5 Questions for Finesse Mitchell

By Monique Ward

MW: During show, you joked about how parents under 21 shouldn't be allowed to name their children because they up they come up with names like Nuetrogena & Finesse (amongst other names that were hilarious but nowhere near PG). How did you get the name Finesse?

Finesse: (Laughs) Finesse is my stage name & I didn't get that name until college.

MW: Have you always wanted to be a comedian or is that something that just happened?

Finesse: Not at all. I really wanted to be a rapper but I was whack! I used to manage an R&B group & one day I was trying to be funny in the studio, grabbed the mic from there, comedy ensued. I also got  inspiration watching Dave Chappelle on Def Comedy Jam & his skit on how they came up with the word “n*gga.” Like him I prefer my comedy to be more natural even though it's scripted.

Finesse Mitchell

MW: What was it like starring on SNL & being one of the only African-American's on the show?

Finesse: It was tough. Funny is funny & it was hard to figure out what they were looking for. Don't get  me wrong, I'm happy for the experience. You can't find so many people, at any given time, that can say that they were on SNL. It's something to cross off of your bucket list.

MW: You published a book called “Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much: A Brother's Take on Dating and Mating Sistas”  in 2007. How did that come about?

Finesse: I was doing my relationship column in Essence Magazine, when a fan of the column (who was also a book author) approached me about putting a proposal together to get a publishing deal & we got one.

MW: Now that you are a famous actor, comedian & published author, how does it feel?

Finesse: It is all surreal...You realize how blessed you are. Sometimes people give up on their dreams because they don't see rewards or progress right away but you have to invest in yourself.

Copyright © 2012 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 02/23/12 10:58:12 -0800.

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