DC Pierson
You may recognize DC Pierson from a couple of things. More than likely, you know him from the sketch comedy group, Derrick Comedy, though you may know him as the guy who did standup at your school, as the author of that hilarious book you read, or even as the long haired guy from that one Allstate commercial. Whichever one it is, there is no denying that DC Pierson has quite the impressive resume.
The author, actor, comedian and rapper has been hard at work making a name for himself. Every week, Pierson is involved in two comedy shows in Los Angeles. Saturday nights he does standup in a show called Magic Bag at The Underground Annex and Sunday nights, the comedian joins his improv troupe, Shitty Jobs, for a show at the UCB Theatre.
DC Pierson with his improv troupe, Shitty Jobs
The multitalented individual also writes short music-based comedy pieces for the music podcast website, lowtimespodcast.com. “I’m proud of those, people should check those out,” he says.
These weekly shows and scripts are just some of the many things Pierson is involved with. In 2013, Pierson will appear on the big screen alongside the likes of fellow Derrick Comedy members, Donald Glover and Dominic Dierkes (my crush!), as well as an impressive cast including Aubrey Plaza, Rachel Bilson, Connie Britton, and Bill Hader in The Hand Job (or is it The To-Do List?).
“I think they’re going to call it The Hand Job,” Pierson tells me. “I think that they were just calling it The To-Do List during production because they were shooting at a school. They didn’t want the school to catch on and yell at them for shooting a movie called The Hand Job on the grounds of their elementary school.”
In addition, the comedian has been working with Dan Eckman and Meggie McFadden, two other members of Derrick Comedy, on writing a script for his 2010 novel, The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To. Pierson says the plan is for Dan to direct the movie and for Meggie to produce.
DC has also just finished what he hopes to be the final round of revisions for his young adult novel. The book is not set to be released until 2013 which is causing Pierson to be “very secretive” about any details. “It’s got a long way to go before it comes out so I want to parse out how much I talk about it,” he says.
To broaden his accomplishments, Pierson has even been working on his flow. In the past, he has rapped a couple verses on some of Donald Glover’s tracks, but recently he came out with his own song, “It’s a Shame.” Pierson says he has always been drawn to rapping.
“I’ve always been a really big fan of the music and I always thought that anybody who was really concerned with words and really enjoyed words, like anyone that was a really big reader or writer, it should be something that they should enjoy on some level. And I’ve always really liked it. It was sort of just something that I was like, ‘oh let me give this a try.’ When Donald and I were both in college, I tried it and it’s fun; it’s just sort of a fun exercise.”
Sometime this year Pierson will be coming out with his first EP, which will include seven rap songs that he recently recorded. Like Donald Glover’s early work, Pierson will be releasing the album online for free.
When asked what kind of music he listens to, Pierson says he doesn’t limit himself. This being said, the comedian has been listening to a lot of rap lately.
“I am very big into a lot of rappers that are around in New York right now. Like all the guys from Das Racist I really enjoy and there’s a guy named Lakutis who’s kind of in their extended family who I like a lot. There’s a rapper, also in New York, called Action Bronson that I really like. He’s a big dude who’s also a chef. I like him a great deal. I like a lot of stuff, but that’s sort of what I’ve been listening to a lot recently.”
With so many amazing accomplishments, I was curious as to who Pierson looks up to. Turns out he has quite a list.
“As far as comedians, I would say Paul F. Tompkins and Patton Oswalt are kind of my really big heroes. I also really like a comedian named John Mulaney who’s also a writer for SNL. He just had another Comedy Central Special that was really amazing. I’m also a really big fan of a guy named Tom Scharpling who does a comedy radio show called The Best Show on the WFMU in New Jersey. He’s a really big hero of mine.
I guess as far as writers go, or like novelists go, I’ve been very obsessed recently with A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, which is the series that the TV show Game of Thrones is based on. I just started the fourth book in the series today and I’ve been really enjoying that. I think he’s a pretty cool guy.”
DC looks up to Oswalt, Tompkins, Mulaney, and Scharpling as comedians
Pierson also looks up to director Steven Soderbergh. When asked what movie he last saw in theaters, Pierson informed me it was Soderbergh’s Haywire. Like many of the director’s movies, he thoroughly enjoyed it and continued to say what he admired most about Soderbergh.
“He’s always making something that’s really interesting and cool and he’s someone whose career I would kind of seek to emulate. Not necessarily that I want to be a director but more just somebody who’s always doing something cool and interesting. Even if you don’t always love what they make you always really respect it and you want to see what they’re going to do next.”
When I asked what TV shows Pierson had been into lately, his response was not one I expected.
“My girlfriend and I just finished watching the second season of Teen Mom 2, which is really good. She got me into that. Very high drama, a lot of girls making a lot of very stupid decisions, a lot of really awful baby daddy’s – it’s got everything you could possibly want if you like to watch people make really terrible decisions for really immature reasons.”
The Teen Mom 2 fan really does have the full package. He acts, raps, writes, and makes us all laugh pretty successfully. Where can we expect Pierson in ten years?
“I want to keep doing all the various things that I’m doing and write books by myself and make other stuff with my friends,” he says.
