As an actor, comedian, and content creator in New York, Nisarah Lewis, understands the grind of being a creative. She has been able to carve a unique path through the success of her large social media following, with the character of Dudette With Sign on Instagram and TikTok. In September, she will be celebrating five years with that alter-ego.
The profile has amassed over 800,000 followers in recent years and features Lewis portraying the character of Dudette, a protester wearing dark sunglasses, with a deadpan expression, and holding a cardboard sign on different streets across New York City. The texts on each sign are comedic observations and opinionated statements of relatable topics for millennials and young adults. Signs run the gamut of dating hot takes, weekend anticipation, women’s empowerment, fashion and more.
“It’s been a dream,” Lewis shared about the popularity of the page. Between the profile and her work in acting and comedy, including a monthly sketch comedy show with Magnet Theater, Ghost Girl Sketch Comedy, Lewis feels a sense of freedom in her ability to live happily and be financially stable while doing what she loves.
Born and raised in Oakland, California, Lewis had talents in both sports and theater growing up. Her first brush with acting came in the seventh grade, performing in Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” and even winning an award in school for best performance. As a teen, she would participate in different festivals, but it wasn’t until graduating high school that she realized that acting was the path she wanted to take.
Lewis moved to New York for college, first attending SUNY Purchase Acting Conservatory and then transferring to Fordham University, where she got her degree and even spent a semester training in theater in London.
Since graduating, Lewis’ career reflected that of many adult working actors, working at restaurants like Harlem’s BLVD Bistro, while taking on several roles in commercials, TV shows, and short films. She even starred in an Off-Broadway play, “Miracle in Rwanda” at Lion’s Theatre. In recent years, she has settled more into comedy and live performance.
In 2021, after making content videos with her friends, Lewis began working with the F**k Jerry, an entertainment company with several brands, including Dude With Sign, to become Dudette With Sign. Shortly after, she was able to leave her job at Bistro, which is when she realized she was on an upward trajectory.
It was around this time that Lewis became more involved in sketch and improv, even doing stand-up a few times. She has developed characters, including an impression of former mayor Eric Adams, which she has been invited to perform at venues like Caveat in Lower Manhattan. With Ghost Girl, she and her team of comedic performers tour the country and beyond.
Some of the notable partnerships Lewis has had as Dudette include the cast of “Abbott Elementary,” the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and SheaMoisture. The role has also allowed her to support various causes, including women in tech and animal welfare.
Lewis says she does not get recognized as much when she is her regular self, but it is when she is out making content, wearing the sunglasses and holding the sign, that she often meets a lot of fans and people wanting to take photos.
“I feel like a little superhero where I put on my cape,” Lewis said about going in and out of character for the content.
She considers herself a student and a big fan of comedy, always making time to go see live shows, as well as reading up on the art.
“It’s one thing to try to appeal to what other people like, but if you laugh at it, that’s already a good starting point,” Lewis said about how she develops her comedy material.
Lewis was able to dive into drama more, which she says is a return to her roots, acting in the short film “Someone Loves You,” featuring Nadine Sutherland.
Between creating content, doing live shows, and auditioning, Lewis also loves playing tennis.
Lewis says she is very much continuing to grow and intends to reach greater heights. But for now, she is proud of what she has accomplished. She has ideas for her own show down the line.
“It’s a lot of figuring out as I go,” Lewis said about her life as a creative and overall artist. She says she even has to remind herself not to be so consumed with working and be able to balance her personal life, being with friends and family. “A lot of this stuff is about confidence and self-belief.”
