Career Profile: Circus Clown	Home	Español	Activity
		Informal perspective of what an occupation might be like.

What I Do: How would you like to get paid for throwing a cream pie in someone’s face? Or for wearing a big red nose and a bright orange wig? I’m a professional clown with a national circus. I get to make people laugh for a living! The other clowns and I work up all kinds of routines for our act. We use lots of different props, and we practice our pratfalls so we don’t get hurt slipping and sliding during the show. We'll try just about anything to make the audience have a good time!

Best and Hardest Parts of My Job: Being a clown is not as easy as it might look. You have to be energetic and even athletic to do the things clowns do. And you also need stamina. Our circus performs hundreds of shows a year in cities all across America. We’re on the road almost all the time. At first I got homesick for my family and friends, but now the circus has become my second family. The very best part of my job is making kids laugh. Nothing in the world can beat that!

How I Got Started: I spent eight weeks at clown college in Florida. I learned how to create a routine, put on clown make-up, and fall down without getting hurt. There are several other clown schools in the United States. After you complete your training, you can audition for a job with a circus. If you like to make people laugh, if you enjoy traveling, and, most importantly, if you don’t mind looking silly, being a circus clown just might be the job for you!