Comedians Christian Cintron, 7G, Juno Men & Jason Stuart of The Laugh Proud Comedy Festival: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Professional Comedian

Published in

Authority Magazine

14 min readJul 8, 2023

Juno: “Only kindness matters” — some wise words that the wife of a friend and mentor offered.
Christian: “You can never be lonely as long as you like who you are alone with.” I think we live in a society where people tend to hate themselves. Finding out how to love yourself helps others love you more or at least less uncomfortable about you crapping on yourself.
7G: Be the Change you want to see in the world
Jason: Learn to show up in life and know you are where you are and can always do better.

As a part of our series called “Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Professional Comedian”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Christian Cintron, Seven Graham ‘7G’, Juno Men, and Jason Stuart.

Christian Cintron is a jack-of-all-trades, master of fun. He’s a writer, comedian, actor, and psychic. He’s written for Hollywood.com, Queerty, The Authentic Gay, and Ranker to name a few. He created Stand Up 4 Your Power, a spiritual, self-improvement standup comedy class.

7G is the stand-up name of British artist Seven Graham: who is the world’s first Out hermaphrodite (aka intersex) comic to perform at the world famous Comedy Store and all over Los Angeles. 7G has opened for top comics, Gina Yashere and Monique Marvez, and was featured in a special article in the LA Times Comedy Special, in 2022. Seven is a producer/writer/actor living in Hollywood to get intersex, trans and LGBTQiA+ stories told by the major studios. Seven produced Hollywood’s first intersex movie, Ponyboi, with Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson. 7G is very excited to be part of Laugh Proud and to uplift queer, trans & intersex comedy! This Summer Seven is keeping things very LGBTQiA by creating a queer comedy brunch show -Alphabet Soup -with Alyssa Poteet to premiere at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in Scotland. Seven is very proud to be a Graham. And it feels like there’s a war raging against our LGBTQIA+ community, especially trans people, 7G is a warrior Celtic comic, fearless in the intimate subjects they talk about with searing honesty, taking no prisoners & giving 0 fucks.

Juno Men (she/her) is a Seattle-based comedian and writer. She is openly transgender and obviously Asian, the daughter of Cambodian immigrants. Her credits include the Upper Left Comedy Festival, Don’t Tell Comedy Seattle and Portland, hosting the Seattle Moth Storyslam, and making her 94 year old non-english speaking grandma laugh more than her siblings and cousins combined. She can be found online on instagram @seattlejuno and performing across the Pacific Northwest.

Jason Stuart came out publicly on the daytime syndicated Geraldo in 1993 and has been dubbed one of “the first openly gay stand-up comedian(s)” by various media outlets. For over four decades since appearing as “The Gay Dude” in Jim Wynorski’s 1984 cult feature The Lost Empire, Stuart has appeared in more than 160+ feature films and TV shows ranging from Amazon’s Goliath to Sundance winner The Birth of a Nation to the LGBTQ+ indie hit Tangerine to creating his own short form series Smothered and winning Best Actor in a Comedy at The Indie Series Awards.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Christian: I was raised by a single mom in Flushing, New York like The Nanny. I was very loved as the firstborn male in a Puerto Rican family but also bullied a lot. I think that imbalance led me to comedy.

7G: I grew up in the countryside in England, lots of sheep, the only thing you’d know about Wiltshire, the state I was raised in, is StoneHenge. So it was a really happening place in 3000C.

Juno: I grew up in Garden Grove California, about 45 minutes outside of LA and 15 minutes from Disneyland, and was super fortunate to be nestled right in the center of some of the best food in Southern California.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path as a comedian?

Christian: I tried having the “right job” in marketing. I was living in San Francisco and got let go on my birthday right before getting on a plane. My friend told me to move in with him in LA. From there my art became my life.

7G: I’ve been sober since 12.12.01 and every year I do a challenge to expand my world- Feel the Fear and Do it Anyways- in 2014 I did sky-diving. I don’t like small planes or being attached to a large man who looked like Shrek (my tandem partner). So in 2015 I was “what can I do that’s more scary than sky-diving…Stand-up comedy”. So i did a 6 week comedy course and Killed at my first show. Chasing that night every since.l

Jason: I wanted to be a great character and it was the 80s and nobody would give this gay kid a job! So I decided to take my career in my own hands and do stand up. It was not as popular as it is now. But I seem to excel, I think it was because I was so scared that people laughed!

Juno: I’ve known I wanted to do comedy in some fashion since I was in middle-school, but it took me a long time to get to a point where I finally took the leap into actually doing it. I’d done a few open mics and shows on and off since college, but it wasn’t until the pandemic and some pretty gnarly corporate burnout that I really started doing comedy and it’s been a genuinely rewarding experience since.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Christian: Growing up I loved Rodney Dangerfield. He was in one of my favorite movies, Ladybugs. Years later, I teach at the Rodney Dangerfield Institute at LACC. His estate put money into making comedy education more accessible.

7G: I did a bit called Classy Orgy that the audiences really liked..How I’m working through a Fuck-It List and got stuck on “I want to attend a CLASSY Orgy”. And no-one in Hollywood has invited me to one- they do happen, I’m told..So I’m going to start my own 7G Classy Orgy and collect audience members’ emails. My friend Alyssa Poteet gave me an “Ask me about my Classy Orgy Cap” for my birthday, which is fun to wear around LA. If you’re reading this and want to come? IG @hollywoodhermaphrodite

Jason: I got to live long enough to be in a special of new comedians of all walks in life, produced by gay people and was treated with respect for my work. And Im was an honoree for the OUT 100 in OUT magazine! Wowow!

Juno: Hmm, it’s hard to pick just one thing. I was once recognized in the city while on a first date and I really couldn’t have asked for a better unintentional date vamp, that was pretty cool.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?

Christian: In a comedy class, a woman asked me if I wanted to write jokes for Joan Rivers. I said, “No” because I was insanely insecure. If I knew then what I know now …this business requires a dash of delusional confidence.

7G: I often take my emotional support beagle Scotty on stage, he’s well behaved usually, but he escaped into the audience at one show and started humping an audience member’s leg- who found it hilarious. I got panicked about liability- you Americans love to sue, so I shouted out be careful of his dew claws. They’re very sharp. In an English accent that sounded very bad and/or funny to Americans.

Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Juno: First date experiences are dramatically enhanced via vamping from strangers on the street.

Christian: I learned the perils of doubting myself and the subtle joys of living in obscurity.

Jason: A man in the audience in Houston Texas screamed out “You all have aids”. Now with that said, the show was going really well. I had just kissed my BF from the stage on a dare! The room was rocking and just answered “ well I guess we are having an uncomfortable moment” the audience lol and I realized that improv was a skill that would change my work in comedy. And it has, as its my trademark.

7G: Don’t work with children and animals. Especially when the animals are horny.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Juno: Again, it’s hard to pick just one! Making the jump into comedy was so scary for me, in part because it felt like I was walking away from everything I was ‘supposed’ to want like a decent paying corporate job, a clearcut ladder to climb, and a retirement plan. But a ton of friends encouraged me to keep going and to prioritize happiness and fulfillment, and to them, I am and always will be incredibly grateful.

Christian: My friend Tony has believed in me way more than I ever have. Culturally, Latinos can sometimes be balloon poppers. Having someone who can gas you up and keep you feeling the joy of it all is vital in an artform like stand-up comedy.

7G: Monique Marvez has been very kind to me, a true ally, she’s taken me to open for her at strange places, for a Brit- like a cowboy bar- and taught me so much about the hard work, dedication and commitment to craft it takes to build a career. Her special on Amazon, Not Skinny, Not Blonde, is hilarious and I’ve learnt so much from her about honing a bit and crowd work- which I now love.

Jason: The people who helped me the most are other comedians. There are so many that I could cover this page with them. I’d say the Funny Bones, Laugh Factory and Impov’s hired me the most. And for that I am always grateful. But it was my Agent Shelly Wiess with OUTmedia who really stood behind me and held me up for 25 years until she retired. A queer woman who was not only booking my stand up work but also an activist who made a significant amount of change for LGBTQ performace artists such as myself. I just love her so much.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

Juno: You might think you suck when you first start out. And you probably will. I did, I still do a lot of the time. But the more you work at it, the closer you get to figuring out what kind of comedian/artist/storyteller you are, and the closer you get to that, the better you become at your craft. It’s just a journey of super suck to less suck.

Christian: I’d say, realistically, secure a stable means of income because this industry is about the artform before the money at first. Artistically, I would say find a way to put all of yourself in your art.

7G: Failure is winning, baby- the more you fail the more you learn.And failing means you are getting up and giving it a shot. I honestly believe you have to fail A LOT to succeed in this game. It’s like skateboarding, keep getting up, dust yourself down and learn from your mistakes.

Jason: A young comic asked me recently if she should be a comedian. I said if you have to ask…no. You need to really have a deep desire to do this kind of work especially if you are an lgbtq person. And if you are not really beautiful in that TV type of way … they seem to be picked up easier these days. Used to the misfits, not the influencers who the fans find attractive rather than lol funny. It’s a whole new world in comedy these days.

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

Juno: It’s been kind of a whirlwind. I really started doing stand up 2 years ago, and since then, I’ve been fortunate to get pulled into a variety of projects. I’m one of the hosts of the Moth Storytelling events in Seattle, working on a few tv and film scripts, and picking up a few ad hoc writing projects for others here and there. I also co-produce a few queer/feminist focused comedy shows and mics in the Seattle area.

Christian: I am finishing up the book version of Stand Up 4 Your Power. I am really happy with how I have helped people and want to do it on a grander scale.

7G: I’m creating an LGBTQIA+ comedy show with Alyssa Poteet that we are launching in Edinburgh Festival this August with some brilliant rising star comics- like Janaya Future Khan, Hank Chen and Fifi Dosch (first trans regular at the Comedy Store), it’s going to be a blast and then we are hoping to buy a rainbow tour bus and tour USA.

Jason: My series SMOTHERED that I co created & co starred with Mitch Hara is now out on 29 different platforms including REVRY, AMAZON. I was so thrilled to have won the Best Actor in a COmedy at the Indie Series Awards last year. The 2nd season is out now and the reviews have been wonderful. Its a short form series and we are also on the list to be nominated for an Emmy. So its very exciting time for us. I also have a straight boy comedy coming out in the summer called GARLIC PARMESAN and was a guest-star on the last season of GOLIATH opposite JK SIMONS and starring Billy Bob Thorton.

What do you do to get material to write your jokes? What is that creative process like?

Juno: A lot of my material touches on things that are actively on my mind. The last few years, I’ve thought a lot about what my coming out as a trans person was like, how that affected my friend and family relationships, and how it’s generally impacted by place in a society that is still working on understanding and normalizing queer experiences. I also draw a lot from my experience as an asian-american woman, and how that intersects with my experiences as an openly queer woman.

Christian: Honestly, it is a blend of pop culture references, hot takes and trauma. I write around funny things I say or some deeper things I am struggling with from dating drama to racism to trauma dumping.

7G: Anytime I laugh I make a mental note, I play around a lot in life and just say random shit, and some of it is funny. I take very unformed ideas on stage and play with them with the audience and that guides my creative process. Quite often I connect with the muse when the fire of the audience’s eyes are on me..And I stay very in the moment and let them see the process in action.

Jason: My mother, my crabby dating adventures and what it’s like getting older in 2023! #I don’t live with my mother, she lives next door!

Super. Here is our main question. What are your “Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Professional Comedian” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

7G:

Time takes time
you can’t learn this out of a book- magic happens on stage
Originality and being yourself may not land at first.
Don’t give up before the miracle happens
Drinking and drugs may help you with fear but you need to be sharp on stage (I do this sober- feelings aren’t facts).
I’m bad at numbers

Christian:

Take your time.
The audience doesn’t know what you wrote so don’t worry about being word perfect.
Never try to date another comedian.
Treasure the people who celebrate you.
Hydrate.

Juno:

Have fun. Seriously, this is the most important thing. I
Figure out who you want to work with and work towards that
Be confident!
You don’t need to be friends with every person you meet, but you should be friendly
Drink lots of water

Jason:

Breathe
Listen
Be kind
Don’t be an asshole
Be funny!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Juno: “Only kindness matters” — some wise words that the wife of a friend and mentor offered.

Christian: “You can never be lonely as long as you like who you are alone with.” I think we live in a society where people tend to hate themselves. Finding out how to love yourself helps others love you more or at least less uncomfortable about you crapping on yourself.

7G: Be the Change you want to see in the world

Jason: Learn to show up in life and know you are where you are and can always do better.

You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Christian: I wish we could all take more accountability for how we are feeling and have the uncomfortable conversations to grow and evolve. So much of our conflicts are people denying their deep truth.

7G: I believe that Laughter is the Best Medicine- it relieves pressure and helps people see the truth. I’m in Hollywood to get intersex people on Hollywood’s radar- until we exist as real human beings in our culture, Drs will keep telling parents we are Disorders and need surgery to fix us as male OR female.

Juno: Who said I was a person of huge influence? They’re a liar! Let’s start a movement against them!

Jason: Sometimes you need to put the shoes on of another person of a different experience in life and just shut up and listen. Know that your opinion is sometimes not really needed. You just need to give space for people to be heard.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

Juno: Laverne Cox, Elliot Page, or MJ Rodriguez. All of them have done incredible work to break barriers for trans folks in entertainment and storytelling. Also either of the Obamas.

Christian: Sera Gamble the creator of You and The Magicians. Both those shows cut to the heart of me. Working with her is a dream of mine. Or Channing Tatum because he’s magic…allegedly.

Jason: Barbra Striesand because she cares so much about the work and is so unapologetic about her work. She also made me feel less alone as a kid and gave me space in my mind to go to be me. Viola Davis. Quote “My dreams had to bigger than my fears.”

Don Rickles and Joan Rivers because they were just so damn funny!

7G: Ted Sarandos, CEO of Netflix, when I wrote an article about trans comedy for* LA Times recently I tried to get him to speak with me..crickets..I think he and I could have a very mutually beneficial lunch and bring some healing and new laughter to Netflix.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-03-31/trans-comedians-la-support-trans-day-of-visibility

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

Juno:

@seattlejuno on instagram, twitter, and bluesky

Christian Cintron:

Instagram/Youtube/Tiktok @standup4yourpower

Http://www.standup4yourpower.carrd.co

https://linktr.ee/standup4yourpower

7G: links https://linktr.ee/SevenGraham

I have nearly 3000 on IG @angelsareintersex but I’m building a new raunchy one- @hollywoodhermaphrodite

Jason: About 20,000 on all my social media all together

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Jason.Stuart.24?ref=hl#