Today we’d like to introduce you to James Hancock III.
Hi James, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey with entertainment began while I was serving in the United States Air Force. My father was also in the military and served for 26 years before retiring. Growing up with him and in that environment was something I enjoyed and decided at a young age that I wanted for myself, so in 2010 I enlisted in the Active-Duty Military. After I joined, I quickly became the person who volunteered for everything no one wanted to do and required public speaking. Anything and everything from leading briefings, hosting events, retirement ceremonies, promotion celebrations, holiday parties, you name it, I did it. One thing my father always told me was “No matter what, be yourself” and I made sure to embody that in and out of uniform. I took any reason or chance I could find to get in front of people and that’s when I began to realize my passion and desire was to be an entertainer. Bringing a smile to someone’s face, brightening their day, making them laugh and any other ways that I have to make a positive impression on those around me truly bring me joy. The military life isn’t easy and being able to distract the troops with a little lighthearted comedy was a gamechanger in discovering and understanding my passion.
In 2016 I was sent to my third duty station McGuire AFB in New Jersey. This is where I attended my first comedy open mic. I remember so vividly, it was Halloween night, and it wasn’t perfect by any means, but it felt right! For the next six months, I continued writing, going to open mics and other small local shows before entering in my first comedy competition, where I did so well that they awarded me a 6-month residency at a club in New York City! It was an incredibly rewarding feeling, and I knew this kind of success so soon was out of the ordinary and it made me think…I can really do this!
This was also the year I met my incredible wife Christina who was also active duty stationed at McGuire with me and has been supporting me from the very beginning. She encouraged me to go to that first open mic and greatly helped me to see the true potential I had in entertainment. She never stopped helping me and pushing me to keep going even after the nights that made me never want to touch a microphone ever again. She believed in me when no one else did and even when I didn’t believe in myself and continues to be by my side throughout this adventure.
I spent the rest of my military career after that trying to balance my job with my new passion. A normal day for me at this time looked like working an entire duty day, going to mandatory PT (physical training), quickly changing at the gym, driving 20 mins to the transit station, riding the train for 2 hours from south Jersey to NYC, walking 15 mins to Broadway Comedy club to perform my 6 minutes set for the late show, then hustling back in reverse to get glimpses of sleep before starting it all over with duty the next morning. I should mention that Christina was right there with me most nights, enduring the long the train rides and countless late nights of hustling right by my side.
In 2018, when my enlistment was up again but this time instead of extending it again, I made the truly life-changing decision of getting out and at last ending my time in the service. I finally chose to pursue my dreams full time and to truly give myself a chance of success. I moved to San Diego California that year and worked hard to try and make a name for myself in this entirely new community. I went from spending the last year and a half hustling my ass off, juggling my dreams with my active-duty commitments, finally working my way into prominent NYC and Philly comedy clubs, just to find myself at square one again. Moving to California meant essentially starting over from scratch. My newfound credentials didn’t follow me or transfer, so I needed to start from the bottom all over again. That first month in San Diego, I entered the “San Diego’s Funniest Person” contest hosted by the Mad House Comedy Club (this was also my first time ever performing in California). That first night I won first place of the evening and went on to the finals where I finished 2nd place overall.
I’ve continued performing here on the West Coast and have since have placed second in both the Seattle and San Francisco comedy competitions, which renowned comedians like Sinbad, Ellen DeGeneres and Robin Williams have also competed in (the latter two placing second overall as well). I won the US comedy competition hosted in Los Angeles and am passed at the prestigious Comedy Store in La Jolla. I’ve been able to expand my entertainment ventures in directions I never dreamed possible, even manifesting a photoshoot opportunity that landed me on several Billboards around San Diego working with San Diego based company Blender’s Eyewear! Seeing myself on a billboard for the first time was a surreal experience for me. I deeply appreciate this path that I’m on and I can’t wait for the next opportunities that I get a chance to be a part of and I welcome all prospects open-mindedly.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve had many unique and personal obstacles along the way. The major one initially being that I was actively serving in the military during my first few years performing. Finding the time and energy to do everything I wanted to do was a constant struggle I faced. I committed my life to the military, and I always gave 100% in everything I did, including work. Spending 10 hours a day working full time is exhausting for anyone, in juggling that with the time I dedicated to performing, there was little flexibility in my schedule, and I often sacrificed sleep and other things because of it. Another obstacle I faced right off the bat and honestly wasn’t fully prepared for was the lack of support in my decision to get out of the military. They don’t always do the best job at preparing people for success outside of the armed forces and there is a common mindset that associates ending your service before 20 years as a bad choice or for a bad reason. My decision was met with overwhelming controversy. People told me that my dreams were outlandish, and I wouldn’t be able to succeed in stand up and acting. They’d say it was an impossible goal and that I’d probably just be another homeless veteran. Words like this came from everyone from supervisors, former mentors and even family and people I considered to be my friends. I refused to let their fears and insecurities change my mind and instead chose to focus on the words of the friends and family who did believe in me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a jack of all trades in the business of chasing and sharing happiness. Helping others to experience more joy in their lives is what makes me happy and I get to do that in many ways. I perform standup, host trivia games, act, model, and anything else I can do to have a positive influence. I’m best known for being a comedian and it’s something I’m extraordinarily proud of because I have so much respect for the art itself. Comedy is one of the purest forms of entertainment and it’s not something everyone can do…it takes a distinct ability to be a true comedian and I’m proud find myself succeeding at it. I believe that my multicultural/biracial upbringing, vast military experiences and the encounters I’ve had from living all around the world have benefitted my comedy greatly. I’ve been fortunate in my ability to connect and vibe with all varieties of audiences and the success of my performances are not limited to any specific kind of crowd. I love that I can fit in anywhere and wherever I perform, my jokes are received positively. It’s humbling and I never take it for granted.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
First and foremost, what matters most is my wife, our family, and being happy and healthy together. Every decision I make and have made has revolved around one question: Will this choice have a positive impact on our family? If the answer is yes, then we work together to make it a reality. If the answer is no, then we simply do not do it. I love what I do now because I understand the significance of actually enjoying life. I get to follow my dreams of making people smile and laugh more all with the woman I love by my side and that’s what matters to me.
Contact Info:
- Email: cjlaughmore@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.jameshancockiii.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hancock_iii/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.hancock.33
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Hancock123ism
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/p/COxvDweHmJ5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Image Credits
Christina Flores Hancock Matt Misisco
