LAUGH MY A*S OFF WITH KEYLA.

To play a funny girl is one thing, but to be one is everything. Enter: actress and 24/7 comedian Keyla Monterroso Mejia (she/her), who you can catch as TA Ashley on Abbott Elementary and Gloria in the On My Block spinoff Freeridge that drops this Thursday.

Sometimes we all just need a laugh, and that’s exactly what Keyla wants you to do when watching her on TV and while reading this interview.

Ready to LYAO? Keep scrolling. (And if you pee a little, we won’t tell.) 🤫

Can we talk about how Abbott Elementary just keeps winning awards? How does it feel to be a part of that?
It’s been such a dream come true. When Curb Your Enthusiasm came out, Quinta [Brunson] had commented on my IG and said something like, “You’re so funny.” And that was it. I remember she had asked if we could have a conversation on the phone and I was like, “What the f*ck is going on?” I didn’t think these opportunities were open to me for a long time. When I got to Abbott, everyone was so kind. And Quinta herself is such an incredible leader on set.

I think also as an actress, sometimes you want to be a part of these shows that are special like The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. So to be a part of Abbott Elementary is mind blowing to me. My little brother actually told me, “You peaked,” when I got on Curb. And then when he watched Abbott he was like, “You know what I said about you before? I was wrong.”

Yeah he was! And now we’re going to see you as a lead in Freeridge. Comparing Gloria to Ashley from Abbott, would these two be friends IRL?
You know what’s funny? I’ve actually thought about this and if Gloria met Ashley, she would slap the sh*t out of her. Because Gloria does not play about her studies or anything, but Ashley’s always playing around. She’s a goodhearted, very in-the-clouds type of person while Gloria’s the complete opposite. Oh, you know what someone said about me playing these two characters? “Not this girl playing a teacher and student in the same year.” [Laughing] Don’t do that to me, girls. Don’t do that to me, please!

The internet is wild. Who do you think is the funnier of the two?
I feel like my characters are going to fight me if I don’t pick them [laughing]! I think Gloria is funny because of the situations she’s put in, whereas Ashley makes the situations she’s in funny because of how she is.

You’re always making others laugh, but we want to know what makes you laugh. What’s the last thing that made you LOL on TikTok?
This is actually so embarrassing, but I really enjoy watching people, especially little kids, accidentally get hurt. Like, if someone falls or gets destroyed at those jumping places. Oh! And you know the kid, Topher? I’m obsessed with him.

Who’s the last celeb that made you laugh?
This is hilarious to me. You know Aubrey Plaza? This interview with her is so unhinged and I love it. And her, obviously.

What’s something funny that happened recently in your life?
Have you seen the movie The Shack? My dad doesn’t speak a lot of English, so it’s a little bit harder for him to understand movies sometimes. However, his girlfriend is fluent in English. And so we’re watching the movie and getting to the part where he has to bury his child, and his girlfriend is literally sobbing! And my dad is like, “What’s going on? Why is this sad?” [Laughing] He was completely oblivious to what was going on. To see both of their opposite reactions… I was dying from laughter.

And what’s one thing you want to laugh more about this year?
Can I say I want to laugh more at myself? Because I think sometimes in my head, things are so much bigger than they are in real life. I’m a crier, and I’ll have full on meltdowns where I’ll call my dad, my mom, or my brother. And then when these situations that I’m freaking out about come to pass, I’m like, “It was not that big of a deal. You stress yourself out, girl. And for what?” So I want to be more open to life and go with the flow, and not see things as the end all, be all that they seem to be in my head. I struggled with that a lot in the past couple of years. But now I’m like, “Hey, everything’s going to be okay.”