Joy Nash is an actress based out of Los Angeles. Fifteen years ago, while YouTube was still an infant, Nash posted “A Fat Rant.” The monologue garnered over a million reviews and inspired a lot of people to start living for today, no matter the skin they are in. As an actress you may also recognize her from Dietland (2018), Twin Peaks (2017), and The Mindy Project (2013). Nash’s resume also includes writer, voice talent, and volunteer with ‘A Place Called Home’ in Downtown LA. Their art, education, and wellness program for kids in South Los Angeles works to improve their economic conditions and lead healthy purposeful lives. Read on in our interview with Joy Nash to learn more about her career, volunteer work, and upcoming projects!

Where are you based?
Los Angeles

What got you interested in acting?
I was constantly reading as a kid. My Barbies had very very complicated backstories. Escaping into a character felt like a natural extension to escaping into a book.

You are a huge advocate for body positivity. In what ways do you think the entertainment industry can still do better in sharing this message?
There still aren't enough fat people on TV or in movies. I mean, the fact that actors and actresses are still happily wearing fat suits makes it clear that the problem still exists. It's like the industry is finally admitting that a fat person can be interesting, but they are unwilling to do the work of finding an actual fat person to play the role. They're much more comfortable padding and digitally altering a thin actor than getting their hands dirty and actually casting a fat person.

March 17th will mark 15 years since you released “A Fat Rant” on YouTube. What was the inspiration for this video and what has the response been like?
I cannot believe how time has flown! When people ask me that, I think folks are expecting a story about overcoming an eating disorder or something like that, but the truth is that my best friend was dying of brain cancer and I was sick of hearing people around me talk about the things they "couldn't" do in their perfectly able bodies. I'd hear people saying things like "I can't wear a tank top — my arms are huge" or "I'll go on vacation when I look good in a bathing suit". It made me really angry that people were putting off LIVING because of an imaginary problem with their skin suit, when my best friend had a train track scar across her skull and couldn't walk anymore and was STILL doing everything she could to live while she was alive. I literally woke up in the middle of the night to scribble parts of it down and eventually wrote the entire thing as a monologue for a class I was in at the time. A couple years later, I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself and my non-existant acting career and I thought "I have a friend with a video camera! Why don't I ask him to shoot me doing this monologue, and I'll put it online as footage of me acting, and then Hollywood will hire me!" (All of which is VERY embarrassing to admit LOL). But that's what I did! YouTube was ONE year old when I uploaded it and it went viral. Over 2 million people watched it on YouTube and MySpace (remember MySpace?) They wrote an LA Times article about me, and then an NY Times one and then I got flown out to do the morning shows in New York. It was pretty wild and 100% not how I expected things to go.

Have you seen more accounts of inclusivity within the entertainment industry since this rant came out 15 years ago?
Absolutely. But still not enough.

You also released “A Fat Rant 2” and “A Fat Rant 3.” Would you be open to making another fat rant today? What would your message of empowerment be?
Possibly, when I made it, I think nobody really knew what to do with me. There was no such thing as a Content Creator at the time, and I'd workshopped that script for years before finally putting it online. I knew how much work had gone into those eight minutes and I couldn't imagine it being sustainable. Also, there are so many different experiences of fatness. I feel like this is the work of a sociologist or some kind of academic, and not some lady who just wants to get paid to pretend to be other people.

As an actress you are also known for Dietland (2018), Twin Peaks (2017), and The Mindy Project (2013). When did you begin acting and what keeps you motivated in the industry?
When I'm asked how long I've been acting I usually say "the whole time". LOL. I mean I went to college and have a degree in it, but if you're asking when I started getting PAID for it then probably about the last 10 years. I had a solo show I took to all the Fringe festivals in the 00's and did a ton of theatre while I was waiting for someone to notice me. I felt like the only way I was going to get to perform was if I cast myself. I really wish I'd felt more entitled in my 20's and actually put myself out there trying to get an agent instead of assuming nobody would want me because I didn't see anyone who looked like me.

You recently appeared on Grey's Anatomy with a role that deals with the stigma of weight. Can you tell us about this character and the significance of her?
Yes! Spoiler if you haven't seen it (still available on Hulu!) I played a second grade teacher who showed up with knee pain asking for a cortisone shot. The doctor kind of half-listens and then tells me to lose weight. I tell him to screw himself (nicely) and as I'm storming off he says "Wait! The way you're walking... it looks like you have foot drop!" So they give me a spinal surgery and in my opinion, the most important scene happens while I'm face down on the operating table. The doctors talk about what bullshit the BMI is and how important it is to treat fat patients as people and not jump to conclusions. It's not a groundbreaking sentiment by any means, but it's important for people to hear medical professionals (even TV doctors like Chandra Wilson) saying stuff like this. I felt really honored to be cast in a role like that.

You just wrapped filming on two independent movies Serpentine Pink And Daruma. What can we expect from these roles?
Well, in Serpentine Pink I'm kind of the fulcrum in a love triangle (Is that a saying? I don't know, I'm not a physicist) and in Daruma I play a flight attendant (a role I literally never thought was possible until I flew on a plane and saw a flight attendant who was my size.)

You are also a writer and voice talent. Do you have any future projects coming up within these professions?
Yeah! I've got a Walmart campaign running currently and I've got a couple new audiobooks for Penny Reid (The Winston Brothers series) and Julie Murphy (Dumplin, Faith: Taking Flight) coming out this summer for Harper Collins and Smartypants Romance. I'll be speaking on an audiobook narration panel at Book Bonanza in Dallas in July if anyone happens to be out that way!

Are there any other future projects that you would like to share with us?
I'm always hesitant to count my chickens before the checks clear, but YES. I've written a feature with my writing partner and am cooking on a book!

You also volunteer with ‘A Place Called Home’ in Downtown LA. What is the mission of this organization and what is your involvement? Why is it important to you?
From their website: " A Place Called Home provides a safe, nurturing environment with proven programs in arts, education and wellness for the young people in South Central Los Angeles to help them improve their economic conditions and develop healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives."

I've done some mentoring for Girlpower events, chaperoned field trips, and helped out wherever I could at after school events. A dear friend created the theatre department there and it's been so cool to watch the kids grow their talents and confidence and really blossom.

How can readers get involved with ‘A Place Called Home?’
Check out: https://apch.org/get-involved/

How are you staying positive during the current wave of the pandemic?
I built a bathtub! (Don't tell my landlord.)

What does your new normal look like?
Lots of self-taped auditions and so. many. podcasts.

What is your motto in life?
Why not me?

To continue to keep up with Joy Nash, please follow her at the links below:
Instagram: @therealjoynash
Facebook: @therealjoynash
A Fat Rant : https://youtu.be/yUTJQIBI1oA

Team Credits:
Photography by Alejandro Lomeli
Editing by Jordan
Styling Haley Roemen
Styling Assistant Chelsea Alexander
Hair by Leo Valentino Using Oribe
Makeup by Aaron Barry Using Shiseido
Makeup Assistant Amanda Thorsson

Joy Nash On Embracing The Skin You Are In