Club Shay Shay - Roy Wood Jr. Part 2

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Roy Wood Jr. Part 2 (October 29, 2025)

Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Roy Wood Jr.

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Episode Overview

The second part of Roy Wood Jr.’s appearance on Club Shay Shay provides an in-depth, candid journey through his comedic career, personal struggles, and family history. The conversation, hosted by Shannon Sharpe, is raw and humorous, ranging from showbiz anecdotes to reflections on fatherhood, legacy, and resilience. Roy discusses surviving tough breaks in the entertainment industry, navigating early life challenges, the lessons he’s drawn from mentors (and cocaine-wielding coworkers), his mother’s strength, and his forthcoming book, The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Comedy Set Environment and Working with Legends (03:19–07:22)

• Roy Wood Jr. shares his approach to being on set:

  • Stays chill and keeps his distance initially to avoid the pitfalls of being "too chummy" and risking his job.
  • Recounts the camaraderie and support from the "Daily Show fraternity" after his tenure ended.
  • Highlights positive experiences with prominent actors, specifically recounting comedy improv with Keanu Reeves for an upcoming movie, Outcome:
    • “Keanu ain’t afraid of you stealing his shine... that’s a big issue on a lot of comedy sets, you’ll have one star... the writer will come up and be like, yeah, don’t do that joke.” (05:27)

• On sharing the spotlight:

  • “Kevin Hart is definitely... he definitely passes the ball in a scene to make sure you shine. Jon Hamm passed the ball.” (06:15)

• Navigating showbiz social scenes and staying out of trouble:

  • Roy avoids party settings where “the cocaine comes out... that’s where probation helped me.” (07:20)
  • “I don’t ride in cars with people. I drive. Or I’ll meet you there. I don’t know what’s in your car.” (08:15)

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Early Career Breaks and Industry Setbacks (08:54–13:12)

• Working with Whoopi Goldberg on a sitcom that never aired:

  • Roy describes Whoopi’s skill (“off book for an hour, ain’t never seen no shit like that before in my life, man” (09:08)) and how the show's collapse indirectly led to his spot on The Daily Show.

• On missed opportunities:

  • “All of this can be snatched and taken away from you... nine times out of ten, it’s not even because of something you did...” (12:26)

• Landing the Daily Show:

  • The failed sitcom opened the door for Neil Brennan to call about Trevor Noah’s new Daily Show.

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HBCU Experience and Early Hustles (13:49–20:05)

• Choice to attend a HBCU:

  • Inspired by family lineage and black marching band culture in Birmingham, Roy chose FAMU for college: “There’s just culture there, you know?... from a black school system to an HBCU, it just felt no brainer.” (14:14)

• Baseball Dreams and Growing Up Fast:

  • Tried out for FAMU’s baseball team: “Got cut in 30 minutes.” (16:04)
  • Juggled school and 30-hour workweeks as a teen due to family financial struggles and unstable household utilities.
  • “Grew up listening to your mama borrow money from niggas... the only way to keep that from happening is to be able to self-sustain.” (18:15)

• Entrepreneurial/“hustle” streak:

  • “I’d rake leaves... then at night I would go to a house that didn’t have leaves in the yard and pull the leaves out.” (23:26)

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Loneliness, Self-Reliance, and Early Standup (20:05–36:19)

• On maturing early and not having a childhood:

  • “No. Not once we moved to Birmingham... But when I really started digging deep on myself, I did this so I wouldn’t be a burden on my mom.” (20:05, 21:50)
  • Used crime as a misguided form of self-reliance: “There’s a degree of excitement to committing crimes... but I did this so I wouldn’t be a burden on my mom.” (20:32, 21:50)

• Differentiating loneliness from being alone:

  • “I think the problem with true loneliness is that you can immediately become so desperate for human contact that you’re willing to do anything, go anywhere, hang with anybody.” (30:16)

• Comedy as a path:

  • Not a class clown in high school, but became known for heckling and cracking jokes from the baseball bench (32:21).
  • Inspired by Ricky Smiley and early standup shows he watched at FAMU and Florida State (33:30).
  • “The first time I saw the power of words just destroy the room, man.” (33:30)

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Comedy Career, Influences, and Industry Navigation (36:19–54:53)

• Never quit mindset:

  • “By the time I graduated college, I was three years in it... I never thought about quitting. I’m lucky, man.” (36:27–37:59)

• The Prank Call Era:

  • Grew a viral following from prank call CDs, which were distributed via Black-owned stores and later picked up by mixtape DJs (38:15–42:20).

• Comedic influences:

  • “Sinbad. Chris Rock, George Carlin. Sinbad was just a beast, man.” (43:28)
  • “My early standup was a terrible Martin Lawrence impersonation.” (44:50)

• First big break with D.L. Hughley:

  • Roy fabricates his way into opening as a local radio comic, earns the gig by shining on stage, and gets instant validation from DL, skipping the normal club politics:
    • “DL’s vouch skipped me straight to the front of the fucking line.” (49:49)

• On the grind and self-marketing:

  • Deep respect for Lavell Crawford and Bruce Bruce’s “intentional, diabolical” approach to marketing: going to malls, barbershops, and community events. (51:19–52:51)

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Navigating Comedy’s Complex Social Ecosystem (54:53–63:56)

• Stories from the road:

  • Outlining the tough reality of bombing at home and at venues like the Apollo:
    • “I bombed. Ooh, I bombed. And it’s worse when you bomb at the crib...” (62:24)
    • “I got booed, but no sandman. So whatever you wanna call that, right?” (62:49)

• On Cat Williams’ infamous Club Shay Shay appearance:

  • Roy reflects on industry infighting and Kat's candor:
    • “My goal at any comedy show is to leave before the cocaine comes out.” (60:03)
    • “Most of the shit Cat was talking about, the cocaine was out, okay?” (60:03)
    • Both respect Cat’s political and comedic nimbleness: “Cat can just be silly, and then he can be poignant.” (63:56)

• Comedy as journalism:

  • “Comedy is journalism. We’re all reporters. Every comedian you name is a reporter... reporting on the world as they see it or themselves.” (65:37)

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From The Daily Show to Self-Mastery (66:27–77:47)

• Making Black stories matter:

  • Trevor Noah gave Roy room to explore complex Black issues in media, such as the Million Man March and Chicago’s gang conflict de-escalators (66:27–69:52).

• Control and independence:

  • Learning from Dave Chappelle’s career (and legacy of self-reliance):
    • “It’s hard to starve a man that can grow his crop and cook for himself. You can’t starve him.” (72:52)

• Industry heartbreaks:

  • Roy recalls being fired over Twitter and overlooked for jobs after being promised advancement:
    • “I got fired from radio. I found out I got fired from radio over Twitter. Damn.” (73:54)
    • “The same as I did after getting fired over Twitter, the same as I did after the handshake sitcom. I’m not scared. Right. Because I’ve slept in fucking bus stations. All I need to do is make sure that the boy got a roof, he got clothes, and he got food.”
    • “Once you accept that you’re completely and unapologetically fucked, only then are you free.” (75:13)

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Cautionary Tales and Life Lessons (77:49–97:31)

• Pranking J. Prince – When Jokes Cross Boundaries:

  • Roy nearly learned the hard way that not everyone can be pranked, particularly Houston legend J. Prince:
    • “Where you at? ...We spend the next 20 minutes trying to call J. Prince to, like, make sure shit is cool, right?” (84:24)
    • “I was in Houston a total of three hours. I landed, went to the studio, prank called J. Prince, the shit went sideways, I went to the airport, back in Birmingham...” (86:01)

• Lessons from teenage jobs:

  • A story of snitching on his coworker “Cocaine Mike” at the hospital dish room and the lesson it taught:
    • “If you are exceptionally good at your job, the rules do not apply to you.” (91:02)

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Reflections on Family, Legacy & Fatherhood (92:22–102:48)

• Father’s complex legacy:

  • “I didn’t have the best father, but I became a great father. I didn’t have the best examples of love, but I still seek the opportunity to create that construct for my son.” (96:07)

• Discussing his upcoming book:

  • Top three lessons for men:
    1. “It is okay if you didn’t get everything from your dad... I got everything I needed.”
    2. Importance of supportive partners and choosing marriage wisely (per Mary Harman’s advice).
    3. “Regardless of when your father passed, I think we’re all men of many fathers... we are all poured into by innumerable people in our lives.” (97:31–98:19)

• The presence of his late father’s spirit after his passing:

  • “Showed up as a ghost for two weeks straight...I heard him doing was getting ready for work.” (100:05)

• Working with Trevor Noah:

  • Praises Trevor’s mastery of channeling anger constructively:
    • “I’ve never met a black man with a better understanding of what to do with his anger than Trevor Noah... I’m the angry motherfucker from Alabama...But Trevor was very measured and very kind. Still very on the nose, but he knew how to not lead with anger.” (101:27)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On surviving showbiz politics:

  • “All of this can be snatched and taken away from you...nine times out of ten, it’s not even because of something you did.” (12:26)

• About his set presence:

  • “I don’t ride in cars with people. I drive. Or I’ll meet you there. I don’t know what’s in your car.” (08:15)

• On comedy as a lens on society:

  • “Comedy is journalism. We’re all reporters. Every comedian you name is a reporter.” (65:37)

• Philosophy after setbacks:

  • “Once you accept that you’re completely and unapologetically fucked, only then are you free to move throughout this country without care and concern.” (75:13)

• On Trevor Noah’s leadership:

  • “I’ve never met a black man with a better understanding of what to do with his anger than Trevor Noah.” (101:27)

• On fatherhood:

  • “I didn’t have the best father, but I became a great father. I didn’t have the best examples of love, but I still seek the opportunity to create that construct for my son.” (96:07)

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------| | 03:19 | Roy’s set etiquette, working with big names, and the risk of being “too chummy” | | 05:08 | Hilarious improv with Keanu Reeves, respect for collaborative stars | | 08:54 | Story of sitcom with Whoopi Goldberg, learning from canceled projects | | 13:54 | Choosing an HBCU, family legacy, and Birmingham culture | | 16:04 | Baseball tryouts at FAMU, early hustles, and life lessons from adversity | | 21:50 | “I did this so I wouldn’t be a burden on my mom.” Motivation behind early grind | | 36:19 | Never considering quitting comedy; early career grind | | 38:15 | Rise of his prank call CDs and viral success | | 49:49 | D.L. Hughley gives Roy his “big break” in standup | | 60:03 | Comedy, drugs, infighting, and Cat Williams’ industry revelations | | 65:37 | "Comedy is journalism"—on political comedy and self-reflection | | 73:54 | Fired from radio, accepting industry heartbreak | | 84:24 | Pranking J. Prince in Houston—dodging real-world consequences | | 92:57 | Father’s legacy; on being a “nepo baby” and black excellence | | 96:07 | “I didn’t have the best father, but I became a great father.” | | 97:31 | Key lessons from his book for men and fathers | | 101:27 | Reflections on Trevor Noah’s mentorship |

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Final Takeaways

Roy Wood Jr. speaks with uncommon candor about the instability of the entertainment business, the need for self-sufficiency, and the importance of mentorship and community. His journey—from a hustling kid in Birmingham to a nationally respected comic, radio prankster, and writer—is rich with lessons about resilience, resourcefulness, and legacy. The humor throughout is real, grounded, and tinged with wisdom earned from setbacks and survival.

Roy’s closing message to men:

• “You got worth, man. You matter. And being present for those kids, that’s important. It’s paramount... we’re all men of many fathers.” (97:31–98:19)

On his own purpose:

• “I look at my son every day, man, and I’m just grateful. I wouldn’t have achieved half I’ve achieved in the last 10 years if not for his presence.” (99:38)

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Recommended For

Anyone interested in standup comedy’s inner workings, Black culture and HBCU experiences, stories of grit in the entertainment industry, or personal tales of breaking generational cycles. Roy’s blend of humor, realness, and insight makes this a powerful episode for listeners seeking life lessons with laughs.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything. It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people. We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.

[Guardian Bikes Advertiser]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America.

[Kal Penn]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

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[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. You own Better Call Saul. The last OG Confess Fletch Only murders in the building and Space Force. Been a lot of things. I mean, although different experiences do you take. I mean, when you go on a set, I mean, you try to make friends or you try to, you know, try to gather information. I mean, what's it? What is Roy Woods Jr. When he goes on a set? What's his mindset?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I'm usually chill, okay? I keep my distance.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Really?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know you.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Damn.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You don't get nobody.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You don't get close to nothing, huh?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know Steve Martin like that. Like, I'm happy to be here, right? But I don't wanna. I ain't seen cats get fired for being too chummy. Yeah, man. What's going on, man? What's going on, man? You looking good and they be like, yeah, cut. And then you come back from lunch, nigga gone. So I'm not going to be that. Steve Martin was real cool, man. Martin short. I tell you, man, Space Force was probably some of the most fun. There's not enough said about the Daily show and the fraternity, sorority, whatever that it is after you leave it, right? But those folks look out. They really do. Sam B, Jon Stewart and Steve Carell and Space Force. Like they make sure that you're comfortable on set. I just did a joint. It's not out till top of next year. I just did a joint with Jonah Hill and Keanu Reeves. Yes, Keanu Reeves, man, that's a funny ass mother. Really, It's a comedy, but it's called Outcome. It'll be out soon. John Wick.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Keanu Reeves.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Funny. Hilarious. Hilarious.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Neo Matrix.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Don't forget he was Bill and Ted. Excellent adventure he got the muscle. Like, if he want to be funny, he's not like, dude, bro, funny. Like, he's legit. Like, quick. Like, I was like. We was jawing in the scene. Straight improv speed.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Keanu Reeves.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yes. Hilarious, sir. Damn hilarious, man. And so you get around people that respect the craft and respect the fact that you're present, and they give you the freedom to kind of. I don't know how to put it, like, be yourself without penalty. Cause Keanu ain't afraid of you stealing his shine or something like that. Does that happen a lot? No, but that's a big issue on a lot of comedy sets, is that you'll have one star that is like, yeah, don't do that. Then the writer will come. The star will never tell you. The writer will come up and be like, yeah, don't do that joke. Just. We gonna get that joke to him instead of you. But, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. But you're doing great in action. Yeah. Damn, that happens.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So they dull in your star, I guess.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I mean, it's your job to come in and just do whatever's asked of you, especially in film. But there's a lot of cats that are not like that, and it's important that people know that about him. Kevin Hart is definitely. He definitely passes the ball in a scene to make sure you shine. Jon Hamm passed the ball. I gotta give a shout out to the homie. Andre Holland as well. We did love Brooklyn, and that's like a romantic black, you know, Love Jones. Let me be funny. Let me be myself. I don't, man. I go to work, I go home. I ain't drinking with y'. All. Cause then that's when the cocaine come out. You just be somewhere, and it just be cocaine. But it's time to go. Yeah, that's where probation helped me. Cause them first three years of standup, because I was on probation, I was like, oh, it's a felony for me to even be in a room with this. Yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

The last thing I need is somebody to come up in here, them people to kick that door in. And here I am. But I ain't nothing in my system. But you ain't supposed to be around, bro.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I spent that first year of probation suspended from college, just working the road. And it was all I had. It was the only thing that I looked forward to. I'm not fucking this up. I ain't really drank. I definitely wanted for him to be. So those behavioral habits, they just stayed with me. And you can tell who the cocaine People are on set. You know who's snorting? I was like, so it's easy for you.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

It's easy because of what you went through earlier in your career. It's easy for you to say no. It's easy for you to leave the room or not be in that situation or put yourself in that situation because you like, bro, I was on probation and this could have all ended. And now if I be in this bull jive, it still could all end. I'm out of here.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't ride in cars with people. I drive. Or I'll meet you there. I don't know what's in your car. Wow. I don't know how you roll. I don't know what's in here. And you get the wrong cop. It's in the wrong state. It's communal possession. It's our gun.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Oh, Lord.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So I'm not. I'm good. I'll meet you there. And if you feel some kind of way about it, then I don't need to break bread with you. No way. That's just. I don't know, I just. That's how I've always looked at shit. Like, I'm just not going to find myself in a situation where I lose out on an opportunity because you acting a fool.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I get it. You did start on a show with Whoopi Goldberg, even though it didn't get picked up a pilot. What did it like working with Whoopi? She doesn't do very much now, but there was a time that Whoopi was. I'm pretty sure she's still Whoopi.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

She was great. Whoopi Goldberg is like, so Whoopi, two of the greatest performances I've ever witnessed. Whoopi Goldberg on that sitcom and Solange Knowles, essence fest rehearsal 2017 might be 2018. Really, Whoopi came into, like. So like with sitcoms, they do rewrites and we had a table read, which is basically a sit down performance of the show for all the people who decide whether or not this show gonna get made. And There was about 3:30 pages of new dialogue from the previous night. They had changed and tweaked stuff. Whoopi came in, never opened the script, off book for an hour. Ain't never seen no shit like that before in my life, man. And granted, she comes from theater, so she's had to memorize three, four hours of dialogue with the stuff. But for me, the young, happy comedian, I was like, oh, my God, this is wild. Like, Whoopi was electric and kind the premise of the show, it was me and Jermaine Fowler. Jermaine Fowler played my son, my boy from Superior Donuts. And he was the prince coming to America too, right? Okay. And so Whoopi plays his grandma. And it's about Jermaine living with his grandma. I'm the crazy ain't shit daddy, whatever. And it was a funny ass show, bro. And this goes back to what I'm talking about, about stuff getting taken away from you, right? It's for ABC. This is 2015, summer of 2015. It's for ABC. The sitcom is a go. We're gonna make the sitcom, we're gonna make the announcement. But first we gotta get. This is the story that was told to me. I don't wanna get sued. But before we announce the sitcom, we're gonna lock up Whoopi's contract with the View. She's up for a re up. We gotta get her money, right? With the View. Cause that's the main thing, right? They were taking so long, ABC in booking the new co host with Whoopi, that it took so long to go. We can't negotiate Whoopi's deal until we negotiate the deals of the new co host, right? That took so long that the deals on the other actors on the sitcom expired. Sitcom was never greenlit because it took too long to get the main thing negotiated. Because you get signed to do a sitcom, they gotta, you know, you gotta shit it, get off the pot in like two, three months. Because otherwise I need to go and be on another show. I think I'm gonna be on a sitcom with Whoopi Goldberg. And I get a call a month later that the sitcom ain't happening. And that's how this game is. Two weeks later, I get a call from Neil Brennan saying that Trevor Noah's looking for correspondence when he takes over for Jon Stewart for the Daily Show. And the only reason I end up on the Daily show is because the Whoopi sitcom didn't work.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So if it hadn't worked, you wouldn't have been able to do the Daily Show.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I've never been on the Daily Show.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You see how God worked that out? That's how it was supposed to be.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I mean, that's the game, man. It's just all of this can be snatched and taken away from you. And nine times out of 10, it's not even because of something you did, but if you control it, they can't take this from you. That's what I want for myself, man. I just remember so Many times watching people think they got something and then you don't have it no more. But, yeah, Whoopi was great, man.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You compared your character on Outcome to Deion Sanders.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's not all of it. As a civil rights lawyer, I said the character I play in that Keanu Reeves movie is essentially a mix between Deion Sanders and the Al Sharpton. If Deion Sanders was a civil rights. If Deion Sanders was Ben Crump.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Hey, you know, baby, Prime Time is gonna get the case straight, baby. We gonna get the racism bag like that. I know that's a tough shit, but. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Hbcu. Why did you decide to go to an hbcu?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I feel like I would be appreciated there. It's a beautiful thing. Black colleges, man. I. You know, my mother, you know, my pops graduated Morehouse, and then he taught at famu.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Okay.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

My mama Fam, she was Delta State before that, then Fam for grad. My aunt was Fam. Then Tennessee State. It's just culture there, you know? Also, I feel like in Birmingham, Birmingham city schools are all predominantly black, and marching band culture is a big deal. So for sure, there's this kind of a natural graduation from a black school system to an hbcu. To an hbcu. Like, it just felt no brainer.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Seamless transition, it seems like.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah. I never thought about anywhere else. I only applied to three colleges out of high school. I applied to Fam. Clark and Tennessee State.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Clark. You go to the AU center, huh?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I found out Tennessee State didn't have a baseball team, so they was out. Cause I thought I was still, you know, every motherfucker.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You gonna be Jackie Robinson.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I was gonna be Ryan Sandberg.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Okay, Ryan. Okay.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Second baseman. And I ended up going to Fam because I felt like it was just gonna be a better experience, you know, it wasn't a knock on Clark, but I was just like, smaller school. And there weren't a lot of people from my school going to fam. I think Stephanie and Shawna, I think it was like two or three people from my high school. I just wanted to be in college. You get to reinvent yourself.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Correct.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You get to be a whole different.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

They don't know you.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Correct. And So I chose fam. I tried out for baseball. Got cut in 30 minutes.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Damn. Are you sure you were a baseball player?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I was in high school, but, you know, like, baseball, like, I thought I had a week, bro. I thought I had a week. Like, you know how, like, in high school tryouts is a Week.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

We will evaluate you on these disciplines every day.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

College baseball. They said, we gonna give y' all 45 minutes. And every 45 minutes, we calling out numbers. And if your number ain't called, go home.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Wow.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And my shit got called in 30 minutes. I said I thought I had 45. They said, we've seen enough.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So what? Was it the fielding? Was it the hitting? Was it the throwing?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It was everything. That guy is terrible. What do you mean? What specific. No, I just did. I didn't play in high school enough. I didn't play summer ball, I didn't play fall ball. You know, my parents used to argue a lot. And in those times, my pops wouldn't pay bills. Oh, I'm gonna show y' all what the. You know. Mm. So sometimes a bill wouldn't get paid.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

And so a bill couldn't get paid, you couldn't go play baseball.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You come home, the light's off.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So you go through that Freshman and sophomore year. By my junior year of high school, I was working 30 hours a week, man, which is illegal. I should be at home playing, but I'm working. I'm literally. I figured out. You figured out how to circumvent all that labor law shit.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You theoretically the man of the house as a teen.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

As a kid, I'm not paying the bills, but my mama know I got it upstairs in that Batman can. Had a little Batman can with Michael Keaton on the side. And I had cash in that, right? All right. He ain't pay the light bill, but now my grade's suffering. But I knew I did really, I was good with standardized tests, so I wasn't really tripping on it.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

But so you've always.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

But I worked, man. I worked so that I could have independence. I didn't want you grow up listening to your mama borrow money from niggas over and over and over again. The only way to keep that from happening is to be able to self sustain.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So to self sustain, you gotta work.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Correct.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So I rake leaves. I walked up to the church's chicken across from West End High School. Hey, man, I know you clean this parking lot every day at 3 o'. Clock. Give me $10 and I'll do it. Start working with him. Go across the street to the sit, Go. Hey, man, I clean church's parking lot. Tell you what, instead of giving me $10, give me $10 worth of candy and write it off as shoplifting. Say, bet I take that $10, I walk it back to school the next day. Sell that for $30. So, yeah, I missed the baseball camp. And then you get to college and you go, oh, shit, they got Cubans. I had never seen a Cuban. Ain't met one. Cause you gotta remember I'm all black.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Neighborhood, yeah, Birmingham. Unfortunately, there are no Cubans in Birmingham.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Two Guatemalans and a Vietnamese. That's all I knew until high school. I got to college, they had a Cuban on the mound. That motherfucker. I said, I'm going to Shoney's. Fucking left.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you understand the responsibility that you were undertaking even though you were a child and you were working and your mom would, you know, you would help your mom with bills, but you had. So you kind of grew up as a responsibility as the man or the head of the house, even though as a child, that's not a child's responsibility. Do you feel like you ever had a chance to be a child?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No. Not once we moved to Birmingham? No. I mean, I went through therapy for a while on it. But even when I look back on the credit card licks I was running in college, originally, I thought. My thought was, oh, I act like this because I'm an adrenaline junkie. There's a degree of excitement to committing crimes.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It just is. And if you're into jumping out of planes or whatever, I highly recommend committing felonies.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

They run that car, you're like.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Damn.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Hey, I ain't Mr. Purcell. I ain't Mr. Purcell. But they don't know right now.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It's called a code six. So in the 90s, the machine would show a code six, which means that the card was stolen, or they need to call the card company to verify that shit. And then they call the card company in front of you at the register and then hand you the phone, and you on the phone with the card company. Hello. Yes, I am Mr. Purcell. And then they go, what's your social and your billing zip code? And I go, 3, 2, J, 9, X. Uh. Oh, yes. Oh, well, you know what? I thought I had more money on the card, so that's why it didn't go through. It didn't go through because I don't have enough money on the card. Great. All right, no problem. Thank you so much. The whole time, the person on the phone is going, give the phone back to the cashier. Give the phone back to the cashier. Oh, so it didn't go through because I don't have. I understood. Click. Now you have as long as it takes them to call the store back.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Back to get your ass up out.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Of the store, a rush. But when I really started digging deep on myself, I did this so I wouldn't be a burden on my mom. My mom absent of my father. Those first K3 in Memphis calling, asking people for money. I don't want you to have to do that no more.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you feel a sense of embarrassment? Were you embarrassed by that?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Embarrassed because nobody know.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Because nobody you knew. Maybe the grown ups, but you didn't have kids. Like, it's one thing if kids know you're poor or know you don't have things to eat or you don't have decent clothes. That's one thing.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's something entirely different.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did anybody. Did any kids know that you were in this situation or were they just grownups?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No, because I'm the son of the most popular journalist in the city of Birmingham.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So they think you got it good.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

They think you man.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

They like, man, Roy got it good.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

We had a nice two story house. I had a basketball goal, I had a Plexiglas backboard. We had a couple of decent things, right? But also the heat wasn't on, so what the fuck? So, yeah, you get a little older, you start working, you start raking leaves around the neighborhood, bro. I would rake leaves. I would rake leaves. $10 front, 15 front and back. And then I would take the bags of leaves and at night I would go to a house that didn't have leaves in the yard and pull the leaves out.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Come on, Roy. Come on, Roy. I just see a criminal enterprise right here. This is what I see, a criminal enterprise.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Roy, wait two days, come back to your crib, look like you got a lot of leads.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Well, I did before you pulled him out my yard.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

$10, 15, front and back. $10 front, 15 front and back. That was the lick. But now I don't have to ask my mama for a Nintendo tape. I don't have to ask her for the Ken Griffeys. I ain't got to ask her for the Sammy Sosa Cubs batting practice jersey, 1994. I got it. Just give me a ride to the mall, Joyce. That's all I need, because the bus don't go that far. I wouldn't even burden you with the transportation. So you grow up like that. And the other thing, I think the other downside to all of it is that within that hustle, you grow up alone. I think the. I think the best and worst people are comfortable alone. I'm extremely comfortable alone. I got suspended from school. You made your whole lick. You made your whole lick selling stolen shit on a college campus. If you ain't the plug no more, what's your social capital? Who with you? Nobody. You on the road doing comedy and when I first started, I was on the bus, I'm ironing my suit on, fucking baby changers. I'm alone. You get used to that.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Can I ask you a question?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So you get to where I am now and it's like their relationship.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Can you distinguish the difference between being alone and being lonely?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Cause I don't believe those things are mutually exclusive. I believe you can be alone.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I think the problem with loneliness is that you will sometimes remedy it.

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[Ed Helms]

Hey everyone. Ed Helms here.

[Kal Penn]

And hi, I'm Kal Pen, the hosts of Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You know what? I can see you as Mr. Darcy. You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett.

[Commercial Announcer]

Here.

[Ed Helms]

Listen to HearSay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcast.

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

Are corrosive or activities that are corrosive.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Agree.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And I think that's the problem with true loneliness is that you can immediately become death. So desperate for human contact that you're willing to do anything, go anywhere, hang with anybody.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You accept anyone into that circle.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, I'm blessed in that, you know, I had a couple of tight partners in college. You know, my partner, Brooke Williams. You know, there was a time when a lot of people didn't. With me in school. You become radioactive once you get arrested.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And you're on probation, so I can't even be around the people that I used to hang because they doing dirt. Yeah. You might need to snitch and, and keep in mind, when you get arrested, they show you pictures of every that's committing crimes within the metro area and ask you if you know them.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

No, I don't. Damn, I know it.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And you do, you know 90% of the mug shots. But you go, I don't, I don't know him. I ain't never been around him. So I can't come around you anymore because if they catch you, what that make me look like?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So you're alone. Comedy is a loner sport. You live alone in your thoughts on the long drives. You're alone in the hotel rooms. That's why so many comedians fall into drugs and women, you know, cats.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That's what Kat said. Because it's alone. It's, you know, you work at. You start work at 10 o' clock at night and you sleep till 6 o' clock in the afternoon. Cause you don't go to bed till 2 o' clock in the morning.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

And I'm interested to know, were you always funny? How did you decide to get into standup?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

The itch was always there. I've always had a sense of humor.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Okay. Were you a class clown?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No, not till college, but in high school I wrote the bench. When I played baseball, I wrote the bench. So we just crack on people.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So that was my contribution to the game, which is we would sit, bro, we would sit in the parking lot and we would watch and see what kind of car your mama dropped you off in. Make a note of that. You come up to the plate. Yeah, your mama got the raggedy Taurus straight. Your ass ain't paying attention. Right. Like we would heckle, man. I mean, granted it was the 90s, so it was a lot of what you couldn't get away with now. But I mean, we'd call you gay, we call you poor, we'd call your grandmama ugly. Damn. There was no rules, bro. There was no rules. And that was kind of the first open mics for me was just heckling opposing teams. And then I got to college. Seeing Ricky Smiley on BET's Comment View. Dude, my name Lil Darrell.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Lil Darrell.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That validated. Okay. Bet I can be from here and do it and do it now. How do I get over there? And I saw the first standup show I ever saw was Lavelle Crawford and Corey Zuman Miller, and they came to FAMU my freshman year for homecoming, and they ripped. And it was the first time I saw the power of words just destroy the room, man. And I had a plug over at Florida State, and she was from Birmingham, and she ran the student activity shit. Earthquake came, then Bobby Lee, then Michael Blackson. This is all within, like, Florida State had more money, so they had comedy on a regular basis. Fam. You. You get one nigga a semester. Florida State. Every two weeks, they had a comedy show. And so I got. I had my fake ID plug, make me a fake Seminole card, and I would go over to Florida State and pretend to be a Florida State student and would just watch standup and, like, that's why I was like, that's what I want to do. As much as I love Stuart Scott and Kenny Main and their ability to bring humor to sports, I think there's something different that I want to do, and that's kind of where the itch was. But it wasn't until I got arrested that I was like, all right, I have to do it now because you don't have much time. I'm going to prison, right? I didn't know I was gonna get probation. I thought I was going to pray, so let me try it before I go to prison.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Ryan, it's the loneliness that you mentioned. Riding the Greyhound buses, sleeping at rest stops. Nobody but you. And you know, everybody is not gonna get the standing ovation the very first time they get on stage. They're gonna be some booze, they're gonna be some trials, there's gonna be some tribulations.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Shout out to uptown in Atlanta. Keep going uptown, company.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I go there all the time. I used to go there all the time.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

The old one when it was upstairs. Yeah. Next to Puffy's, right? The Justin's.

[Kal Penn]

Was that.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, right there on Peace Street.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I used to get booed. And then I would walk over to Justin's and get me a $8 water and wait to catch the bus to go back to the Greyhound station.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So you riding Martyr?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, I would take the MARTA downtown. There was a martyr.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Martyr was right down the street from Magic City.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

There was a martyr Greyhound, like, Hub Station downtown. So you could either sit at Justin's and be sad, or you could go to the Greyhound station and be sad. And If I had $8. I would go to Justin's and get me a $8 VOSS water. They was charging $8 for them fucking waters. That's why they closed. Fuck em.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you ever think about quitting comedy? Did it ever get that bad? Like, man, f this, man, I, I.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Man, I, no, I got lucky, bro. I got lucky because I started so young. So by the time I graduated college, I was three years in it. Wow. So when I graduated, just for the math I was making, I had two jobs. I had two job offers in journalism or two jobs I could have gotten. Tampa Tribune and the Birmingham News, both were going to pay about 14k to be the page 2 sports. I forget what it's called, but like back in the day in the newspaper, Page two was just the score of every sporting contest in the country that day. And you just, it's clerical. $14,000. By my estimates, I was going to make 18,000 that year on the road. I'll just do it. I call my mom. I go, yo, can I move back in with you? If you give me two years, I'll be out of your house. She said, cool. I called my probation officer. He said, I'll give you nine day visitation forms every ninth day. You got to come back to Tallahassee. We got to do, you know, I think it was 21 days. Come back to Tallahassee every month, do a face to face, stay at my partner crib, couch surf with him, get back to Birmingham, and that was it, you know. But I never thought about quitting. I'm lucky, man. I'm just, I'm so blessed and I'm so thankful because so much of my journey has been from people who didn't have to take a chance on me.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Taking a chance on me every fucking step of the way. For 27 years it's been that. And you know, I even look at radio where, you know, I did prank phone calls.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And I went viral. When you go viral over email.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's how old I am. Well, you wouldn't know. You ain't got email.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I ain't got email.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

But so how did you get, how.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you get into the prank phone calls?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cause that's what Ricky did. It's morning radio. You gotta do what the streets want. Like, I came in on morning radio, I'm like, all right, I want to do parody songs and funny commercials and weird political act. They're like, get in that fucking room and get a black person to cuss you out. Go in that room and let black people cuss you out and record it. I go, yes, sir. And so I got good at it. I put them on CDs. And what happened was that we had a webmaster at the radio station who was just lazy. And I go, hey man, these prank calls do really well. We only play them that day. I work really. It's hard to do. To get one prank call, you gotta call four or five people. Could you put these on the website so that people could download them? No, that's too much work.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Lazy mopo.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So, I mean, I'm not like, I'm not saying it's like I know coding or some shit, but I taught myself rudimentary web design to build my own website. There used to be an app called Microsoft frontpage which was like, it's Squarespace now, but it's basically if you know Microsoft Word, you could build a website, right? Built my own website, put my pranks on the website. First week my website crashed. Second week my website crashed. Third week I get a call from the website server people, yeah, you're getting a lot of traffic from all over the globe. We need you to. You gotta purchase gajillion billion terabyte, whatever. I had been putting my pranks on my website strictly for people in Birmingham to download. But the folks in Birmingham was taking them and emailing them to their folks all over the country. And then those people was emailing them all over the globe.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Word of mouth.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And that was. That validated me to be able to sell prank calls CDs. And those CDs carried me for four or five years, man. @ a time where a lot of the comedy clubs weren't paying me what I should, right? I know I could pull up and sell the cd. You know, there's a, there's a cat. This is Cat Akil back in Birmingham. And Akil ran the black owned music store, Music and More, right? He carried my CDs on the strength of just me. But because he carried my CDs every other white store wanted the CDs cause they didn't want to be the one to miss out. I was selling them on consignment. I had my shit in Sam Goody. My shit was in Turtles, my shit was in Blockbuster D. And that's all because this black owned business took a chance on me at the time. And like that type of stuff got me buzzed. Because this is. You also gotta remember the early 2000s, comedy and hip hop still had a relationship. It was more, you know, like, yeah, like Lil Duvall was just starting to grand Hustle. I think Cat was with Dipset.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

He was.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You had D Ray and them was running with Kanye. Henry Welch was running with Outkast and organized noise. Right. So he managed to see him all.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

The time in uptown comedy.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Okay. Yeah. So King Henry, he a Birmingham nigga. So the idea of hip hop and comedy was starting to work. Word get back to me after a couple years ago. Hey, man, Chamillionaire put one of your pranks on one of his mixtapes. Just Chameleonaire doing that opened up the whole state of Texas to me. Because now if I'm on chameleonaire's mixtape, Texas DJs are gonna want my pranks. And if I'm on the radio, then the comedy club in that market wants to book me. That's more valuable than a TV credit, bro.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yep.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cameron did same shit. Now, granted, I couldn't drive all the way to New York to take advantage of being on Dipset mixtapes, but there's just so many. I look at my life in times, man, and, you know, CeeLo said, everybody's somebody cause of somebody else. And that's the truth for me, man. I'm just thankful.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

How did shows like Comic View and Apollo? Cause I read that you were, like, turned down by Comic View.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, early on. I mean, a lot of cats did. I mean, but my comedy's more preppy and upright. Like, it wasn't like coming off a Def Jam. You wanted loud, boisterous, bombastic comedy. So I get why I didn't get it, you know, to start.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

But other comedians, like, growing up, you said you, you know, you always had a sense of humor. What were some of the comics that you looked at like? Man, I like that. You know, a lot of people say it was Pryor and it was Murphy. Obviously now you have Chappelle and things are Iraq, things of that nature. But when you were a kid, who did you look to in comedy?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Sinbad. Chris Rock, George Carlin. Sinbad was just a beast, man. He was a machine.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

He was.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

People forget that Sinbad did a live standup special on network. Like, you talk about freedom of speech. Who, you know, do a live comedy special on network television?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That's crazy.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Oh, I'm live on Netflix. You don't know what I'm gonna say. Sinbad was live on ABC with commercial breaks, which means you gotta write commercial breaks until you're set because you're still performing even while the nation isn't watching. That's psychotic behavior. And then with an all black camera crew, then gives the all black camera crew a shout out on our tv. Why they shooting the special? He does not get his flowers. He does not get the respect that, in my opinion, he doesn't get the praise that he deserves. But it was Chris Rock. It was George Carlin. A little bit of Martin Lawrence early on his first cd, Funk, it was like. Or was it you? So crazy, I'm not sure. But Funk, it was the one that, like, got you. That's the one that got me. Like, my early standup was a terrible Martin Lawrence impersonation, Right? If you get it back, every comment when they start, you're just impersonating somebody else, right? Until you figure out your voice. And for me, it was Martin, you.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Mentioned that DL gave you your first big break. Did DL actually know that he was giving you this break?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No. No. That's one of, like, DL is one of those OGs that gives more than he has to. And I would also put that on Marlon. Marlon. And Shawn Wayans, too, for sure. You know, I used to do so when I was doing mornings. One of the advantages for those 10 years that I was on the air in Birmingham while doing standup was that any black comedian that came into the city did our show. Okay, so I got to meet you. I got to see your approach to marketing and analyzing, which bookmarked Lavelle Crawford and Bruce. Bruce, most brilliant marketers ever in black comedy. Marlon and Sean would do our show every year even if the show was sold out. And the only other person I knew who would do that was Sinbad. Sinbad would come in and do media even if the show was sold out, because he knew he was essentially selling next year's show right now. DL. What happened with DL? So when I got hired at the radio station, I lied, bro. The one thing I also learned in entertainment is that nobody's telling the truth. So just fucking lie. And if they catch you, apologize or figure your way out of it. But most of what you're saying, nobody's double checking, so just lie.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So it's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So 95, seven jams at the time Ricky Smiley leaves. They do a contest to see. And you know, and my man said Delaney, who I had to give a shout out to, Ced was there for a couple years after Ricky. And then they get into what they're trying to do with a new comic after Ced and them leave. I called the dj. My man Buck Wild, still there now. And I go, hey, man, I'm a young comic. I Got a degree in journalism. I think I could do comedy. He goes, I don't know if you're funny. We're just not going to do any more auditions right now, but thanks. I go, okay, cool. I called the comedy club because I knew DL was performing that weekend and I knew JAMS promotes the Black Comets. I called the comedy club. I go, hey, Bruce Ayers, he's the owner. I go, hey, Bruce, I just got hired at 95. 7. James.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That man told you they weren't telling me any more auditions.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Buck Wild said there wasn't no more auditions. But Bruce Ayers don't know. Ain't no more auditions. So I called Bruce. I go, hey, big dawg, I just got hired at 95. 7. They say they want me to host for DL instead of doing the station promo. T shirt toss, right? Bruce goes, cool, see you Friday. I get off the phone with Bruce. I call Buck a while back. Hey, man, I just got booked to open for DL Hughley Friday night. Watch me. If I'm not funny, then don't with me. If I am funny, give me that job. Give me the job. He goes, cool, that's Tuesday. Friday comes. All I gotta do is keep Buckwild and Bruce a keep em separated. And this is not Buckwild starring Buckwild. It's a different Buck Wild Friday night come. I keep em separated. I go out on stage, I do my five. And it's one of those nights where just everything worked. It's just. God, every joke, every syllable, and I'm from there. So I got home field advantage. I'm destroying, bro. And as I come off stage, Buck Wild is standing there and he goes, see you Monday morning. Bring 12 Krispy Kremes. And next to Buck is D.L. hughley. And D.L. goes, hey, young brother, that was a good set. Will you say you staying open for me for the rest of the weekend? Now at this time at this comedy club, the Star Dome in Birmingham, this is my home club. You don't get to open for a fucking weekend headliner until you've done all of these other progressions within the club. You got to perform on this night for this type and this night for this type. DL's vouch skipped me straight to the front of the fucking line.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Skip to the front of the line.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And now I have tape opening for him, which essentially opens up me to work. Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Atlanta. Because now I can put your name on my resume. And that validates me. And that's what I mean, man. It's Just DL didn't know he was doing all that. He was just like, you're funny. Do that same thing. Yeah, he didn't give a fuck.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, I didn't.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I mean, maybe he did, but that type of stuff, man, I've never forgotten. And I've tried my best to be that for others. For others when I can, you know, I try.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You mentioned about how hard it is to follow, and I've heard a lot of people had Rickey Smiley on. As you know, I've had a lot of conversations. Comedians on. Because I love comedians. And Ricky said the one thing I ain't following Lavelle Crawford, I ain't doing it.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You mentioned Patrice o' Neal and Tommy Davis and Lavelle Crawford. How hard is it actually? Even though you good, like, man, hey, I'm good. I do what I do. But how hard is it to follow somebody like a Lavelle Crawford? Rest his soul, Patricia.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know, because I've never done it and I never will. I will never follow Lavelle Crawford. I will just quit comedy. I will become a podcaster. Lavelle and Bruce. Bruce.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I see Bruce. I used to see Bruce all the time when I was in Atlanta.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I have the utmost respect for them. Because when you do morning radio, I watch. I get to see you market, and I see how you move. Lavelle and Bruce will come to Birmingham the night before. Now, granted, y', all, Atlanta, you can drive over in the morning, be in the studio at 7:30, promote the show, 90 minute. Lavelle and Bruce were coming to Birmingham the day before, and they would go to the Black mall. They would go to Century Plaza. At that time, they go to Century Plaza and Western Hills Mall, and they would just crack on in the food court. Like, you talk about word of mouth. They literally would just go in City trends. You gonna buy that? That shit don't look good and just roast straight, then bounce around to all the barbershops in the city in the afternoon. Then that night, go to the club, go to one or two just to be like, it's one thing to be funny. Lavelle's funny, blah, blah, blah. But to market yourself and understand the importance of outreach and connecting with people. Like, you can do it all through social now, and you can connect. All right, fine. But in those days, you had to really grind to create an audience, man. And those brothers, I. I watched them. I watched them for a decade. Coming to town.

[Guardian Bikes Advertiser]

Attention parents and grandparents. If you're looking for a gift, that's More than just a toy. Give them something that inspires confidence and adventure all year long. Give them a Guardian bike, the easiest bike to learn on, safest to ride, and the number one kids bike on the market. With USA Made Kids specific frames and patented safety technology, kids are learning to ride in just just one day. No training wheels needed. It's why Guardian is America's favorite kids bike and the New York Times and Wirecutter's top pick three years in a row. This holiday season, Guardian is offering their biggest deal of the year. Over 40% in savings on all bikes plus $100 in free accessories. Each bike arrives 99% assembled, so setup takes minutes, not hours. Whether it's their very first ride or their next big upgrade, trade Guardian makes every pedal feel safe, smooth and fun. Join over 500 happy families who've discovered the magic of Guardian. Visit guardianbikes.com to shop. Now that's guardianbikes.com running a business is.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Hard enough, so why make it harder? With a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other. One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software. Instead of growing your business, this is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all in one fully integrated platform that handles everything. CRM, accounting, inventory, E commerce, HR and more. No more app overload, no more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business, whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus it's easy to use, customizable and designed to streamline every process so you can focus on what really matters running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you try Odoo for [e-mail] that's o d o o dot com.

[LEGO Star Wars Advertiser]

When you say LEGO Star wars, the first thing you think of is imagination or action.

[Commercial Announcer]

Or both.

[LEGO Star Wars Advertiser]

Definitely both. Like with Jango Fett's Starship. I mean with Stud Blasters, seismic charges and three minifigures, your kid is gonna be creating stories until the Banthas come home. And for yourself, there's the Jango Fett's Firespray class Starship LEGO set from the Ultimate Collector series. Enjoy some Jedi Master level mindfulness during your building time. Shop now for Star wars lego sets on lego.com or in lego retail stores.

[Ed Helms]

Hey everyone Ed Helms here.

[Kal Penn]

And hi, I'm Kal Penn, and we're the hosts of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You know what? I can see you as Mr. Darcy. You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett. Here, listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Commercial Announcer]

This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. When you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really does have your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. Visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G capable device and a 5G service area. Additional terms apply. See website for details.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And they would have a Thursday through Sunday, and then it became a Friday, Saturday. Then it became a Friday Saturday. Instead of four shows, six shows. Instead of four shows, eight shows. Gary Owen, too. That's another one. Like, they were just. And they not only understood being funny on stage, but they understood how to be funny on the radio. We used to call Lavelle a pushback, where in radio, you would turn on the mic. 957 jams, Woodland's in the studio. Lavelle Crawford had to start on Lavelle, how you doing? And you just push back from the mic.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

He did. Get away.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That nigga gonna talk for four minutes straight. Choke, choke, choke, choke, choke. Roast. Everybody in the room. We take a call. He roast they ass, too. The marketing of it was intentional, and it was diabolical. And I just. I didn't understand it at the time. I wish I did. There's so many balls I feel like I dropped when it comes to understanding marketing with standup that I feel like I'm Even now, still making up time for.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You got to open for Cat, who opened for cash money. Let me ask you this.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Let me tell you about that night.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I caught a lot of criticism for the Cat interview.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know why.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Because Cat peeled back a scab that if you're not in that business, you didn't know. You didn't know. So many comics didn't like each other until Cat revealed that unless you're in the comic, you're in that area as a comic.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I was like, oh, yeah, I already know.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes. But the world didn't know that. So he pulled back a scab and allowed the world to see what was going on in that business you mentioned. And I was like. And people got upset at me. And a lot of people have, you know, been very outspoken and said some things. And I've gotten some pushback. I'm like, y' all could say what y' all said to me. Why don't y' all say that to Cat? I didn't say anything that I said. That's Cat experience. That is Cat experience with said individuals. When I allow people, this is your story. You coming on and telling your story about your father. Now, me pushing back. Well, your father did the best he could, and he did X, y, and z. But this is your story. I should allow you to come on and tell your story. I allowed Kat to come on and tell his story, but everybody got upset.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

At me and not Kat for saying they ain't got it mad at Cat. Have you talked to him since the interview, Kat? Yeah. Yes.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

And he said, he's like, they're not gonna say anything to me. What they gonna say to me? Cause this what I do. And he said that was just. He said that was not a direct hit. That was just a flyover.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It absolutely was. I mean, knowing some of the infighting in comedy, you know, I try to. I don't know. I move in love. And usually when beef start within black comedy, I already went home. Cause the cocaine is out. My goal, you have to understand my goal at any comedy show is to leave before the cocaine comes out. So most of the shit Cat was talking about, the cocaine was out, okay? The liquor was flowing. There was some shit going on. The funniest shit about Cat. And I've only worked with him that one time. I can't even say that he ever did our morning show. Because by the time he became Cat, there was no need for him to do local radio on a Friday morning. Cash money. Cat is going up and Cash money's on the show. I don't know which in the hot boys, but somebody in the hot boys would not come off the bus until they got a bottle of Cristal. It's 10:30 on a Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama. There ain't no fucking Cristal. Yeah, where the we gonna get Cristal? Where in Birmingham?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Nowhere.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Strip club.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Oh, okay, right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So our program director called some folks at the strip club and was like, we need two bottles of Cristal. Can you sell us two bottles of Cristal out the back? And they was like, yeah, who they for? Lil Wayne? I want tickets. Then we get there with the Cristal and the club owner bringing the Christian. Now he want a meet and greet with Wayne. If you don't stop, you are fucking. And this is like the back to school backpack concert. So, like, we need this concert to happen because the proceeds go to help the community. Nah, I'm just saying I need to meet Wayne. I don't even think that's cool. But, yeah, Cat was there, man. He showed a lot of love. I bombed. Ooh, I bombed. And it's worse when you bomb at the crib. Cause call the station the next day to.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Damn, why'd you bomb?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cause I don't know. Some days it ain't your day.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

It had to be that day.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I bombed one time. I got. I almost got booed. Well, technically, I did get booed at the Apollo. The sandman didn't come out. If the sandman don't come out. Did you get booed?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I mean, if they booing, I mean. Nah, technically, I guess not.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cause, man, no, technically, a boo is a boo.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

No, but the sandman gotta come get you.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Okay, I got booed, but no sandman. So whatever you wanna call that, right? Next day, it airs on like, a Apollo. Used to come on Sunday nights on UPN Birmingham. Next day, I'm at the radio station. Somebody called, they said, man, if that's the best you can do. Tell you from Montgomery, I ain't never forgot that shit, bro. I ain't never forgot it. But no, I think Katt Williams is one of the best comedians doing it right now. It's not even close. And what's interesting, what's fun about watching Cat is that you can see him turn the political switch on, and then you see him turn it off. Yeah, I don't wanna talk about that. No. Anyway, let's talk about ladies, right? And that's a beautiful. It goes back to that Dick Gregory separation of the two you know, granted, Payne versus Politics. Cat can just be silly, and then he can be poignant.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah. The Washington Post said, you occupy space filled by Chris Rock in the 90s, Dave Chappelle in the early 2000s. Black comedians who double. One of the most thoughtful and political commentators.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's kind of.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you intentionally try to occupy this space? Because like I said, you know, Prior did for a little while, but mainly is Mooney, Carlin, Rock Chappelle.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah. I don't even think I'm in that.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Oh, you. You are.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I'm not. There's more work to be done, in my opinion, to get to that pantheon. I have just tried to make people laugh by showing them my perspective on the world as I see it.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

My first three comedy specials were very political. The one I just did for Hulu was about loneliness and just how we're fucked up inside as a people. That's really all I wanted to talk about is that special. The first half of that special is y' all are fucked up. And then the back half is, I'm fucked up. That was it. I didn't try to give a deep analysis of politics in that particular special by intention because I was just tired of talking about the world. I wanted to talk about us and me. But, you know, I'm thankful to the Washington Post for those words, but because.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

This is a comedian job to take real events and make them funny.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That's that in and of its nature.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Or it's. It's events from the world or events that happen to you. You.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Comedy is journalism. We're all reporters. Every comedian you name is a reporter. And they're either reporting on the world as they see it or themselves in their own condition and their state of mind. To me, that's. That's what this is. I didn't set out to talk about a bunch of politics. I just woke up one day and I kind of started caring about racism more than I did talking about paying back my student loans. Y' all put that on me. They put that on me. You know, I'm thankful for that time at the Daily show because, you know, Trevor Noah gave me a lot of Runway to talk about a lot of black shit and take cameras into places would normally black folks wouldn't. Mainstream media is not gonna.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

They're not gonna allow that. I don't know any other program that would have even attempted to look at the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March. Right.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Okay.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

With jokes. Yeah. And somehow still remain respectful to what black people were doing. I mean, we spoke with Nuri Muhammad from the Nation in that piece, which I would have even. And that's also why I've tried my best, man, to be kind to people and to be polite, because you don't know when you're gonna need those favors. Like, that was the second piece that I did for the Daily show was talking about the justice or Else March.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know anybody in the Nation. I'm not plugged in like that. But I know Charlemagne. The God is. And I don't know at the time, I don't know Charlemagne, but I know Andrew Schultz, and I know Schultz knows Charlemagne. A Schultz is wood. Wouldn't call you if I didn't need this. Can you hit Charlemagne? Tell Charlamagne to hit. Made the call. Telephone game. Two days later, we get an email from the Nation. Wow. Here's who you can talk to. Here are the terms. So I never saw that as some sort of crusade of blackness. It was just, these are the stories that are interesting to me. How can I make them funny so that they'll be interesting to you? Let's go to the south side of Chicago and do a walk along with strangers who diffuse gang conflict. What's funny about it? Not sure. We'll figure it out, though. But the what is more important than the funny? So let's go out and do that. Hey, Roy, tell your camera crew to stay over there and don't point the cameras down the street. We gonna go up the block and make sure it's cool for y' all to even come up the block. That type of shit. Wow. And I have to give respect to Trevor Noah for giving me the Runway. Because here's the thing. I'm the new dude at the Daily Show. I'm not gonna come in and go, yo, we should talk to the Nation, and we should go to Chicago. But I ain't a hush. So you need Trevor to come in with that accent. Right. I think what Roy is trying to say, I'm like, yeah, tell him what I'm trying to say.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah. So having producers that cared enough to allow me. I mean, man, one of the last stories I did before I left Daily show was about cop city in Atlanta. We in the forest with people who are shitting in buckets trying to stop police from building a training facility that's just gonna make the police more militaristic and ruin the environment. Wow. So did I set out to do that? I don't know. Man, that's just the stuff I'm drawn to. And I don't know if that's because I did ride alongs with my dad.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

And you got an opportunity to see what was.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I don't know. I don't know where it got planted, you know, you ever think about. Do you ever concern yourself with how much of a burden you want to give your children about being black versus what being black could be? How do you teach the history without giving them the burden? Yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, I try. I've tried to shield them as much as I possibly could, but I think they did a lot of research on their own and they understand what that even though that last name is still attached to a black man.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You know what's wild? I did finding your roots, and they found the white family that purchased the first black Wood of my bloodline off the slave ships in Charleston.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, that's what we came up of.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

If I wanted to today, I could find the white Wood descendants in Southern Georgia and pull up on a fucking house one day. I will. Yeah, they ain't got no money, though. I zillowed. They crib. They broke. That's the thing we'll talk about with slavery, man, is that it was a lot of white people fumbled. Like, yo, if they fumbled the bag. Yeah. You had working for you, you still couldn't come up how you broke. And you had slaves.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, that was bad. That was gold.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

They fumbled, bro. You.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Have you ever met Rock and Chappelle?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, yeah. Rock and I are cool. I'm cooler with Rock than Chappelle. I see Rock more frequently than Chappelle. Let me say it that way. You know, Chappelle is. He'd show up like Yoda and then be gone. But Rock, I've seen from time to time at the comedy clubs and stuff around New York, number respect for both of them, you know, and just what they've worked to build. You know, you also have to really think about a lot of what Dave built and what we know and love Dave for came from rejecting the industry.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And not knowing. He didn't know what was on the other side of going to Africa. But he followed his instincts and he knew that was the right thing to do.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So that's a lot. I mean, to turn that down. But now what makes him so impressive is that they can't take something that he didn't value. See, once. Once he found out what they valued that he didn't value. Now you can no longer harvest.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Correct.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You could harm. You couldn't harm.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Him.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

See, it's hard to starve a man that can grow his crop and cook for himself. You can't starve him.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Because he can live off the land. He knows how to survive.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

And that's what I want.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Once Chappelle found out he could survive, he can do a show. He don't really need anybody. He could. Like, I'm doing a show at such and such. It's sold out in five minutes. Probably gonna crash the site, but it sold out in five minutes.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It's like that old school Prince shit where Prince would just tell his tour bus driver, drive west. What city? I'll tell you later. And then sell out. Staples center on two days notice.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Yep.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, I really.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That's what you want?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's what I want for myself. You know, I think that, bro, man, I just. I can look at so many times in my life where I got fucked in the game and it wasn't my fault.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You didn't know.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I got fired from radio. I found out I got fired from radio over Twitter. Damn. People don't even have the courage to call. You have some compassion. God damn. Why are you saying like.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

But I'm saying they don't have the common courtesy to call anymore.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

What is common courtesy?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Hey, Roy, we're going in. Look, it's gonna hurt the same. I'm gonna be without a job. The income's not gonna be coming in. But you know, Roy, you know what we're doing? We're downsizing. We decided to go in a different direction. We really appreciate your contributions to the network, to the station. We wish you the best of luck, but unfortunately, no. Man, I just felt like I've given that speech before.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

If you Google Roy Wood Jr show fired. You read the article. It's still up. They fired us. And I found out that morning on Twitter, I thought I was dead. They were like, man, I'm a Ms. Roy. The. Did I do? Am I dead? Like, I gave my heart and soul to that show. And it ultimately came down to what they saw as a conflict of interest. I booked a sitcom. I'm a comedian. I can't say no to a sitcom.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

No.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Can I do the show from LA while I do the sitcom? They say, well, think about it next day. Fire. That's the game. I think that we have made the mistake of thinking that the people who have lord over us have the same compassion. They don't. And once you accept that, you're free to move. It's like comedian Doug Stanhope said, once you accept that you're completely and unapologetically fucked. Only then are you free to move throughout this country without care and concern. I had a sitcom on tbs. We went three seasons. We got a handshake for the fourth season. The next week, the show was canceled. That's the game. It's unfortunate, but that is the game. You work Daily show for eight years. They say you're in the running for the host. And then you find out somebody else was already in a run, promised a job. Promised the job. Okay, that's fine. You couldn't tell me. Cause you thought I was gonna tell him. Okay, cool. But now where do I fit into the new structure of the show? And I know I can't trust you because you already said the bullshit. If I stay here and you merge, will the new host fire me? Will I even like the new host? Will the merger require a cut in salary? Will I be fired because of the merger and there's a salary? Fucking consolidation. Am I truly safe here? I don't know. But I do know if I'm gonna find something next, it's going to be during an election year. So I should quit. It's nothing personal. I should quit. I'm gonna quit and I'll figure it out. The same as I did after getting fired over Twitter. The same as I did after the handshake sitcom. I'm not scared. Right. Because I've slept in fucking bus stations. All I need to do is make sure that the boy got a roof, he got clothes, and he got food.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

And we'll figure everything else out.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Everything else out after that.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

When you called that prank J. Prince, did you know who J.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Prince was?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you know who J. Prince was when you pranked him?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yes.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That was one of the reasons why you wanted to prank him, huh?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I wish we still had the audio of that prank phone call. What happened to it? Deleted it on the day.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You deleted it?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yes. You think you. You think I want that shit to leak? So for the people who don't know. So when the pranks were bubbling and Chamillionaires running with me. I'm on a pimp C. UGK mixtape and dipsed and all of that.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I get a call from a company and they go, hey, we want to do prank calls on Texas celebrities. We think your prank calls are great. Come on down to Texas. We're going to do the prank calls. We gonna prank call celebrities. I go, yeah. And they. They cut me a check.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I'm.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

There wasn't a lot. It was like $10,000.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

But not a lot of money back then, wasn't it?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It was a lot. To a nigga making 500 a week.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You straight?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So they go, come down here and make these pranks. I go, bet. And they have a list of Texas celebrities. And it's like Paul Wall and Michael Irvin, T.D. jakes. And they got J. Prince on the list. And J. Prince is. I understood. I grew up listening to ghetto boys. I grew up listening to Til Death Do Us Part and we can't be stopped. And so I knew he was an imposing figure, but I figured him to be able to take a joke when I called his ass. And he just kept asking me where I was like, where you at? Where you at? You talking all this shit, where you at? And then the engineer came on the phone. He goes, hey, Jay, it's us. We were just pranking you. It's no big deal. This is Roy.

[Guardian Bikes Advertiser]

Attention parents and grandparents. If you're looking for a gift that's more than just a toy, give them something that inspires confidence and adventure all year long. Give them a Guardian bike, the easiest bike to learn on, safest to ride, and the number one kids bike on the market. With USA made Kids specific frames and patented safety technology, kids are learning to ride in just one day. No training wheels needed. It's why Guardian is America's favorite kids bike and the New York Times and Wirecutter's top pick three years in a row. This holiday season, Guardian is offering their biggest deal of the year. Over 40% in savings on all bikes plus $100 in free accessories. Each bike arrives 99% assembled, so setup takes minutes, not hours. Whether it's their very first ride or their next big upgrade, Guardian makes every pedal for feel safe, smooth and fun. Join over 500 happy families who've discovered the magic of Guardian. Visit guardianbikes.com to shop. Now that's guardianbikes.com running a business is.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Hard enough, so why make it harder? With a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other. One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software. Instead of growing your business, this is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all in one, fully integrated platform that handles everything. CRM, accounting, inventory, E commerce, HR, and more. No more app overload, no more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part, Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus it's easy to use, customizable and designed to streamline every process so you can focus on what really matters running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you try Odoo for [e-mail] that's o d o o dot com.

[LEGO Star Wars Advertiser]

When you say LEGO Star wars, the first thing you think of is imagination or action.

[Commercial Announcer]

Or both.

[LEGO Star Wars Advertiser]

Definitely both. Like with Jango Fett's Starship. I mean with Stud Blasters, seismic charges and three minifigures, your kid is gonna be creating stories until the Banthas come home. And for yourself, there's the Jango Fett's Firespray class Starship LEGO set from the Ultimate Collector series. Enjoy some Jedi Master level mindfulness during your building time. Shop now for Star wars lego sets on lego.com or in lego retail stores.

[Ed Helms]

Hey everyone, Ed Helms here and hi.

[Kal Penn]

I'm Kal Penn and we're the hosts of Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You know what? I can see you as Mr. Darcy. You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet, I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett here. Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

He's a comedian and Jay Goes, oh, if you with him, I know exactly where you at. And he hung up the phone. And I'm like, he's on the way here. And everybody in the room was like, no, he's not. Jay can take a joke. We spend the next 20 minutes trying to call J. Prince to, like, make sure shit is cool, right?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

He ain't answer the phone.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

He answered the phone. So I told. I told the people at the studio. I go, hey, I'm gonna run to the hotel and drop my bag. Because I came straight to the studio from the airport. I go, listen, I'm gonna run to the hotel, drop my bags off, get some lunch. Let's do the rest of these pranks after lunch. Cool, Cool. I went to the airport.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did he show up to the station?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So years later, Jay calls Sway on mtv. He's talking to Sway, and J. Prince confirmed he was on his way to the fucking studio to me up. Oh, wait, no, it was Drink Champs. Shout out to Drink Champs. Yeah, he was on Drink Champs. But you slide. And Nori asked him.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You sound just like him. Too bad.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Nori asked him. He was like, yeah, man. Did you go? Well, you know, I was. Was just gonna him up. I think that what I didn't realize with that prank was that because of what Jay meant to the streets, you can't clown nobody like that. But I'm a comedian, bro. Like, I just.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

We clown. You clown everybody.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You clown everybody. But you can't clown Jay in his own town. Cause I was in Houston when I did this. I was in Houston a total of three hours. I landed, went to the studio, prank called J. Prince. The shit went sideways. I got in the cab, went back to the airport, back in Birmingham, whole day, got back to my mama house. Where you been? Don't worry about it, Joyce. Yeah, yeah, that was. That was. We laugh about it now, Jay and I. But at the time, it was serious. I was violating.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Because the premise of the prank was I own a mom and pop record shop. These Rap A Lot albums, they ain't selling. Rap A Lot done fell off. And I'm naming artist by artist, which Rap A Lot artists ain't doing well. Terrible. And I'm just naming Rap A Lot. You can't do that to the head of Rap A Lot Records and claim you in Houston.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah. He was coming to see you, as he should.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Like, you have to come beat the shit out of somebody who's.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Is it true you were slapped by the co worker? But snitching?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah. What you say? It like it was some sort of. Like you snitched on the man Roy. Damn. The wasn't doing his job. Him.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That ain't your place of employment.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I understood that after the slap. Let me explain it. Cause I told. I tell the story in my book, but let me explain it because I told the story in my book. All right? So did you ever work any type of food service job, dish room, anything? Okay, that's right. You too busy running routes?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, I was in the field. I do a manual label, okay. Cropping tobacco, picking up pecans, clipping onions, catching chickens, running that route.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Tree.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

So I worked in a hospital, you know, HealthSouth. Okay? Health south has a rehab hospital in Birmingham.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Okay?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I worked in the cafeteria. We go to the floors, collect the trays, wash the trays, worked in the cafeteria, okay? It is your job to help me collect the trays.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It's a two man job.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Two man job.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

This motherfucker in the gym hooping for money. Cause it's a rehab hospital, they got a gym, he down there playing 21. $10 a point, motherfucker. We have a job. We have a job.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Can't break you off.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Fuck no. He hooping. He earned it. So for perspective, I'm 16. This man is like 35, 36 years old. This is a grown man hooping for money. He make his money hooping at work. And when he free, he help me in the dish. I go to all the floors, I do the pickups. I do the drop first. I drop all the trays. Hour later, do all the pick by myself.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

By yourself?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cause he down there hooping for $10 a point. I come back to the dish room and I'm behind. And like in the dish room in those days, you make lunch and the same hot plates and plates, whatever that they need for dinner, right? You gotta wash them, watch them, so that they can flip them for.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

To make the dinner plates, they gotta turn it around.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Supervisor come in, go, hey, but the dinner plates is taking too long. I go, well, it could be quicker if motherfucking Mike was here.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Oh, Lord.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Is that snitching or is that me just going, hey, man, get off my ass and look for the other. That's supposed. Why are you in the dish room? Mad at me?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I'm here, right?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

This go.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

What? You wanted him to ask, where is Mike?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

But instead you on my ass talking about, I ain't washing fast enough? Of course I ain't washing fast enough.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

It's a two man job and there's Only one man here.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I say, Mike down in that gym. Go ask Mike. He go down to the gym, get Mike. Mike come back to the dish room, slap the shit out of me. Grown man slap a 16 year old. He's a Mike slapped the shit out of me. Then this motherfucker take a little vial out. Motherfucker twist that. That motherfucker tells me to get out of his dish room. And this man, for the next 30 minutes, Shannon does the work that it should take two men to do. An hour, one bump of cocaine, and that motherfucker washed all them dishes. He ain't wearing no gloves, you know. Industrial dishwasher, that's 200 degrees.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Touching the bare hands, skin, touching the dishes, silverware. It's like holding a fucking hot poker.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes, that's a hot poker. Like, you stick.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Yeah, it's sitting. It's holding a hot poker.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yes.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

You pull dishes out in industrial dishwasher. Mike was pulling them, stacking them, had the whole thing straight. We never were behind schedule. And he turns back to me and he goes, don't you ever question a master? And the whole time I'm thinking, I snitched on him. He gonna be in trouble. He gonna get ridden up. Nothing happened to him. And it was like the first time I learned a very valuable lesson of that. If you are exceptionally good at your job, the rules do not apply to you. And all you can do is what you can do. So if you ain't as good as Mike, just do your best. Supervisors see you in respect. But it's the first and only time I ever snitched on anybody in my life was Cocaine Mike at HealthSouth Rehab Hospital, Lakeshore Drive.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Mike, if you out there, a. You did your A's.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No, Mike, if you out there, you 37, slapping a 16 year old, use a. I can talk that shit now. Cause I know he old and I can't. Yeah, yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Did you ever get called a nipple baby? Cause your father was an icon.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I never got called that.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Maybe because you didn't go in the profession that he was in.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I mean, technically I did. I mean, you know what's interesting is that I don't feel like black people get called nepo babies in the same way that white people do. Because I feel like Bronny James did. Yeah, Bronny. That's a whole nother level. That's a whole nother level. But like, oh, your dad, civil rights icon, and you on the Daily show talking about black issues.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Right?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

The only reason you there is. Cause my Daddy didn't give me this. I mean, there are definitely. You know, my pops died in 95. But also, there are a great deal of people who I'm sure give me opportunities because they knew my dad or because they respect his legacy. But I still think we in a show. Improved atmosphere. Bronny included.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Wow.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Okay. You got skip to the front of the line. We could argue the stats and say somebody else should have went in the second round, but sooner or later, Brian ain't got to put the basket in the hoop or he gonna be gone. Same as anybody else in the league.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

We're gonna finish up on this. You said your dad was a good father but a questionable husband.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Terrible husband. Yeah.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You think your mom. Did you ever see your mom stay up at night crying, wondering where he was when he was coming home? She just accepted the fact this is who he is, this is who she married. And this is what I'm gonna deal with.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

My mom knew what it was. My mom had an exit strategy. You're in a fucked situation. You don't gain anything from sitting here being sad about it. What's your way out? Okay. Grad school, law school, Bad. How do you pay for it? Move in with them. The boy gets a dad to beat the shit out of him if he jump. Bad. And at night, I can go be in school. The boy will be straight. Cause the pops will be home and latchkey. He's okay. That's gonna be my way out. I don't think that my mom and I say think because she and I never talked about it. We still haven't talked about it yet, but I think that my mom and I, we just looked at it as. You know, I've always looked at my mom and I as a team, we've always had each other's back. And I think that to some degree, the way my pops chose to treat her, she did not allow to define her. You can get the divorce and all. Okay, fine. But that's the playbook she chose to run. I never saw my mama cry over that, man. I never saw my mama stressed out over how he chose to treat her. I just saw a woman every night who worked hard and asked for help when she needed it. And now, in the later years of her life, is a vessel of kindness to so many other people. Like she's the epitome of paying it forward. I just.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

So would you say we are not our circumstances, but what we become from our circumstances? Because a lot of times people will let their circumstances define who they are. Man, I came from this situation. This is how I am. I grew up like this. This is how I am. What did you become? Who are you from those circumstances?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I didn't have the best father, but I became a great father.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

You didn't let those circumstances define you?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No, I didn't have the best examples of love, but I still seek the opportunity to create that construct for my son. And I will. You know, I just think that there has to be an order to some of it, because what I don't necessarily know, and I think a lot of men deal with this and don't necessarily admit it or know how to explain it to women, but finding yourself and being comfortable with where you are career wise and fiscally, a lot of that is a solo journey for men. Oh, you want to help me? You want to pour into me. You want to be my help me. You want to be equally yoked? Okay, but there's still part of this for me that I have to go at alone first. And then you can come and merge in and pour into me and help. Because if you don't know whether or not you can do this yourself, then there's a degree of wondering who you are and what you are.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

The book the man of Many fathers comes out October 28th. What are the top three lessons you hope men learn from this book?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I hope that men learn from my book that it is okay if you didn't get everything from your dad. That was the first thing that I really learned was that, oh, I didn't get it all from him, but I got everything I needed. When we talk about values, if it could be something as silly as don't snitch, but it could also be something as random as, you know, comedians that I know that have passed on, who gave me the game on the importance of picking someone in terms of a mate that's supportive of you. I think that's a mistake that a lot of people make. You know, in this game, I hear.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Mary Harmon say that the most important thing you ever. The most important decision you'll ever make is who you choose to marry.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

That's very true. I agree with that. And I mean, as an unmarried man, I couldn't agree with that anymore. I think that also the degree of knowing and understanding that. That you're okay in spite of how you came up, I don't think that it's very easy as a man to just write off the who what wins of a lot of shit and just go, oh, well, my daddy didn't do this. So I Ain't shit. No, you got worth, man. You matter. And being present for those kids, that's important. It's paramount. And I think that regardless of when your father passed, I think we're all men of many fathers. We're all poured into by innumerable people in our lives. And I think if you stop and took stock of any of those people, you would be blown away at how many lessons you might have missed. That it's dope to be able to sit back and just think about now and reinforce and be able to pass that on to your kids. I just. I look at my son every day, man, and I'm just grateful. I'm grateful that, like, I wouldn't have achieved half I've achieved in the last 10 years if not for his presence. There's a drive in that two weeks.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

After your dad passed, you, like, you heard from him like that.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Showed up as a ghost for two weeks straight. And it's weird because, number one, I believe in ghosts.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Do you?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

All that. That you believe in the supernatural? Yes. I don't with Ouija boards. I don't with haunted houses. It's all real to me.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

That was a big thing when I was in college. They wanted to play with the Ouija board.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Cause of Bone Thugs in Harmony Ouija. Are you with me?

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

And you remember that eight ball that they used?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Magic eight ball. No, sir, don't touch it. Do not touch it. Not my thing. Like that stuff, man. It's weird because, like, I heard about Pop's ghost, but all I heard him doing was getting ready for work.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Yeah. He'd go through his normal routine.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I'm like, you still got a job. You're dead. Kick it.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

I thought you was coming back to tell me you had some money buried somewhere.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Oh, sir, he came back. Cause that's how bad the economy is. You gotta stay at it.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Trevor Noah said your book is honest, raw, and an absolute treat to read. What was it like working with Trevor?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

It was a blessing. I've never met a black man with a better understanding of what to do with his anger than Trevor Noah. Wow. Very upset about a lot of the same things. But I think that's part of why he and I worked so well together. I'm the angry motherfucker from Alabama. I don't have patience or a tempered response. But Trevor was very measured and very kind. Still very on the nose, but he knew how to not lead with anger, which gave more understanding to the issues. And I think it helped more people look at it and see and oh well, what does Trevor have to say? And I dunno, I never possessed that and I think sometimes it is time to yell, it is a time to be angry and I think in that regard he and I complemented one another. But Trevor had the ability to take anger and quantify it into feelings and make people feel seen and then through those feelings try to make sense of what was happening.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Roy, thanks for stopping by Club Shay Shay Guys, make sure you go out and check Guest's book. His book out the man of Many Fathers Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Man Brother thank you. Ah thank you brother.

[Host (possibly Chris Broussard)]

Roy Wood Jr.

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[Commercial Announcer]

This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. When you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really does have your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. Visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G cable device and a 5G service area. Additional terms apply. See website for details.

[Kal Penn]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

I'm loving the Black Angus Dietz dogs.

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

They are made with the highest quality ingredients.

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[Roy Wood Jr.]

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