Before joining “Studio C,” Pence was in the BYU comedy group, Divine Comedy with cast members Adam Berg, Stephen Meek and Stacey Harkey, who encouraged her to join the tv show.
Though Pence no longer writes sketches, she said she likes to use everyday life as inspiration for her comedy.
“I find that I prefer comedians to actors a lot of the time because the job requires that you be out and about and experiencing life so that you can comment on it,” Pence said. “You have to be able to just be like ‘Yah, life is weird and strange and silly, and so I will not be crazy serious about this.’ We have to be able to laugh.”
Pence joined “Studio C” as an official cast member in the show’s eighth season and has seen how the show has evolved since the original cast leaving and returning to the show. She also took a break from the show after season 10 and returned as a full-time cast member in season 16.
Pence said the show’s niche comedy can be hard to pinpoint, but that collaboration is important in successful comedy.
“For me, really the most important thing to “Studio C” is that the people making the show like each other and don’t have big egos and want to have a good time together,” Pence said. “I enjoy coming into this space and making silly things with silly people.”
Pence said her time with “Studio C” has allowed for personal growth as well. She said that at first it was easy for her to “coast” and let the cast members who were more familiar with the show take the reins, but she has since learned to become more open about sharing ideas.
“It’s been really great to learn, ‘Actually no, you have good ideas sometimes and you should express those ideas,’” Pence said. “Are they all winners? No, but someone might find something you say funny. So don’t be afraid to say what you’re thinking, because the fewer ideas that are floating around, the less chance we have to make a lot of people laugh.”
Pence said that this was never the job she thought she’d have but that it fell into her life’s path because she worked hard doing the things she loved.
“So when you search for the things that will bring you joy and will connect you with other people, everything else kind of falls into place,” Pence said. “So go out and do the things that makes you happy.”
To hear more from Tori Pence, listen to the full interview on BYU-Idaho Radio’s podcast on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.