430: Anjelah Johnson-Reyes and Ugly Baby

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes! Comedian! Actor! Podcaster! Friend! Delight! More!

We have a great chat and you can have a great listen!

Anjelah's 7th comedy special, “Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Ugly Baby” (a self-financed and self-produced special where she makes her directorial debut) is out today, May 10, 2026 starting at 12PM PDT / 2PM CDT on her YouTube channel!

From the special's press release, the show is "a dynamic hour of standup that blends humor and heart, exploring ever-evolving family dynamics, embracing her current stage of life, and the grand adventure of becoming a first-time mom in her later years.
 
Following the success of her last two specials, 'Say I Won’t' (over 8.6M views and counting) and 'Technically Not Stalking' (over 3.1M views and counting), it only makes sense that Anjelah also brings her 7th special to YouTube to continue making her comedy available to fans all over the world. The platform has been a home for Anjelah for over 20 years, ever since her 'Nail Salon' joke went viral.

At the core of the special is Anjelah’s journey into motherhood in her 40s. Using her natural wit and charm, she opens up about personal struggles with fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum life, while touching on the universal themes of relationships, generational shifts, and fighting people on airplanes. Anjelah’s special is anchored in her relatability – you can’t help but feel that she is your cool Tia commiserating with you on everything.

Ahead of the new special, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes shares:
'I’m grateful that I’ve been able to do this 7 times. My boobs may be falling lower but at least my career continues to reach new heights, all thanks to my loyal fans that have been riding with me for so long. I hope you enjoy my most vulnerable hour yet!'

Filmed live across two sold-out shows at the historic El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, the special is a co-production between her Laugh On Beat production company and 800 Pound Gorilla. The special was directed by Anjelah Johnson-Reyes and executive produced by Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Manwell Reyes, Stephen Gordon Walker, and Jordan Levy.

Anjelah is one of the most successful stand-up comedians today with six comedy specials streaming on various platforms and selling out theaters across the world. Her 7th comedy special serves as the capstone to her largely successful “The Family Reunion” stand-up comedy tour, which spanned 100+ shows in major theaters across the US in 2025–2026. Over the course of the tour she sold over 200,000 tickets including two sold out shows at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, 4 sold out shows at The Grove of Anaheim, a sold out show at Smart Financial Centre in Houston, TX, and a sold out show at The Ryman in Nashville, TN.

Born and raised in San Jose, California, and of Mexican and Native American descent, Anjelah has guest starred on shows such as Life & Beth, Superstore, The Shield, Ugly Betty, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Her film roles include Enough Said, Our Family Wedding, and Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Most recently, Anjelah joined Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross in the Amazon
Prime feature, Candy Cane Lane. In February 2024, she returned for the second season of the Hulu original series, Life & Beth, and also hosted the 8-episode Tubi original series, My Crazy Quince, which premiered in May 2024.

Anjelah published her first memoir titled, Who Do I Think I Am?: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams, in March 2022. She also recently launched her new comedy and mental health podcast, Funjelah, where Anjelah and her guests recount the things that they are grateful for and dive deep into how those gratitudes affect their lives.

Based out of Nashville and Los Angeles, Anjelah lives with her husband Manwell, their daughter Rosie,
and their dog Banzo."

Enjoy!

And this is only the first HALF of our chat. 
For part two, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or just click on over here to Patreon!