Kevin Sullivan is bringing the real back to comedy. As one of nine siblings, Kevin has often had to fight to make his mark. An openly gay model turned comic, Kevin is self-deprecating and open about everything from becoming sober, gossiping with Grandma, and proving his homophobic teacher wrong.
Where did you grow up, how was your life growing up, and what got you into comedy to begin with?
Kevin Sullivan: I was born in and grew up in Boston until I was seven. Then I moved to Phoenix. I have eight siblings, which is a huge component of my comedy. Five of us were born in Boston and four of us were born in Phoenix. A lot of people can relate to siblings, and coming from a family of 11 comes with lots of comedic chaos.
Where do you fall in the line, and would you have preferred to be younger in the lineup?
KS: I am the third oldest. Growing up I would say three is my least favorite number until I learned about numerology and how three is the strongest number. I had to babysit so much and all I ever wanted was to be an only child. My older brother and older sister are both Cancers. My dad is a Scorpio, and my mom is a Taurus. I came in an air sign, an Aquarius, something no one was used to and on top of it I was a bit of a dark child. I had so much responsibility I felt like I was partially raising myself. With that said, my parents were working constantly to give us what they did not have and ended up becoming pretty successful. Good on them, but it was tough having eight siblings.
I am the older child, there is an age gap, I always wanted to be an only child and had to babysit a ton, so I relate. Did you ever have animosity toward them?
KS: Absolutely. Especially once I got my license and I was always fighting with my two older siblings on who was taking care of the kids. My mother was a nurse who worked the night shift then started her own business and was in school. So, when they did get to go out on the weekends, it was only right. Looking back, I feel like an ungrateful little shit, but at the time I was like “how dare they.” I was a really responsible child who performed well so my parents trusted me more than some of my other siblings.
I understand you recently lost your grandma. You have my deepest condolences.
KS: There is no one better to gossip with than Grandma. I had an Aquarius grandma who I worked with at Dunkin’ Donuts who died of lung disease despite never smoking. I had chronic pneumonia growing up, so we had a connection. My grandmother who just passed was a Libra who survived breast cancer. These women grew up at a time with no cell phones and no social media so there was that need for in-person communication. Spilling the tea is more fun with them. You can tell Grandma anything.
I relate. My Scorpio grandma passed away five years ago. I have asthma, she had a lung issue, so there was a strong connection. I still gossip with my Leo grandma. How did you end up immersing yourself in comedy?
KS: I started college as a premed biology major. I would have never made it through the program, I was miserable, and three years deep I switched after a modeling stint. I went to LA for a modeling contract, went back to school to finish my degree, then I lived in New York for a year for another modeling contract. After I realized modeling was not for me, I moved back to LA for commercial acting. I met with a commercial agency who told me I should go to improv, which I started, and I loved it despite having a homophobic shitty coach who drove gays to either quit or break down in class. One day I started bantering in front of my class, I broke the tension in the room of how much this man hated me and served up insult after insult which everyone loved. I then realized I wanted to pursue stand-up. Once I broke up with my unsupportive boyfriend, I started pursuing comedy further, and one of the stand-up classes reached out to me the week of the breakup. I told him I was not interested; I was going through a seven-year breakup and was living on my friend’s couch. He told me I was living comedy gold, and after a week of mulling it over, I started the class and have been doing comedy since 2016.
What turned you off from modeling?
KS: My agent was sending me out to do favors for friends. Not sexual favors but rather free work. I did a New York Fashion Week gig because my agent owed the designer a favor. I did free work at times because the agent needed to fulfill favors. The entire industry is so fucked up and you are forced to struggle. It is impossible to do other work because you need to be available at the drop of a hat for casting calls. They force you to live a horrible life and inadvertently make you desperate all while critiquing your body and face. My own agent told me I had a six-figure face, I just needed a six-figure body.
Modeling is portrayed so differently in media and people often presume you are making bank. Did all of this fuck up your self-esteem?
KS: Yes. There is an agent who told me my eyes were too close together to have a career in fashion and I would do really well doing commercial work. I was like, “this is crazy.” That whole industry is toxic, and you make nothing, especially if you are a man. The men don’t make shit until they are way up there in rank.
I recently interviewed another model-turned-comedian, Mario Adrion, who also said the modeling industry is toxic. He told me they would house him in an apartment with eight people…
KS: And the agencies charge you for that place! I never took model apartments because they would cram in eight people, and when payment comes in from whatever brands you are working with, the agency will take out over a thousand dollars a month for “rent.” So the agency is also making money off the apartment because none of them are worth 8K to 10K a month especially when you are shoving eight people in there. The whole system of modeling is backward especially these days. I had a falling out with my agent, I was like fuck this, moved back to LA, and was so much happier when I stopped pursuing something that was not right.
You appeared on Netflix in a Joke Radio Presents: Are You Still Listening? How was that?
KS: I am so excited because where we filmed, even though it was audio, is also where I ended up performing recently in Los Angeles. I enjoyed the whole setup.
Your comedic astrology content is going viral on the web and social media. Have you always been obsessed with astrology?
KS: What is your rising sign?
Sagittarius rising.
KS: Same! A lot of performers have Sag rising, many comedians have Sag rising, it is a common celebrity placement. The curiosity all started in college when my sister gifted me Darkside Zodiac by Stella Hyde. People often say I hate this sign and that sign. The gag is: I hate them all [laughs]. Fast forward to today I can read energies, signs, and some placements; however I am not telling the weather. My goal is to get more in-depth with my astrology expertise.
You just kicked off the Aquarian Contrarian tour and you recently headlined the New York Comedy Festival. How has the tour been going and what can comedy fans expect when they come to see you?
KS: This is zodiac-incorporated for sure. I often integrate the audience, specifically those sitting in front, especially for the zodiac portion. I incorporate family, sibling stories, readings, and how my crazy life relates to others. You will never get the same show twice. There is no script. I always hang out after the show with fans too.
I understand you became sober and recently celebrated a year of sobriety. Congratulations! What is your backstory behind becoming sober?
KS: December marked 14 months sober. Prior to becoming sober I was contemplating it for some time. Every time the universe drops messages, I feel I am good at listening. Usually whenever I was hungover, I would become anxious and panic-ridden. Alcohol was not even a good crutch for me. The book Stop Drinking Now by Allen Carr, which Nikki Glaser recommends, helped me. Once I became sober my astrology videos started working, my mind was clear, I got signed two months later, I received a job offer I really wanted, and now I am on tour and still have the job I love. I do not think I could be doing any of this with a hangover. I am out of town every weekend and I work all week. It reprioritized my life and I am glad I listened to the messages when I did. I knew something big was coming and now I feel I have a whole new perspective on my life. We can’t all be WeHo party boys for the rest of time [laughs]; there comes a time to hang it up.
