Comedian Ashima Franklin
Ashima Franklin doesn’t just tell jokes—she lives them, breathes them, and turns every twist of life into material. A full-time stand-up comedian, writer, and actress, Franklin’s journey to the mic was anything but traditional.
After moving to Atlanta for a flight attendant job that didn’t work out, Franklin found herself at a comedy club one night with a friend who wanted to cheer her up. What was supposed to be a distraction turned out to be destiny. “I had been in performing arts my whole life, but never had the opportunity to do stand-up in Mobile, Alabama,” she recalls. “That night, I realized stand-up was where I needed and wanted to be.”
She landed a job at the same comedy club, working behind the scenes while soaking up the game. For two years, Franklin studied the craft—watching, learning, and networking—until it was her time to step on stage.
Ashima Franklin knows the hustle. She’s not just cracking jokes; she’s juggling motherhood, late nights, and a male-dominated industry that doesn’t hand out respect easily. “I was performing with my son in my belly, so this has been his whole life,” she says. “Fathers get a pass for being gone. Moms? Not so much.”
But Franklin didn’t let that stop her. In 2012, Katt Williams spotted her at Uptown Comedy Club in Atlanta—the same club she once worked at just to be close to the stage. He put her on a 100-city tour, and she rode that wave for six years. Since then, she’s stacked receipts: Russell Simmons, Netflix’s The After Party, OWN’s Ready to Love, Moontower Comedy Festival, and a fresh stand-up special with Just For Laughs in Montreal.
“What keeps me going is my love for this craft—and making sure my family’s good,” she says. “Plus, I love helping other comics get their start.”
