Living Single: Then & Now with Kim Coles & Erika Alexander

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Living Single: Then & Now with Kim Coles & Erika Alexander"

Baby, This is Keke Palmer – Wondery
Date: December 30, 2025

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Overview

In this dynamic episode, Keke Palmer welcomes sitcom icons Kim Coles and Erika Alexander, celebrated for their groundbreaking roles on Living Single. Together, they discuss their new podcast "Reliving Single," revisit memories of the show's legacy, and delve deep into evolving narratives around Black womanhood, representation, the pressures of performance, and the shifting landscape of love and entertainment across generations.

With warmth, candor, and plenty of laughter, the trio explore themes of sisterhood, survival, reshaping narratives, and embracing growth within entertainment and personal life. Their conversation is filled with storytelling, heartfelt tributes, and insightful reflections relevant to artists, fans, and those passionate about Black culture in media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Keke’s Signature Icebreaker: The Baby, This is Keke Palmer Questionnaire

Time: 01:41–09:02

• Kim Coles jokes about menopause and estrogen, introducing her signature humor and openness about life changes.
  • “Welcome, welcome, welcome to menopause. You all get there.” (02:01, Kim)
• The group laughs over “secretly chaotic joy and sleepiness” as a mood, segues into hormone health, and the importance of understanding your body earlier in life.
• Kim shares a personal anecdote: “My boyfriend's younger than I am, so there's an estrogen... pellet for insertion. There's a gel you can put on your thigh. There's also pellets in your booty.” (02:22, Kim)
• Erika Alexander relates, speaking to having “a lot of testosterone,” pointing out how women in leadership often have these traits:
  • “You’re a woman king.” (03:17, Erika)
• Light-hearted banter: laughter about farting, puppies, and humorous last phone screenshots, sets an intimate, honest tone.

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2. Paying Tribute and the Power of Legacy

Time: 05:27–07:23

• Keke and Erika reflect on the loss of Malcolm Jamal Warner.
  • “When I say that we lost a light, yeah, that brother was good.” (06:03, Erika)
• Erika discusses working with Malcolm on The Cosby Show, his intelligence and warmth, and the significance of honoring Black artists beyond controversy.
• Keke: “It’s important to bring up... he is an icon. Amazing representation. I wish we could get some of those moments back.” (06:44, Keke)

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3. Living Single’s Impact Across Generations

Time: 09:06–11:47

• Discussion on the resurgence of Living Single every decade and its deep cultural impact.
• Kim and Erika reflect on their experience at ESSENCE Fest:
  • “To see all the shapes and sizes of all of us and all the delicious blackness... every tone and shade and hair, the hair. Oh the hair.” (09:28, Kim)
  • Erika: “ESSENCE is a legacy project... it’s competing with all the channels, the internet... but we can come together in person and have a silent conversation and a vibe.” (10:12, Erika)

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4. Real-Life Sisterhood & Venturing Into Podcasting

Time: 11:54–15:46

• Kim and Erika detail how their friendship evolved from the show into real life, with honest talk around boundaries and learning from each other, even when it comes to workplace gossip.
  • “Sometimes you just want to... We just did a show on gossip. I just... I needed to have a way to vent and go, like, I’m seeing this, are you seeing this too? Cause I respected you.” (15:02, Kim)
  • Erika describes the intimidating whirlwind that is Kim Coles’ energy and their mutual growth into friends and collaborators.

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5. Getting the Roles: The Making of Living Single

Time: 17:32–25:08

• The cast was built uniquely: some actors created around, some auditioned.
  • “The first time we all meet is at the table read. I knew immediately that this felt like home to me.” (17:55, Kim)
• Kim reflects on the difference between the competitive world of In Living Color and the collaborative feel of Living Single.
• Erika brings in TV production realities: “There are two different types of performance happening... with the ensemble, with the audience, with the cameras... you have to manage all at once.” (22:03, Erika)

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6. Breaking Ground for Black Characters & Women

Time: 29:14–33:09

• Living Single’s status as a “Black show” and audiences transcending that label, including stories of unexpected fans:
  • “This little old Jewish man came and squeezed my arm, ‘I love you girls. You remind me of Brooklyn.’ ... I knew we were a hit because that wasn’t the demographic at all.” (29:27, Kim)
• Discussion about representation—showing quirky, career-driven, nontraditional Black women on TV.
  • Keke: “Now we have Issa Rae... Quinta Brunson... but that was the first time we seen just like, well, okay, it’s like, we get to be that.” (32:33, Keke)

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7. The Weight of Representation, Survival & Evolution as Performers

Time: 33:09–39:50

• Erika speaks candidly about carrying the pressure of representation, as a child from humble beginnings whose early breaks were not just personally important, but also symbolic for her whole community.
  • “The last thing you want to do is drop the ball. You don’t want to make people ashamed. You don’t want to make the people who didn’t get that role feel like, why did they choose her?” (35:38, Erika)
• Kim shares a different kind of pressure—family expectations and “maintaining” success:
  • “My father, until he passed away at 94, was like, ‘So when are you going to go back to college?’ ... That pressure was to become something my parents wanted me to become.” (38:23, Kim)
• Discussion of how the source of their performance shifted from a drive for survival and rebellion to performance as a form of embodiment, wholeness, and joy.

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8. What Shifts After Fame: Growth, Vulnerability, and Being Open to Reinvention

Time: 39:50–56:28

• Keke, Kim, and Erika each describe stages of their artistic lives—sometimes performing to “survive,” later for the more subtle joys of expression.
• Erika shares a shattering moment of on-set vulnerability that changed her relationship with acting:
  • “I must live in the moment. I must make my mistakes out loud... But I will not let any one person have permission to do that to me again because I need to own myself.” (45:25, Erika)
• Kim discusses the humility required to keep growing—taking on a soap opera role she once would have shunned, learning new skills no matter her career status.
  • “Maybe the lesson I’m giving here is we say no to things, and those are sometimes the things that would grow us.” (56:03, Kim)

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9. Love & Dating: Then vs. Now

Time: 57:09–58:56

• On how dating has changed for Millennials and Gen Z vs. their time on Living Single:
  • “It’s the apps... the fact that you can put yourself on display like a department store catalog is, to me, mind blowing.” (57:11, Erika)
• Discussion on intimacy, slow-burn connection, emotional development—“You gotta dance with each other. These are mating things...” (58:41, Erika)

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10. Advice for the Next Generation

Time: 58:56–63:23

• The importance of reading and understanding narrative:
  • “People don’t read. They don’t read, so they don’t think… everything is controlled by narrative. But if you don’t know how to build them or how they conflict… Just read.” (59:20, Erika)
• Kim’s practical wisdom: “Explore. Get out of your 6-block radius, allow your mind, travel, experience, meet new people, go to different kinds of churches, different kinds of experiences… allow yourself to experience new things.” (63:03, Kim)

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11. Living Single Matchmaker Game

Time: 64:03–72:08

(A lighthearted segment where the trio pair up famous Black women with their hypothetical ideal celebrity partner.)

• Notable picks:
  • Tracee Ellis Ross: suggestions include Damson Idris and Ta-Nehisi Coates for his intellect, with humorous debate about age gaps.
  • Halle Bailey: “Donald Glover,” for talent and creative energy.
  • Gayle King: Cory Booker, Mark Lamont Hill—someone who could keep up with her intellect and handle public life.
  • Keke herself: “Someone like Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian—super rich and supportive,” or a “down-to-earth partner who would love her energy.”

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12. Closing Reflections: Sisterhood, Legacy & Courage

Time: 72:10–74:03

• Erika to Keke: “You give off not only a vibe that's inner and outer, but you live out loud... and show us how high up is as you’re climbing.” (72:20, Erika)
• Kim to Keke: “I know that you’re not fearless, but you… couldn’t do this if you didn’t know what the parameters were and what was at stake. And yet you are…” (72:48, Kim)
• The episode ends on a note of mutual inspiration, honoring the co-creation of narrative across generations.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim Coles (on living with pressure in entertainment):
  • "Oh, the maintenance... you gotta maintain all of this." (38:23)
• Erika Alexander (on legacy):
  • "Black people are the biggest culture makers in world history because we didn’t colonize people in mind. They allowed us in... that is the power of soft power." (30:38)
• Keke Palmer (on what performance means after survival):
  • "I’m not telling it from the place of joy for rebellion. I’m telling from the place of joy as embodiment." (39:52)
• And, of course, the running theme: "Baby, this is Keke Palmer!"
• The playful exchange during the matchmaking game, such as:
  • Erika: “Senator Cory Booker!” (67:54)
  • Kim: “You need somebody who’s down to earth, someone who’s gonna help you make the chicken wings.” (70:29)

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Section Timestamps Overview

| Segment | Timestamps | |--------------------------------------|-----------------| | Episode Intro/Questionnaire | 01:41–09:02 | | Tribute to Malcolm Jamal Warner | 05:27–07:23 | | ESSENCE Fest & Legacy | 09:06–11:47 | | Building Real-Life Sisterhood | 11:54–15:46 | | Getting the Roles | 17:32–25:08 | | Representation and Impact | 29:14–33:09 | | Survival, Legacy, and Growth | 33:09–39:50 | | Performance: Before and After Fame | 39:50–56:28 | | Changing Dating Landscape | 57:09–58:56 | | Lessons for the Next Generation | 58:56–63:23 | | Living Single Matchmaker Game | 64:03–72:08 | | Closing Reflections | 72:10–74:03 |

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Final Thoughts

This episode is infused with wisdom and warmth, demonstrating why Living Single’s legacy persists and how powerful authentic representation can be. Keke, Kim, and Erika model vulnerability, insight, and humor—making this a must-listen for anyone invested in Black storytelling, creative resilience, and evolving friendship.

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Listen for:

• Candid, often hilarious takes about aging, friendship, and industry pressure
• Heartfelt tributes to Black culture-makers
• Honest reflection on career struggles and personal growth
• Advice that bridges generations—on art, love, and living authentically

Transcript

[A]

Okay, y', all, when I tell you we've got royalty in the building today. Sitcom legends Kim Coles and Erica Alexander. These are the women who raised us, made us laugh, and made us feel seen. You know them from Living Single. And now they're dropping gems all over again with their podcast, Reliving Single. Let's take it back to Brooklyn in the 90s. No social media, just appointment TV, baby, no matter what we doing in the car, just chilling, pop on Amazon music, sit back and listen. Life, love, sex, science, covering it all, especially the bad. Cause money always evolved. No matter what it is, we gonna make it make sense. Nothing else to do but kick it with the homies and kings. So grab you a drink and a snack, you enjoy. And get into the vibe that only ones you know it's your girl. This is. This is Kiki, baby. This is Kiki Palma. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Airbnb. Tis the holiday season, y'. All. From spacious retreats in dream locations to their guests favorite most loved homes, perfect for family gatherings. Airbnb has amazing stays for every festive escape. Now let's start the show. Hey, y'.

[B]

All. Hello, Kiki.

[A]

Oh, my God. Kim Cole, Eric Alexander. I mean, I love y' all so bad. I was saying I gotta come on the podcast, relive and sing.

[B]

Love to have you. We're gonna have to have better snacks because the snacks are wonderful.

[C]

We really have the spread we're gonna have. And the lights too. You know, I took pictures. You show them. Yeah, because I plan to take it to our crew and say, why? What's up?

[A]

I'm living. I'm living. I'm living for you guys being here. I'm excited because you did the questionnaire. You know, we do this. We've been doing this baby, this Kiki Palmer questionnaire. So I can see how you guys. What the vibe was y' all came in here with. So I'm gonna start with Kim. First, the pre show pull up. Today I'm giving secretly chaotic joy and sleepiness. Yes.

[B]

Welcome, welcome, welcome to menopause. You all get there.

[A]

Well, I was just about to ask sleepiness. Is it because you actually didn't get any sleep? A lot on the mind.

[B]

Menopause. And I've been forgetting to do my estrogen thing, like, a couple of days in a row. I didn't rub my estrogen gel. And, like, then I woke up in a flat.

[A]

Wait a minute. So there's a thing called estrogen gel?

[B]

Oh, that's estrogen.

[C]

You could Put it in your vagina.

[B]

Oh, you can.

[C]

Okay, but you can put it. You can, but you know, estrogen gel.

[B]

I do both. My boyfriend's younger than I am, so there's an estrogen. Estrogen actually a pellet for insertion. There's a gel that you can put on your thigh. There's also. They can also put pellets in your booty.

[A]

So what's the difference? Cause I'll be honest, I had to go to the doctors.

[C]

In my butt.

[B]

It's at the top of your. The top of your. The high parts. It's like a little pellet that slow releases into your system. I've tried it all. There's a patch.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Cause I heard about the estrogen, so.

[C]

You're gonna frighten her.

[A]

No, no, this is actually good information. Somebody told me, like, you want to actually check all of that stuff before the menopause and things start so that you know where your levels are, so you know what you need to get back to so you can feel like yourself. Actually, I think it's important that we had this conversation because I also have a lot of testosterone. I was. Yeah, yeah, okay.

[B]

I found that out. Testosterone.

[A]

I found that out. And I thought it was just. I knew based off character. You know what I mean? But, like, when I went to the doctors, they told me, I said hormonally, I'm really just that.

[C]

You know what that's called? That's. You're a woman king.

[A]

I'm a woman king. I mean, the beard.

[C]

I got the beard to show. No, it's leadership. There's a lot of things that are built into that DNA. They're very real. So, you know. Yeah.

[A]

It is what it is. So, okay. I love it. We getting super chaotic. A little bit of sleep in this shout out to menopause. Today's mood. In one word, grateful.

[B]

Yeah, indeed.

[A]

We love a gracious queen.

[B]

Indeed.

[C]

For sure. Indeed, for sure.

[A]

What did you listen to on the ride here? Now this gives me life, because this girl is one of my favorites. All right. By Victoria Monet.

[B]

That's right. All right, all right.

[A]

She is so good. I love her. We had her on the podcast.

[B]

We got taste. Good.

[A]

You got taste. One thing that instantly makes you laugh. First of all, you're so childish and you just like me. Farting.

[B]

Farting, always. It's hysterical. Has been from the beginning. Well, to this day, the only people.

[C]

Laughing are the people who are farting, not the people who are smelling. The one who smelt it, dealt it. It's not cool.

[A]

I'm always the dealt it.

[B]

I grew up in a household with a mother who thought farting was delightful and funny and a father who thought it was the most disgusting thing ever. So I have this warped sense of farting. Oh, don't do it, but do it, but don't do it, but do it. So, yeah.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I'm here for the fart.

[C]

To do it all. And by the way, release your bowel.

[B]

That's so true.

[C]

That's true.

[A]

You have to release your bow.

[B]

You do.

[A]

It's not good to hold it in.

[B]

And I also give other people freedom to do so far. Be free.

[C]

She's very impressionable. You are just now just, you know, reinforcing things that obviously are you.

[A]

Anyone that knows me is gonna be like, yeah, Kiki. Yeah. And then I was excited to find out that you're Capricorn. That's my perfect match. And then also, your rising is a sag. My moon is a sag. And then your moon is what?

[B]

Pisces.

[A]

Pisces.

[B]

That's what chills me out and gives me the spiritual, grounded vibes.

[A]

I love that. I love that you're into it. It feels very on brand that you're into the signs. Oh, good.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you. I'm very on brand.

[A]

Very on Kim. Yes. Okay, now let's get into you, Erica. Okay, so today, I'm giving grateful.

[C]

For sure.

[A]

You guys are on the same way with the side of love. I'm here for that. The love is in the air.

[C]

We're feeling the vibes, and love is.

[A]

All today's mood in one word. Ooh, this is really good. And I feel like we all feel like, this. Sad, grateful. And then this is dis. What does it say?

[C]

Disbelief.

[A]

Disbelief.

[B]

Why are you sad?

[A]

Because of the show.

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

No, no, ask it.

[C]

Because of Malcolm. We were Malcolm Jamal Warner.

[A]

Rest in peace. Malcolm Jamal Warner. I was devastated. I just was talking about that before you guys came in.

[C]

Turning into. Somebody sent me a text, and I looked, and it said Malcolm. And I said, oh, God, I don't even want to open it up.

[A]

And.

[C]

And I'm sorry.

[B]

We just found out. And I actually said to my beloved, like, let's not tell Erica until we.

[A]

Leave, because you guys probably know him.

[C]

Yeah, well, I worked with him on the Cosby Show. I was Cousin Pam. You know, it's funny, because he was playing older than me, and he is younger than me by a year.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[C]

So all of those things were being negotiated because Cousin Pam was younger than Malcolm, so when I see him, I see him as somebody who, you know, you. I'm acting my age. But then he was also a bear, and he was smart. He was good. When I say that we lost a light, yeah, that brother was good. So I'm just trying to just stay into love and grateful disbelief, but also to say that we are here, and it's surreal to be in this space doing this and thanking this great, iconic young man who grew up in the business and is now gone.

[A]

I think it's important to say and important to bring up and just to pay respect to that, because it's like, you know, he is an icon. He's somebody that really, we all grew up with amazing representation. And I wish we could get some of those moments back to watch him on the show. I mean, I know we know what happened with the show being removed, but I do hate that we don't get to see those lights. I like that, you know, that we never have those moments again. So rest in peace to Malcolm Jamar Warner. I hate that we lost him.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

What a blessing. You got to work with him for sure.

[C]

And today and all of this year, I think, should be seen as talking about the things that we don't talk about, but also rescuing the people who don't need to be caught up in those things.

[B]

You know what I mean?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And celebrating their work, celebrating them without damping it with things that they had nothing to do with.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah. I totally know what you. I get to drift what you're saying.

[C]

That's the truth.

[A]

Okay, let's go to one thing that instantly makes you laugh. That's a great way to come back into getting the laughter. Puppies. Now what. What is the puppies doing that's so comical?

[C]

You know, online? I was just thinking of Instagram. Instagram has the funniest puppy thing, so I actually didn't know what to say after I put that.

[B]

Okay, puppies.

[C]

Puppies and kids. I don't know. Hashtag puppies. I should have said farting. I should have said farting, and then I would have. You know what I mean? No, I should have said, you know what? I love to smell farts. That makes me laugh. I love to smell farts. So we really get along.

[A]

You guys are so funny. And then, obviously, last screenshot on your phone. No deleting. Your phone's right beside you, so go ahead, be real.

[C]

Oh, I didn't know that that was a thing, but okay. All right, here we go. Screenshot.

[A]

Y' all are funny as hell.

[C]

That's you.

[A]

That's you.

[C]

That was me.

[B]

Aw.

[C]

I was wanting to show our producers the lighting so we could get better lighting. So I was like, I'm getting a shot of this.

[A]

No wonder.

[C]

She looks like a million bucks, right?

[B]

Look at this.

[A]

But let's be clear. Lighting is everything. Lighting is 1000% the difference between you looking like a million bucks and looking like 50 cents.

[C]

Looking 50 cents.

[B]

Quasimoto.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

She said literally 50 cents.

[B]

She's gonna be lit and over lit. I love it.

[C]

We have the hag lighting.

[B]

Yeah, we do.

[A]

Literally. You know, this is what you really look like.

[B]

This is what you really look like. I have great lighting at home. Yes. Yes.

[A]

Okay. Well, like I said, I'm so. Thank you for asking, for answering the questionnaire.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

I'm so excited to have you guys on the show at ESSENCE Fest. I gotta ask how it was for you guys being there. And obviously, every 10 years, there's a resurgence of people loving living single. You guys being reminded of the fact that it's impacted not just your generations, but the continuously generations after. So how did it feel there at ESSENCE Fest to see all that? Mamas, daughters, kids.

[B]

It's always beautiful there to me. And to see all the shapes and sizes of all of us and all the delicious blackness of all of us and every tone and shade and hair. The hair. Oh, the hair. Oh, the hair. So I loved it. I've been there several times. But to go there with Erica and to have a moment on the main stage, specifically to talk about what we're creating with reliving Single Podcast was delicious. And Erica keeps saying, and the people stayed. Like, they came and they sat down and they stayed. And there's a lot of competition at Essence Fest. There's a lot going on. There's music going on, people giving out samples and all the things. But they came and they stayed and they listened, and it was delightful.

[A]

Oh, how was the experience for you?

[C]

ESSENCE is a legacy project that has been passed from each generation. And it's also, you know, in transition from itself because it's competing not only with, you know, all the different players, but also the different channels, the Internet and all those things. But we can come together in person and actually have a silent conversation and a vibe and sort of know that you're talking to all your people. You don't have to explain yourself.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Where else can black women do that? You tell me en masse. Now, I know Mary J. Blige has something you're Creating a whole world.

[A]

I mean, you're just talking about the legacy of what ESSENCE always was and how it's continuing to try to maintain that. And in one of the only ways that we really meet irl, most of the things are digital, you know, is.

[C]

We don't get it to IRL in real life. Okay, thank you.

[A]

Yeah, I went digital with my dialogue.

[C]

And I learned digital dialogue. Some kind of later said in real.

[A]

Life, it wasn't hard to say. I don't know why I didn't do that.

[C]

Yeah, but you know what? That's what you created, though, you know, with Kiki World, the key world. That's real. But that's. To me, each generation creates that. But getting in person, is it. Because that's when we can sort of breathe and do our thing. I couldn't do it more. And so I was really very proud that we had something to actually show them that they knew. Now, this is 30 years. 30 years that people have been growing up, and then also to connect and sort of say, this is for you. But also we're doing it for ourselves. We have to lay down a template, a blueprint to show people what we've gone through, but also to create a new narrative. I know you're into narratives, you know, otherwise you get hijacked.

[A]

You do.

[C]

So that's what ESSENCE is about, is always trying to find a way to create narratives. But black women often don't have platforms for it.

[A]

And I love what you said about this when we were talking about the relieving podcast is. Yeah, like, what is the narrative? Us learning the stories behind the stories, the moment, the time and the era and from the people that were a part of it. I mean, you guys are best friends. You're best friends on the show, but you're best friends in real life. When did it become like, that realization that, oh, no, we sisters for real? Was it during the show? Was it after the show was already off the air? When did y' all realize that? It was like, yo, we family.

[B]

I always say that I fell in love with Erica right away, and I thought that she was outspoken and sort of, you know, unusual and walked and talked and was different than other girlfriends I had had. And so I immed was like, ooh, she gonna be my friend on the show. I just. I just liked her. You know, it was an instant thing. It was an instant thing. I don't think she felt that same way about me. I love, you know, I love to tell the story. I love to tell the story that you know, we were a couple of weeks in. There's nine years difference. You know, Erica's nine years younger than me, so this a young woman giving me the what for.

[C]

Okay, I'd been trash and garbage, but go ahead, baby.

[A]

This is Icy Palma. Yeah. Ah. I just had the most incredible time in Chicago and I cannot stop thinking about it. I just hosted my debut Airbnb original experience. And, honey, it was absolutely everything. Let me set the scene. One amazing Chicago kitchen. Me and my pops bringing the energy, the coolest people ever, and a local chef who was straight fire. Okay? We weren't just cooking. We were creating magic, making memories and filling that space with so much laughter and love. This wasn't your average cooking class, okay? We walked in as strangers with recipes and walked out as friends with stories. Dad had the whole room dying with his play by play commentary and watching cooking newbies turn into kitchen pros. Absolutely priceless. The food was restaurant level amazing. But what really got me was seeing confidence bloom and watching instant friendships over every shared bite. Some of life's best adventures happen in the most intimate setting, and you can find them through Airbnb experiences.

[B]

I have been chatting about some things going on behind the scenes and about someone in particular. And I remember the day we were walking across the lot and it was early on, it was maybe third or fourth episode, and she stopped me and she said, I'm gonna have to stop you here. I think we're gonna be working together a long time. And I really like you, but I'm not a gossiper. I don't gossip and I won't. I cannot engage in the gossipage of it all. And I like you. We're gonna be together. And I just think that that is not the most healthy way for us to proceed in our friendship and in our working relationship.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And I was like, oh, God, who's this 23 year old girl telling me? What? And she was right. And then two weeks later, we went back to gossiping. It's a true story. You know, it. But she let me know and that I could talk, this younger woman to say to me, hey, wait a minute. We're going down a road that's not gonna be real cool. So let's check it. And we checked it. We checked it out.

[C]

Checked it out.

[B]

Sometimes you just wanna. We just did a show on gossip. One of our episodes was about gossip. And I think gossip is really. I just. I wasn't go. I was just. I needed to have a way to vent and go. Like I'M seeing this. Are you seeing this too? Cause I respected you, so. And also, I've been downhill ever since.

[A]

But anyway, I love what you said about gossiping, though, because I do like to gossip. And I think that, you know, you're just checking in. I feel like just we clocking the same tee and just get it now. I don't want. No, let's not be messy with it. Let's not mess nobody life up. Let's not go making.

[B]

And it wasn't rumors or lies. You just said rumors, lies, and trash. It was just like, I'm saying this, and this don't seem right. And what do you think?

[A]

So who was it about lies and.

[B]

Garbage that I was. Lies, trash, and garbage. Okay, fine.

[A]

So who was it about?

[B]

I will never tell. I will never tell.

[C]

And I can't even remember. You know what? The thing is that she's, as you see, a force of nature. We're next to the hurricane here, so get ready. Everybody's bringing their own local weather. I'm just trying to stay steady. Why am I between these two freaking people?

[B]

You are the tornado now.

[C]

I have no idea. But, you know, I used to. You know what?

[A]

I.

[C]

Okay, not right away, because she can be intimidating. That kind of energy can be intimidating.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so I would come to the set and kind of look and see if she was there already and then go, oh, she's there. Let me come back. You know, really. No, I'm lying. I'm intimidating. I had to come in with strong for something.

[B]

I'm trying to get that right.

[C]

No, you know, no, here's the thing.

[B]

You saw me at Macy's one time before we worked together, and you said hello to me, and I was, hello, how are you?

[A]

So that is a good question. How familiar were you guys with one another's work before working with each other on the show?

[C]

Well, she was on In Living Color, but I hadn't seen the stand up because, you know, at the time it wasn't. But Living Color was the biggest thing.

[A]

On incredible character work.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

I mean, yeah. Your impressions.

[C]

Yeah. And I'd been Cousin Pam. Most people hadn't seen what I was doing because I was doing a lot of drama. I'd done, you know, plays off of.

[A]

I said you were doing a lot of stage work too.

[C]

A lot of stage work.

[A]

We did some stage work together, yes.

[C]

Oh, my goodness.

[A]

We played some years ago. Are you kidding? Mm.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yep. That was the first time we met, I think. Unless it was at award show. Yeah. Yeah. But that was. Yeah, we did stage together.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But, you know, I admire Kim very much, but what I found out about her that I didn't know was that the thing that she's doing, that's the. She's the great connector. So in a way, you talk about, you know, gossip and that type of stuff, the way she plays it is as a sort of an ammunition to bring people together, to make them feel comfortable, to give them immediate permission to speak to each other. We're all laughing, and so she's really great about it. That's her real gift.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

And that is definitely a gift. Going back to that first day. I mean, I don't know how you guys got your roles, if it was auditions, if it was offers, but you get there on that first day of set, you find out before you come who's all gonna be there. Was it a table read? Well, you know, when did you all get together for the first time and start realizing, okay, we're making a show? And what did you just say? Like, going back to that time?

[C]

It was a table read.

[B]

It was a table read.

[A]

It was a table read.

[B]

It was the show. Lateef and I each had deals. They created the show around the two of us. Yvette Leigh Bowser was brought in to be the creator. John Erica, TC auditioned and got the show. Kim was also chosen, you know, by Yvette, had a conversation with Yvette, was brought in. So the first time we all meet is at the table read. I always say I knew immediately that this felt like. It felt good. It felt great, partially because for me, In Living Color didn't feel good. In Living Color. Sketch comedy shows are notorious for being highly competitive, highly pressurized experiences. And I wasn't used to being in a competitive environment like that. This felt collaborative and cooperative, and this felt like home to me immediately.

[C]

But that was ptsd. You know what I mean? Anything feel better than that?

[B]

Well, the, you know, that's life, though, contrast, I'll come to really love.

[A]

It's just so interesting when you say that about. Cause that's. I did snl. I just hosted.

[B]

You did.

[A]

They would say the same thing, you.

[B]

Know, for these stories of these horror stories of sketch with that.

[A]

Yeah. And my thing is, it seems so counterproductive because how do you create such great material in that environment, but yet somehow people do and people did.

[B]

Yeah. You have interesting genius. These genius. Like Lorne Michaels, I think created. It's just a. What you do is you shake it up and, you know, you make people really Work for it.

[C]

Is that what happened? Cause you can tell us.

[A]

Well, she actually said it exactly right. With Lauren, he's very much like, no, no, no, go back to the drawing board. This is what. He doesn't necessarily overly influence the artist's creativity. And I think that's probably purposeful. Like, you had a voice. Tell me what your voice is. But he's going to challenge it and he's going to ask you why. He's going to continue to push until it makes sense to him. If it doesn't work, then he's going to be like, you need to go back to it.

[B]

But that's actually what a great leader does. Like, well, what else you got? How can we make that better?

[A]

Because you still got to let them have their voice.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Otherwise you don't get anything new. No, no, no. Interesting material. What did you feel like you took from that experience that helped you with living single?

[B]

An appreciation of others talents. You know, I'm a standup comedian and standup is a very singular sport. And although I had a tribe of other comics that we all, you know, performed together, you're still on stage by yourself. I grew to appreciate watching others develop. Like watching Jim Carrey create was magnificent. What type of comedy? Watching Tommy Davidson create. Tommy Davidson, sweethearts, kind. Jim was quiet and genius at the same time. You just watch him take something and go, okay, I'm gonna fold my body in half now. Like, what? What just happened?

[A]

Why was that the choice?

[B]

Right, right. And it was the perfect choice. Tommy Davidson watching each.

[A]

Tommy Davis is so incredible.

[B]

So I spent a lot of time observing others and what their process was. And that was valuable.

[A]

I love that, especially with an ensemble, another version of an ensemble cast. So you coming in, you had just been doing stay a lot, a lot of drama. What was it like for you coming to show? Was there nerves? Were there excitement? Maybe both.

[C]

No nerves. No nerves. I had been on the biggest show in the world. Cosby Show. Yeah, that's nervous.

[B]

This right here, we were nothing.

[C]

You know, there's a big pyramid in Egypt and then there's the small side pyramids. That was inside of my. Once you go in the big house, you ain't worried about. You ain't worried about the guest house. I mean, really, you're not. I mean, but you know, she's right about something about ensembles. What I'd learned at Cosby show was that there were two different types of performance happening and you had to do it simultaneously. There was okay, maybe three. There was the one that was Happening on stage with the ensemble that you say, it's not a monologue. It's a dialogue. There's a conversation going on. You have to be open to it. You have to have everybody feel balanced. You throw them something, you let them throw it to you. You can't just step on their thing, because then everybody feels pressured. So there's that, and then there's the audience who's gonna come in and they're gonna add them. They're another character in it. But there's these cameras. If they don'. Then it ain't on stage.

[B]

It didn't happen.

[C]

Yeah. So you have to be aware that they're popping in in the back and the director's doing their thing.

[A]

That's being a gracious actor. I really do feel gracious, but also.

[C]

So aware, and also all your senses are heightened. But I didn't understand that on the Cosby Show, I kept asking Mr. Cosby and Ellen Falcone, she was our director.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Said, who do I act for? The cameras or the.

[A]

And that's interesting that you asked him, because you had done stage. You had been already doing stage.

[C]

I'd done both.

[A]

You'd done stage Antique and this. And I mean, what I love about multican sitcoms.

[C]

Boom. It's both.

[B]

It's all happening all the same time.

[C]

It's both.

[A]

But you were kind of conflicting in.

[C]

A little bit of what Cosby said. He said, well, the audience, because, you know, he's stand up, too.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That's where he's taking his cues. Ellen said, the cameras make sure that they're watching it. I realized they were both right. By the time I got there, I was like, it's both. But also, you have to just stay in the moment, and you have to manage your. The discipline to wait, but to also be ready is what stage gives you. And you're not acting for the cameras and waiting for them. You're not in between, chilling. You're always.

[B]

Ellen would say, stay in the play.

[C]

Stay in the play.

[A]

And the comedy is so. So you worked with Ellen, too.

[B]

Yeah, Ellen was on.

[C]

She did most of our seasons.

[A]

Wow. So just to that point where you were saying, you know, we're talking about comedy, we're talking about stand up, we're talking about sketch, but we're also talking about your style of comedy. What did you learn up until the point of going into living single, which obviously you're so hilarious on there about your style of comedy.

[C]

It was so grounded that I was funny. I always thought I was funny. But I wasn't getting that feedback in performance at all because I'd been doing drama and I was more of a cut up than people knew. But it's just that I wasn't being cast in those roles. I was Cousin Pam. When I got there, they wanted me to set the table and suddenly start talking about condom and going, yes, okay, I'm gonna. Oh, I'll make sure, you know, whatever. I don't even know what that's about. But then here I'm with people who are my peers. First of all, I needed to be with people who are my peers. Because you can act a fool and cuddle.

[A]

Totally different. Yes. It's so fun.

[C]

It is. There's a competitive nature between peers. That's real. But also, if there's respect, then it's not. You're not, you know, trying to, you know. Yeah, it's a healthy competition. But more importantly, they weren't watching me. They were watching them. So that's not true. It was true.

[B]

You say that.

[C]

That's true now. What do you mean?

[A]

They were watching the audience. That's what I was saying.

[C]

Who's that? Him. Coles and Latifah were being watched like hawks. They were not watching me. I was the dark horse in the room. Literally. They were not watching you.

[A]

Oh, my gosh, you're kidding.

[C]

I'm not kidding.

[A]

So, and what do you mean by that? You mean the audience is not watching you, the studio's not watching you, or.

[C]

A little bit of. Let me say who they is. The studio and the network.

[A]

Cool, right? They don't watch nobody.

[C]

No. And plus, I think that they were watching also to make sure, because again, Latifah was new in that space. She had not done sitcom. I had. Kim Fields had. They weren't watching her. Kim Fields was. Is a veteran. She's a prodigy.

[A]

I mean, her mother, her sister.

[C]

Let's say something a little bit about Kim Fields.

[A]

We should.

[C]

Because you're a prodigy. It's somebody who comes in who naturally is gifted, who has, you know, sort of been like the hand of God. Destiny would have found you anyway. Biology is destiny. You have it on your face, but also it's in your DNA. She was like that. And once she got the opportunity, she was in it. She didn't need minding. She just needed y' all to let her talk. You say, cook, do her thing.

[A]

Let her cook.

[C]

She'd been doing it forever. Now. There were people on the set that hadn't been doing it forever. So they were watching you. I Got. I'm sorry, kid. They were. They were watching you and Latifah, and I didn't get notes. Like, they got notes. I didn't get watched. I needed that space to develop who Max was. If people started telling me who she was, I'm such a good girl, I might have done it like, okay, let me do this, let me do that. I just need them to leave me alone. And then suddenly it would click in. But I already knew. But I had the haircut, and that haircut did a lot for me.

[A]

That haircut is iconic.

[C]

It is. Those hairs.

[A]

I mean, it's iconic. I'm trying to do the look for a movie now. I literally sent them your reference.

[C]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's Deborah Hare. Go to Deborah Hair Bas. I would love to see you.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, you, you know, do it. But it's interesting.

[B]

Can I give a perspective? And just. We've never talked about this before, so you always say they were watching you, and I never understood what that meant. But here's what's interesting. They were watching you. And I want to tell you why they were watching you.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Because we're going through on Reliving Single, the podcast. We're going through every episode from the beginning on through. And when you look at, you know, as, you know, the A story and the B story, you got A stories immediately, you got heavy. Not heavy. I don't mean heavy and difficult. I mean, you got really powerful moments. And what did you say?

[A]

Prominence. Prominence.

[B]

They were watching you because they knew that you could bring it on. And so I know you talk about being, you know, one of the last hired and.

[C]

Oh, I see what you're saying.

[B]

You know, brown skin and living a cross street, but that's all streets. That's what I'm street. So they were watching you. Cause they knew that you could, like, you brought it on home. So somebody knew that you were funny. Somebody knew that you were talented.

[C]

I think they just knew I could handle it, because I do.

[A]

There's also something interesting that I'm hearing that's being said here, too, is like, you guys had a lot of weight on your back. One of the first things you said was that the show was built on the back of you and Queen. I said, so it's like, what did that feel like? Knowing that if the show's not a hit, we might be blamed. That's exactly because they made the show for us, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I didn't think about it for an instant because once I saw this whole group of folks, you Know, I wasn't. I wasn't concerned at all because I knew that we were each supporting. You know, Latifah, she was new to. She had done a few sitcoms. I think she had done with Best Friends.

[A]

This thing with us with black folks, where it's like, okay, we're looking for you to do it, and if it ain't a hit, it's over with. So it can sometimes be funny.

[B]

Maybe my naivete. Maybe I was just so grateful to be there. And so I had had a couple of holding deals, and finally this one had landed. I was like, oh, right.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so I was like. I saw who I was working with. I was like, oh, this is gonna be. I didn't think about.

[A]

Well, so you could just not be somebody that had the foresight, that vision, to know this is it. This will not be failing. This is the perfect situation. Y' all look.

[C]

But I also know that there was more watching of you than, you know, just letting you know, okay, There was.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

We can let it go, Kim.

[B]

We can let it go. We can let it go. Cause we don't talk.

[C]

No. But it's funny that you didn't feel it. You didn't certainly have a thing.

[A]

But I think that's a strength that a lot of people should have. And I would like to hope and believe that things are changing in our industry. But we, you know, as a minority, as women, when we get these opportunities, they put all this money behind us. There is a lot of that going on that you can't. You really do have to silence. You can't really think about it. It's like, my opportunity is my opportun.

[B]

I'm show up and be extraordinary. I'm gonna show up and do my.

[A]

Best no matter what happens. But the show, obviously, not only was a hit, but it's become one of the most iconic shows in culture. When did you guys realize the impact of the show? How soon from its airing did y' all realize, we got it. They ain't gonna let up. This is the cause.

[B]

The folks will tell you, right? The folks on the street will tell you the story. I always tell of the. Well, you know, we were told that we were a black show. And I know Erica has her. She'll.

[A]

Her feelings about.

[B]

Her feelings about the term black show. But we were told that this was a specific audience. This was the demographic, these were the people. And when I was in bank of America on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, and this little old Jewish man came and squeezed my arm, I Love you girls. I love that show. You girls are beautiful. You remind me of Brooklyn. I love all of you. And he kept squeezing me. And I don't know if it was harassment, but I was taking it.

[A]

I live for you remind me of Brooklyn.

[B]

I tell the queen I love the queen. I. I love all you girls. You girls are beautiful. I love it. I knew that we were a hit because that wasn't the demographic at all. But he got it, he resonated and he loved all the.

[A]

But that's the thing when you play truth. And I always tell this to people, whether you are black, whether you are Latino, whether you are whatever people consider to not be mainstream. Everybody wants to see everybody's life.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, I wanna watch something that I've never seen that doesn't mirror me. So why wouldn't somebody wanna watch my world when it doesn't mirror them?

[B]

And also look to see how they can find the resonance. Like, he resonated with it and 1,000%.

[C]

Yeah. But that's what segregation is about. It's about somebody saying in some room who doesn't understand that creativity has no borders.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And that's why black people are the biggest culture makers in world history. Because we didn't colonize people in mind. They allowed us in. And that is the power of soft power. The vision that we put out there were from people who were enslaved. But if you look at what we put out there, it was a vision of the future. We're Afro futurists and we created America before it even existed. But we did it through the only means we have, which was the power of speech, the power of moral authority, but also creation, creativity, music, dance, all of that.

[A]

But then much of that also, which I'm sure we've felt is the performance of survival.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

That sometimes ends up making you flamboyant. Like, my mom has this story about me when I was a kid. And I think it's like when I really realized that my form of survival would be performance. I was about to get a whooping. Okay. And my. I was about to get a whooping. And my daddy was like, so what you. My mom and dad are standing looking over me. So what you think need to happen to you? And I said, I guess I'mma just had to get dealt with, like old boy and Friday. And my parents started laughing. I said, ooh, no whooping tonight. Time to pull out the jokes. Time to. So anyway, in saying that, I guess.

[B]

I'm just gonna have to.

[A]

I gotta get dealt with. Are you laughing?

[B]

Are we laughing?

[A]

You know how we escape?

[B]

Am I safe now?

[A]

Exactly. And so with that being. So much of our culture does come from survival.

[B]

So we're resourceful if we're nothing else.

[A]

We're resourceful if we're nothing else. But then it becomes a point where, I'm sure, as performers, we know it's like, hey, what is after that? Survival? And also, when you're representing an array of different black characters, what are we bringing. How are we bringing those nuances to the screen? Because people had not seen the kind of characters y' all play. Like, I'm telling you, your character is so important because we don't get to be like that.

[B]

The awkward black girl. Yeah, like, girl, that's.

[A]

Now we have Issa Rae.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Right. Now we have Quinta Brunson. Now we have these types of characters. But that was the first time we seen just like, well, okay, it's like, we get to be that. We don't have to always. You know what I mean? And we get to see a woman saying, I don't really care about marriage. Men who. I'm here to get this money. I'm here to be this boss. We didn't always see that. So. So, you know, what was it like for you guys, from that beginning of your characters to knowing we have such a long journey ahead of us to bring all these stories to life? Like, how did you. How heavy was it for you to take it on? And then how much of it arrived to you through just experience and age?

[C]

And the age is real, you know?

[A]

Cause we learn more when we, like, okay, change is how we approach it.

[B]

It didn't feel heavy to me. And again, maybe that's just my way. I don't have. Other things have felt heavy. This has not.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And the weight of it didn't feel like weight. It felt like we're performing, we're showing these characters. We're showing something that has never been seen before. I don't think I ever felt the weight. I felt the weight when there was a potential that we were gonna be canceled. And the audience was like, no, you can't go. And, you know, there was no social media. There was no campaign. You know, you had Tom Joyner telling people to write Warner Brothers.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Love to do Tom Joyner. One issue. Don't take me back.

[B]

And so I felt the weight of people wanting us not to go away.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I don't think I have ever felt the weight of the pressure. You know, how I have to Be.

[A]

Just the pressure of being a black performer. And what are we gonna do?

[C]

I feel the weight.

[A]

I've felt it too.

[C]

I feel the weight because you know what? So I was discovered in a basement theater called Freedom, New Freedom Theater in Philadelphia. And my mother sent me to a six week program. And the fifth week movie came to town. It was a Merchant Ivy film called My Little Girl. Now, they told us that they needed brown and black girl. All of us wanted to audition because why not? And I ended up getting the role. Suddenly I got a SAG card, I got healthcare, all that type of stuff. Now here's. Let's talk about weight. Up until that point, my story had been I was one of six. I'm the child of two orphans. I spent the first 11 years of my life in a hotel called Starlight off of Route 66 in Arizona, from the mountains of Arizona. And my father was an itinerant preacher, Kojic. And my mother was a teacher. Pressure comes depending on how I think you grow up. If you get an opportunity like that, the last thing you want to do is drop the ball. You don't want to make people ashamed. You don't want to make the people who didn't get that role feel like, why did they choose her? And then once that role went further, because the great Pat golden, who was the casting director, called my mother and said, I think Erica can have a career. She needs a legitimate agent. And got me an agent. And that got me into other doors. Suddenly you don't wanna let them down. Because they told me and my mother tells the story. She's here in the studio. She said, we don't take kids. She's a teenager. But the only kid we have is Michael J. Fox. But we're gonna take Erica now. That's a big deal. And suddenly, not Michael. Everything is weighty.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Cause you literally want to perform. You're in the room with Goldberg. Jason Weaver's playing my thing. Everything was weighty. And by the way, it's the deep end all the time. It was never like, you work it out, learn. It was always the deep end. Cosby show, first comedy, Royal Shakespeare Company, first tour. You know, you're doing Broadway.

[A]

That's exactly how it was for me.

[C]

That's precious. Thank you.

[A]

From childhood, the same kind of thing. From a very small town, south suburbs. And not the kind of suburbs that you're looking forward to being in.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

The kind that you could have been the city, but you just happened to be rural parents. My dad worked a factory job. All my life, I remember we say, good Morning, Daddy. At 3, 4am when he goes, he's going all day. Coming back late at night. Steel toe shoes. Carhartt before was fashion. My mom was a teacher. She was in and out of, actually multiple jobs. That woman that's just trying to keep her dream alive, and you're watching her and you're trying to reach her because she's trying to reach herself. And so that's what it was for me. And then here I come, being this entertainer and saying, well, why can't we do the thing? Why can't we dream big? Why can't we follow the yellow big road? Then we actually go, y'. All, actually, we actually drive four days and three nights to California. And now I've got to make it happen.

[C]

Got to.

[A]

I've got to make it happen.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And when I tell you that I made it happen. But what you did, baby, this is Keke Palmer. You know what?

[C]

So.

[A]

So much of it came from that same. It's in your DNA, though. It's interesting how it's different, but I'm.

[B]

Gonna say this, okay? I'm hearing you all talk. So my pressure. So I didn't have the pressure from the childhood stories, from the coming up stories. I had a trajectory. I started doing standup in 1985. Within three years, I was on national TV. Within another year, I was on In Living Color, right? So things. I had a trajectory that went.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[B]

My pressure. My difficult times didn't happen till I was already famous, till I already had tons of money, till I already had all that. So my breakthrough or breakdown or that moment of like, oh, now I got. I have parents who are educated, but I dropped out of college four times. My father has his doctorate. My mother's also a teacher. So I felt. My aunties are all educated. So I'm feeling like, who am I to have all of this money and success? And I haven't even finished my schooling. And that's what matters to all of them. They're like, GLAD you're on TV. My father, until he passed away at 94, was like, so we're gonna go back to college. I'm like, daddy, I don't have time to go to college. I'm on a cell phone. I'm a house household name, like, for him. He's like, but are you gonna go back to school? I remember I spoke at a college, and he came. It was in North Carolina, and he came to visit me. He says, you know, they would matriculate You, Kimberly. I'm like, matriculate.

[A]

Matriculate. Took me out already.

[B]

Matriculate, Kimberly. They would. I'm sure they would work a program with you. I'm like, yeah, Daddy. So, you know, so that pressure was to become something that my parents wanted me to become. And so. And I've told the story before of shopping through all of my money. Cause I didn't think I deserved it. So my. That pressure didn't come until I'd already arrived. And it was like, how do I maintain it? What do I do now when they're not calling? What do you do when you don't look like the va va va voom girl? So I felt the pressure to. I just didn't feel it at that time on Living Single, I should say it came at a different time. And it's about maintaining. I remember seeing Diane Carroll spoke at the Essence. You know how the Essence women of Hollywood, and this is many years ago, and she stood on stage and they were honoring her, and she was like, oh, the maintenance. Like you got. She said, oh, the maintenance. You gotta maintain all of this. Or then, you know, you look. So there's that pressure that I feel now. I didn't feel it at the ages that you all were.

[A]

So what do you do with that? Right. Like, if we're going back to that time in that era of Living Single, when it first came out and then who you were then and who you are now and how you looked at performance then and how you look at performance now, I wanna know the difference. Because, you know, for me now it's 23 years or so, and I'm at the transitional point of how I feel about performance. I always will love performing, but it changes for us something.

[B]

How's it changed for you? Is what I like to do.

[C]

Yeah, that's what. That's a huge one.

[A]

So a bit of what I was saying is my performance used to come from survival. It came from. Not necessarily that it wasn't joy, but it was a joy in rebellion. It was. I'm gonna be happy in spite of. I'm gonna make this happen because I know I can. But now it's like, I'm good. You know, it's like, I don't have to. Like, who am I saying that to? The conversation with the audience has changed. So it changes the way that I approach performance. I'm not telling it from the place of joy for rebellion. I'm telling from the place of joy as embodiment. So what does it look like? You know, and how do we move? How do what changes in the narrative now? I'm not talking about Keke Palmer is me. Keke Palmer is the product. It's the conversation that I built around something I was trying to say. And now I'm moving into showing you that I was the person behind it all the whole time. And so it's different. It changes. I still love it, but the conversation is different. And so I wanted to know from you guys, as I'm making that transition for the first time. Cause obviously it happens multiple times. What did it look like for y' all when y' all started having that conversation?

[C]

Um, so it does happen multiple times, and you don't know when it's gonna happen or what shifts. It's inner attention shifts. And it can be out of boredom, growth, and necessity. I feel. And I need to do it is usually out of a dis. You know, you're dissatisfied with either performance or maybe you think, if I shift, will I get those opportunities and that type of thing. So I can tell you that I didn't know how to perform or act. I just knew I did.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And people tell you you're good at it, and then they'll tell you you're great at it, and then they'll tell you. And then I could feel their pressure to be like, oh, she's wonderful at this watch. And I actually didn't like that scrutiny because I didn't think I did well with their pressure of, like, she's gonna be great. Because it didn't give me room to make mistakes. So I knew I could no longer have their expectations rule what happened when I got here. In fact, I would have to not ignore them, but I would have to dismiss the results altogether. So then I needed to go in and say, I could fail today, and I probably will. But I showed up and I'm prepared, and I must try something new. I have to wake myself up in the moment. And if I go up on my lines, it's okay. I will find them. If I feel suddenly like my heart be going, I said, I know that's adrenaline in your sphere, and you can try to come back to yourself. But if I don't, they can't eat me.

[A]

They can't eat meat.

[C]

I will go home. They can't eat me.

[A]

That consumption is so real.

[C]

They can't eat me. And what I needed to know was that no matter what, that I would come home to the same pillow, whatever, and I'd be able to start again, even if I never came back to show biz. And that was a powerful move because up until that point, I had been performing from this whole thing where she is a child that can do this and watch. She's the wonder kid. And I was like, no, I'm not. I'm a person who knows how to play the piano, and I'm good at it. But if I can't make my own mistakes on that damn piano, then it ain't my piano. It's yours. And I'm playing your music. So let me let it go. Let me make my mistakes. I don't care if I don't cry today. It doesn't need to happen. I can do the truth of who I am in that moment and still get a beautiful scene out. But you know how long it came before I. I mean, I had diseases of stress. I had breakouts. I had all the crazy stuff that you had. I couldn't even sit. One time I was doing a miniseries and they put a chair down. Cause I didn't. I couldn't stand my back. Yeah, it was crazy.

[A]

It's stressful.

[C]

It was stressful. But then later on, I thought, okay, I'm doing better. And then I worked with an actor that I admired, and they did something on set that criticized me.

[A]

No.

[C]

And I had no idea that that person had. I'd given them that power. But I didn't know. And for years afterwards, the did they do.

[A]

You don't have to tell me the person if you don't want to. Unless you want to.

[C]

I don't want to tell the person. But what happened was.

[B]

Will you tell us outside?

[C]

Yeah, I'll tell you what you're saying.

[A]

Yeah, tell us outside. God. Can you tell us the situation very quickly?

[C]

It was a situation where I was on a set that was mostly men that'll help me. And there was very few black people, that person and me. And there was a new scene that came in, and there's heavy players. And they wrote it for my character, probably because I'd be the one that would squawk the least. Now, at the time, I had a memory that was no joke. Cause we were just doing Living Single. And I looked at the page, thought I knew it, and said, let's do it. The director said, let's run through it before lunch. And me, instead of just reading it like I should have, I tried to pop off with my memory to show people gifts. This is what. And I suddenly turned and all these famous faces were looking at me. And I went cold. It's like I was a Ghost. And I'd even had my heart's beating a thousand because I didn't even know what that feeling was. And he said, it's okay, darling. Just read the page. You'll have plenty of time for lunch to learn it. And the person said, oh, we gonna be here all day?

[B]

No. No. How dare you.

[C]

Let me tell you something. The only black people on that set. And this is the person I admire. And I. Whatever. And so I get through it. I grab a PA and I said, you need to go in my room. We need to run this. I run it, run it, run it. I come in, I got my game face on. That person is there. They're never there because they called them last. Always call them last. They're sitting there. And he knows I've now given another piece. He knows what he's done. And he says, erica, it's just a film. And they got a whole closet of it. I said, yes, and they will not be using that on me today. I sat down and I did it. And I did it and I landed it.

[B]

One take. Alexander is what I call you.

[C]

Well, there were many cameras, so, you know, whatever. But that was the problem. I had been known for doing one or two takes, but I didn't need to be known for that. I just needed to be known for satisfying myself in a scene. You get these things. So here I am. I get through it. But then now I'm afraid of sets. I'm literally shaking. And I'm afraid of my memory. My memory. I had no problem with memory.

[A]

Well, because now I have no memory. Because now that you projected what everybody said about you, and now that's projected you to believe that you're no longer who you think you are. That's right, because y' all said I was this, and then now I had one human moment, and now suddenly, I'm not this. And now my identity has changed.

[C]

Because that wall was erected before that person showed up.

[A]

They put this on you, right?

[C]

That person just pushed the last one over. I gotta tell you, took me 10 years or more to feel comfortable on a set. And I still talk my way through it all the time. And that's why I live. I go there and I said, I must live in the moment. I must make my mistakes out loud. And I will go home. But I will not let any one person have permission to do that to me again. Because I need to own myself. And if it happens, I'm gonna take them aside and say that I'm gonna have to do something because I Didn't even know I had the power to. So it's a long way to go to say you can't. You can be in the business and think that you've mastered it. You have not. Something else is gonna come and undermine it. And just be prepared to know that you can shift, but you've got work to do. Yes, I had work to do on myself.

[A]

Same horrible.

[B]

I don't remember the question, but it was like performance.

[C]

What has shifted?

[A]

What shifted? You know, because we experienced so much.

[B]

Performance or life or I think for.

[A]

Performance, your relationship to performance, why you started performing and then what it became for you. Because I think, I think the thing, the reason why I asked this, because like I said, I'm coming up against this, right? I'm 32 this year. I've been doing this for. Since I was nine years old. But I've seen it, right? Like Eddie Murphy, he just started doing movies again after being. Not doing them for 20 years. You know, Denzel didn't do movies for many years. You know, you see people that have been doing it for a long time, their relationship changes over time. And so I started to feel, okay, I'm having a shift. The first one was for necessity. I went from traditional to digital for necessity. And then now it's more just, I've matured into someone new. I have a child now. And so I'm just curious for you, what has the conversation around performance been? Just. I'm making y' all laugh on stage to. What am I saying to y'?

[C]

All really over that, right?

[B]

I think after living single, I went into a depression. Number one, I wasn't with my friends every day. Number two, I wasn't getting that check every week girl. Getting that free food all the time. I went into a shopaholic. My vice was shopping. Some people smoke and drink and have sex. Mine is shopping. I shopped it all away. Part of it, the self worth not. I don't deserve having this. I'm just a girl from Brooklyn. I don't deserve any of this. I just watched, you know, Carol Burnett on TV and I was like, that's what I want to do. I didn't prepare. I didn't go to school for it. I was, you know, so that whole, like coming to it and. And having trajectory quickly and feeling as if I hadn't fully prepared for it. It's not until you get in it and you're given the opportunities that a lot of times I was. It's all, you know, part thing about the business is that Even no matter how prepared you are, you're still learning on the job. There are things that they will never teach in a school. There's. You need a camera guy to go, sweetie, step, step, step here and turn your eye this way so I can get you. They're not teaching that. You learn that also. Locking.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

So I'm open to constantly learning, constantly expanding. Robin Givens hired me to do a film, which is hysterical because I did Robin Givens on In Living Color. And it was, you know, it's a sketch. It's not kind.

[C]

Kind.

[B]

It's not kind. And I remember saying, you know, doing. Doing a bit about her on stage. And her people contacted me, and she said, I saw that. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. We're gonna work together one day. I was like, oh, my God. Robert Given saw, and she hired me to. I didn't have to audition. She said, you can do this. And it was a dramatic role. I was like, I can't do this. And on the set, she was there and saying, stop. Because I would go to comedy because that's my safe space. She would say, stop it. She got in my. She's this big. Got in my face. Stop that. You've got this in you. That's why I got you. I knew you got this. Let's do this. I'm like, okay, Robin Giveens. And so I was willing to be, you know, shape shifted into something new. And so I think the answer is being willing to grow, being willing to learn, being willing to have someone tell you, I see something and I'm gonna find it in there. We're gonna work it together. We worked together to find this moment that she, as the director, could see on her Video Village monitor, that I was like, I'm just gonna go to comedy because that I can do now. That would be fine. We got that take. Now let's get something else. Like, how dare you, madam. I will imitate you again. So anyway, the answer is, I think just being willing to grow.

[C]

Look.

[B]

Oh, okay. One thing I said I would never do, other than porn, why would I? And no one's asked, thankfully.

[C]

Yeah, well, onlyFans is all sentenced. Only fans.

[B]

Onlyfans. I might need to buy some more hair. So you do what you gotta do, baby.

[A]

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[B]

I said I would never do a soap opera. I'd heard the rigors. I will never do. Why would I do? First of all, the amount of memorization, how quickly they move. 40 pages a day. You gotta learn. You gotta. And it's like just no thank you. And then I got a call to audition for Days of our Lives. We've created this role. It's yours to lose. Just we're gonna read you for this role. I got Angela Gibbs, Marla Gibbs, daughter, to be my coach for this. I can Humble myself to go. I can't do this on my own. And I don't even really wanna do this. Let me get some help. Angela, will you coach me? We had just worked together on a show and we did a. Have a two, three hour session to get me ready just for the audition. And I got it. And I thought, this is the thing I said I would never do.

[A]

But it's so cool.

[B]

It's so cool. I grew so much. I'm now working with Deirdre hall, who's been in the business for 750 years. Jim. Jim. Ed. What's his last name? Jim. Jim. Oh, listen, the memory. They look, they go, got it. And I'm like, she's 700 years old and she's got it. That's what keeps them young and nimble.

[A]

And I think we get so in our industry, our industry is so strange. Like we get into these places where suddenly we decide things are no longer in or, you know, where it's like, you know, you'll have this idea about soap opera, but it's like this is a genre.

[B]

It's a genre.

[A]

This is an incredible genre that kept television on. Let's not go for years, silly.

[B]

Your grandmother didn't watch her show stars. I did a 20 episode arc as this incredible psychopath nurse.

[A]

I love the drama.

[B]

Kidnapped a man.

[C]

And if you're looking for the all.

[A]

Black version, turn on anything. Tyler Perry.

[C]

No, Exactly.

[B]

This is what he learned.

[A]

It's like, you know, divorce, sisters. I love sisters.

[B]

A nurse that kidnapped a whole man cause her husband had died. You know, mistake that she had made. They put me in a psychiatric ward. I break out.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I was great. Jackie Harry, who plays his wife, Jackson, my favorite. You know, I had a stunt. Nobody's stunt coordinating for comedians. Kim, we're gonna have to show you how to receive a slap. I'm from Brooklyn. I could do that. How to. No, no, no. Don't go side, go down. I'm like, okay. It was fantastic. So what we say no? So maybe the lesson I'm giving here is we say no to things. And those are sometimes the things that would grow us, you know. And I allowed myself to grow. So that's about to answer your question about be open and performance to say yes. What feels I felt I got myself ready for.

[C]

Then you had false borders.

[B]

What do you mean I had false borders?

[C]

False borders. You found you had a false border.

[A]

Oh, I had a false border.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I hope. What's the new black soap opera? I hope they call divorced sisters I'm tell. I wasn't even doing it.

[A]

Beauty in Black.

[B]

Yes. I watch that. And then you turn and you have to look and they say, hold it, hold it. Yes, hold it. I'm still holding it. Hold it, hold it.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I got it. They put that music on. I got to be doing it.

[A]

And I love when it's like, you.

[B]

Will not steal my man.

[A]

And when the shows have been going on for like 30 years, that even the kids of the kids come back and it's like, I am your mother.

[B]

I am your mother.

[A]

I love that. It's so good. Reliving Single the podcast, I just want to touch on a little. We've talked about, you know, talk about all the things with the show, but I just, you know, with the podcast, you kind of re. Enter with from a new perspective, these episodes in the conversation. I'm curious, with you guys hearing about dating for Millennials and Gen Z, the fact that some of those episodes still relate to us now. What are the ways that it. That it doesn't. That you think the dating scene has changed, that living single, you know, if it was here in today's would say a totally different story.

[C]

Swipe. White culture.

[B]

It's the apps.

[C]

The apps. We didn't have that. The fact that you can put yourself on display like a department store, you know, catalog is, to me, mind blowing. The fact that people would is shocking. But that's the biggest difference.

[B]

The biggest difference. You know, I think emotion is still emotion. We're still human. And, you know, what matters. You get to decide, you know, whether you want, you know, a husband and a picket fence at 3.2 kids. I think that that's still out there, but it's how you meet and how you relate and the rules. I think, Phil, some of the rules may have changed a bit. You know, you have, you know, kids who are like, fluid, like I. Whatever. Next, next. And there's a freedom in that that they find. And we were. I love saying, mind you, I'm a boomer. I'm the tail end of the boomers. Like, we. I'm gonna say we could still have sex without condoms. Like condoms were to avoid pregnancy. It wasn't cause.

[A]

Cause you might be gone.

[B]

Right? And then, you know, we was the last generation who could were like, oh, we gotta wrap it up.

[C]

That was not my generation. That was not my generation at all. No, it's a tone either. And also the lack of conversation. So people meet people in these sort of false illusions as opposed to meeting them and seeing them over time, which really makes a difference because that's how. Talk about matriculate. That's how you figure out maybe whether this could work out. And there's less. Like, people go to proms and they take pictures of themselves. They think they had a great time. And I'm like, you gotta dance. You gotta dance with each other. These are mating things that they think.

[A]

They had a great time.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And you gotta be passed over too. That even that feeling to be reject, so called rejection, is actually building sort of, you know, your emotional whatever. So it helps you grow.

[A]

It's an experience that you have to have that helps you grow. Kim said, you know, that you guys were teaching a masterclass and we're talking about multicam sitcoms. Some still exist. It's not as popular of a thing, you know, as it once was. But when you're thinking about entertainers today, what do you think that they could learn? Or what's something different, you know, that you guys were doing that, you know, you would want to teach the next.

[C]

Generation of entertainers thousand things to read. People don't read. They don't read, so they don't think. Right. Actually, reading teaches your mind how to see. Not only see senses, but communicate, but also how to speak. You have to read. You can't just regurgitate. And this is not enough. It's got to be something where you sit down and enjoy a story from the front to beginning and middle, because it's teaching you about narrative. And narrative is important. If you're not in the narrative game, you're not in this business, you're not in the world. Everything is controlled by narrative. But if you don't know how to build them or how they conflict, all these things, humor, how do you put it together? How you need complications and reversals and all those things that writers do, and now this stupid AI does. But you can teach yourself. Just read.

[A]

It's so true. I was realizing with myself that one of my favorite literary devices is embedded narrative. And as I've gotten older, I realize, first of all, I realize that that device is embedded narrative. I've realized what embedded narrative is. And then I like, oh, the first time that I saw that was in the Bible.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

And I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, it's so interesting where you find your language for storytelling and narrative and bringing something back to a big idea. And I was like, wow, that's like, that's how I was reading. That's what I was learning. That's how I was understanding what story was and what narrative is just not just from TV and film, but human life experiences. So it's so true. Whatever you can read, it really would be. It really changes the way you see things.

[C]

And can I say just really quick thing? Narrative's so strong, and it can be done as such a small thing that can change people's habits or make them feel like they're doing things they're not. CP time should not exist. Colored people were not the people who were late, but we adopted it. So we suddenly be like, oh, I'm in CP time. I said, what black person did you ever see in the 60s or 50s or whatever that were late? It could be late, but it should be in the darker the skin, the earlier. That's a new narrative.

[A]

Now, wait a minute. Y' all can't skin the earlier in.

[C]

The early in. Yeah.

[A]

Is that. Did you do that today?

[C]

Just. Well, I actually did that a few months ago because I realized that I love this. The earlier in. With investment. The earlier in. To work. The earlier in. Get that in now.

[A]

The darker the skin, the earlier in.

[C]

Forget CP time. CP time is a propaganda by white people that told us, you lazy Negroes, you come in not laughing.

[A]

If it's the way you're performing it, it's true. CPI here.

[C]

Oh, I didn't know TP time, so I don't.

[A]

The darker the skin, the earlier in.

[C]

The earlier in. Do it.

[B]

Here's what's funny about that, though. Lots of cultures have their own relationship to time. So if you talk to Greek people, they say, oh, we're always late. You talk to Italians, oh, we're never there. So, like, we each have our. That propaganda has been put on each. And they take it on like an Indian wedding. You know, it's going to be 17 days long.

[C]

But it doesn't have as much weight with the fact that when black people take it on African Americans who built this fricking nation, they mean that we were late, that CP time. And I'm saying that we need to start putting, especially in young people, things that are empowering and not be like, oh, I was on CP time. No black person can win in this world.

[A]

I think the big thing, too, is just nuance, right? I know a lot of folks that's late, and I know a lot of folks is. What'd you say? Darker the skin earlier in. So they get nuanced. And then this day and age. Age. The one thing that does excite me, even though digital, we can have our ups and downs with it. Is it? It does offer you the reality that we're not a monolith. Women aren't a monolith.

[B]

Please.

[A]

The gays ain't a monolith. The blacks ain't a monolith. The Greeks ain't, you know, whatever. We go in and list and list and list. Is it because the problem isn't, you know, that, yeah, there are some unrealistic and unfair propagandas. It's that. That sometimes those are the only narratives you hear.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You need multiple different perspectives in order to portray a real true.

[B]

Erica says read. And I say also explore. Get out of your 6 block radius, allow your mind, travel, experience, meet new people, go to different kinds of churches, different kinds of experiences. Go learn to do something that you never thought that you would do just to have the experience and to open.

[A]

Your mind, open yourself up to it.

[B]

I was telling my boyfriend that there was somewhere that I went that I had never experienced. The first time you go to a restaurant and there's a white. It's a white tablecloth restaurant, and they have that little tool that takes the crumbs off the table, scoops it up.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that little thing. I love that. But I always ruin the damn table itself.

[B]

Right, right. But the first time I saw that, I was like, what are you doing? He said, well, I'm taking the crumbs away. I didn't know that a tool like that existed until I was watching the gilded Age. That's available to you now. But in my early 20s, I didn't know what that was.

[A]

No, seriously.

[B]

Right. So allow yourself to experience new things.

[A]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Well, I always play a game with my guests. I'm so sad that we're coming to the end. I literally, I feel like we time lapse, time warped in this conversation. We were just having so much fun. But, you know, because we are talking about living single, I thought we'd play the all living single matchmaker addiction. And, you know, a lot of people think that being single is bad, but no, honestly, it's a choice half the damn time. So I'm gonna give you guys a list of different available open women, tell you a little something about them, and we're gonna pick a celebrity match for them.

[C]

Oh, I love that.

[A]

It's a little fun. Just a little theory. Okay, okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Here we go.

[C]

I'm good at this.

[B]

I'm good at this.

[A]

I'm good at this.

[B]

You are.

[A]

Have you ever done it before?

[B]

I'm good at this.

[C]

Of course.

[A]

Tracee Ellis Ross. Oh, she's funny, grounded, radiant, never compromises. She loves her alone time. But if someone could join her joyfully, who would it be?

[C]

You ain't got no choices for us. We gotta pick.

[A]

You want me? It's for y' all to pick.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I'll jump in one once y'.

[C]

All.

[A]

After y'. All.

[C]

Wow. It's gotta be somebody. I think, unfortunately, younger. And she said she was down with.

[A]

She like younger. She won younger.

[C]

She needs younger. Um, gosh, you know what? Does it have to be somebody that's free? Because I don't know if they're free.

[A]

No, no, no, no. We mean no disrespect, but if they're not free, it's just for the game.

[C]

Okay, good. No disrespect.

[A]

No disrespect.

[C]

No disrespect.

[B]

I would say whoever it is, it would have to be someone who has his own. He is solid in his own business, has his own money that he's not there with her to see what he.

[A]

Can get from her. You know who I think that she would have fun dating? I don't know how serious this young man is about women and stuff like that. Like, I don't know if he's like. I think his. What I'm appearing and thinking of him. I think he could be a great long term partner for her. Damson injury.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

He's young.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

He's pretty young.

[A]

He has it together.

[C]

But she loved that.

[A]

37. He ain't 37. He like, he younger than me. He's like, damn, 38, 29, right?

[B]

Oh, no, that's too.

[C]

No way. He's younger than you.

[B]

And how old is she? How old is she?

[C]

She's 53.

[A]

She says she's young.

[C]

I recommend no more than Ta Nehisi Coates.

[A]

Who's Ta Nehisi Coates?

[C]

He is the writer of. Oh, God. Between the World and Me. Thank you, love.

[A]

Between the world and the Ta Nehisi Coates.

[B]

Okay, so it has to be somebody intellectual. So I don't know who it is, but someone intellectual, y'.

[A]

All. Like, he's too young.

[B]

He has his own. And I would say don't go any long. Younger than 15 years younger.

[A]

No younger than 15.

[C]

Okay, so that's a little Idris. That's interest.

[A]

Okay, 33. Okay, well, he's older.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I thought Damsel's 33. That's the bad guy.

[C]

The woman who played his mother in F1 was 37, supposedly.

[A]

Damn. She was right there neck and neck.

[C]

Yeah, it doesn't make sense.

[B]

It happens all the time.

[C]

That's what I'm remembering.

[A]

That's crazy.

[C]

Unless the wiki is wrong.

[A]

That's how I felt about Zosia Rockmore forever. Her and the girl that was playing the teenager were about the same age.

[B]

About the same age.

[A]

Happens all the time.

[C]

I did that to you.

[A]

Halle Bailey. Oh, okay. She stepped into her womanhood. She's a mother, obviously a superstar. If she were to entertain a future partner who would match her softness and.

[C]

Her star power, Donald Glover.

[A]

They would have been cute. Obviously, he's married.

[C]

It's just a very interesting matchup.

[A]

That would have been cute.

[B]

Yeah. Nice, nice. And he's, you know, weird and wonderful and creative. Super creative. And they could play. I love it.

[C]

Love it. That's good.

[B]

I love him.

[A]

I love him. That's a good one. That's a good one. Okay.

[B]

Love. Okay.

[A]

Gayle King. Oh, okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Auntie Gayle's been booked and blessed all sudden a of life, but we want to see her in.

[C]

All her life.

[A]

We want to see her companionship era.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And don't say Oprah. I'm just kidding.

[C]

I would never.

[B]

I would never.

[A]

But you see, when they talked about it recently, like, couldn't you believe? People try to say, but it has.

[B]

To be a man who would be okay with Oprah being the best friend.

[A]

They're cool with their life.

[C]

Senator Cory Booker. Damn.

[A]

You're really.

[C]

Yes. No, because they're political. No, no, no. You have to.

[A]

Well, how old is he?

[C]

Senator Cory Booker. He's younger than Gayle King. But what I like about him is that he's political. He lives in Jersey. I'm just saying, for her, that might be an interesting person.

[B]

What I love about him is he's so earnest. There's an earnestness in him. There's a. He's a good. Yeah, just a good.

[C]

He's a good.

[A]

He's a good.

[C]

Okay, okay, but who do you say then?

[B]

I don't. I can't think of individual. Like, when I leave here, I'm like, oh, it should have been so and so. Again, it would have to be somebody who is okay with her. You know, like, you gotta.

[A]

Her having such a big. Lamont.

[C]

Mark Lamont.

[B]

Mark Lamont Hill.

[A]

Mark Lamont Mill. Guys, he's not too young, but he's smart.

[C]

Come on, y'.

[A]

All.

[C]

Don't throw me. Come on.

[A]

Mark Lamont Hill.

[C]

I love. Yeah, I love him.

[B]

He's super smart. He could go toe to toe with her on Any conversation on any Philly. Yeah, I love him. I love him.

[A]

Okay, wait, this is a fun one for you guys.

[B]

And he's. And he's strong, you know, as a man. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

I love Mark Lamondhill. So this can't think of a similar person. She's a boss, a mama. One of America's favorite multi hyphenists.

[B]

Oh, you. Yes, you.

[A]

Who is worthy of stepping into Kiki's world?

[C]

You know who I would like for you?

[B]

Someone like Serena's husband, Alex. What's his name?

[A]

Oh, Axel Hani. Somebody rich.

[B]

Super rich.

[C]

That would be love.

[B]

Super, like, go do you like? I feel like his support of her is like. And when people come for her, he writes, you know, his comments like defender.

[C]

A great defender, unique defender.

[B]

And got enough money to go, you can't cancel me. Cause I will make something and sell it for a billion dollars.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So go ahead. Go ahead. He would love on. Someone like that. Who would love on. Yeah, someone like that. Thank you. Like go do you and be watching on the side while he's still. While his millions are making millions. Yeah, that's what I want for you.

[C]

Well, you know what I might have said, Idris, who you said interesting. The one that you.

[A]

Damson.

[C]

Really? Yeah, because that's interesting. I think that.

[A]

What makes you say Damson?

[B]

What makes you say Damson?

[C]

Well, you obviously like him, but you know, I got a new guy. He's a dark horse. He may, you know, his name is. His name is de' Adrian Lester. Who's de' Adrian Lester? Burley Mack. Really great actor right there.

[A]

Who's dying. And if I don't say him, don't say he's dying.

[B]

If I don't say him, the best.

[C]

People I know, he's a fantastic performer. And I know, and I tell you, Dadriene would be like, let me tell you something. That's for me.

[B]

You need somebody who's down to earth, someone who's gonna help you make the chicken wings.

[A]

But also definitely down to earth.

[B]

Down to earth and building. And building and building. Okay.

[C]

But you know what? I'd like to think about that with you because I actually think that there's a lot of people who would be strengthened by you. And also there's a part of me that knows that there's a lot of people growth.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

And so I don't want anybody to think that they're the growth for you.

[A]

Yes. And that's wrong. That's so true. It's so big for me that a Man's not the center.

[C]

You have to be delighted by all this energy. That's right. Because a lot of people will suppress it. No, you have to be delighted. But I just want to see who's that. And I think they might be in a different country.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[A]

Everybody always says something international.

[B]

There's a couple on. I see on the show's social medias. I don't know their names or anything. And she's so funny and so wacky, and she dresses up in outfits.

[A]

Christy.

[B]

Is that who it is? And he is so delightful. And she walks in like he's a chef. I think that's him. She'll walk in in, like, a lamb suit, and he just cracks up like he's so delighted by her. Ah, there you go again.

[C]

The person is too much.

[B]

Is that what it is? Like, he just. He's so delighted by her everything. Like, you got me. You got me again. Like, I want somebody who would just be your supporter. You have to let that. Yes, yes.

[A]

Imperative. Yeah.

[B]

Oh, it's. And someone who would make you laugh, too. Someone who could. You could take it all down and just curl up and lay up in him. And he could hold that for you, too, because that's needed, too. That's needed.

[C]

So true.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So Deidre and Lester, you know, Damson, Idris type vibe.

[C]

There you go.

[A]

Got it. Okay. I'm. Put that in there to the AI later on.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Well, thank you so much.

[B]

I don't know this man. I feel sorry for this man. I don't know. I've never seen this man before.

[C]

Keke Palmer. Thank you. Let me tell you something. You're a breath of fresh air.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

You have been this whole time. You give off not only a vibe that's inner and outer, but you live out loud and you live in a space where we get to. Did you show us how high up is as you're climbing? So thank you for. And I love you to death. And so really happy to see you in this world being so wonderful, but also, the sky's the limit. Thank you for, you know, profiling, having us on this show.

[A]

You guys. I love you guys.

[B]

I know that you're not fearless, but you.

[C]

Come on, You.

[B]

You couldn't be fearless. You couldn't even do this if you didn't know what the parameters were and what was at stake. And yet you are. You.

[A]

Who's that?

[C]

Come here.

[B]

Who's that?

[C]

That's the baby. That's your baby.

[A]

The energy was too much anyway.

[B]

You show us. Like you said, she shows us how high is. But also, you're doing this courageously and beautifully. And thank you.

[A]

It means the world to me. I've always looked up to you both, always been a fan of your work, and I'm just so glad. Hopefully we all get to do something at some point. Again, I've been hoping to do something with you, so we got to make it happen.

[C]

Absolutely. And by the way, congratulations on, you know, with sza.

[A]

Oh, thank you.

[B]

One of them days.

[A]

We got two.

[C]

Not another one of them days with Macro.

[A]

Ooh, Charles, I really want her to do remix.

[B]

You're doing a second girl.

[A]

All right. I think that me and her would do so cute if we do what one of them days, if we did, like, a little. She could make it very sizzling. Once and once and ones and days. Once and once and one days, you know? Yeah, she do.

[B]

We wanted you to win. We were in the movie going, I want him to win. I want him to win.

[C]

Yes. Congratulations.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Congratulations.

[A]

Kim, Erica, and the whole living single cast, I love them down. They were trailblazers. Single, Smart, stylish black women living their lives authentically and unapologetically on tv. And they've thrived in this industry with so much grace and power. The culture still feels their impact, and so do I. Baby, this is Keke Palmer. Baby, this is. This is Kiki. Baby, this is Kiki Palmer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Baby, this is Keke Palmer is hosted and executive produced by me, Keke Palmer. Lucas Siegel is our post producer. Our producers are Lauren Hampton and Molly nestor. Hilary Esty McLaughlin is our guest executive producer. Production services provided by Evolution media. Our original theme song was written and performed by me, Keke Palmer for team Keke. My producer is Sharon Palmer for Wondery. Our managing producer is Olivia Fonti. Senior managing producer is Nick Ryan. And our executive producers are Emily Feldbrake, Erin o' Flaherty and Marshall Louie.