Simon Taylor

I started doing comedy at 23-years-old in Melbourne. In my first ever gig I bombed. Hard. Walking off stage after 6 minutes of a silent crowd, I was determined to work out how to make a bunch of strangers laugh. 

I hit the local scene with all my might. Doing festival shows, late night gigs in seedy bars, hosting crazy circus shows, charity fundraisers and awkward corporate events. Since that first failure I have lived and breathed comedy, focusing on building myself into a consummate writer & performer. It sometimes meant surviving off a loaf of bread and a bowl of peas for a week so I didn't have to take on a time-consuming job. I found myself pumping out topical gags on Twitter, reading every book on the craft and throwing myself in front of crowds as often possible.


At 24, I was lucky enough to have a friend invite me to stay with him in Los Angeles. Before I flew over I tried to book a number of gigs there. I either received an apologetic rejection email or no reply at all. My friend asked his friend to do him a favour and get me a spot at comedy night. I touched down at LAX airport and was driven straight to a comic book store where I did an 8 minute set in the back room to a few dozen people. After the show a man approached me and introduced himself as a producer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He offered me tickets to the show the following week. I was thrilled and chuffed at the chance to see the most prestigious late night chat show in television history. I attended. Drank it in. Loved it. I was in awe at the pinnacle of showbiz this production embodied and the craft that went into it. After the show I started to leave but was called back by the producer. He wanted to introduce me to Jay Leno. Shocked and thrilled I was lead backstage to meet the man. Out of sheer nervousness I made an offhand joke about being a comedian. Jay laughed and said I should send jokes in. Unsure if this was some sort of prank I got the producer's email and wrote two pages of topical jokes that night. The next day I had a contract.
 

For two years I toured Australia and Asia doing stand up, while sending jokes to The Tonight Show via email. Jay would send cheques to my home in Melbourne so I didn't need a US work VISA (the application process is long, expensive and arduous). The show ended in Feb 2014, meaning my income was once again based on my live gigs. I toured my festival shows, selling out in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila and Cambodia. Earning enough to buy the next plane ticket and keep my career moving. I got hosting roles on community TV. They are unpaid, but money has never been my focus. It's been become the complete entertainer that I know I can be.



So now, a year and a half since Jay Leno retired, I am being called back to America to write, act and tour my comedy. But the VISA is imperative. So with an arsenal of comedy material, stand-up albums, TV specials, viral videos and a spark in my eye, I am endeavouring to take my comedy back to the United States where it can flourish. All I need is a jumpstart to get me over there.

The funds will directly used to cover application and immigration attorney costs.

Standard estimations include: $325 filing fee, $2500 for attorney fee, $2500 approval fee.

I have covered $1325 with my own funds to get the application started and need $4000 to complete it.

The challenges for this project include being comprehensive in my application. I will need to draw on all my contacts in the US, Australian and South-East Asian comedy industry to back-up my credentials. This is time consuming but my network is supportive and have already expressed they will vouch for me as an extraordinary entertainer.