With a face like hers, Heather Shaw was born to do comedy. The standup performer always shared an uncanny likeness to the legendary comic Jim Carrey. At eight years old, friends and family pointed out the resemblance. "As a kid, Jim Carrey's comedy movies were huge in my life, so they probably were an inspiration, which is ironic," she told the SGN. "But I've always wanted to do standup."

Despite the physical similarities, Shaw's onstage presence differs significantly. "He's super physical. I have some physical acts, but I don't do imitations," she said. "I just look like that guy." Shaw describes her routines as "goofy," which can be similar to Carrey, but unlike his standup from the '80s and '90s, Shaw leans more on expanded one-liners.

Shaw is also not afraid to get dirty on stage. "I'm goofy, a little dark, dirty, unhinged," she said. Comedians with more risqué acts are sometimes pressured to clean it up. But Shaw's most successful when she stays true to herself.

She found that there's a right way to do dirty jokes, and most cis/het white dudes haven't figured that out yet. "If you're gonna do those kinds of jokes, you've got to be clever about it or funny," she said.

Shaw started her career a decade ago in Orlando, Florida, which she describes as "hell on earth." "That state should sink," she said. "It's a decent city to come up in, but there's only so much you can do there. It's not like New York or LA or even Austin now." She did as much comedy as she could in Orlando's scene before touring around the country.

Despite starting her career in homophobic states, Shaw hasn't experienced much homophobia on the comedy scene. "There are funny Gay people that don't get opportunities, or they're overlooked, but not me, personally," she said. "I've been able to skate by, because the guys think I'm a guy, and the women think I'm a woman. It's like I get to play both sides."

A TikTok star and her future

Shaw's career exploded on TikTok when she started posting pandemic videos claiming to be Carrey's illegitimate daughter. "I was so bored, and I was like, 'I'm just gonna convince TikTok that I'm Jim Carrey's long-lost daughter.'"

"That was the joke, and people took it seriously, so I had to be like, 'Just kidding, don't sue me," she said. "That's really what catapulted [my career] into being able to tour and do shows and sell tickets."

Unlike Carrey, Shaw's sticking with standup for the time-being, although she's open to the possibility of making it onto the big screen.

Shaw will perform at the Spokane Comedy Club on January 22 at 7 p.m and the Laughs Comedy Club in Seattle on January 23 at 8 p.m.