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Comedian Erica Rhodes Had Sofia Vergara Cracking Up in Her AGT Audition
AGT act Erica Rhodes' hilarious and surprisingly personal jokes had the Judges laughing along the entire performance.
When it comes to capturing ridiculous moments of modern relationships, Erica Rhodes is on it. You may know the stand-up comedian and actress from her comedy special “La Vie En Rhodes,” her guest appearances on Modern Family — and now her audition on America’s Got Talent, which was one for the books.
Sofia Vergara proclaimed Rhodes the best comedy Act she’s ever seen on AGT. Her performance, a mix of dating ambivalence and righteous rage, was an extension of her comic work over the past 12 years — not only hilarious but also surprisingly relatable. As Simon Cowell said, “It really makes me laugh.”
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Drawing on her personal life as an outspoken woman, a good date, and someone who “appreciates a thrift-store frock,” Rhodes admitted to the Judges she just got her heart broken for the 15th time — by the same guy. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 15 times, wow. I’m impressed, what else you got?”
But it was her insights into her romance with a “guy with money” that got the biggest laughs — even from Cowell. “The problem is I found out they don’t always give you the money,” she joked.
“He would show me things he had. One time he showed me a house he had in the woods. And he did a big gesture like, look at my house!” she recalled, appearing completely non-plussed at the memory.
“He’s like, ‘Wow, I thought you’d have a bigger reaction,’ and I was like, ‘Are you giving me the house? I’ll react if you’re giving me the house,’” she said to howls from the audience, adding that she could “look at houses that aren’t mine all day long. I can Google the mansion section and be like, ‘Ooooh, look at all the houses that aren’t mine.’”
Sofia Vergara called Erica Rhodes her “favorite comedian” on AGT
Vergara remained somewhat straight-faced through Rhodes’ performance, so when it came time for feedback, her response was surprising. “I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy, but I think you’re my favorite comedian that I have seen on AGT. You should be on a sitcom. I think the people are going to love you,” she exclaimed.
But it was fellow comedian Howie Mandel who had a string of sweet compliments for the stand-up comedian. “I wanted to be surprised, and I didn’t know you were a comic, and I think after tonight you’re going to be a well-known comedian,” he told Rhodes, adding, “You are brilliant, you’re real, you’re relatable, you’re funny.” Heidi Klum agreed, saying, “I was laughing along with you the entire time.”
While Cowell is not exactly her target audience, Rhodes knows how to tell a story that throws the audience off-guard — and resonates with the most unlikely people. “I really like the bit about the guy showing you his house in the woods because I have a thing,” he revealed. “I have people close to me who say, ‘Look how great so-and-so’s house is!’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care because it’s not mine,’ said Cowell. “So, it really makes me laugh.”
Who Is Erica Rhodes?
When Rhodes took the AGT stage in trendy jeans and a causal ruffled top, she joked, “I’m just dressing for the job I want now, which is an attainable trophy wife. I just want to be a participation trophy wife.” It got a huge laugh from the audience, but clearly, Rhodes is light years away from being a “participation trophy wife.”
The former ballerina and classically trained cellist made her entertainment debut at 10 years old on NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” where she voiced the conscience of legendary humorist Garrison Keillor.
The comedian went on to appear in several TV shows and films, including VEEP, Plague Town, and 18-Year-Old Virgin. Though she released a comedy album, Sad Lemon, in 2019, it wasn’t until 2021 that her witty, engaging stand-up style reached the masses with her comedy special “La Vie En Rhodes,” which tackled topics like “nonmotivational quotes” and narcissistic exes. Her second album, Ladybug, is out now on iTunes.
Catch up on past episodes of America's Got Talent on Peacock.
