Jamie Masada
- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Masada's passion for comedy started at age 6 in Iran when his father, a
cantor and accordion player, rewarded him for being good by taking him
to the window of a local TV repair shop to watch The Three Stooges.
Although the reception was poor and they couldn't hear the dialog, the
youngster was mesmerized as his father improvised. "I laughed until I
cried," he says.
Years later, at a wedding celebration in Israel, a Hollywood producer
encountered Masada doing a Three Stooges imitation and encouraged his
father to send the young talent to America. Confident in his son's
abilities, Masada's father pawned his beloved accordion to help raise
the necessary funds.
Just 14 years old, Masada arrived in the U.S. in 1977 with little more
than the shirt on his back and a sense of humor. Sleeping in a garage,
he juggled odd jobs to survive and send money home to his family.
However, none of these obstacles deterred his passion for comedy. "My
father once told me," he recalls, "making people laugh is the greatest
mitzvah of all."
Although he barely spoke English (Farsi mixed with a little Hebrew),
Masada soon began performing at a local comedy venue and was taken
under the wings of such comedic geniuses as Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney
and Tom Dreesen.
Two years later - inspired by a dispute over comedy club owners in Los
Angeles refusing to pay comedians and with a $10,000 loan from
writer/producer Neal Israel (Bachelor Party, Moving Violations, Police
Academy, Real Genius, Finding Neverland) - Masada, founded the Laugh
Factory in a historic Sunset Boulevard building once occupied by
Groucho Marx.
Intent on paying performers fairly by "splitting the door," the first
comedian to take the stage was Richard Pryor, who not only declined his
split (a whopping $3.50) but handed Masada - who was sleeping in the
club - a $100 bill on which he wrote, "You need this for your rent,
boy."
More than 31 years later, Masada is not only paying the rent at the now
legendary club, but is a dedicated philanthropist. With a strong belief
that "laughter is the best medicine," Masada works extensively with
underprivileged children and the homeless (feeding and entertaining
those in need) and is a staunch supporter of struggling artists.
Every year since 1979, Masada has opened his club for Thanksgiving and
Christmas, dishing up free dinners to the homeless and up-and-coming
artists, as well as providing some much-needed comic relief.
Additionally, Masada sponsors free services during Judaism's High Holy
Days.
In 1985, Masada created Laugh Factory's Comedy Camp for underprivileged
kids and, to date, has worked with more than 1,000 disadvantaged
children, ages 9-16, from lower-income neighborhoods. Meeting for 10
Saturdays each summer, top comedians - including, Tim Allen, Jim
Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Jon
Lovitz, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Paul Rodriguez, Bob Saget, Adam
Sandler, Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, among others -
coach the youth, who also enjoy food and field trips.
The mentoring and encouragement that kids receive at Comedy Camp
instills them with the confidence required in public speaking and to
achieve their dreams. "Laughter is healing," says Masada, who refers to
them as "my kids," maintains a relationship with many of them
throughout the years and is a "Hebrew Kris Kringle" during the
holidays.
Other 2010 comedy fundraiser events at the club include Cops for
Causes, Comedy Without Borders, Wounded Warriors, Middle Eastern Comedy
Fest, Pakistan Flood Fundraiser and a 72-hour Laugh Factory
Comedy-a-Thon & Christmas Toy Drive.
For his humanitarian efforts, Masada has been recognized with numerous
awards, including the NAACP Freedom Award, The Ellis Island Medal of
Honor and the ACLU Freedom of Speech Award, to name a few.
cantor and accordion player, rewarded him for being good by taking him
to the window of a local TV repair shop to watch The Three Stooges.
Although the reception was poor and they couldn't hear the dialog, the
youngster was mesmerized as his father improvised. "I laughed until I
cried," he says.
Years later, at a wedding celebration in Israel, a Hollywood producer
encountered Masada doing a Three Stooges imitation and encouraged his
father to send the young talent to America. Confident in his son's
abilities, Masada's father pawned his beloved accordion to help raise
the necessary funds.
Just 14 years old, Masada arrived in the U.S. in 1977 with little more
than the shirt on his back and a sense of humor. Sleeping in a garage,
he juggled odd jobs to survive and send money home to his family.
However, none of these obstacles deterred his passion for comedy. "My
father once told me," he recalls, "making people laugh is the greatest
mitzvah of all."
Although he barely spoke English (Farsi mixed with a little Hebrew),
Masada soon began performing at a local comedy venue and was taken
under the wings of such comedic geniuses as Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney
and Tom Dreesen.
Two years later - inspired by a dispute over comedy club owners in Los
Angeles refusing to pay comedians and with a $10,000 loan from
writer/producer Neal Israel (Bachelor Party, Moving Violations, Police
Academy, Real Genius, Finding Neverland) - Masada, founded the Laugh
Factory in a historic Sunset Boulevard building once occupied by
Groucho Marx.
Intent on paying performers fairly by "splitting the door," the first
comedian to take the stage was Richard Pryor, who not only declined his
split (a whopping $3.50) but handed Masada - who was sleeping in the
club - a $100 bill on which he wrote, "You need this for your rent,
boy."
More than 31 years later, Masada is not only paying the rent at the now
legendary club, but is a dedicated philanthropist. With a strong belief
that "laughter is the best medicine," Masada works extensively with
underprivileged children and the homeless (feeding and entertaining
those in need) and is a staunch supporter of struggling artists.
Every year since 1979, Masada has opened his club for Thanksgiving and
Christmas, dishing up free dinners to the homeless and up-and-coming
artists, as well as providing some much-needed comic relief.
Additionally, Masada sponsors free services during Judaism's High Holy
Days.
In 1985, Masada created Laugh Factory's Comedy Camp for underprivileged
kids and, to date, has worked with more than 1,000 disadvantaged
children, ages 9-16, from lower-income neighborhoods. Meeting for 10
Saturdays each summer, top comedians - including, Tim Allen, Jim
Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Jon
Lovitz, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Paul Rodriguez, Bob Saget, Adam
Sandler, Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, among others -
coach the youth, who also enjoy food and field trips.
The mentoring and encouragement that kids receive at Comedy Camp
instills them with the confidence required in public speaking and to
achieve their dreams. "Laughter is healing," says Masada, who refers to
them as "my kids," maintains a relationship with many of them
throughout the years and is a "Hebrew Kris Kringle" during the
holidays.
Other 2010 comedy fundraiser events at the club include Cops for
Causes, Comedy Without Borders, Wounded Warriors, Middle Eastern Comedy
Fest, Pakistan Flood Fundraiser and a 72-hour Laugh Factory
Comedy-a-Thon & Christmas Toy Drive.
For his humanitarian efforts, Masada has been recognized with numerous
awards, including the NAACP Freedom Award, The Ellis Island Medal of
Honor and the ACLU Freedom of Speech Award, to name a few.