How grief, creating characters and wigs helped comic Heather McMahan to build a loyal following

By ALICIA RANCILIO
Associated Press

Sometimes inspiration can be unexpected. Just ask comedian Heather McMahan. She began posting witty observations and comedy bits with characters to social media after her father died in 2015 of pancreatic cancer. That’s led to a weekly podcast, a successful stand-up tour and TV development deal. McMahan also self-produced a comedy special “Heather McMahan: Son I Never Had” that is now streaming on Netflix and recently filmed a second special which will premiere next year. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Jeff, and mother, Robin, and says she has to explain her chosen living situation to others “every day.”