Getting To Know MTV Wild N Out’s Jacob Williams: A Talented Comedian Who Posseses Exceptional Wit

In this highlight, we turn our attention to MTV Wildn Out’s Jacob Williams. I asked this certified “Wise Guy” a series of questions here is what we discussed;

Tell us a little about yourself, where your from, grew up, what H.S./College you attended etc.

I grew up in Louisville, KY and went to Beloit College in Beloit, WI which is where I first started doing stand-up comedy during my freshman year.

What inspired you to be an entertainer? Early experiences worth sharing?

I was obsessed with comedy growing up but was nervous about doing comedy for the first time. I was a quiet kid who was very shy and I assumed that you had to be naturally loud and confident to do stand-up. In high school I started noticing more comedians on TV with a quieter and more relaxed style which was very inspiring to me. When I started college I had a friend who I watched do comedy at an open mic for the first time. It was cool to see someone starting out at the beginning level because until then it was hard for me to imagine how to even get started at attempting stand-up, which seemed very daunting to me because I had a ton of social anxiety over starting a conversation with one person let alone talking to a crowd of people. I decided to tell my friends on campus that I was going to do comedy at the next open mic. Telling other people ahead of time helped keep me accountable because I was terrified of going onstage. The first time doing stand-up was very nerve-wracking but was a lot of fun once I was onstage and after that I knew it was something I wanted to do again and try to get better at.

Talk about a time where you have faced adversity/conflict and have triumphed.

I have been very lucky to have great family, friends and mentors who have helped me a lot over the years. The biggest challenges for me personally usually involve struggling with social anxiety and learning how to be more assertive and not worry as much about what people think. This is something I’ve made a lot of progress with and is also something I still want to work on a lot more.

What do you believe sets you apart from other people in the world of comedy?

There are a lot of entertainers who are much more charismatic than me and I love watching those types of people perform. I am more introverted than a lot of performers I meet and I try to be myself onstage which is a style that is sometimes more subtle than what people might be expecting from an entertainer. I talk about a lot of socially-awkward situations onstage and it is always cathartic to find out that other people can relate to that material and I am not alone in those types of experiences.

Do you have other interests or hobbies?

Comedy is definitely my main obsession, which has taken over most of my life at this point. I love doing stand-up, writing sketches, acting in sketches, improvising, doing podcasts, and any other forms of comedy that I can get a chance to try. I just bought the board game Punderdome and have had a lot of fun lately playing that with friends. I like exploring parks, reading, working out, watching movies, catching up with friends and of course dance battles.

Any projects you have out or currently working on?

I am currently working on doing stand-up and on the new season of Wild ‘N Out which is airing currently on MTV.

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

I feel very lucky to have gotten to do comedy as my only job for the last few years which was my only goal when I started doing stand-up. I would like to keep doing that and would like to push myself out of my comfort zone to keep improving at stand-up, writing, acting, etc.

Walk us through the moment where you found out you were cast on MTV’s Wild ‘N Out, what were you feeling? What did you tell yourself?

Getting cast on Wild ‘N Out was a dream come true. It was so exciting to get to collaborate with so many great cast members and to work with amazing people like Nick Cannon who was kind enough to give me an opportunity be part of such a fun show. I am so thrilled to have wrapped my eighth season of the show recently and very grateful for everyone who has been watching the show and keeping it going over the years.

What advice can you give to aspiring entertainers?

Comedy is the most rewarding experience that I’ve had in my life and if anyone is thinking about doing it I would definitely encourage them to try it. Once you’re onstage you will know whether it is something that you love doing and if so then it is worth pursuing. It can be tough to get started but if you are passionate about it and persistent at it then it’s worth it in my opinion. I feel very lucky to get to be a comedian which always felt like a dream job to me when I was growing up.

How can we follow along in your journey? Social media?

I am on Instagram and Twitter at @MrJacobWilliams, on Facebook at “Comedian Jacob Williams.” I also have a youtube channel and my website is JacobWilliamsComedy.com which lists upcoming shows and other info. I am currently on a stand-up comedy tour and you can also see me on new episodes of Wild ‘N Out on MTV on Fridays at 10/9c.