Chillin’ With Actress, Comedian and Model CJ Franco

Alluring actress, comedian, and model CJ Franco was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. CJ has had a remarkable career as a comedian as she continues to grow her stage presence with each of her bookings.

She has performed across the country at some of the most popular comedy clubs including the Hollywood Improv, the Cobbs Comedy Club, Off the Hook Comedy Club, Improv Comedy Theatre Miami, the Hollywood Comedy as well as the Stand NYC, to name a few, and has performed alongside other comedic performers including Jeremy Piven, Pablo Francisco, Aivy Cordova, Jiaoying Summers, and Fumi Abe.

When CJ was younger, she was bullied for “looking different,” and she became shy around others. When CJ’S father came out as a gay man to his family, CJ got the courage to start defending him when the word spread. After high school, CJ moved to Los Angeles where she decided to pursue cosmetology, but after landing a job at a Beverly Hills hair salon, she felt unfulfilled.

Having been inspired to live her best life and take more risks after the passing of her best friend from cancer when she was 18, CJ began to explore other career paths which lead to her modeling career and would eventually take her to the stage for her comedy. CJ appeared on the reality show “FBOY Island” in 2021. When she is not prepping for upcoming shows, CJ enjoys Pilates, eating clean and vegan, and spending time with her fiancé, Len Wiseman.

Tell us about the projects you are working on.

I’ve got a new show coming out on Amazon prime that is a hilarious trainwreck hosted by Daniel Tosh! The strike is still going so I can’t get into details on that project quite yet. With all this down time I have been doing some local stand-up shows and toying with the idea of putting out a book with a touring standup group I work with called Models of Comedy.

With your busy schedule, what do you like to do with your downtime?

Animals have always been a passion of mine! I found a baby squirrel in the street a few weeks back during rush hour traffic. I abandoned my car and ran out to save it from being ran over! That one baby squirrel turned into three and now I have found a new hobby of nursing orphaned squirrels back to health. The squirrels and I both love to nap and need to eat every 4 hours so it’s a match made in heaven.

When you go out to eat, where do you like to dine?

Crossroads vegan kitchen is one of my absolute favorites especially to take non vegans!

What types of dishes do you typically order?

I have a plant-based diet and I generally keep it pretty clean and healthy, but when I dine out all I generally order is a bowl of pasta paired with a glass of wine.

Any favorite bars?

Sunset marquis’ bar 1800 is one of my favorite bars. It’s tucked into a hotel (so there’s great food). The vibe is dark and fun, and you never know who you’re going to meet! The hotel has a secret recording studio which attracts legendary artists and rockstars who will occasionally give an intimate performance on piano night. In my opinion it’s one of LA’s hidden gems.

Favorite drink?

This really depends what I’m eating, I have a fondness for Mexican and really feel like my best self after one spicy Margarita (I start writing new stand-up jokes on my second).

Do you prepare drinks at home?

I’ve recently started mixing my own drinks at home and trying new recipes with vodka, passion fruit, fresh squeezed citrus, and sparkling water. I try not to go too sweet, or I’ll be paying for it the next day!

Tell us about your home bar. What is it stocked with?

I keep a VERY well stocked bar, now if only I had the skills to back it up! have a modest wine fridge stocked with variations of Prisoner wine and several bottles of gifted vintage Dom Perignon that I will 100% be regifting.

Have you ever been a bartender?

I lied on my resume back in my early twenties and convinced every one of my customers to order my specialty! A vodka cranberry with lime, alternatively I gave them the option to help me pull up cocktail recipes if their heart was set on something else. Pretty sure I gave out a lot of premium alcohol. I don’t remember being fired but my career as a bartender never launched.

If you could share a drink with anyone, who would it be?

Keanu!