How I Found Myself — by Impersonating Other People | Melissa Villaseñor | TED - Summary

Summary

Melissa VOR, a voice impressionist and comedian, shares her journey of discovering her talent for impressions, landing opportunities like "America's Got Talent" and "Saturday Night Live", and finding her own voice while entertaining audiences. She emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and using one's talents to bring joy and laughter to others.

Facts

Here are the key facts extracted from the provided text:

1. Melissa VOR does voice impressions, including Kristen Wiig, Sandra Bullock, Lady Gaga, and more.
2. Melissa was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, to a Mexican-American family.
3. She discovered her talent for voice impressions at the age of 12, starting with pop singers like Britney Spears.
4. Melissa looked up to Gwen Stefani in high school and even shaved her eyebrows to resemble her.
5. She gained confidence through making her friends laugh with her voices.
6. Melissa got obsessed with Saturday Night Live (SNL) at 15 and aspired to become a comedian.
7. She started performing in open mic shows in Hollywood after high school.
8. Melissa got the opportunity to be on America's Got Talent Season 6 in 2011, performing various impressions.
9. She left junior college early to pursue her comedy career.
10. Melissa faced challenges while transitioning from 10 minutes of stand-up to an hour-long performance.
11. She noticed that people loved her impression bits more than her personal stories.
12. Melissa started focusing on finding her own comedic voice.
13. She imitates her family members in her comedy, particularly her mom's backseat driving.
14. Melissa auditioned for and was cast on Saturday Night Live in 2016, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
15. She left SNL after six seasons because of the pressure and a desire to explore more about herself.
16. Melissa aims to balance her voice impressions with being vulnerable and authentic on stage.
17. She struggles with low self-esteem but uses humor, like a Dolly Parton impression, to cope and uplift herself.
18. Melissa encourages others to be their true selves and embrace their uniqueness.

These facts are summarized from the text, excluding opinions and additional commentary.