The 2009 Money Conference
Entertainment entrepreneur
Entertainment entrepreneur
Ronnie Warner was an executive director of "This
Christmas," which grossed $50 million
Christmas," which grossed $50 million
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 1 of 2
Ronnie Warner, one of the keynote speakers at The Money Conference being held
August 15 at Wright Middle School, is an extraordinary person. Warner is an
entertainment entrepreneur who has managed comedy clubs, performed stand-up
comedy on the comedy circuit, acted in films and most recently was an executive
director of the hit “This Christmas,” which starred Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, Loretta
Devine, Chris Brown and Regina King in December 2007. . He also had a bit part as the
“Dude.”
Despite some heavy odds and imposing obstacles, Warner is making his dreams
come true. But it certainly hasn’t been easy. One could say that Warner has been
singularly focused to get where he is today and willing to take whatever route that
presented itself to get there.
Warner was born and raised in North Carolina. After graduating from high school,
Warner went to a community college for a year before dropping out and joining the
Part 1 of 2
Ronnie Warner, one of the keynote speakers at The Money Conference being held
August 15 at Wright Middle School, is an extraordinary person. Warner is an
entertainment entrepreneur who has managed comedy clubs, performed stand-up
comedy on the comedy circuit, acted in films and most recently was an executive
director of the hit “This Christmas,” which starred Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, Loretta
Devine, Chris Brown and Regina King in December 2007. . He also had a bit part as the
“Dude.”
Despite some heavy odds and imposing obstacles, Warner is making his dreams
come true. But it certainly hasn’t been easy. One could say that Warner has been
singularly focused to get where he is today and willing to take whatever route that
presented itself to get there.
Warner was born and raised in North Carolina. After graduating from high school,
Warner went to a community college for a year before dropping out and joining the
Marine Corps. After a year of boot camp and training, Warner joined the Reserves and was stationed in the Washington, D.C. area where he went to
school for a year.
But he had always had this dream of breaking into the entertainment field. “I was planning on moving to Los Angeles,” Warner said during a
telephone interview with The Capital City Hues. “I had saved up some money and a girlfriend of mine from high school was going to USC. She said I
could crash with friends for a couple of weeks until I could find a place. I was already set to go because I always wanted to get into entertainment,
stand-up comedy and stuff like that. I didn’t really pursue it per se or I didn’t pursue it out loud with anyone. At this point, I had a little money saved up
and I thought I was going to do it.”
But his grandfather had died and his dad called to ask him to help out with the family business in North Carolina. Warner felt obliged to help out.
While working, he enrolled at North Carolina Central University. He saw an ad in the local paper seeking waitresses for a comedy club that was
opening in Durham. “I was thinking ‘Comedy club,’” Warner said. “It’s not something you see in Durham, North Carolina. This was about 1989. So I
went and applied so I could be around comedy.” He was the only male hired and the only African American working in a White comedy club in
Durham, North Carolina.
After several months, Warner was the only original worker still there. His ambition was to get on stage and so he wanted to be the manager after
the first manager left to start his own restaurant. But they hired someone else and Warner had to train him for the job. That manager didn’t work out
and so Warner hoped once again to be named the manager, but once more, they hired someone else.”
Next issue: Warner gets his break into show business.
school for a year.
But he had always had this dream of breaking into the entertainment field. “I was planning on moving to Los Angeles,” Warner said during a
telephone interview with The Capital City Hues. “I had saved up some money and a girlfriend of mine from high school was going to USC. She said I
could crash with friends for a couple of weeks until I could find a place. I was already set to go because I always wanted to get into entertainment,
stand-up comedy and stuff like that. I didn’t really pursue it per se or I didn’t pursue it out loud with anyone. At this point, I had a little money saved up
and I thought I was going to do it.”
But his grandfather had died and his dad called to ask him to help out with the family business in North Carolina. Warner felt obliged to help out.
While working, he enrolled at North Carolina Central University. He saw an ad in the local paper seeking waitresses for a comedy club that was
opening in Durham. “I was thinking ‘Comedy club,’” Warner said. “It’s not something you see in Durham, North Carolina. This was about 1989. So I
went and applied so I could be around comedy.” He was the only male hired and the only African American working in a White comedy club in
Durham, North Carolina.
After several months, Warner was the only original worker still there. His ambition was to get on stage and so he wanted to be the manager after
the first manager left to start his own restaurant. But they hired someone else and Warner had to train him for the job. That manager didn’t work out
and so Warner hoped once again to be named the manager, but once more, they hired someone else.”
Next issue: Warner gets his break into show business.
