T.L. Fitz


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T.L. Fitz is D.C.'s funniest resident and his unique brand of true-to-life, realistic humor has many referring to him as the "Bishop of Comedy". In his own words, "I tell it like it T I tis." While delivering his spiritually based message to his audiences, T.L. has caused seasoned comics like Sherri Shepherd, Marlon Wayans, Pauly Shore, George Wallace, J. Anthony Brown and Mike Epps to double over with laughter. "He's got it!" says George Wallace.

Many have labeled T.L as a "Christian Comic". However, he refutes this label because, as he explains, "I just happen to be a comic that believes in God. I'm not perfect. I bear my crosses no different than the next person." It is his faith that allows him to be versatile and adaptable to all audiences. T.L.'s improvisational skills are adept and at any given moment onstage, he can take you on a journey from a date-gone-wrong to a crowd pleaser involving his 12-year old son Isaiah or 9-year old daughter Nia.

T.L. would perform in talent contests during his military career while stationed in Germany and in 1995, on his return home to his native Atlanta, a cousin urged him to visit a popular funny spot called The Comedy Act Theatre. And the love affair began. T.L.'s local fame quickly spread as he began opening for such comedians as Bruce Bruce, Sommore, Don "D.C." Curry and Earthquake, giving him the opportunity to perform nationally at Yuk Yuks in Toronto, Caroline's in New York, Comedy Zone in Memphis, Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and his favorite – the USO Comedy Tour in Japan and Korea.

T.L. was invited to perform on BET's number one show, Comic View in 1999, 2000 and 2001 without any assistance from a manager or talent agent. "Agents charge 20%, the Holy Spirit, 10. You do the math" T.L. quips. He then relocated to Washington, D.C. and soon joined the award-winning D.C. sketch comedy show, Flavors – A Taste of Comedy. For two years, T.L. not only received raves from Malik Pollard, the producer/director, but he also won the hearts of the press and received critical acclaim for his creative writing and versatility as he began to make his mark on the world of comedy.

By this time, T.L. had landed small roles in Chris Rock's Head of State, and HBO's critically acclaimed series The Wire, leading him to audition for and subsequently land a top spot on Coming to the Stage, BET's hot new comedy competition of 2004. Out of 600 hopefuls, T.L. was chosen from D.C. to compete against 14 other talented comedians in a 12-week battle for the title "Next Superstar of Funny". It was during his fourth appearance on Comic View, taped live in New Orleans in 2005, that he was proclaimed, "The Bishop of Comedy."

T.L. attributes the gift of comedy to his mother Beverly. "Her humor in the face of adversities somehow made poverty a walk in the park. Watching the Flip Wilson Show was our favorite pastime. When we had electricity." Although T.L. lost his mother in 1997 to heart failure, his heart is always filled with her memory and her words, "Trust God and never quit."

Television and film projects are the next chapter for T.L. as he currently travels and performs around the nation spreading "Bishop business."

READING ROOM: On occasion we get humor pieces from comedians -- you can find them all archived in our Reading Room.