CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) – DJ Pryor is a comedian from Clarksville, and he’s doing big things in his career.
This past January, Pryor participated in the 2019 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase, which gathers potential new actors and comedians and gives them an outlet to show off their talents to network executives, showrunners, casting directors, and talent agents.
The showcase took place from January 15 through January 18 at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles. He was one of 21 actors and comedians selected out of a pool of 3,000 people who auditioned.
Talking about his comedic style, Pryor said, “I think every artist…evolves, and my comedy used to be about the game of clowning around and making people laugh, but I wasn’t talking about anything. Now, my stand-up represents my truth; talking about where I come from. My stand-up is about telling the truth, and doing it from such a unique perspective, with crazy energy, that people want to watch it.”
Photos courtesy of CBS
Pryor has been working towards being a comedian since his childhood.
“If I was getting in trouble, I would use (comedy) as a tool to make my grandmom, aunt, or my mom forget why I was in trouble.”
He eventually started telling his jokes in school to make his classmates laugh.
“I was like, ‘This is God’s gift,’ but I was using all the right tools at the wrong time. I was funny, but I was doing it all at the wrong time.”
Pryor elaborated, explaining that it was one of his teachers who opened up his eyes to that fact, and that the same teacher suggested he try stand-up comedy. His teacher also offered to let him use the last ten minutes of class to tell his jokes, but only if he could focus on his work until then. He accepted the deal, and it was at that point that he knew what he wanted to do in his career.
Despite his stand-up comedy taking him to Los Angeles and the like, Pryor intends to stay in Clarksville.
“People are like, ‘Man, you go all the way out to L.A. Why don’t you stay in L.A.?’ Because I like going up there and working, and coming back to Clarksville. I love it.”
In addition to his comedy, DJ Pryor is an established actor who aspires to further that aspect of his career. He has starred in several short films, but until now, his acting has fallen by the wayside when compared to his stand-up comedy.
That may change for Pryor this year, as he is currently looking at a number of potential outlets for his acting. Pryor can’t openly discuss any specific details at this time, but don’t be surprised if you see his name pop up more later this year.
If you are interested in learning more about DJ Pryor, his comedy, or the future of his career, you can find him on multiple social media outlets, where he is committed to keeping fans updated on his upcoming opportunities and live shows. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.