Sofie Hagen is a Danish stand up comic and podcaster. Winning the Chortle award for best newcomer in 2014, Hagen has successfully established herself on the British comedy scene, with her willingness to discuss more personal matters such as mental health and body image. Her podcast Comedians Telling Stuff (which Sofie briefly mentions below) is available online now and she brings her debut hour Bubblewrap to the Edinburgh Festival this August.
To find out more about Sofie, I asked her these seven questions…
1) What is your favourite comedy project that you have been involved in?
I did a sketch with a famous Danish actor called Kim Bodnia in Denmark once. It was all improvised and he tried to kiss me. I think the idea behind that thought was that I was going to say no. But I jumped up on the table that separated us and completely snogged his brains out. He is one of my favourite actors and I was just starstruck to be in the same room as him. Oh, did I mention that he’s 50 years old and slightly looks like my dad? Whenever I see him in a film, I blush. I genuinely feel like we had something. This is why I am not an actor. I would get way too attached.
© Karla Howlett
2) Do you ever wear pyjamas in public?
Way too often, considering that I am techincally an adult. In Denmark, where I’m from, you can barely walk down any street without running into someone you know. Your old science teacher, your ex-boydriend, your dad… And then you meet the next person! I am just kidding, we have surprisingly little incest in Denmark. Anyways, so I moved to London where I can walk for miles (I rarely walk more than a mile) and meet NO ONE. So I started doing my grocery shopping in my pyjamas. The whole lot- two different shoes, only one sock, chocolate on my cheek. And I do not give a fuck. I probably should.
3) What item of food reminds you of your childhood?
Chips of chocolate that has been melted together. When I was a child, our fridge died overnight and what seemed like thuosands of chocolate chips melted into one huge lump that my mother let me eat. She regretted that later on, when I started turning off the fridge on a weekly basis so I could get muyself a big lump of chocolate.
4) Do you enjoy being scared?
No. Why would I? It doesn’t make sense to enjoy being scared. It’s like when women say they love “bad boys”. Why? Why would you? ‘Bad’ means, well, bad. Don’t come crying to me later and be all “Oh, I can’t believe he did this to me!”- really? The fact that he was a bad boy didn’t at all give you ANY clues as to what his future behaviour was going to be like? Scared is the same thing. So no. Because I quite like being very certain that I am not going to be eaten or killed anytime soon.
5) Is podcasting a neglected art form?
As someone who does their own podcast (www.comedianstellingstuff.com), I would definitely say that it IS a neglected art form. Because my podcast (www.comedianstellingstuff.com) is definitely art (www.comedianstellingstuff.com) and everyone should stop neglecting it (my podcast: www.comedianstellingstuff.com) and go to my website (www.comedianstellingstuff.com) and listen to it. Here is the web address: www.comedianstellingstuff.com.
6) Are you a gracious loser?
I was once on a date with a guy and we were being flirty and silly. When we both had to go to the bathroom at the sae time, he said jokingly, “Let’s see who gets back first!” and I ran to the bathroom. I did come back first, but in my desperation to win the little stupid competition, I had torn my underwear into three pieces, trying to get it off quickly- and I had not really washed my hands. So no. I am not.
7) Are you interested in living for as long as possible?
Yes! I want to be one of those old ladies that does not give a fuck anymore. I will be the opposite of what I am now: I will go to the grocery store wearing pink sequin leggings and a crop top and fake dementia and steal lots of stuff. Flirt with everyone, do fetish porn (no one I know will be alive anyways) and learn how to breakdance. Turn off my fridge every week and eat lumps of chocolate.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SOFIE HAGEN’S EDINBURGH RUN, VISIT HER WEBSITE.