Email: neill@outloudculture.com
Nicole DuBois is a multi-hyphenate American actress, writer and comedian with over 1 million social media followers. Best known for her comedic sketches, parodies and original characters like “Florida Girl”, “Suburban Mom” and “Hallmark Girl”, DuBois is currently gearing up for her film debut as the writer, producer and star of the Tubi original romantic comedy, “Magic Carpet Ride”. Prior to her leading role, Nicole also appeared in FX’s “You’re the Worst” and Apple TV’s “The Shrink Next Door” and performed multiple shows on the revered Comedy Central Stage. Recently Nicole’s TikTok was highlighted as one of the “Funniest accounts” by FunnyOrDie.com.
Hi Nicole and welcome to OLC! Absolute pleasure to have you here, so where did your journey begin and how did it lead you to the path you are currently on?
What an intense first question! I’ve been on so many journeys haha. It all started when my mom birthed me into the world. Skip ahead a bunch of years. I guess it started when I decided I wouldn’t make it as a pop star and realized I was getting a lot of laughs doing improv comedy. I was a struggling actor in LA for years and years. Making short films. Doing live comedy shows. Trying to get anyone to give me an audition. The usual. When I started getting some attention for my characters on TikTok was when everything started to turn around for me. I’ve been writing and creating my own project for years, but this is my first project that has had success and actually made it out into the world in a significant way. I imagine all my other failed projects cheering and crying so proud of this one for making it out.
What has been the most challenging part for you since beginning in the industry?
It’s a challenging industry to break into. It also seems like whatever you do, there’s the next step that is just as difficult to accomplish as the last step, so it’s this constant feeling that I should be doing more. I’m working to appreciate the phase I’m in instead of always feeling like I’m not where I want to be. Also the fashion… how does everyone have such cool clothes at every event and on that note how did they get so good at makeup?
You have a new film which you wrote, produced and starred in called ‘Magic Carpet Rides’, can you tell our followers a little bit about the movie and what inspired you to write it?
Yes I do! Magic Carpet Rides is a hilarious, feel good rom-com that takes everything we love about the classic rom-com and makes it current and real. It’s about the social media addicted [protagonist] Callie, who meets a guy who lives on a boat with basically no technology, Leo, and decides to try to live in his world. It’s romantic and silly, but it also touches on some very real anxieties and insecurities about dating in LA in your 20’s.
Magic Carpet Rides was inspired by a short film I worked on with Matt (Thompson), the director, in college. I was talking to him casually about how I was approached to work on a rom-com and he said “why don’t we bring back Love in Leo’s World”, which was what the short film was called. What the film became is unrecognizable from the short film, but we kept the concept of the female character being phone and social media obsessed and the male character living outside of technology. When we started writing I had just started having a larger social media presence and getting invited to influencer events and being a part of that world, so a lot of the movie is pulled from my own experiences. It’s not based on me, okay! I’m not a nightmare influencer (for now)! BUT I do know that world very well.
Previously you’ve written sketches, so what made you want to write a rom-com this time?
Previously you’ve only seen my sketches, but I’ve written piles of long form scripts. I’ve been writing for years and trying to pitch projects. People on my socials really love seeing me parody rom-coms. I’ve made so many 30 second videos of me making fun of the classic rom-com, so I think it’s exciting to then be able to give the people what they want and make a real one. I also just love watching rom-coms. If I’m alone in my house you won’t find me watching a horror film or an action move. I want comedy, I want romance and I don’t want to see anyone’s guts fall out of their body.
I’ve always been fascinated by screenwriting, is it hard to write one? I would imagine a lot of detail would have to go into it? And once you’ve written it how do you even get it to the screen lol?
It’s hard to do anything well. It just takes a lot of dedication and practice. I don’t know how you get it to the screen! I just did it one time! You write something good, then you rewrite it, then you rewrite it again and again and again… then you hit the pavement and try to get it in-front of someone with the ability to produce it. Then after that they have to like it as much as you do. You also have to be able to show that this film is going to make more money than it costs to make it, so you have to attach credible people or have some plan for marketing. Then once you have a couple projects out you become that credible person that sells films and I assume it gets easier. I’m still on the journey to prove myself in that respect.
I’d love to write my own film one day, how important do you think writers are for Hollywood, I mean I would imagine without them, a lot of movies and shows wouldn’t exist?
No movies or shows would exist without writers. You need a script. Even in an improvised show the writers write the basis for every scene. AI scripts are so dumb and uninteresting, no offense computer. Humans know the human experience and writers write that human experience in a way that is interesting and entertaining. There’s just no way to make anything great without great writers. The best directors and the best actors will still make a bad movie with a bad script. Writers are so important!
What are you most excited for audiences to see when they watch your movie?
I’m excited for them to see the cast! We assembled such an amazing cast for this film, some of which are “internet comedians” and I’m excited for people to see them outside of the apps and in a film.
What advice can you give to other young women hoping to get their big break in Hollywood?
It takes a lot of hard work. You have to work every single day towards it. Trust that you are capable and take it step by step. Take classes, make your own content, meet people in the industry and ask them questions. Put in the time to get really good at your craft. Most of all don’t let anyone tear you down along the way. Trust that you are awesome and anyone who says otherwise is wrong.
Who is someone you’d love to work with and why?
I would love to work with Amy Poehler. I’ve always loved her since she was on SNL and I feel like I relate to her style of comedy.
Do you have any other projects in the pipeline you can tell us about?
Nothing concrete enough to talk about haha. Hopefully soon. I’m always putting new stuff out on socials though!
If you were going to start from scratch, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?
I would tell myself to take all the fear away. That is obviously way easier said than done. I wish I could go back and take away my fear of what other people will think of my work. It took me so long to come into myself as an artist because I was worried what my family would think, or my friends would think or anyone I’ve ever met in my life would think. Now I just say “sorry mom” and write and do whatever the frick I want. I don’t care about being a “good girl” anymore.
