Bon Qui Qui at UNCW

As part of Homecoming 2009, UNCW welcomed comedian and actress Anjelah Johnson on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Johnson, one of the newest personalities in comedy, is most recognized by her role on an episode of MADtv as Bon Qui Qui.

With her youthful appearance accented by a blue sweatshirt and jeans, she appeared to be just another college student searching for a seat until she took the stage to Beyonce's "Single Ladies." The energy and excitement snowballed from there.

Johnson's performance, centered around impersonations, was accompanied by an assortment of edgy material. With imitations of almost every race and gender, she found a way of relating to the entire audience.

"I feel like I'm their age," Johnson said. "I feel like I'm 19 again."

The edginess in her performance was reminiscent of material one might see in a Dave Chappelle stand-up. There were times in her performance when the audience would burst into laughter, as well as times when her jokes resulted in an awkward silence. The expression on some faces read: "Can I laugh at that?"

"As time goes on, I get more confident with myself," Johnson said. "My intention is never to hurt anyone. You gotta be able to laugh at yourself."

Her rise in popularity can largely be attributed to YouTube, where millions have gone for three and a half minutes of laughter.

"She's always been popular," said Jonathan DeRosa, the president and former comedy chair of the Association of Campus Entertainment (ACE).

ACE was looking to bring in a more diverse group of entertainers. That, along with her popularity, was the deciding factor in bringing Johnson to UNCW, and it resulted in a sellout show.

"We actually didn't expect this turnout," DeRosa said. "We turned away about 200 people."

Both on and off of the stage, Johnson was able to entertain students with her vibrant personality. She talked to everyone, constantly joked and even made a prank phone call. Her bouncing back and forth between personalities raised the question: Who is the real Anjelah Johnson?

Johnson said that the way she is between jokes is the real her.

"When I'm doing crowd work or improvising, that's when I'm mostly myself," Johnson said. "It's easier to put on a façade in front of people; when you're yourself, you're vulnerable."

Despite her newfound fame and strolls down the red carpet, Johnson doesn't see herself as a celebrity. She admitted to being star-struck by some of the celebrities she passes on the red carpet.

"I forget that I do what they do," Johnson said. "I don't know; it's weird. It's interesting."

She plans on modeling her career after two of her idols, Ellen DeGeneres and Sandra Bullock, for what she described as their natural ability to make people laugh, as well as their career moves.

"Ten years from now I will be flourishing in film and television," Johnson said.

With a pilot for a new television show coming out and movie offers rolling in, Anjelah Johnson will be expanding her acting credits. If things go the way she wants, she will be returning to UNCW as well.