“CUYAHOGA FALLS- When L.A. Hardy was 18-years-old, two weeks before he was set to begin his undergraduate career at the University of Akron, he received a letter that he remembers to this day. It was from the university and the first line told him that 92 percent of black students wouldn’t graduate.”
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CUYAHOGA FALLS- When L.A. Hardy was 18-years-old, two weeks before he was set to begin his undergraduate career at the University of Akron, he received a letter that he remembers to this day.

It was from the university and the first line told him that 92 percent of black students wouldn’t graduate.

You could look at that two ways, Hardy said. You could say that’s racist and messed up. My attitude was that I knew which percentage I was going to be. I wasn’t leaving without that piece of paper.

Hardy was undeterred then and he still is today.

The 42-year-old stand up comedian has appeared all over the world.

He was among the second group of civilians to appear in Iraq in 2004, where he performed 29 shows in 28 days for the troops with four other comedians, an experience he’ll never forget.

It was unbelievable, Hardy said. It wasn’t the way it is now. We were able to get away and do a lot of things you can’t do now.

Hardy said he was in one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces and has pictures of himself sitting on Uday Hussein’s car. He also drove a tank while he was there.

No stripes, no hat, no gear, he said. You never know what you can do.

Hardy also performed for the troops in Afghanistan as part of the first group of comedians to do so in ’03.

Hardy has appeared in numerous commercials for Levi, the NFL and Dockers. He appeared in the Indie movie China Dolls released this year and made a movie with Charlie Murphy called Universal Remote, although Hardy said he wasn’t sure when it will be released. He also worked on the Quentin Tarantino movie Jackie Brown that starred Samuel L. Jackson, Robert DeNiro, Michael Keaton and Chris Tucker, although the scenes he was filmed were eventually cut.

I did cash the check, though, he said.

His 12-year stand up career started at It’s Comedy in Parma, Ohio in an open mic contest, which he won. Hardy caught the bug and has been at it ever since.

He moved to Los Angeles, where he lived for 13 years. He recently came back to the area to headline at The Funny Stop comedy club in Cuyahoga Falls, the first time he’s performed in the area in nearly a decade.

Why haven’t I been back? Because I’m black, he joked. I’ve been concentrating more on doing commercials and acting then hitting the road.

Hardy graduated with a degree from UA in 1984 after four and a half long and arduous years.

He officially double-majored in communications: rhetoric and business, but said he unofficially majored in game room activities.

Man, I can play some pool, Hardy said. Bowling-I’ll beat your ass. Even dominos and Space Invaders.

Since he was 4-years-old, he had four things he wanted to do: be a football player a radio deejay, a stand up comedian and a baseball player.

The latter goal he accomplished at UA. He said he played one year of baseball, but didn’t pursue it further.

Both his business and communications degree has helped in his line of work.

They call it show business for a reason, Hardy said. There’s a show part, but you have to handle the business part. Without the business part, there is no show.

The letter he received never scared him off and taught him the persistence needed to be successful in show business.

If you want something you have to stick with it, he said. You’ve got to be willing to take the slings and arrows of what everybody’s going to say you can’t do.

You have to decide for yourself if you can do it. Ultimately at the end of the day there’s nobody to blame for your self. There are opportunities are out there.

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” #1.1361186:849529147.jpg:20080313_lahardy.jpg:UA grad L.A. Hardy has made a name for himself in show buisness.:Courtesy of L.A. Hardy”
“#1.1361185:4073544719.jpg:20080313_soldiers.jpg:L.A. Hardy, a 1984 UA graduate, performed for troops in Afghanistan in 2003 and in Iraq in ’04:Courtesy of L.A. Hardy”