Why Comedian April Riles Is Ready For The Spotlight

In this exclusive interview for INSIDE Monthly, we sit down with the multifaceted comedian and entertainer, April Riles. From her early roots in the performing arts to a soul-searching, cross-country move to Los Angeles—where she spent seven years working alongside comedian Lil Rel Howery—April’s journey has been driven by resilience, deep self-reflection, and a courageous leap of faith. Now embracing the growing, community-driven pace of Charlotte, North Carolina, she is bringing her vibrant energy directly to the spotlight. Fresh off a sold-out debut for the all-female comedy series The Women Are Not Okay, April opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped her path, the lessons learned on the road, and what audiences can expect next from her expanding career.

What were you like as a kid and as a teenager?

April: Ooh, as a kid, I had a lot of energy. I still have a lot of energy, but I kind of grew up in a performing arts school. It wasn’t officially that, but that is where I learned about music, that’s where I learned about theater. And so entertainment has just always kind of been a part of my life. And then going into high school, still same thing. I was doing community plays. I was in the band, I was taking dance classes and all those sorts of things. So, yeah, I just always loved to entertain.

Why did you decide to make the move to LA?

April: Whoo! Okay. So, how do I want to phrase this? In 2014, I lost my best friend in a car accident. And that kind of changed the way that I approached life. And I realized that I could go at any point. And so, I was very unhappy with some things that were going on in my life. I wasn’t working in entertainment like I thought I would be. And I broke up with my boyfriend. I quit my job. Packed my car. Not all in the same day, but ultimately that’s what I did. And I was like, I’m gonna go to LA. I looked at a map and I said, I know people here, here, here, and here. Hey, can I stay with you this day? Can I stay with you that day? And I spent 25 days on the road driving from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles. And that was 2017. Yeah, I moved to LA 2017. And I was there for eight years.

What did you learn about yourself in California?

April: I learned a lot about myself in California, but I think I learned the most about myself really in the move to California. About six months before I actually moved, I spent all that time praying, meditating, journaling to center myself. I had a lot of time to be by myself, you know, just in the car, driving, and with my thoughts. And, you know, God changed me in different ways. And I feel like by the time that I got to LA, I was so centered in myself that everything just [kind of fell into place]….the ball just rolled.

I was in LA for 10 days and I was walking into a party. I met Little Rel walking into the party, and we just clicked and started working together. And we worked together for seven years while I was in LA.

And I think that one of the greatest things that I realized in that journey of working with Rel is that I moved when I was supposed to move, because if I had not spent that time inside of myself and with God, I might have got to LA and made some really bad decisions. I still made a few bad ones, but I think, I think some of my choices would have been different had I not had the maturity and the wisdom on my side.

How is living in Charlotte different than Los Angeles?

April: Living in Charlotte is very different than living in Los Angeles because it’s a smaller city, of course. So it’s a smaller city, it’s a slower pace. But I do think one of the beautiful things about Charlotte and really North Carolina as a whole is how it’s growing. And there’s so much room for experiences and so much room for opportunity, and that’s one of the beautiful things that I love about this area.

Tell us about The Women Are Not Okay.

April: The Women Are Not Okay is a new comedy series returning to Charlotte. Shout out to my girl Jess. It’s an all-female comedian lineup. We had a very successful show this last weekend with the first one of many. And it was a sold-out show. And it’s clear that the people in Charlotte are looking for female comedians, they want to hear female comedians, and so I think that everybody should pay attention to what the ladies are doing.

What should we expect to see from April Riles in the future?

April: You can expect to see a lot from me in the future. You know, I’m really just getting started with standup. I’ve been working in comedy for a while, but I’m finally out there on the stage. And so you’ll see a lot of me on stage. You’ll also see a lot from me with TV and commercials and all those sorts of things. You’ll also see a lot more of me just doing some campaigns and content and things like that. I love entertaining, so I don’t just do one thing, you know, I love comedy, but you’ll see me in a lot of different areas.