- Jay the lady. Jay the lady.
I know. Jay the lady.
- Well, that's right.
Jay's all estrogen festival today. Yep.
When I came in, I said, I know a comedian
Angela Johnson, but I don't-
this must be somebody else, but it's you.
- It's me. I added my married name finally.
11 years later, I was like, you know what
I think he's earned it.
I'll give him-
I'll give him the last name.
- I like the fact he didn't wanna rush into anything.
- Yeah yeah. He had to prove it 10 years, okay.
- So now you finally added it?
- Yeah. - After 11 years?
- Yeah. - Okay.
So, so tell me how you added the name.
Was this a mutual decision or did you do it just-
- I did it.
I was like, I think it's time.
I'm coming out with my book.
It's funny because Angela Johnson
I grew up with that name, but I'm Mexican American.
- Yeah. It doesn't get more Mexican American
than Angela Johnson.
- Exactly. - (audience laughs)
- Like I always wanted my Spanish name
and then I got married with a Spanish guy
and I was like, okay,
I'm already branded Angela Johnson.
Like, forget it. And I was like, you know what?
I want my Spanish last name. I'm gonna take Reyes.
So I added it in, but yeah.
So who do I think I am?
It's like stories of, you know, self identity.
I didn't speak Spanish growing up.
I wanted to be a chola real bad.
- (laughing)
but nobody was scared of little payasa Johnson.
So that was-
- Now did your parents speak Spanish?
- No.
- Oh, they didn't?
- No. I'm fourth generation.
So my parents didn't speak Spanish.
- Well, see my dad was Italian.
When his parents came,
his parents only spoke Italian,
but they said you only speak, here in America,
speak English.
- Right.
In those days you didn't want, like,
our name is Leno but my dad made it Leno
because it sounded more American
but his first name was angelo.
You're not fooling anybody.
- Right, right, right. No.
- But now everybody wants to go back and, you know,
put their heritage- - Get in touch with our roots.
- That's right. Get in touch with your roots.
- Yeah.
- Now, before you were a comedian
you were a professional cheerleader.
I don't know why the-
Angela Johnson professional cheerleader.
It doesn't get more white girl than that.
- (laughing)
- I know makes me laugh.
It's like you just went down this path.
- I know, but it was for the Oakland Raiders.
So I got a little bit my sass, you know what I mean?
- Were either of you ever cheerleaders?
Were you guys ever- - No.
- Yes.
- Oh you were cheerleader?
- But not professional. I mean, not, you know,
not the real deal, but yeah.
In high school I was. I was in senior year of high school.
- And you made the squad?
- I made it.
I made it though because I yelled the loudest.
- Right.
- I hadn't- I was in pet band for most of the seasons.
And so I hadn't done-
so I knew all the cheers, but I didn't do-
I never learned like actual moves or anything.
- She made it on volume alone.
So I made it on volume alone. - Yeah.
- I really did.
- Now was it real, was it real sort of competitive?
- No, we were, well, we were pretty good.
We were- I'm from the west side of Chicago
and so with a smaller school.
So we did do a competition
but um, it was very much like the,
the movie where you know,
it's kind of the culture clash of cheerleaders.
Like our dances were, a lot,
I don't know A lot more city. We were a lot more.
we were a lot more west side Chicago and we would go
to like central Illinois to like, compete with, you know
more of that, more of the like high ponytail and like, yeah.
We were like
- Yeah, I like that. [Crowd Laughing]
- I like that.
- I like it, yeah. I liked it, yeah.
I like the strip club move.
Yeah. That one.
- All the way down.
- Who do I think I am? Tell me,
is this all about looking for your identity?
Is that what this is, but in funny a way
or what do we got here? - So it's-
Okay. So who do I think I am? It's layered.
It's stories of self identity.
Like who am I and evolving in my faith.
Who am I?
But it's also who do I think I am to dream such big dreams
over them. - Right.
- You know what I mean?
Like, I'm just this little Mexican American girl
from San Jose California
- Named Angela Johnson.
- Yeah. Like what do I know about being an actress?
The audacity, I would have to say something like
"I wanna be an actress" that seems so far fetched.
Like I might as well say, I wanna be a princess,
but it's about like going for those dreams
and like who do I think I am to write a book?
Who do I think I am to be sitting here with Jay Leno?
You know what I mean? - No. Yeah.
- It's, it's about- - Thought that myself.
- Now you get to know who you are. Yes.
- Very funny comedian.
We gotta do a commercial break.
Now tickets for Anjelahs Who Do I Think I Am Tour
available right now, online.
Pick up a new book and it's called
Who Do I Think I Am Stories.
Well, chola wishes a caviar dream.