When Sydnee Washington steps on stage, she carries more than a mic—she carries the weight of her truth, the rhythm of New York grit, and a sharp humor that refuses to be boxed in. Fresh off her LOL Live stand-up special, which premiered on Hulu August 15 as part of Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat series, Washington has cemented herself as one of comedy’s most versatile voices. The half-hour set, filmed during Hartbeat Weekend in Las Vegas, placed her among a dynamic group of comedians like Brandi Denise, Daphnique Springs, and Chico Bean. But for Washington, who thrives in the intimate chaos of Brooklyn rooms and late-night crowd work, the Vegas spotlight was a chance to test herself in front of an entirely different audience—and she leaned in.
Washington’s career has been built on that kind of fearlessness. From her Emmy-nominated turn in Bridesman to her late-night debut last year on Seth Meyers, she has shown a range that defies easy labels: actor, writer, podcaster, storyteller, and of course, stand-up. Yet at the heart of her comedy is a willingness to be unflinchingly honest about her past, her anxieties, and her messy, glorious growth. In her own words, she’s “unhinged” and “reckless” on stage, but that’s the point—she takes ownership of her story before anyone else can, finding power in exposing her own flaws and turning them into laughter.
That authenticity comes at a time when comedy is both more accessible and more scrutinized than ever. Washington is candid about the pressures of algorithms, audience commentary, and an industry in flux, but she sees possibility, especially for Black women in comedy. Her special is proof: bold, personal, and deeply funny. “You can judge me,” she says with a grin, “but I hope you’re laughing while you’re judging.”
With LOL Live, Washington has entered a new chapter, one where her evolution as an artist feels both unstoppable and deeply grounded in who she’s always been.
ESSENCE: How did you first connect with Hartbeat and LOL Live for your standup special?
Sydnee Washington: Well, I knew Eric. I knew Kyle through Don’t Tell Comedy, and I’m sure because I’ve been on the scene for a while—they’ve seen me. First of all, I love Hartbeat, and I’ve done a set for Don’t Tell before, so I already knew it was going to look amazing. When they told me who was directing it, which was Marcus Russell Price, I was like, “I have to say yes.”
Hartbeat Weekend was amazing last year, there was a whole lot of energy in Las Vegas. How did you think that energy shaped your set?
Well, I just want to be honest—I’m a very New York City girl, so I’m used to Brooklyn and Manhattan rooms, and also I’m on the road a lot, but Vegas is very specific because it is very high energy. When I saw the girls in the Body-con dresses and the open-toed shoes, I said, “Yeah, this is just not my regular crowd, so I really have to put on.” I definitely adjusted to the energy in the room. It was obviously very big, very flashy and very beautiful, but these people come for a specific show and I want to make sure that I’m staying true to myself, but also making sure I’m connecting with the people. I love doing a little crowd work and chatting with the folks on the side. So I was able to do that within the set, and I had a great time doing it.
What does it mean to you to be included in the amazing lineup of comedians for LOL Live?
First of all, they’re highlighting black artists, black comedians—that some have been in the game longer than others—but it was just a great mixture of different voices and letting them know that we are not a monolith and we all have different perspectives, but we’re entertaining. I love that I was able to be highlighted within this group and know that every single person is different. I was watching a couple of their sets, even some of the sets that have already come out and I’m like, “Wow, yeah, a lot of us are not touching on the same topic, or if they are, they have a different spin on it.” So it’s good to know that they really thought about this and curated these specials in a way that really highlights everybody in the best way possible.
How do you feel about the state of standup comedy currently? Specifically as it pertains to Black women in the space.
So, this is going to be a little dicey for me because yes, there’s been an explosion of comedians coming up right now because of the internet and the fact that now we are the tastemakers. Now we are getting our own audiences and we don’t necessarily have to rely on the industry to uplift us. So, this is a good time. But I just remember right after 2020, I felt like people were really finding their own in terms of voices and things that they want to talk about. And it was so empowering because people were like, “you know what? All this stuff is going on. I better be myself because why am I catering to anybody else?” And I only want the people who really rock with me to rock with me now because people are so self-aware of what’s trending and what’s going viral and what the masses want.
It kind of puts a damper on things just a little bit because it’s like the way the algorithm works, you want to be in the mix. And as a comedian, we’re constantly online and we have to be because of our job. Side note—I’ve been off Instagram for five months. I was doing a cleanse. My anxiety is down, but you have to be in the know. And so I think it is an amazing time to be a black creator, a black comedian, because there’s so much reach now. You can get anybody in Detroit and then you’re all the way in South Africa, so that’s amazing. But I think there is this overwhelming need to also want to be seen. When I was coming up in comedy, it was okay to be niche. It was okay to have your own thing going and you don’t have to get everybody on board.
Talk to me more about this cleanse. How was that experience?
I am currently doing 75 hard, which is crazy. It’s very ironic to do 75 hard when literally the world is on fire. But it’s basically 75 days of working out twice a day—45 minutes, one indoor, one outdoor. You have to read 10 pages of nonfiction. I cut out caffeine, soda, red bull, and juice. No fried foods, and no sugar in the summertime. It was a moment of clarity. I needed discipline and I needed to know I could stick to something even though this is the hardest s**t that I’m doing at the moment, but I needed to step away from Instagram. I kind of want to reset and revamp myself, and also reinvent, and I couldn’t do that constantly being online and posting the old version of me. Are you going to do it?
I’ve done the milder version of it.
Well, I have a gym in my building, but I do a lot of walking. I love outdoor activity, and you could do anything outside if you want.
I’ll definitely give it a try. Now, you’ve been in the industry for some time. You were on Seth Meyers last year, and you’ve got this standup special premiering. I think that you’re more visible currently. Has your life at all changed? Has there been any shift in the way you move?
I just want to be the best version of me. I want to always be evolving and glowing outwardly and inwardly. I always want to elevate. So now, when I’m out and at shows and people [ask me for advice] It just lets me know that I’m doing the right thing, and that I’m on the right path.
Comedians have always been interesting to me, especially just with how they’re able to turn their trauma into laughter. How do you think your LOL Live special reflects your life currently?
Well, I will say that I was very unhinged and I was being reckless. I took a lot of risks. And so this body of work is obviously not my final anything—it’s just the beginning. But I’m glad that I was authentically me, that I was not afraid to make fun of stuff that you’re like, did you really tell them that? Because a lot of people are ashamed of their past or what they’ve done or things that they did. And the thing about being a comedian is you are in control of your POV. You are telling your own story, and no one can drag me more than myself. So whatever you say about me—I already did that work. So I’m trying to just relish in it and be funny.
I’ve always thought that standup comedy is the most difficult thing to do in entertainment by far. What is it that makes comedy special to you?
You are your own boss. With TV and writing, there’s a lot of editing from outside of people, outside networks, production—they all have their hands in it. And standup is really just yours. This is my story. This is my life. This happened to me. This is my perspective. I could do pretty much anything and everything that I want to do. And a lot of people do. And if you think there is no freedom of speech now; listen to some of the comedians when they are on stage. I just came up in a time where comedians would put things out there and we would respect the craft, but now the audience are so into commenting and dragging and critiquing, and there’s too many chefs in the kitchen when it comes to what standup should be.
That’s why I was always drawn to it because storytelling is an amazing art form.
Now I know art is subjective, and people take what they will from different things, but if you could, what do you hope viewers take away from your LOL Live set?
You could judge me, but I hope you’re laughing while you’re judging.
What’s next for you?I really want to tap into acting more. I really want to get back on the big screen again. Right now I’m working on an animation of me working in nightlife, so I’m trying to get that going. And then I hope to have another solo show that I can actually tour. I’m really hoping to know what’s the next move for the industry and the network because things have completely changed after the Writer’s Strike and the SAG Strike and all of that. So I want to see what’s next for us as well.