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00:03From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central,
00:07it's America's only source for news.
00:10This is The Daily Show with your host, Michael Kosta.
00:28We got a good one tonight. We're cooking. We're cooking.
00:31Welcome to The Daily Show. I'm Michael Kosta.
00:33We've got so much to talk about tonight.
00:35Iran posts a new job listing.
00:37Chuck Schumer has a nuclear meltdown.
00:39And the BAFTA awards went proper rise up, governor.
00:42So let's kick things off with the latest on America's war with Iran.
00:49Nothing bad can happen. It can only good happen.
00:54We're now five days into our war with Iran,
00:57and things are looking just a little bit dicey.
01:02No one seems to have a clear plan for the war
01:04or even a clear reason why we started it.
01:07And apparently America's military is even at risk of running out of weapons,
01:10which is one problem I never thought America would have.
01:15I thought we had an unlimited stockpile of those,
01:18like spin-offs of Yellowstone.
01:20Oh, by the way, tune in to Paramount Plus
01:24for the world premiere of Yellowstone in Space.
01:29But despite all those problems,
01:31the good news is Donald Trump is in charge,
01:33and I'm sure he's diligently thought through
01:37all of the wartime scenarios.
01:40What's the worst-case scenario
01:41that you have planned for in Iran?
01:45Well, I don't know if there's a worst case.
01:47I guess the worst case would be we do this
01:48and then somebody takes over
01:50who's as bad as the previous person, right?
01:53That could happen.
01:54Yeah!
01:57Yeah, no shit!
02:00You're just thinking about this now?
02:02I do six months of research before I buy a new shampoo.
02:07Trump's like,
02:07I just realized starting a war in the Middle East
02:09could have some downsides, huh?
02:13So it's a little disturbing that he says it as casually
02:15as when you realize you've never seen a bird's penis before.
02:24Do they even have them?
02:28But Trump's right.
02:30You don't want a new leader
02:31who is just as bad as the old one.
02:33So I'm sure the administration
02:34has a deep bench of candidates
02:36ready to step up, right?
02:38Right?
02:41Woo!
02:43President Trump said some Iranian officials
02:45his administration was hoping could take over
02:48have been killed in the war.
02:50Well, most of the people we had in mind are dead.
02:52So, you know, we had some in mind
02:54from that group that is, uh, is dead.
02:58And now, uh, we have another group.
03:00They may be dead also.
03:01Okay.
03:02Well, the good thing is there's a third group.
03:04Oh, what's that?
03:05They're dead also?
03:06And the fourth group's dead?
03:08And the fifth group's dead?
03:09They're all dead.
03:10I can't...
03:10I cannot believe this.
03:10You killed all the candidates.
03:14Even the ones who were willing to accept a lower salary
03:16because they appreciated the potential
03:18for long-term career growth?
03:21Now, if I was Iran,
03:23I'd do what my middle school did
03:25when my English teacher had a baby
03:26and just let a gym teacher be the Ayatollah
03:28for a little while.
03:29But apparently they have another plan.
03:33So who is running Iran?
03:34The late Ayatollah's son
03:36has reportedly emerged as a leading candidate.
03:40Boring.
03:42Come on, dude.
03:43You're not supposed to follow
03:44in your dad's footsteps.
03:46Where's your rebellious spirit?
03:48I don't want to be the Supreme Leader, Dad.
03:50I just want to dance.
03:54But, you know,
03:54the job has a lot of long-term career growth,
03:57so I don't see a good reason
03:58why he wouldn't take it.
04:00Israel's defense minister this morning
04:02said anyone Iran appoints
04:04will be an unequivocal target for elimination.
04:11Damn.
04:13An unequivocal target for elimination.
04:14What a fancy way to say
04:16we're going to kill you.
04:18The Ayatollah's son is probably like,
04:20you know what,
04:20now that I think about it,
04:21I'm not really a management type.
04:24I'm kind of more of a creative guy.
04:26Now, my asshole stepbrother, though,
04:28he's Ayatollah material for sure.
04:33You know what,
04:34the plan for succession is not going well.
04:35How about the war itself?
04:37And I don't need to hear from Donald Trump this time.
04:39Surely there must be
04:40a more sober voice in this administration.
04:43America is winning.
04:46Decisively, devastatingly,
04:47and without mercy.
04:49Iran cannot outlast us.
04:50We control their fate.
04:52They are toast,
04:53and they know it.
04:54This was never meant to be a fair fight.
04:58And it is not a fair fight.
05:00Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
05:02Whoa.
05:03Come on, dude.
05:03Not a fair fight?
05:04That's not usually something
05:05you hear the good guys say,
05:07which, remember, that's us, right?
05:11Let's try again.
05:12And this time,
05:12avoid sounding so much like a bully.
05:15We are punching them
05:16while they're down,
05:17which is exactly how it should be.
05:20Dude, what the, dude?
05:24Why does the Secretary of Defense
05:26sound like a cheesy movie villain?
05:28America is winning.
05:31Decisively, devastatingly,
05:33and without mercy.
05:34Mercy is for the weak.
05:36An enemy deserves no mercy.
05:38We control their fate.
05:39We will decide your fate.
05:41We are punching them
05:42while they're down.
05:43Always kick them
05:44when they're down.
05:45And President Trump
05:46got the last laugh.
05:47Looks like it's I
05:48who will have the last laugh.
05:53Fun fact,
05:54that evil Muffet
05:55also got his start
05:56as a weekend Fox and Friends host.
05:59So...
06:00But I guess
06:01Secretary Pete's bravado
06:03clears one thing up.
06:04This is very much a war,
06:06which puts him at odds
06:07with what senators
06:08like Mark Wayne Mullen
06:09have been saying.
06:10This isn't a war.
06:12We haven't declared war.
06:13We are not
06:14at war with Iran.
06:15This isn't a war.
06:16This isn't a war with Iran.
06:19Yeah.
06:19Not a war?
06:20I thought it was
06:21obviously a war
06:21since, you know,
06:22you've been speaking
06:23next to a map
06:24of all the places
06:24we're bombing in the war.
06:27Also, all the, you know,
06:29and the...
06:33I don't know how it all works, okay?
06:36And I'm not the only one
06:37who's confused by this
06:38because it seems like
06:39Mark Wayne
06:40is also getting confused.
06:41This is war
06:42and we're taking out the threat.
06:44Um, and if you're part
06:45of the threat
06:46then you have a...
06:47then you're a target.
06:48You can see this is war.
06:49We haven't declared war.
06:50They declared war on us
06:51but we haven't...
06:51The president called it war
06:52and the secretary of Texas
06:53said it when you brought it
06:54just now you said
06:55this is war.
06:56They called it war.
06:56They called it war.
06:57What I was saying
06:58okay, well that was
06:59a misspoke.
07:00Yeah.
07:01Did he say
07:02that was a misspoke?
07:04Hard to believe
07:04the guy who said
07:05he did a misspoke
07:06did a misspoke.
07:07Now, I know it seems
07:09like Mark Wayne
07:10is contradicting himself
07:10but what you've got
07:11to understand
07:12is that Mark
07:14thinks this is a war
07:15but Wayne
07:16thinks it's not.
07:20It's just a constant bottle.
07:22Yeah.
07:23How good is that?
07:25Mark
07:27Wayne.
07:29So yes,
07:31mark this down
07:31as a war
07:32but
07:33Wayne this down
07:34as not a war.
07:37Anyway, thank you.
07:39Anyway, with the Republicans
07:41tripping all over their words
07:42trying to sell this
07:43unpopular war-adjacent conflict
07:45it's the perfect opportunity
07:46for Democrats
07:47to come out
07:47with a clear
07:48anti-war message.
07:50Oh, and here comes
07:51the truth hammer.
07:53Look, no one wants
07:54a nuclear war.
07:55No one wants
07:56a nuclear Israel
07:57but we certainly
07:59don't want
07:59an endless war
08:00plain and simple.
08:04What did I say?
08:06Oh, no.
08:07Got it.
08:07Let me say that again.
08:09All right.
08:10Wow.
08:11If you're confused
08:12just know that his full name
08:13is Chuck Wayne Schumer.
08:15So,
08:16for more
08:17on what comes next
08:17for Iran
08:18and its leadership succession
08:19let's go live
08:20to Grace Kuhlenschmidt.
08:23Grace.
08:26Grace, Grace, Grace.
08:29Grace.
08:33Grace.
08:34What is the latest?
08:36Michael,
08:37I'm here at the Pentagon
08:38and it is chaos.
08:40We're down to six bullets
08:42and Pete Hegseth
08:43makes us do shots
08:44after every single missile strike.
08:46I am wasted right now.
08:49Okay.
08:49I'm sorry
08:50that you're trashed, Grace
08:51but what about
08:51the next steps?
08:53Have the Trump administration
08:54figured out
08:55who can be
08:55the next leader of Iran?
08:56No.
08:57It's a huge problem.
08:58We need to find
08:59a leader now
09:00or going to war
09:02with no plan whatsoever
09:03is going to seem
09:04like a bad idea.
09:05The problem is
09:06the leader needs
09:07to be someone
09:07Donald Trump respects
09:08and the only person
09:10Donald Trump respects
09:11is, hold on.
09:12Yeah, Grace?
09:14I said, hold on.
09:16I'm thinking.
09:19I'm thinking.
09:21I've thought.
09:23Maybe this is
09:24a stupid idea
09:25but what if
09:26the next leader
09:27of Iran
09:28is Donald Trump?
09:31You're right.
09:31That's very stupid.
09:34I know.
09:34I know.
09:35It's dumb
09:35but maybe...
09:37Why would Donald Trump
09:38want to be
09:39the supreme leader
09:40of Iran?
09:40I don't know.
09:42Maybe he'll like the title.
09:43It's kind of an upgrade.
09:44Actually,
09:45this idea isn't that bad.
09:47It's like,
09:47president?
09:48Ew,
09:48we let anyone
09:49be president.
09:50We let Donald Trump
09:51be president.
09:53No!
09:55No!
09:56But supreme leader?
09:59Only like two guys
10:00have ever been
10:01supreme leader.
10:02That's special.
10:03That's like getting
10:04to be a Sheldon
10:05on TV.
10:05We've only had
10:06Sheldon
10:07and young Sheldon.
10:08But this,
10:09this is Iranian Sheldon.
10:12You know,
10:13this actually
10:14isn't a bad idea.
10:15It's a terrible idea.
10:17Donald Trump
10:17doesn't even know
10:18how the Iranian
10:18government works.
10:20Yeah,
10:20he doesn't know
10:21how the American
10:22government works.
10:25And it's worked out fine.
10:27No,
10:28Grace,
10:28it has not
10:29worked out fine.
10:30Don't be jealous
10:30that I had a good idea,
10:31Michael.
10:32He's gonna go for this.
10:33He'll have total immunity,
10:34he can imprison
10:35all the journalists
10:36he wants,
10:37and the flowy robes
10:38will hide the skin condition
10:39that's slowly eating
10:40away his plaque.
10:42Maybe,
10:44maybe this is
10:45the dozen shots
10:46of Cuervo talking,
10:47but I think I'm
10:47the smartest girl alive.
10:48Grace,
10:48Grace,
10:49Grace.
10:49Grace,
10:53Sorry,
10:54Grace,
10:54but you're not.
10:55Even if Trump
10:56wanted to do all this,
10:56he would have to
10:57convert to Islam.
10:58Oh, no.
11:00He would have to
11:01abandon the Christian
11:02beliefs he's been
11:02so faithfully adhering
11:04to his entire life?
11:06Shut up,
11:07Michael!
11:08This is the best idea
11:10in the history of Earth.
11:11It works out
11:12for everybody.
11:13Democrats get rid of him,
11:15Republicans get him
11:16out of the way
11:16for 2028,
11:17and Lee Grinwood
11:18gets a second song
11:19to sing.
11:21And I'm proud
11:22to be an Iranian.
11:24Grace,
11:25that's,
11:25that sounds like
11:26the same song.
11:27That sounds like
11:28the same song.
11:28I don't see you
11:29pitching anything.
11:30What's your genius idea?
11:31Okay,
11:32um,
11:33I don't know,
11:33maybe Iran has
11:34some sort of
11:35interim caretaker
11:36government
11:36that can maintain
11:37order with
11:38international help
11:39until free and fair
11:40elections can be held.
11:42That's the dumbest idea
11:43I've ever heard.
11:44And why would
11:45Lee Grinwood
11:46even go to Iran?
11:47That doesn't make
11:47any sense at all.
11:48Grace Cooling,
11:49Schmidt,
11:49everybody.
11:51When we come back,
11:52we find out about
11:54history's worst award show,
11:55Don't Grow Away.
11:56What are you talking about?
12:11Welcome back to
12:12The Daily Show.
12:13With most news stories,
12:15we try to cover them quickly.
12:16But other stories
12:17require us to go deeper.
12:18And for those,
12:19we turn to Josh Johnson
12:20in our new segment,
12:22Into Deep.
12:30Let's talk about award shows.
12:32They honor creative people,
12:33they celebrate great art,
12:35and they're how we track
12:36the migratory pattern
12:37of the Scarsguards.
12:40But one recent award show
12:41raised a lot more questions
12:43than who are you wearing.
12:44It was supposed to be
12:45an evening of Hollywood glamour
12:47mixed with British royalty.
12:49But the British Film Awards
12:51ceremony known as
12:52the BAFTAs
12:53is facing outrage
12:54after black actors
12:56Michael B. Jordan
12:57and Delroy Lindo
12:58took the stage
12:59only for the N-word
13:00to be shouted
13:01from the audience.
13:04Oh, BAFTA, BAFTA, BAFTA.
13:07Don't you miss
13:07when nobody knew
13:08what you were?
13:11When we all thought
13:12you were a trade deal
13:13or something,
13:14you know?
13:14I actually once
13:15met someone
13:16who told me
13:17they had a BAFTA
13:17and I was like,
13:18I'm so sorry.
13:21Is it terminal?
13:23Now, ordinarily,
13:24I dismiss this
13:25as another story
13:26about a racist slur,
13:27but let's go
13:28a little deeper.
13:29The shout came
13:29from John Davidson
13:31who lives
13:31with Tourette's Syndrome,
13:33a condition
13:33that can cause people
13:34to make sudden
13:35involuntary tics.
13:38This is a tough one.
13:41Because you got to understand,
13:42this is hard for me
13:43as a black person
13:44because every time
13:45I've been called
13:45the N-word,
13:46I was told the white person
13:47couldn't help it,
13:48you know?
13:51No, no, no.
13:52They're old.
13:53They're from the South.
13:54Or they bet on Tyson
13:56and he lost.
13:58And now I'm confronted
13:59with someone
14:00who actually
14:00couldn't help it.
14:01So it's kind of hard
14:03to know what to do
14:04with your anger here.
14:05And the Internet at large
14:06made this out
14:07to be diversity
14:07versus neurodiversity.
14:09But I know it's not that
14:10because I asked
14:11my neurodivergent friends
14:12who are black
14:13what they thought.
14:15And then a bunch of people
14:16came and asked me
14:17what I thought.
14:22And I was like,
14:23wait, what made you...
14:27I mean, yeah,
14:28I like anime,
14:29but I...
14:32You know what?
14:32Never mind.
14:33Never mind.
14:34Like I said,
14:35I asked those friends
14:36and as soon as we finished
14:37talking about Dragon Ball Z,
14:38we got into it.
14:41So to go a little deeper,
14:42the man who shot out
14:43the slur was John Davidson,
14:45who was at the BAFTAs
14:46because there was
14:47an award-winning movie
14:48based on his life
14:49with Tourette's.
14:50So yes,
14:50his outburst was involuntary
14:52and he addressed it
14:53in a statement afterwards.
14:54But right after that,
14:55I saw a lot of white people
14:57who don't have Tourette's
14:59giving him a pass,
15:01which is weird
15:02because white people
15:03don't hand out
15:04those passes.
15:06White people
15:07don't give out passes
15:08to say the N word
15:09the same way
15:10I don't give out
15:10the passes
15:11to Cracker Barrel.
15:13I know that's not my place.
15:15The BAFTAs also tried
15:17to apologize
15:17during the ceremony
15:18and here's how it went.
15:20You may have heard
15:20some strong
15:21and offensive language tonight.
15:22The tics you've heard tonight
15:23are involuntary,
15:25which means the person
15:26who has Tourette's syndrome
15:27has no control
15:27over their language.
15:28We apologize
15:29if you were offended.
15:31If you were offended?
15:34I mean,
15:34the only two options
15:35are being offended
15:36or liking it.
15:39Saying if
15:40ruins a whole apology
15:42the same way
15:42kind of ruins
15:43a whole wedding vow.
15:48I vow to kind of
15:50be faithful.
15:53Also,
15:53maybe the apology
15:54shouldn't come from
15:55the host of the traitors.
16:00I honestly don't trust
16:02anything that man
16:02says anymore.
16:04But enough from
16:05Floop from Spy Kids.
16:06Let's go even deeper.
16:08Because it doesn't
16:09begin and end with John.
16:10He warned the BAFTAs
16:11that something like this
16:12could happen.
16:13Back in October,
16:14he explained
16:15nerves trigger
16:16those vocal tics.
16:17Sometimes my tics
16:18I'll shout the N-word
16:19and people
16:21misunderstand that
16:22and they see it
16:23as being racist.
16:23And it's about,
16:24more about
16:25tic triggers.
16:26certain things
16:27like today.
16:29Lots of people
16:29around.
16:29I'm feeling very,
16:30you know,
16:31motor tics
16:32in case I lash out
16:33or whatever,
16:34you know,
16:34so...
16:36This man
16:37called his shot.
16:40He basically
16:41bade Ruth
16:42the N-word.
16:49Watch this
16:50from row 40.
16:53Now,
16:53BAFTA did
16:54make an announcement
16:55in the room
16:55before the ceremony
16:56that there could be
16:57outbursts,
16:58but they didn't
16:58do enough.
16:59Well,
17:00John Davidson
17:00is said to be
17:01deeply mortified
17:02by the incident
17:02on Sunday.
17:03He is now
17:04said to the BBC,
17:05why on earth
17:06was I allowed
17:06to sit so close
17:07to a microphone?
17:16They sat him
17:17next to a microphone?
17:21This feels
17:22like a
17:22Final Destination
17:23movie when they
17:24make one of the
17:24characters go
17:25to a dynamite
17:26factory.
17:26Like,
17:27what are you
17:28thinking?
17:29And if you're
17:30thinking the BBC,
17:31the network that
17:31broadcast the awards
17:32deserve some blame,
17:34you have no idea
17:35how much blame.
17:36The BBC is
17:37apologizing.
17:38They have come
17:39under a lot of fire
17:40because they allowed
17:41the racial slur
17:42to go out
17:43on the broadcast
17:44even though
17:45it was pre-recorded.
17:46The moment was
17:46broadcast without
17:47any censoring
17:48despite being
17:49on a two-hour delay.
17:51A two-hour delay?
17:57That's plenty
17:57of time to bleep it.
17:59And don't tell me
18:00you lost track
18:00of time.
18:01The only thing
18:01I know about
18:02your country
18:02is that you
18:03got big-ass clocks.
18:08I mean,
18:08if they're not
18:08bleeping the N-word,
18:09they must have not
18:10bleeped anything.
18:11The big question
18:12this morning,
18:12why did these
18:13outbursts remain
18:14on the broadcast
18:14when other parts
18:15of the event
18:16were cut,
18:16like the words
18:17of one award winner
18:18who said,
18:19free Palestine?
18:23Now,
18:24whenever I hear
18:24something bleeped,
18:25I'm gonna assume
18:26they might be
18:27saying free Palestine.
18:29I'd be listening
18:30to music like,
18:31oh, wow,
18:31I didn't realize
18:32Cardi B
18:33and Meg Thee Stallion
18:34wanted a wet-ass
18:35free Palestine.
18:38How could this
18:39possibly happen?
18:41The corporation
18:42said producers
18:43were overseeing
18:43the coverage
18:44from a truck
18:44and simply
18:45did not hear
18:46the slur.
18:48Oh,
18:49that makes sense
18:51because most
18:52of the times
18:52I've been called
18:53the N-word,
18:53it's been hurled
18:54from a truck.
18:57Look,
18:57I have seen
18:58so much anger
18:59and hate online
19:00fighting over this
19:01with people rushing
19:02to attack anyone
19:03they saw as ableist
19:04in some ways
19:05that were pretty racist.
19:07People are pretending
19:08to be neurologists
19:09while saying things like,
19:10don't you say
19:11the R-word,
19:11you N-word?
19:13Everyone was so mad
19:15at each other
19:15with all of us
19:16when all of us
19:17should be mad
19:18at the BAFTAs.
19:19They have failed
19:20both groups
19:21and the people
19:22that overlap
19:22at every turn.
19:23They sat John
19:24next to a microphone.
19:25They didn't edit it out
19:27even with a two-hour delay
19:28and they left it up
19:30unedited
19:30on the BBC
19:31streaming service
19:32for 15 hours.
19:35How are you gonna
19:36hand out editing awards
19:37and you can't edit?
19:49Even worse,
19:50you embarrassed
19:51Michael B. Jordan
19:52and Delroy Lindo.
19:53No one gets away
19:55with that.
19:56So please,
19:57black Twitter
19:58and neurodivergent TikTok
19:59stop firing off
20:00at each other
20:01and turn that heat
20:02on to BAFTA
20:03and the BBC
20:04because your heat
20:05together is equal
20:06to the sun.
20:08Roast them.
20:09Light them up.
20:10Fry their asses.
20:11They're from England.
20:12They burn easy.
20:16But hey,
20:17maybe I'm in too deep.
20:22Josh,
20:22Josh,
20:23Josh,
20:23everyone,
20:23when we come back,
20:24Erica,
20:24I'll be joining the show.
20:25Don't go away.
20:26Josh,
20:26Josh,
20:27Josh.
20:36Welcome back to the other show.
20:37My guest tonight
20:38is an award-winning actor
20:39who stars in the new NBC series
20:42The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.
20:45Guess what?
20:46I actually found a match.
20:48Hey.
20:49Oh,
20:49he's Gaston,
20:51huh?
20:51Hmm,
20:51yum business daddy.
20:54Yeah,
20:54his name is Eric
20:55and yes,
20:56I made sure he was real.
20:57His LinkedIn says
20:58that he's a tech recruiter
21:00and he's been at the same company
21:01for the last five years.
21:03Hmm,
21:04nice work,
21:04Monica.
21:05So I had my friend
21:06Lindsey at Experian
21:07pull up his credit score,
21:08740,
21:09not bad.
21:10Then I hit up my friend Kim
21:11at the water company
21:12and she said
21:13his usage suggests
21:14he does live alone.
21:18Yeah,
21:19I guess I'm
21:20a little nervous.
21:22Please welcome
21:23Erika Alexander!
21:25Erika Alexander!
21:39Boom!
21:40Yeah!
21:41Boom!
21:41What's up?
21:42Wow!
21:44You've got an enthusiastic crowd here.
21:46Hey, man!
21:48I just might stay.
21:51They love some Erika Alexander.
21:53I don't blame them.
21:54I love them
21:54and I appreciate all these years
21:56I've gotten support
21:57from beautiful people like that
21:59and that's why I'm here today.
22:00It's 43 years in.
22:01What?
22:04Yes.
22:05I'm surprised.
22:06But you're only 25.
22:09Shh.
22:10Uh,
22:11you've been in some amazing shows.
22:12Wow.
22:12The Cosby Show,
22:13Living Single.
22:14Yes.
22:17Now you star
22:17in The Fall and Rise
22:18of Reggie Dinkins.
22:20How did you get here?
22:21How did you get on this second?
22:22Um,
22:23I got a call
22:23and, uh,
22:24from, uh,
22:25Tina Fey
22:25and Robert Carlock,
22:27Sam Means
22:27and, uh,
22:28Tracy Morgan.
22:29Yep.
22:29And you have to pay attention to that.
22:30That's a big deal.
22:32Yeah.
22:32I mean,
22:32I worked my whole life
22:33to get that type of call.
22:35And so it's a great thing.
22:37It's like being called up to the...
22:38I mean,
22:38I was in the majors
22:39but suddenly
22:40another major team wants you.
22:42Right, right.
22:42And they know what they're doing.
22:43They're masters of the game.
22:44And so I was glad to be invited.
22:46That's amazing.
22:46Um,
22:47you may know
22:48but I am in the series
22:49for about ten seconds.
22:51And,
22:52um,
22:57did you feel my presence on set?
22:59I mean,
22:59how did...
23:00I think I did.
23:01I smelled you.
23:02You smelled me.
23:03Good.
23:03No,
23:04he smells good
23:04like victory.
23:05That's right.
23:06Because everybody
23:07they brought in were ringers.
23:08They don't play.
23:09The cast is amazing.
23:10Yeah,
23:10they bring in amazing talent.
23:12So yeah,
23:13no,
23:13you can feel that
23:14when you have big winners on there
23:16and you want to rise to the occasion
23:17but then guest stars,
23:19feature player,
23:20all of that.
23:20They know what they're doing.
23:21So yeah,
23:21I smelled you.
23:23I saw it.
23:24Uh,
23:26fellow,
23:26thank you.
23:29Fellow host,
23:30Ronnie Chang,
23:30you were in a couple scenes with him.
23:32Yes,
23:32He plays my rival.
23:34That's right,
23:34he plays your rival.
23:34He's there to antagonize me.
23:36But,
23:36and be honest,
23:37how many takes
23:38did it take him
23:38to get it right?
23:39Wow,
23:40you know,
23:40I'm sorry to say.
23:42Uh,
23:42one.
23:43He was great.
23:43He was great.
23:44You guys are great together.
23:45But,
23:45but let's talk about the cast
23:46because you can carry a show,
23:49you.
23:50Oh,
23:50but then how do you also,
23:53it,
23:53this is a team sport,
23:55this show.
23:55It is.
23:56It is.
23:56How do you,
23:57what's your strategy
23:58when you've got
23:58so many stars
23:59on screen
24:00at the same time?
24:01well,
24:02comedy is a full contact sport.
24:04You have to be in it
24:05to win it.
24:06They're gonna throw you
24:07something
24:07and you gotta be ready
24:08to,
24:09you know,
24:09receive and throw it back.
24:11I'm really gratified
24:12that they think
24:13that I can be
24:15around,
24:16you know,
24:16fantastic people
24:17who have been doing it
24:18for years
24:18with each other.
24:19They've got a vocabulary
24:20and a shorthand
24:21that I don't have.
24:22Right.
24:22I've never done
24:22a mockumentary
24:23and that's what this is.
24:24Right.
24:25And so I think that,
24:26you know,
24:27many people think
24:27that comedy is just,
24:29you know,
24:29a monologue
24:30and or what you're
24:31doing on stage,
24:32but comedy lies
24:34in this space,
24:35in sitcom space,
24:36and,
24:37and,
24:37um,
24:38it's hard to translate
24:39because you'll have
24:40no audience to tell you
24:41where the joke is.
24:42And so you just
24:43have to be confident
24:43that the people
24:44who set you up
24:45and who have told you
24:46this is what you need
24:47to do
24:48are gonna take
24:49the funniest thing
24:50that you can do,
24:50but it has to be
24:51in context
24:52of everything
24:53and what everyone
24:54is contributing.
24:55I was,
24:55I was intimidated
24:56by the scripts
24:57because they were
24:59so funny
25:00with so many jokes,
25:01with so many references
25:03I didn't necessarily
25:03understand.
25:04I didn't know either.
25:05And I wanted to ask you,
25:06I was hoping,
25:07I was hoping to steal
25:08from you,
25:08how did you approach
25:09those scripts?
25:10Dollface,
25:10if you get the,
25:11you know,
25:11the Rosetta Stone,
25:12let me know.
25:13Yeah, okay.
25:13I had no idea.
25:14I had no idea.
25:15And actually,
25:16I felt kind of weird.
25:17I kept talking
25:17to Robert Carlock
25:18saying,
25:18you know,
25:19I really don't know
25:19what I'm doing
25:20or whether it's hitting.
25:21He says,
25:21don't worry,
25:22Erica,
25:22we tell you.
25:23Usually when they say that,
25:24they just give you
25:24a final notice
25:26under your door.
25:27We'll tell you.
25:28You don't want to be told.
25:29You kind of want
25:30to know in your bones,
25:30but you got to be okay
25:31with discomfort.
25:33You don't always
25:34need to know.
25:35You just need to,
25:35you know,
25:36let go and let God.
25:38There it is.
25:39Yeah.
25:40After Living Single,
25:41which is a five-year sitcom,
25:43iconic sitcom,
25:45that people love.
25:50But you talked a little bit
25:52about after that,
25:54you weren't getting
25:55the opportunities
25:56you thought you might,
25:57which blew me away
25:58because you would have thought
25:59you're now a star.
26:00You should be getting
26:00all the opportunities.
26:02Talk a little about that.
26:03It's a tough business
26:04because if you complain
26:05about what you're not getting,
26:06people might think that,
26:07you know, hey,
26:08but look what you got.
26:09But the truth is
26:10you're up against things
26:11that are inside of systems
26:13that exist everywhere else.
26:15And there's a system
26:15of discrimination,
26:16bias, discriminatory,
26:18you know, racism,
26:19also gender problems
26:21that affect Hollywood.
26:22And this is the 90s.
26:23They don't know
26:24where to absorb you.
26:25You can do really well somewhere,
26:26but it doesn't mean
26:27that they have some place
26:28to put you afterwards.
26:29And so you have to,
26:30you know,
26:30it's a mental game too.
26:32You've got to be ready
26:32to push through
26:34and see where else
26:36you can offer.
26:37I got into creating
26:39opportunities for myself
26:40to advocate for people,
26:42for marginalized people,
26:43and to lift the voices
26:44of people who did not have
26:46the type of platform I had.
26:47I learned how
26:48to write comic books.
26:49I did something
26:49called Concrete Park
26:50with my ex-partner,
26:53but my creative partner,
26:54Tony Perrier.
26:55It was...
26:57That, to me,
26:58is what people don't talk about.
26:59What does it take
27:00to stay in the game?
27:02Because it doesn't mean
27:03that you'll always be wanted,
27:04but it does mean
27:05that you do have
27:05a certain skill set
27:06and you've got to find out
27:07where you can put it.
27:09Where can you contribute?
27:10I mean,
27:10you could have been mad
27:12and complained,
27:12but you formed
27:13a production company.
27:14I sure did.
27:14Color Farm Media.
27:18And...
27:18And Color Farm Media,
27:20thank you for mentioning that.
27:21I just love the idea.
27:23You know,
27:23it's easy to sit and go,
27:25I'm not getting it.
27:26I'm not getting
27:26the thing I want.
27:27I deserve it.
27:28But it sounds like
27:29one of the things you did,
27:30you said,
27:31let me go create some stuff.
27:33Yeah, Michael.
27:33And I love that.
27:34I'm going to steal that
27:35from you, too.
27:35Deserves got nothing to do with it.
27:36Please.
27:36Yeah.
27:37You know,
27:38deserves got nothing to do with it.
27:39You just, again,
27:41you play the cards you're dealt.
27:42Color Farm Media,
27:43we call ourselves
27:44the Motown of film,
27:45television, and tech.
27:46We were trying to do
27:47what Barry Gordy did.
27:48There's a ton of people.
27:49It's not just down to,
27:50you know,
27:51the more explicit bias
27:53and gender
27:54and all that stuff,
27:55but also, you know,
27:55geography.
27:56You may not feel like
27:57you're born into a place
27:58where they'll accept
27:59what you're doing.
28:00Where did they find
28:01Dolly Parton?
28:01Up in Appalachia
28:02or, you know,
28:03those types of places.
28:04Where can we find talent?
28:05There's ageism.
28:06There's all of that.
28:07We wanted to affect that
28:08and correct that
28:09as well as we could.
28:10There's other people in the game,
28:11Ava DuVernay,
28:12all of those people.
28:13So, yeah,
28:14we did John Lewis'
28:15Good Trouble,
28:16which is a documentary,
28:17and also, you know,
28:19I actually directed
28:20a reparations doc,
28:22yeah,
28:22called The Big Payback.
28:23Come on.
28:24Yeah.
28:25And we're still waiting
28:26for The Payback.
28:27Yeah, I'm still waiting.
28:28I'm still waiting for The Payback.
28:29Yeah, yeah.
28:30You are excellent
28:31in The Rise and Fall
28:33of Reggie Dinkins.
28:34It was,
28:34I hope if the show continues,
28:36we can somehow work
28:37in the same scene together.
28:38But, you know,
28:38we're doing a scene right now.
28:39I know!
28:41But, you're excellent.
28:43My character is
28:44a sports agent manager,
28:45so she is most likely
28:47to be mixing it up with you.
28:48Yeah, that's right.
28:48Because you, you know.
28:49I'm a thrice-divorced
28:50sports anchor.
28:51Okay.
28:53I have to ask,
28:54because, you know,
28:55you have the experience
28:57of this industry,
28:58but what would you say
28:59to a young actor
29:00coming up,
29:01a young black woman
29:02trying to come up
29:03and make it
29:03and show business?
29:04Um, I'd say, um...
29:09You...
29:10They're looking for you.
29:12But make sure
29:13that you present
29:14your best self,
29:15your authentic self.
29:16Don't try to bend yourself
29:17into pretzels.
29:18No one, please, do that.
29:19It's not necessary.
29:20America's big enough
29:21for all of us.
29:22We are the, um,
29:23the true Rosetta Stone
29:24for what it looks like
29:26to create a more
29:27perfect union.
29:28It means for us
29:28to accept each other
29:29and the diversity
29:30of each other.
29:30And also, haul ass.
29:31Haul ass.
29:32Anything takes longer
29:33than you think.
29:34Yeah, right.
29:35It does?
29:36Yeah.
29:36Haul ass.
29:37Thank you, Erica.
29:38The Fall and Rise
29:39of Reggie Dinkins
29:40airs Mondays on NBC
29:41and is available
29:42to stream on Peacock.
29:43Erica Alexander.
29:44Take a quick break
29:45and we'll be right back
29:46after this.
29:48You're the best.
29:49You're the best.
29:57That's our show
29:58for tonight.
29:58Now, here it is.
29:59Your moment of sound.
30:00Thank you, Derek.
30:01You're doing a great job.
30:02Bernie, I think you're okay.
30:04You want to say something
30:04really fast, Bernie?
30:08He gets my vote.
30:10He gets my vote.
30:15I have to go back
30:16and look at the war.
30:17You know,
30:18I have a lot of things happening.
30:21Sorry.
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