Gale Fluker knows funny. In fact, she’s made funny her business. The talented comedian got her start almost six years ago thanks to a bit of encouragement from famous actor and comedian D.L. Hughley.
Fluker won tickets from a radio contest to see a comedy show featuring Hughley and other famous comedians, including Eddie Griffin and Charlie Murphy. The tickets also included a meet and greet to give fans a chance to chat with the comedians. Fluker attended the meet and greet and left quite an impression.
Call it fate or just bad timing, but Hughley was late to the meet and greet. Fluker saw that the small crowd was getting antsy, so she took matters into her own hands and started telling jokes.
“When he [Hughley] got there, they kept telling him how funny I was,” Fluker said. Fluker struck up a conversation with Hughley, and he immediately recognized her talent. He invited her to be an opening act for the show, and the rest is history.
Fluker’s comedic spirit and raw talents allowed her to do something that is so rare for neophyte comedians. Her first set ever performed was to a packed crowd at the Saenger theater in Pensacola, opening for established comedians.
“It was a real jump start in a career,” Fluker said.
Fluker was terrified during that performance, but she pushed through regardless. She has always had a knack for flexing her funny bone, so to speak. She describes herself as the class clown and the “cut up in church.” Being funny and telling jokes is second nature to Fluker, and the stage is where she belongs.
“It was really a dream to get on stage and to tell jokes,” Fluker said.
Fluker’s stage name, “Mz Undastood,” is a play on words of her real-life persona.
“For me, comedy gets me through some very serious situations, and a lot of people don’t
understand how I can laugh at some of the things that have happened in life,” Fluker explained.
Historically, comedy is more of a male dominated career, but that fact has in no way affected Flucker’s trajectory as a comedian. She has had great success in just five short years in her profession. She has travelled the country; she never has an issue booking shows; and, most importantly, she can get a crowd laughing.
Fluker is grateful to the female comics that have come before her and even the ones that are local. Fluker said that Emily Dillon, co-founder of Stingers Comedy, is an inspiration to her.
“She gave me a lot of opportunity to work on my craft and get before crowds on stages,” Fluker said.
Fluker looks forward to one day being an inspiration and a positive influence on other female comedians.
“I decided that it was never too late to give up on a dream, and I would hope that other people can see me not giving up on mine, and no matter where they are in life, be it younger than me or even older than me, they can still be inspired to do the same.”
Fluker started her comedic career at 48 years-old, and she is showing no signs of slowing down.
“To some people, that is way too late to start anything...except a life insurance policy.”
You can follow Gale on Twitter, @flukerx3_gale, and on Instagram, @mz.undastood67.