‘This Fool’ creator and star Chris Estrada

Episode notes

(Photo: Hulu)

Chris Estrada is a stand-up comedian. He was born and raised in South Central and Inglewood in Los Angeles.

A few years ago, Chris quit his day job in a warehouse. He’d been doing standup at local clubs for a while, even got a spot on a Comedy Central showcase for up and coming comics. He kept working at the warehouse when the special aired. He kept working at the warehouse when he started getting calls from Fred Armisen, who was interested in developing a TV show with him.

He even kept working at the warehouse after he sold the show to Hulu. Because, he says, the pandemic had just started, and why give up a stable gig at such an uncertain time? So he gave it a few more months to make sure it was real.

Chris joins us to talk about that tv show: This Fool. The show was co-created by Chris, and he stars as the show’s main character: Julio.

Julio lives in South Central Los Angeles where Chris grew up, but the show is not autobiographical.

Julio works at a local nonprofit that helps former gang members adjust to life on the outside. The show follows the misadventures of Julio and his cousin Luis who has finished up a lengthy prison sentence. The show is funny, human, unexpected and at times, surprisingly sweet.

We talk with Chris about co-creating This Fool, his love of hardcore punk music and his late start as a stand-up comedian. Plus, he’ll discuss creating the character Luis on the show, and how he kept him from coming off as a stereotype.

The latest season of This Fool comes out July 26th on Hulu. 

A version of this interview originally aired in September of 2022.