Rosalee Mayeux has been a high-fashion model, a Hollywood actress, a mother, and a cancer survivor, and somehow, she has managed to find the punchline in all of it. Bold, unfiltered, and utterly herself, Rosalee now brings her hard-earned wisdom and razor-sharp wit to the stand-up stage with her new comedy special, Rosalee Mayeux: Model Mom, a hilariously honest take on modern parenting, dating, and the beautiful chaos of life in Los Angeles.
We sat down with Rosalee to talk about trading the runway for the spotlight, why cancer was the best thing that ever happened to her comedy career, and how this Louisiana girl learned that the secret to surviving absolutely anything is a really, really good laugh.
You’ve lived so many lives—model, actress, comedian, mother. When you look back, what thread connects all of these chapters for you?
HUMOR. I have always wanted to make people laugh. Not take things so seriously. Life is so hard, but if we can possibly face it with humor, I think we win.
The fashion world often emphasizes perfection. Comedy thrives on imperfection. How did you navigate that shift?
I’m still balancing that. My nose is still crooked and so is my smile. When you’re young, constant criticism can crush you and leave a permanent mark. But it’s worth noting that this is the same with any art form. You always gotta watch out for the crits. What draws me to comedy is the challenge of writing a perfect joke. And I find that mentally much healthier.
Your special, ROSALEE MAYEUX: MODEL MOM, touches on modern parenting, dating, and life in Los Angeles. What larger cultural observations were you hoping to highlight through your comedy?
Perspectives.
Number one, I think we all think our parents were nuts. And they got smarter once we turned 30.
Number two, I come from another century, where you and your parents sacrificed a lot for the betterment of humankind. If my mother saw a dented can on the shelf of a grocery store, she bought that one to save the store money so they could stay in business. She never returned a thing. She was a genius, always with the bigger picture in mind. Never mind ptomaine poisoning, she could handle it.
Today’s level of self-centeredness is comical, and audiences today totally get it. That’s fun.
The landscape for women in comedy is evolving. What changes have you witnessed, and what still needs to happen?
I think women have had a really difficult time knowing our place in the world in general, not just in comedy. We haven’t been bosses as long as men, we have fewer examples to follow, we hate the brutality and yet can be unfair or cutting too, we don’t ask for what we deserve in the marketplace financially, we don’t even know what a door deal is. But then, if you’re too strong, who’s gonna love you? How are you going to stay safe when you buddy up to another comic who’s male?
We must find our road dogs, our supportive friends, carve out a good home life, and stay centered and strong. We ALL need a wife, lol. We’ve all been to the dark side. It’s no fun.
Humor became a survival tool for you. Was there a specific moment when you realized laughter could carry you through anything?
Cancer was SO HILARIOUS, it turned me from acting to stand-up comedy. There was no way I could say other people’s words anymore. #1 I could barely stand or talk, much less work 12 hours on a set, but #2 I realized I needed to be telling my own story. Authentic, raw, personal. It was time.
You’ve worked across film and television, including projects like The Lawnmower Man. How does performing on screen differ from commanding a live audience?
Oh my, it’s so different! I knew how to dig deep as an actress, and I adore that job, and know I can do that forever. Because I’ve been working with cameras all my life, I feel very comfortable revealing myself to a 35-person crew, my director, and my DP. But stand-up is absolutely wild! Working live is a beast of an experience. I’d gotten standing ovations on film and TV sets, even on stage at The Coronet with Dan Lauria. But at midnight, in a club, with an audience out for a laugh… that’s a different job entirely.
During these last ten years, I hit, I missed, I got butterflies, I wanted to feel love for what I was saying, I burped all the air I gasped. And finally, I had to put all that down, and now I can go out on stage and look into people’s faces. Sometimes I love them, sometimes they’re jerks, having a bad night before me. And that’s when you know, you’re gonna have a hell of a time, no matter what happens.
Your new film Love at First Spite adds another layer to your career. What drew you to that project?
I am one of the actresses in a group called Deadline Junkies, who wrote and produced this indie. Funny writing with a great premise, this sibling-rivalry wedding fiasco offered a joyful role of a mom torn by circumstances way beyond her control. So much fun to play! Available Now: Amazon Prime, written by Jordan Imiola, Marisa Dzintars, and Ian Longway.
When you’re not performing, you gravitate toward meditation, travel, and fashion. How do those rituals influence your creative process?
I’m kind of old-fashioned, which turns out to be now very much in fashion! If I wake up and pray, meditate, and ask the Universe for help being a better human, I know the day will go much better. When at home or on the road, my favorite thing is to get into a warm bath and let my brain roam. Inevitably, I’m writing a new bit or reviewing a bit in my set that needs expansion or simplifying. As an actor, I called it my shower work. Still holds true. Water is my healer, where I feel inspired.
I’m a sucker for gorgeous brocades and cut velvet fabrics, linens, and colors found in nature. My mom made all my clothes growing up. I never saw a Vogue until I was grown and out of the house. But she instilled in me a love of creating fashion from everything, from how she decorated her home to how she raised us. What taste she had! Straight out of Paris. She didn’t know I would become a high-fashion model, or a writer, or a comic, or an actress. And I see her influence in all of it. Ethics, some poverty, insanely good Cajun food. And yes, love of her family and God.
If you could go back and speak to your younger self, the girl from Shreveport who hadn’t yet seen the world, what would you tell her?
Well, I was only born into the adoption home in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I was quickly adopted out at 4 months. My parents never made me feel lucky, though; they said they were the lucky ones.
So … as a little baby … I’d tell myself: you’re safe. You’re with people who love you. And you’re hysterical, so just be yourself. Go forth and prosper …don’t trust everybody …and come home often, little twirly girl!
Photo Credits:
Photographer: Storm Santos
Stylist: Anna Schilling
H&MU: Kimberly Bragalone
H&MU Assistant: Alysha Marcantonio
