Lisa Beasley

Lisa Beasley
Born1986 (age 37–38)[1]
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Alma materAmerican Musical and Dramatic Academy
Occupation(s)Writer, actress, comedian

Lisa Beasley (born 1986)[1] is an American actress, comedian, and writer based in Chicago, Illinois. She is known for her original comedy videos shared on social media, including her satirical impressions of Margaret Thatcher and Lori Lightfoot, and for the original character Corporate Erin.

Early life and education

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Beasley was born and raised in Gary, Indiana and attended high school at Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts.[2] She completed her bachelor's degree in jazz in 2008, then moved to Los Angeles and completed the musical/theater program at American Musical and Dramatic Academy.[3]

Career

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Beasley began her professional acting career in Chicago as a performer at the Black-owned theater company ETA Creative Arts Foundation.[3] She was next hired at Black Ensemble Theater for both children's performances and the main stage.[3] She also worked as a freelance graphic designer.[2] Beasley went on to train and work at the Second City.[2] In 2015 she was a touring member for the Second City's National Touring Company team BlueCo. She was also a member of the improv group 3peat, who created the viral sketch "The Blackening" (the source material for the 2022 film adaptation), which was produced for Comedy Central.[4] She continued to work and perform and left for a time in 2016 due to frustration with the working conditions.[3]

She began to gain attention for posting comedic videos to her social media accounts in 2020.[5] Her impression of Margaret Thatcher went viral in fall 2020.[6] In particular, her TikTok parody videos of then-mayor Lori Lightfoot (as the character "Lory Litefoot") began to go viral.[7] The videos were partly inspired by Beasley's frustration with the mayor's performance.[7] She was hired around the city to perform as the character.[5] After one of her viral videos about Lightfoot's skirmishes with the Chicago Public School (CPS) parents and teachers union,[8] she sponsored The Teachers' Appreciation Comedy Show at the Laugh Factory to benefit CPS teachers.[5]

Her character Corporate Erin, a satire of passive aggressive micromanagers that overuse jargon and constantly deliver bad news, first appeared in 2021 but went viral in late 2023.[2] One video has approximately nine million views on TikTok in part because the character feels familiar to many viewers.[1][9] She appeared in character as Erin on WGN Morning News.[10]

Beasley has acted on Chicago Med and in original sketch videos with the improv troupe 3peat.[2] She was a recurring character on the series South Side.[5]

Personal life

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Beasley resides on the South Side of Chicago.[7] She has a daughter.[7]

Accolades

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "They're in the funny business: Cubicle comedians make light of what we all hate about work". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Meet Corporate Erin, the TikTok executive from Indiana now triggering the entire working world". wthr.com. 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  3. ^ a b c d Beasley, Lisa (2020-03-10). "Lisa Beasley cooks up her own opportunities". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  4. ^ "'The Blackening': How a Chicago comedian's takedown of horror cliches grew into high-profile Hollywood movie". Chicago Sun-Times. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  5. ^ a b c d Warnecke, Lauren (11 January 2022). "Chicago comic Lisa Beasley turns her viral TikTok imitation of Lightfoot into a show for teachers at Laugh Factory". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Lisa Beasley's Mayor Lightfoot Impression Is Comedy Gold". WBEZ Chicago. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  7. ^ a b c d Golden, Jamie Nesbitt (2021-06-10). "As 'Lory Litefoot,' Comedian Lisa Beasley Delights TikTok — But Bronzeville Mom Is Fed Up With Real-Life Mayor". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  8. ^ "Comedian Lisa Beasley entertains CPS teachers in show impersonating Mayor Lori Lightfoot". WBEZ Chicago. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  9. ^ Belcher, Sara (17 January 2024). "Corporate Erin Is Both Hilarious and Shockingly Accurate". Distractify. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  10. ^ ""Corporate Erin" stops by for a very special morning meeting". WGN. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Corporate Erin Takes Over Social Media". Webby Awards. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
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