Julia Scotti: A Story of Hope, Triumph, and Vulnerability

Decades ago, during the comedy boom of the 1980s, Julia Scotti was a busy guy headlining clubs across the country and appearing on bills with comedy legends like Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock. Scotti may have been at the peak of her career, but on the inside, something was not right.

At a time when words such as gender dysphoria and gender reassignment surgery were uncommon, Scotti’s true awakening at the age of 47 led to a year of hormonal treatments, surgery, and a new identity. Although Scotti was finally accepting her true and authentic self as a trans woman, unfortunately, she lost everything. Family, friends, comedy world buddies, and most painfully, her children.

Taking a hiatus from the stage and reinventing herself, Scotti became a middle school teacher. Eventually, she stepped back on stage at an open mic and began her journey back into the world she loved.

Scotti’s emotional and triumphant comeback story is documented in a new film called Julia Scotti: Funny That Way. Directed and produced by Susan Sander, and shot over a period of five years, viewers witness the unrelenting courage and humor it takes to be Scotti. With breathtaking honesty, Julia Scotti: Funny That Way tracks Scotti’s return to comedy, the rough life on the road, and the complex process of reuniting with her children as comedy becomes the shared language of identity, healing, and joy.

OFM had the opportunity to chat more about the film with both Scotti and Sandler.

Susan, let me begin by asking you, why did you want to direct this film, and what drew you to Julia’s story?
Susan Sandler: This is a story that invited me in. I began with the excitement of watching Julia perform for the first time, and I just fell in love. That is where all things begin, when you fall in love. I began working with Julia dramaturgically on a one-woman show; I am a playwright and narrative filmmaker as well. This is my first documentary.

So, that is how I met Julia. It was through her story, finding her story, and hearing it as she began to put the pieces together for a one-woman show. I realized that this story wanted to be a documentary. The combination of her interesting journey, the archival material that existed in the then and now of her story—it all added up. I was very lucky and grateful that she said yes.

Julia, how has this film been life-changing for you?
Julia Scotti: Oh, my goodness. How often does one get a movie made about their life? [Laughs]. Amazing things have happened, but I think the most impactful thing for me is that everything about my life is now out. There are no secrets; all the pain is out there, and all the joy is out there. Mark Twain said, ‘When you tell the truth, you don’t’ have to remember anything,’ and this film is that. It is all truth. It gives me a lot of freedom as a human being, and as a comedian.

Why do you think a story like yours is prevalent for today’s times?
JS: When I was going through it 20 years ago, I didn’t. Now, as time progresses, and I see more and more young people coming out, trans people my age coming out, and hearing these awful stories about the suicide rate being so high, this is a story that needs to be told, and I hope that if you take anything away from Julia Scotti: Funny That Way, it’s that there is life beyond transitions. Not just living, but thriving. If anything, again, that word ‘freedom’ comes up, the freedom of being who you are. It is limitless as to what you can be.

How has Julia Scotti: Funny That Way been received by audiences?
SS: It has really been a joy ride. We have been on this festival circuit, and initially, before COVID, we thought it was going to be Julia and I on the road, Julia doing comedy, and the film playing alongside. So, there would be an evening of meeting Julia in the framework of the film and getting to see her live. That was the design of the distribution of the festival journey, but COVID was really a big adjustment for us. The idea that we were going to be traveling virtually, that was going to be a whole different experience, but what’s so cool about the way everyone has adjusted through this period is that there is a real appetite everywhere for stories that moves you and makes you laugh. That is what this film does.

We have embraced everywhere we’ve gone. Julia’s story has been important for people, and it has enlightened people. We have been in a lot of great LGBTQ festivals, but we have also been at festivals that typically do not program a lot of LGBTQ films. It has been a very cool journey in terms of what the appetite is for this story at this moment, and it has been very encouraging.

What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
SS: I hope that audiences understand in Julia’s story that living your true life is the path, regardless of whatever the lies are that are mounting and keeping people from understanding what their truth is. Sharing your true self is the path to being a happy, full person and living a good life. It travels across all sorts of generations, cultures, and experiences. That is the essence of Julia’s story.

JS: Susan and I are on the same plane. I am a big believer in telling your truth, and I think when you are honest with yourself, follow your bliss, follow your heart, and not let other people tell you what they think you should be, you end up being a much happier and more peaceful individual. That is the one thing I have learned from the transition. I am at peace in a way that I never was before, and I hope that comes across in the movie. Again, it does not matter what your situation is or whatever your struggle is. As long as you are honest with yourself and follow your truth, you will come out OK.

What has been the most rewarding part about this project for you personally?
JS: It’s funny; when you’re a kid, and they say when you go to heaven, there is supposedly a big book of your life that shows you all the stuff you did. Well, I am getting to do that while still alive! I get to see what my life has been like. There were times when I would go, ‘Wow, look at my life,’ or go, ‘What hell am I doing?’ It has been a roller-coaster ride, but at the end, you get cotton candy and ice cream. It’s been fun. It has been a wonderful experience.

SS: For me, there are so many rewards as an artist, writer, and storyteller. Prior to this, I worked exclusively in narrative film as a screenwriter and playwright. This is my first documentary, and I was drawn to Julia, drawn to her story, and drawn to the complexity of the world. What I’ve learned in the six years of working on this film, that has been the length of this journey, is so much in the way of craft and so much in the way of the business of telling a true story and putting it together from the material of a lived life.

As a storyteller, as a writer, as a producer, on every level, it has been very rewarding. I have learned so much and I have had a great experience working with my collaborators. My composer, Matt Hutchinson, animator, Sam Roth, my editor, Marsha Moore McKeever, my beautiful consulting editor, Lewis Erskine, so many great people on the ride. From start to finish, it has been fun, exhausting, and rewarding. All those good things.

Julia, you came out shortly before turning 50. What made you decide that was the moment to do it?
JS: Because it was the moment that I realized what had been plaguing me my entire life. I believed early on in my life that I might have been gay, and obviously, I experimented with it, but it was not me. It was not who I was. It wasn’t until my partner helped me realize what the issue truly was. I then embraced it, and that was around my 50^th birthday. It is not uncommon for people of my generation to come out that late in life because there was so little information about transgender folks then. This was 20-21 years ago.

Has coming out changed your approach to comedy?
JS: Oh, yes! The only reason I came back to comedy in the first place was because I wanted to be totally honest and totally fearless. I mean, I came out in front of the entire country on national television. The mother of all coming out!

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
JS: With the film, for people who are struggling with their gender identity, I hope the movie gives them a light at the end of the tunnel. There is life after this; you can thrive. You just have to get through it. I know that’s hard. For parents of children going through it, I want them to see that you just need to love your kids. That is all they are asking you to do. Just be there for them. As for adults who are alone, suicide, which we know is prevalent in our community, is not the way to go. There are people out there that want to embrace you and love you.

As for my comedy, I just want to keep growing as a comedian. Attracting new audiences, younger people. I like having young people come to my shows. We can just share the laughs. That’s what I want.

SS: I want to keep learning, growing, and being curious about what I do. I also teach film at NYU Tisch, and in that world, I get to hear from a lot of young artists about their journeys, where they are headed, and guiding them. The world that I work in as a professor and the world that I work in as a writer, director, all of that is about curiosity. That is something I never want to lose. I want to be involved with stories that make me want to know more. That’s sort of the signpost for me.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else either one of you would like to mention or plug?
JS: I have a number of things. I am just now starting to rehearse for a new album, now that we are getting back into clubs. I am beta testing new material for the album, which we hope to record in November. I also wrote a play over the COVID period, The Dark Period, and we are hoping to get that seen somewhere soon.

Click here for more information about the film and where to watch. Stay up-to-date with Scotti by following her on Twitter, Instagram, or visit her official website. Stay connected with Sandler by following her on Twitter.