We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Claire Rufin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Claire, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
The first moment I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path, particularly that in TV and Film, was when I was around 8 years old. I vividly remember watching Kristen Wiig portray “Gilly” on Saturday Night Live, turning to my mom and saying, “That’s what I’m gonna do when I grow up.” Of course she giggled and took it as a fleeting desire to dress in a silly costume and fake an overbite, but I meant it so deeply, and have meant it every day since. The idea that I could make my job about spreading joy and laughter, something I knew I was confident in pursuing, felt like the most natural option for my future. From that point on, I operated in my every day life with the certainty that that would be my career path, which I will forever be grateful for. The freedom that came with zeroing in on my wildest dreams from such an early age and sticking to them is unlike any other life choice I’ve made. I think the hardest part of pursuing this career is how often you’re told growing up that it’s unrealistic and a one in a million shot while still keeping the power to deflect those projections and realize -someone- has to do it; because while everyone says how impossible it is, series are still being made, films are still going from theaters to streaming- to us, and remaining just as impactful as they always have been.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started in screenwriting and acting primarily in college, studying at DePaul University in Comedy Arts, TV & Filmmaking with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. I now produce many live comedy shows, most notably Little Miss Anthropes at The Lincoln Lodge Theater in Chicago, a stand-up comedy drag pageant in which the crown is not awarded to the funniest queen or prettiest queen, but to the most downright evil b*tch that graces the stage- focusing on current social commentary and queer culture. I am also currently working in adult animation TV writing and will be starring as “Piper” in an upcoming short-form comedy series “Road To Healing” written by Clare Margaret Donovan and directed by Maxwell Acee Donovan. In my work I think it’s always important to highlight what makes us human and the stark, sometimes laughable, lack of it. I like to think of my writing as very tongue-in-cheek humor with zany characters along the way that will sometimes shock you with a poignant feeling of relatability in relation to what is all of our first time living.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
As cliche as it may sound, watching “Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian” was a pivotal moment for me in terms of my outlook on a lifetime and career in comedy. While watching Jerry in the start of his career is interesting, the more impactful aspect of the film for me was the journey of Orny Adams, another up and coming comedian who at the time seemed to hold the same comedic promise as Jerry, but couldn’t step out of his own way to save his life. Learning that that mindset can easily creep up on you, regardless of success, is something I always try to keep in perspective. While it is incredibly important to push yourself and be open to critiques, it is also crucial to celebrate and dedicate conscious gratitude to your wins and successes. It can be easy in such a fast-paced industry to move on from a large feat to conquer the next one, but you should never lose the ability to acknowledge how proud a past version of yourself, or current, is of your accomplishments.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I think one of the biggest pivots I had to make in life was in navigating the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I was born and raised in New Orleans and unfortunately lost my house in the floods. Much of the city has improved, but many things will also never be the same. Going through such an upheaval at a young age that effected my entire hometown, one that was left to fend for themselves by the careless administration at the time, made me so grateful for the things that can be achieved through the strength of community. New Orleans is a resilient city filled with a culture far exceeding what most understand of it, and to be a witness to its destruction and subsequent renewal has been something that will forever change my outlook on life and the people we meet in it. Everyone has something to teach us, and it is important to look for the voices less heard and places most overlooked in order to make their stories not just known, but understood, especially when it comes to Southern Black American experiences which are solemnly explored.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @claireannalee @littlemissanthropes
- Twitter: @claireannalee
- Other: TikTok: @crufin89
Image Credits
Daija Guy, Sarah Larson, Gebby Simpson