edition of Randolph College’s magazine, Vita Abundantior.
Tags: media and culture, outcomes, performing arts, political science, theatre, Vita Spring 2024