Wanda Sykes Returns

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend – Wanda Sykes Returns

Date: March 9, 2026
Guest: Wanda Sykes
Host: Conan O’Brien
Sidekicks: Sonam Viswanathan, David Hopp, Eduardo Perez

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Conan sits down with legendary comedian, actor, and writer Wanda Sykes upon the release of her latest film, Undercard. The conversation traverses Wanda’s comedic journey, the quirks of her personal life, the challenges and rewards of stand-up, writing for television, her foray into dramatic acting, and ever-present themes of authenticity, family, and self-acceptance. The episode is filled with signature Conan banter and plenty of spontaneous, mutual ribbing, showcasing the natural chemistry between host and guest.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Geppetto at Disneyland

• [01:16–07:28]
  • Sona recounts an unusual Disneyland encounter: meeting a Geppetto character, connecting it humorously to Conan’s recurring jokes about her father’s resemblance to Geppetto.
  • “They say, 'release Geppetto'…and people just go streaming out of the park.” (Conan, 04:31)
  • The bit expands on the sadness of Geppetto as a day laborer facing the global puppet economy and tariffs—a vintage Conan riff that gets everyone, including Wanda, laughing.

2. Wanda’s Difficult Trek to the Podcast

• [07:49–08:20]
  • Wanda jokes her car didn’t want her to come: “My car broke down as I was leaving. It wouldn't start. So the universe was saying, don't do this.”
  • Conan teases her: “Your car has a self-esteem function. Do not lower yourself.” (08:20)

3. Golden Globes and Always Being Yourself

• [08:28–09:54]
  • Conan praises Wanda’s killer Golden Globes appearance. Wanda recalls accepting for Ricky Gervais with “I accept on behalf of God and the trans community.”
  • On comedic voice: Wanda says earlier stand-up was jokes “on paper,” but post-divorce, her true self came out. “It was like, fuck it, let’s go. Then it was more of me that came out.” (10:36)

4. Early Career & The “Comedy Uniform”

• [11:49–14:15]
  • Both share stories of relying on “props”—Wanda’s hats and sweaters, Conan’s hair.
  • Wanda: “If I bomb, I can blame it on the hat...‘this hat’s not funny’” (12:09)
  • Conan admits his outlandish early hairdos were a shield and a distraction.

5. Supportive Yet Structured Upbringing

• [16:05–17:44]
  • Wanda, daughter of an Army colonel, describes a disciplined but loving family dynamic; her path to humor was unusual in her family’s traditional context.
  • “So what was that college I paid for?” (her mom, 17:44)

6. Wanda’s NSA Chapter and Workplace Comedy

• [18:18–19:47]
  • Wanda worked at the NSA before comedy, “I killed [at the NSA],” she jokes.
  • She describes knowing she wasn’t meant for the desk job life, seeing coworkers checked out and coasting toward retirement.

7. Breaking Into Stand-Up: The Coors Light Talent Showcase

• [22:48–24:27]
  • Wanda’s stand-up debut: “You get that first laugh and it’s like, oh, okay, this works.”
  • She bombs her second time—a rite of passage.

8. Big Breaks: Chris Rock Show and Learning to Write for TV

• [24:27–29:24]
  • Opened for Chris Rock, who later hired her for “The Chris Rock Show.”
  • Wanda credits Louis CK with helping her adapt stand-up material to television.
    • “He goes, ‘Instead of writing these long rants…look at the newspaper and just write a joke on an article.’” (26:53)
  • The importance of joke discipline and adapting formats.

9. Stand-Up Specials: The Grind and the Spotlight

• [29:43–31:33]
  • Discusses the pressure of creating new hours of material faster than ever.
  • Chris Rock’s advice: “Make sure it’s special. Don’t go up there and do a set.” (30:36)
  • Wanda takes years to hone her hour; she prefers quality over quantity.

10. Curb Your Enthusiasm & Working with Larry David

• [32:18–35:06]
  • How Wanda came onto Curb: tricked into an “audition” by being herself with Larry.
  • “I know that tush anywhere!” (Larry David, as recounted by Wanda, 33:22)
  • On hanging out with Larry: “He likes making you feel uncomfortable…I go sit over with the grips. I’m not—no.” (34:47)

11. Coming Out and Finding Her Authentic Self

• [35:17–36:32]
  • Coming out as a major shift: “Once I came out, it was like, windows down…let’s go.”
  • “There’s nothing you can say now…that would hurt me.” (36:32)
  • Conan: “It’s like a version of the funny hat or the sweater. This is me.” (36:26)

12. Culture Clash: Home Life with Wanda’s French Wife

• [36:58–38:32]
  • Wanda describes food culture differences—no snacks! “I gotta like, sneak get my snacks…She was like, 'Is that chips?'" (37:10)
  • Stories reveal warmth and laughter at cultural exchanges.

13. Motherhood: The Loss of Parental Cool Points

• [39:40–42:11]
  • Wanda’s teenage twins keep her grounded.
  • “Olivia was like, about two years ago, on Mother’s Day, she gave me a pet rock…my mother would have thrown this at me.” (40:10)
  • Kids tease her about fame—a “job just to bring you down.”

14. Undercard and Taking On Dramatic Acting

• [42:33–47:24]
  • Wanda discusses her new dramatic film role: “I don’t know if I can pull it off…I've never done a drama.” (43:18)
  • Overcomes the challenge without relying on comic timing or persona: “You cannot, like, do the wink at the camera…you have to lock in.” (46:20)
  • Praises the collaborative and supportive film crew.

15. After Undercard: What’s Next for Wanda?

• [47:09–47:24]
  • She’s open to the right acting roles, but comedy remains her first love: “I like making people laugh. Comedy’s my [love].” (47:14)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You got to see me link arms with Geppetto and call him your dad, and you feel badly about it…and your son is scared. I win on every level.” — Conan [06:54]
• “Why did we do that [college]? So now it’s back on me, like I wasted college.” — Wanda [18:10]
• “It was like, fuck it, let’s go. Then it was more of me that came out.” — Wanda [10:36]
• “If I bomb, I can blame it on the hat.” — Wanda [12:09]
• “He likes making you feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to eat with Larry.” — Wanda [34:47]
• “Once I came out, it was like, windows down, roof back. Let’s go…I just felt liberated.” — Wanda [35:34]
• “She’s like, is that chips?” — Wanda, on sneaking snacks from her French wife [37:10]
• “Mom at home…nah, I’m not funny. They don’t give it up at all.” — Wanda [41:18]
• “You cannot, like, do the wink at the camera…you have to lock in. It’s the only way this thing is gonna work.” — Wanda [46:20]
• “I'm gonna prove her wrong, you know?” — Wanda on accepting the dramatic role in Undercard [43:30]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |--------------------------|-----------| | Geppetto at Disneyland | 01:16–07:28 | | Wanda’s car drama & Golden Globes | 07:49–09:54 | | Finding Comedic Voice | 09:54–11:49 | | Comedy Uniforms & Early Standup | 11:49–14:15 | | Family Background | 16:05–17:44 | | NSA & Day Jobs | 18:18–19:47 | | Standup Breakthrough & Talent Show | 22:48–24:27 | | Break with Chris Rock Show | 24:27–29:24 | | Grind of Stand-Up Specials | 29:43–31:33 | | Curb Your Enthusiasm & Larry David | 32:18–35:06 | | Coming Out & Stage Comfort | 35:17–36:32 | | Culture Clash with Wife | 36:58–38:32 | | Kids & Fame | 39:40–42:11 | | Transition to Drama (Undercard) | 42:33–47:24 | | Wanda on Future Projects | 47:09–47:24 |

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Tone and Language

The tone throughout is playful, self-deprecating, and honest. The conversation, peppered with mutual teasing and quick improvisation, maintains Conan and Wanda’s unique blend of warmth and comic sharpness. Wanda’s candor about growth, fear, and authenticity—balanced with laugh-out-loud stories—made the episode lively and relatable.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a rich exploration of creative evolution, personal honesty, and taking risks—whether it’s on stage or in life. Wanda Sykes demonstrates how being true to oneself, even amid discomfort or doubt, forms the core of sustained artistic success. The laughter, reflections, and chemistry on display provide both entertainment and insight into the lives of comics at the top of their game.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys sharp humor, candid showbiz stories, and conversations about finding one’s identity on stage and off.

Transcript

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Alexa's always telling me to calm down.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I feel like you'll yell at it.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Wanda Sykes]

Hi, my name is Wanda Sykes and I feel indifferent about being Conan o' Brien's friend.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Fall is here Hear the yell Back to school Ring the bell Tighten the shoes Walking loose Climb the fence Books and pens I can tell that we

[Wanda Sykes]

are gonna be friends

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I can tell that we are gonna be friends.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hello and welcome to Conan o' Brien. Needs a friend. Joined by my good friends. And I put that in quotation marks. Oh, well, I'm sorry, your employees. Sonam of session. Good to see you, Sonam.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Good to see you too.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you would be David Hopp.

[David Hopp]

Yeah, yeah, that's correct.

[Conan O'Brien]

Thanks for being here, David. Sitting in for Matt Gourley on paternity leave. And Sona, I'm told that you had kind of an exciting moment recently. You went to exciting moment. Well, you went to Disneyland. Yes.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Can I say, I have been to Disneyland so many times. I've never seen anyone dressed up like Geppetto walking around.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

And you, you do this bit about my dad.

[Conan O'Brien]

Your dad has a big mustache and he looks kind of normal. He's a white haired gentleman with a white mustache. He always has reminded me a little bit of Geppetto and I used to do a long riff about how he carved your brother.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

And.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, you know, we had some good times. Meaning I was laughing and you were staring at me.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

But I had a good time and that's cool.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

You also got into, like. Oh, Daddy, my real boy. You're shortening it now.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, Danny wanted to be a real boy.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Danny wanted to be carved a puppet. And Danny wanted to be a real boy. And he was swallowed by a whale.

[David Hopp]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Anyway, that's neither here nor there. Yeah. But you had this moment. You sent me this picture that blew my mind.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

You went to Disneyland and. Tell the tale. Tell the tale.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Well, Geppetto is just walking around. I don't know.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you've never seen a Geppetto before?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I've never seen a Geppetto walking around

[Conan O'Brien]

because it's not a character. There's Goofy. Oh, there's Goofy. Oh, there's Mickey. Oh, there are some of the princesses from some of the newer movies. Iconic figures. Geppetto.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I know.

[Conan O'Brien]

Geppetto is a tradesman. Geppetto is a woodworker. He's got a. You know, and so I've never seen a Geppetto. Do you see Geppetto much?

[David Hopp]

I actually haven't.

[Wanda Sykes]

David, you go live there. I live there.

[Conan O'Brien]

David practically lives at Disneyland. You never see Geppetto. You're walking and you run smack into Geppetto.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

And, you know, what do you have to do?

[Wanda Sykes]

I.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

So I. I, like, immediately, Shockingly, there was no line to go meet Geppetto.

[Conan O'Brien]

No one. No one wanted to hang out with the old Italian man who is a day laborer.

[Wanda Sykes]

I know.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I'm like, Anna and Ilsa are walking around. Moana's walking around, and they have Geppetto. And no one can.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, of course. No one. He actually, when he walks into the park, they put him out when they want to get people out.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's time to close the park. They say, release Geppetto. And he says, I make it the puppet. I make it to puppet. And people just go streaming out of the park. Yeah, they do. And then.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Wow.

[Conan O'Brien]

We closed right at 6. Closed early. Yeah.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

So I ran right up to him and I.

[Conan O'Brien]

And he's never had anyone do that.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Was he curious as to why you were happy to see him?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

No. I think I was like Geppetto and nobody else was. And then I went up to him and I. I asked if I could take a picture. And I'm. I'm. I put my armor in, like, I interlock my arm around you.

[David Hopp]

So happy in this picture.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I'm so happy. And this is the worst thing that I did, and I sent it to you and a few other people.

[Conan O'Brien]

This is me hanging with my dad at Disneyland. I was so delighted. Because it proved to me that my riff is actually a pretty good one. This is what your dad looks like to me. I'm telling you. It does. It does.

[Wanda Sykes]

This is what your D looks like to me.

[Conan O'Brien]

He looks a lot like that guy. He just doesn't have the glasses on the tip of his nose. But, I mean, that's what your dad looks like to me.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Well, and then also, I mean, we.

[Conan O'Brien]

Because my. My eyes turn everyone into a cartoon character. That's what your dad looks like to me.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

So we cut him out of this picture, But Mikey ran in with me, even though Mikey had absolutely no idea who this was.

[Conan O'Brien]

And probably frightened.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Big fuzzy man. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, he just saw this. This big, frightened. Well, he's Geppetto.

[Wanda Sykes]

Look.

[Conan O'Brien]

Look at that guy. That's not something a kid goes, yay, yay.

[David Hopp]

Thought it was his grandpa.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, he's a guy who's probably being driven out of business, you know?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Because they're making puppets in China now that are much cheaper.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

So Geppetto is a beleaguered figure now,

[Sonam Viswanathan]

and the tariffs are making his material really expensive.

[Conan O'Brien]

Totally fucking over Geppetto. And Geppetto's like, what did I do? This isn't good. And then he goes to the store and there's tons of cheap puppets flooding the market. They're from other countries, you know?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Anyway, I hate you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hate what? Don't hate your father.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

No, don't ever hate your father.

[Conan O'Brien]

I love your father. Why did you say you hate your father?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I said, I hate it when I play into your bits. And, you know, as soon as I sent that text, I was like, why am I calling my dad Geppetto?

[Conan O'Brien]

You kind of threw your dad under the bus.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I did, and I'm sorry to Gil.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I win, okay? Because here's how I win. I got to see you link arms with Geppetto and call him your dad, and you feel badly about it, and so. And your son is scared. I win on every level. Every single level.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Well, congratulations.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yep. Oh, my God.

[David Hopp]

And if anyone wants to see that picture, you can go to Team Coco podcast on Instagram and it'll be. It'll be there for everyone to see.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, it is. That should be your Christmas card next year. It really should.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

No, no, boys. It's just me and Geppetto from Disneyland.

[Conan O'Brien]

All right, well, very excited today. My guest today is an Emmy Award winning comedian, actor, and writer who stars in the new movie Undercard. She's an absolute legend. Wanda Sykes, welcome

[Wanda Sykes]

But even the universe didn't want me to make it here today because my car broke down as I was leaving. It wouldn't start. So the universe was saying, don't do this. Why are you going? Why? Come on, man. Why? Even like the radio came on and music was jamming. It was like, isn't this cool? Just sitting in your driveway listening to some sad day. Why are we leaving?

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, so your car has.

[Wanda Sykes]

And the sun broke through the clouds. It was. It's like, man, you're right.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow. Your car has a self esteem function. Yeah. Do not lower yourself.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

She would rather sit in the car than be here.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Okay. Well, I want to say you killed me a couple of weeks ago. I don't know when this comes out, but you were on the Golden Globes and you. You destroyed me. You were so funny on the Golden Globes.

[Wanda Sykes]

Thank you.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you're just there and you're accepting an award for. I believe it was Ricky Gervais or.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right. I was presenting for best comedy special.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. And you said afterwards Ricky won and you had to accept on his behalf. And you said, I accept on behalf of God and the trans community.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Thank God. Thank God, thank God.

[Conan O'Brien]

And yes, on behalf of God. Did you ever hear from Ricky?

[Wanda Sykes]

I have not. I've not heard from Ricky.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Yeah. That was just fantastic. But you always are. You're just.

[Wanda Sykes]

But I would hope Ricky would. Got it. He got a laugh out of knowing him. You know, I don't know him, but knowing his work, I'm sure he got a good laugh out of it.

[Conan O'Brien]

He'd have been happy with that.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Or not. We'll never know. But it's a real gift to just be able to always be yourself. When you get up, you're always Wanda Sykes, 100%. I mean, anytime I've seen you in your career, your comedic voice is so sharp. And so you and no one else can do that. And I'm thinking when you were first getting up doing standup comedy, did you have access to that? It took me a while to figure out how to be this Conan guy up there.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I'm wondering what early you would have been like. Cause I know you were getting up there in the. Probably 86, 87 around then, right?

[Wanda Sykes]

87.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

I think we all start out, like doing Seinfeld, you know what I'm saying? It's like observational comedy. And we. That's what I was doing. It was all about just writing jokes that I thought, hey, isn't it funny when you know, this happens or whatever. But it was never about me or it, like, into my Persona. It was just what's on paper, the jokes. That's it, you know?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. It was later in life, I guess, when you get confidence. And it also was when I was going through a divorce. That's when it was like, fuck it, let's go. You know? Then it was more of me that came out, and I was like, oh, this is who I'm gonna be. This is who I am. And also, it's easier to just always be yourself. You know, in a way, you could say that I'm kind of lazy. Really. I don't really. Right. I'm not.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's the moral here, really.

[Wanda Sykes]

I'm lazy. Tone in. Let's think of. Listen.

[Conan O'Brien]

But that's where. Really. Where great stuff comes from.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Why give you something else? When I was like, oh, you know, I'm just doing me. I'm just gonna do me.

[Conan O'Brien]

But it is funny how I know me. Early on, I was always echoing what I had grown up watching and what I loved. And so there'd be times where I'm. I'm not me yet. I'm all the things that I really loved. And then it takes a while. All that stuff just gets shed. And eventually it gets melted down, and eventually you start to come out. But it's a process, and that's where it just really helps to get time.

[Wanda Sykes]

Did you have your comedy outfit? Like, your comedy uniform? Like, this is where I have to have this. Because this is. I'm funny wearing this. Like, I would wear hats. I would put a hat on, and I thought, this is funny. This is good. Because if I bomb, I can blame it on the hat.

[Eduardo Perez]

Sure.

[Wanda Sykes]

This hat's not funny.

[Conan O'Brien]

So if you were about to go on and you.

[Wanda Sykes]

I think it. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

If you were about to go on and you couldn't find the funny hat, you'd be like, I can't go out there.

[Wanda Sykes]

I can't go on. Keith Robinson cursed me out. Like, I mean, he just ripped me apart. Because when I moved away from hats, then I needed a sweater. I needed, like a. You know, not a Cosby sweater, but like a. But, you know, where people would go, ooh, that's a nice sweater. So Keith and I were. We were in Philadelphia, and I was gonna go to the Funny Bone, and I didn't have my sweater. Cause we went to the movies. And then I thought we would go back and get my sweater and go to the club. He's like, no, we're going direct to the club. I said, I can't go to the club. I don't have my sweater. And he's like, what do you mean? I said, I need my sweater. He's like, you look fine. I said, no, no, no, I gotta get my comedy sweater. And when I said that, he just ripped me apart. And he was like, I'm not going back. And he took me to the club and I had to go on without the sweater, without the hat. And I did. Okay. So that's when I was like, okay, I don't need these things.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, think of where, Think of where you. You know what? I think my version of that was my hair. I think that the reason I was always. When I found out in my teens that my hair was kind of springy and could. I could have this big shelf hanging out over the front and I started combing it up like that and kind of rockabilly and just. And then. But also part game show host. And I, I think a lot of that was, don't look at me, look at this. Do you know what I mean? It was my hat came with me, my comedy hat. And you look at some of the early late night shows and there are ones where this thing is coming out like three feet and it's going way up in the air. And you're thinking, people at home must have just been saying, what is wrong with him? He looks like a fool.

[Wanda Sykes]

Your hair's in everybody's shot. I'm trying to get you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Every time I turned around, the guest Mr. T would get hit in the face. It's just so funny how everybody. That's this self hating thing, which is very natural, but we don't think we're good enough. Especially when you're. That when you're starting out and you think, I have to. I need all this extra stuff to be able to go up there. And then later on. Now I've been going to these different clubs to try out Oscar material and I'll just. I don't even know what I'm wearing. I'm just wearing a T shirt sometimes. I'm not fixing my hair. I'm not doing anything. Because it took me decades to say, okay, I'll just be me. But I mean, it took a long, long time.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. But here's the other thing. Because I do the same thing. If I'm working out material, like I'm working on my next special and you know, at the Bria Improv, I'm gonna go just like this. Yeah. Because I Don't want the audience to have expectations. Like, if I put on something nice, then they're gonna be like, oh, we getting a real show? Yeah, but if I just come like this. Nah, I got a notepad and I just walked off the street.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's why I'm doing the Oscars.

[Wanda Sykes]

I'm just.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, I'm gonna host the Oscars in a slanket. In the breaks. I just lie down. You know, I never knew this. I mean, I was thinking about you yesterday and today, and that's scary. Doing my research.

[Wanda Sykes]

That makes me a very.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's why your car wouldn't start.

[Wanda Sykes]

That makes me very uncomfortable right now,

[Conan O'Brien]

thinking about you and where do you live?

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, where do you live? When they said, hey, Wanda's here, out in the parking lot, then you started thinking about me. I don't like that.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, no, I'm. I'm good about this stuff.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

But that your dad was an army colonel.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

And so you grow up in Mom a bank or. So you grew up in strict family.

[Wanda Sykes]

Not necessarily.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's what I mean. That would be. The cliche, I guess, is that they'd be strict people. Yeah, I mean, I grew up in a strict family. My dad was like a, you know, academic and scientist, and my mom's a lawyer. And strict in the sense that one of us going into comedy wasn't maybe their first choice.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, but beautiful, lovely people, but real good Catholics, Church people. So I'm just curious if you had that experience.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I mean, they were, you know, black people in the south, so there was always some type of structure, and they were strict, but we had fun. We. You know, they were. My dad was serious about his job, but when he got home, he'd take his uniform off and, you know, he was dad. And also, my. My dad hustled, man. He had side jobs and everything. You know, that's how I fell in love with bowling, I guess, because he would, on weekends, clean the lanes. Yeah. So, yeah, so it was strict from that, you know, looking on the outside, but yeah, inside, you know. Yeah. They were just like, you said, hi. A lot of values, church, all of that. So no someone saying, hey, I'm gonna go do comedy. Yeah. The question was, so. So what was that college I paid for? What was.

[Conan O'Brien]

What was that about?

[Wanda Sykes]

Why. Why did we do that?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's natural.

[Wanda Sykes]

My mother, I talked to her yesterday, was so funny, and she said. She goes, you know, I don't understand, like, when you went in college, why didn't you just take, like, performing arts? Why didn't you go in? I'm like, oh, so now, you know, you putting it back on me. Like, I wasted. You know, it's still going back to college. Like, I wasted college.

[Conan O'Brien]

What did you study?

[Wanda Sykes]

Marketing. Marketing. I was like, I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I was like, no, science. Yep, marketing. That's me. That's it.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then you worked for the NSA for a bit. That's really funny. And okay, here's my question, because a lot of us, before we get out in front of people and start trying to be funny, we have these jobs where you're kind of funny at work. Were you funny at the nsa?

[Wanda Sykes]

I was funny at the nsa. I was funny at the nsa. I kill.

[Conan O'Brien]

Think of the huge security breaches. Think of the terrorists that you weren't caught because you were busy joking around.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, yeah, you know, so you're funny.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're funny at work. And did you have people around you saying, hey, you got to get up there, you got to go?

[Wanda Sykes]

I did. Yeah, I did. But, you know, I was serious about the job. But, but it was, you know, we, we would have a good time, you know, we. But I also knew it got to a point where I was like, this, I can't do this. This is not going to be my life. You know, because you will see, you know, the, the people who, who was on their way out to that retirement thing. And that one dude, he would just, he would just look at the stocks. That's all. You know, all day. And I was like, saving America. Aren't we staying? You know, it's like, yeah, here we go. Saving America. That's right.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Alexa's always telling me to calm down.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I feel like you'll yell at it.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sonam Viswanathan]

I loves me some couch life.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's so comfortable.

[Eduardo Perez]

I have T Mobile. It's great. And I always like to watch those survival shows. And I like to get meat. So like a steak and then like a survival show.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And then the monster's eating the person. You like the meat.

[Eduardo Perez]

Pretend I'm the monster.

[Conan O'Brien]

Exactly. You're a sick guy. Check it out@t mobile.com magentastatus wow. Receive Netflix standard with ads while you maintain a qualifying line in good standing. See dashpass details in the TeaLife app. This is a paid ad by BetterHelp. Women deserve to be celebrated. But we should also recognize that many women carry emotional weight at work, in relationships and families, and in the roles they play for others. Whatever you're navigating, career expectations, parenting, caregiving or More, therapy with BetterHelp can help you check in with yourself, unpack what's feeling heavy and build healthier pathways forward. BetterHelp's the world's largest online therapy platform. Just take a short questionnaire to share your needs and preferences. And thanks to BetterHelp's industry leading match fulfillment rate, they usually get your match right the first time. You can also feel confident knowing betterhelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully qualified. This is a great idea. A lot of people are worried about getting together with the therapist. What if the match doesn't work out? They take care of that. You can try as many different people as you like. It's a very smart system. Your emotional well being matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] Conan that's betterhelp.com Conan. So what was your big break? You're doing comedy and then you. You did a. Was it a contest you entered or was it a. The Coors Light.

[Wanda Sykes]

Coors Light super talent Showcase.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Showcase. Yeah. Radio station in D.C. sponsoring it. And I was like, you know, I should. Maybe I'll write some jokes and go audition for this show.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you're still at the NSA at this point?

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, yeah, I'm still at the nsa.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And so you, you go up, you do this, you enter. And how did it feel? Did it feel right, right away?

[Wanda Sykes]

It did, yeah, it felt right. Like, you know, oh, wow, okay. These people, you know, you get that first laugh and it's like, oh, okay, this is, this works. Yeah, I didn't win, but I was really happy with the way. The way it went and just it felt like I belong here. And Andy Evans, he was the. The mc and he was like, where. Where did you come from? I haven't seen you in the comedy clubs or anything. I was like, yeah, I don't haven't been to a comedy club. And he was like, okay. You know, he just became my mentor. He would show me around comedy clubs and would work with me on material and stuff. So, yeah. And just everything just felt right.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then I know that you.

[Wanda Sykes]

Then I bombed silly the next time.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right, right. Which is classic. Which is classic.

[Wanda Sykes]

People turned their chair, you know, it was.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

And they were.

[Conan O'Brien]

And they were bolted to the floor.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Just like, I gotta get up.

[Conan O'Brien]

You can just get up and turn around.

[Wanda Sykes]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Bam. You could just leave. No, I gotta make a real statement.

[Conan O'Brien]

When did you. You start opening for Chris Rock? Is that right? Is that maybe you do it for a while and then you. Was that a bit of a level up for you?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes. Yeah. By that time I left the NSA and was living in Jersey, I guess, to be closer to New York. And I opened for Chris Rock when he was. He was about to do Bring the Pain. Yeah, yeah. And that. Yeah, that was a big come up for me, I guess, because he remembered me when he got his talk show.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

And asked me.

[Conan O'Brien]

Chris Rock show.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. And asked me to submit some writing samples.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. So you were a writer on the Chris Rock show, which was great. And then you guys win the Emmy, which is still very bitter for me. So I know we were nominated. And then Chris gets up and says, well, I think Conan should have got this. And I wanted to stand up and say, then why can't I have it?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh, my God.

[Wanda Sykes]

But when Chris said that, we all went, shut up, Chris.

[Conan O'Brien]

Shut up, Chris. But. But if. Yeah, you don't. You can't be bitter when the Chris Rock show wins. You just can't be. It was so great. And so I.

[Wanda Sykes]

That if you want to win that NAACP Image Award, you can't. That would slip right through your fingers too, didn't you?

[Conan O'Brien]

I was so close, but I stood up in the audience. And I said, why?

[Wanda Sykes]

Why?

[Conan O'Brien]

And then I think I said on camera, when will the white man get a break? Which was a mistake. Remember that? And then you were like, conan. And I'm like, you're right, Conan.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

That was a bad idea.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's been thousands of years. When is it our turn?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh, wow.

[Conan O'Brien]

But anyway, you people are now looking. Did I really say that? No. What did you learn working in a writer's room?

[Wanda Sykes]

AI, I can make it look like you did.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Do it, do it, do it.

[Conan O'Brien]

When did you. Cause I always think, I don't know if you had the same experience, but once I got into a writer's room, I felt like I had been fish that had been flopping around in the desert for the first 20 something years of my life. And then someone put me into a pond. That's what it felt like to me. Did you feel that way about being in a writer's room?

[Wanda Sykes]

You know what? I was the only one female writer, and the guys that I was with, they were so supportive. So, yeah, so I kind of just felt like I was at home. You know, they actually, you know, who was a really big help, because I would. I would write things, and they were just like these long monologues. And Louis CK he was on the show and he. He looked at my. At my stuff. He goes, wanda, you have a lot of jokes. And he knew me, as, you know, from stand up, he goes, you got. He said, instead of writing these long rants, he said, look at the newspaper and just write a joke on an article. That's all he said. This is what this is. He says, and then if you got a sketch bit, do that. Okay, great. And then every week, I was just getting jokes in. You show up and you think, oh, I'm writing for Chris Rock, so I need to write this big long monologue. You don't think that it's just kind

[Conan O'Brien]

of a rant, throw away jokes? Yeah, I need to write, like this thing that goes on for a couple of pages.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right, right. So then once I got it, I'm like, okay, I can follow directions. I got it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. What's a real discipline, too? Cause on Saturday Night Live, they used to say, we'd do all our weird sketches in the week, and then on Saturday, they would say, come in in the morning and write weekend update jokes. And just to supplement whatever Herb Sargent and whoever was at the update desk was doing at the time, it was Dennis Miller, I think. And you'd sit there and you'd just be going through the News. And I started to learn. Right. This is something I hadn't really done before, but I see the game. There's a game to this, and you just gotta try and figure it out. But it was a great discipline. And so you do that, and then what happens after you're done with the Chris Rock Show? What was the next step?

[Wanda Sykes]

Steve Martin had a show, the Downer Channel, and I had a meeting with him, and I'm like, it's Steve Martin. I'm gonna do it. And when he pitched me the idea of the show, I was like, oh, God, this is awful. This is gonna be awful. And I don't even know if I'm right for this, but I'm like, but it's Steve Martin. So I was like, yes. And we did the Downer Channel. And then from there, I forgot what happened after that.

[Conan O'Brien]

You lost the whole 15 years. It says here you were in a coma for a while.

[Wanda Sykes]

I think I worked on. I think I worked on my hour. That's what it is. Yeah. I went back to stand up and I was working on my hour. And that's when I think Tongue Untied probably came out. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That process of getting an hour, I don't think people realize because now the way entertainment works, streaming, the minute someone has an hour, sometimes even before they really have an hour, before they have an hour, before they have an hour, when they have 20 minutes, they need to come out with their hour special. And the minute it comes out, people can say, that was great. Where's the next one?

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Conan O'Brien]

And it used to be, if you think about the history of this whole thing, people would develop vaudeville. They'd develop their hour and do it for 40 years.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

And now it's. That was great. And so it's like a band that has their first album and it's everything they've been playing all those years. And people are like, that's fantastic. We need the next album in six months.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yep. Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And they're like, huh, I can't. So that's a huge achievement to get that first hour.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. And I'm. You know, I. I take at least three years. I think three years is the. The shortest time that I've turned around and did another hour. I usually take at least four or five years. You know, you tour with it, you gotta. Yeah, you. I mean, you know, when it's special. I mean, sometimes there's hours and then it's special. And I remember when I shot my first hour, the advice Chris Rock gave me, he said, make make sure it's special. Don't go up there and do a set. Do a special. Like, okay, all right, well. And then, you know, thinking about it. Okay, now I. I get what he was saying. Because, you know, you can watch some stuff and you go, okay, that was an hour.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, you legally.

[Wanda Sykes]

It was an hour.

[Conan O'Brien]

You legally met the requirements.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes, exactly. Great job. It clocked in.

[Conan O'Brien]

Here is your certificate. Yeah, yeah, clocked in. You have had this really great career where standup's your first love, and you're just.

[Wanda Sykes]

Until now.

[Conan O'Brien]

Until.

[Wanda Sykes]

Terrific.

[Conan O'Brien]

But what are you talking about?

[Wanda Sykes]

Until I got here.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, this. Oh, look. Present dip accepted.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

This is a low point.

[Conan O'Brien]

This is a low point.

[Wanda Sykes]

I bounce back from this.

[Conan O'Brien]

When people do the podcast, I can see them often texting their agent while I'm talking to them. And it's usually what happened? Or we need to talk.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's time for a comeback special.

[Conan O'Brien]

For a comeback special. Everyone does their comeback special after the Conan podcast.

[Wanda Sykes]

So about that. Dancing with the Stars.

[Conan O'Brien]

Curb your enthusiasm. Obviously, you have such a strong, undeniably unique comedic voice. And I can tell, like, you with Larry is just. If someone. Long before you did it, if someone had just said, wanda and Larry, I'd have been like, oh, yeah, that has to happen. Is that how you felt when that came about?

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, big fan of the show. And I knew that one of the producers on the show, and she said, oh, we gotta get you on there. And I'm like, okay, I would love to. I said, but, look, I can't audition. I said, I'm horrible at, you know, in the audition process. I said, and I don't. It'll just kill me if I, like, just not funny in front of Larry David. I can't. So don't. Please don't put me through that. I said, just, I'm just gonna be a fan of the show. She's like, okay, all right. And then she said, hey, we're shooting around the corner, you know, from you, so why don't you come over to this car dealership? Cause we're shooting here and. And Larry just wants to say hi. I said, oh, I get to meet him. She's like, yeah, yeah. Okay. So I walk in, and there's Larry. And Larry goes, hey, Wand. I know that tush anywhere. I was like. I was like, what the fuck did you just say? And I said, why would you say that? And we would. And we just got into it. He goes, you got the job. I'm like, what? Like, she tricked me. Did he say we were rolling.

[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, by the way, we were rolling. What is. It is so funny. That's hilarious. But also, when you hang with Larry, you're in the show, he is that guy, and you can be with him just hanging out at a party, and he'll come in with a plate of food, and you're talking to people, and he'll be like, don't you kind of hate it when people interrupt you with a plate of food? When you're. And you're like, you're doing a bit. You're doing a bit. And you say, no, no, no. I'm just saying, you're like, there's no camera here, but it's delightful because you get to be. If you're in his life, you're on that show in some way.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, that's how it feels like. But, yeah, you were just perfect.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I enjoyed it. But I don't like being around him, though, Honestly, Rhonda, Nobody does, Right?

[Conan O'Brien]

Nobody does.

[Wanda Sykes]

He likes making you feel uncomfortable. Like, at lunch, I'm walking it, and I see him coming, and I'm like, oh, you know, I don't want to sit with him. I don't want to eat with Larry.

[Conan O'Brien]

He says to eat alone.

[Wanda Sykes]

I don't want to eat with him. I go sit over with the grips. I'm like, I'm not. No.

[Conan O'Brien]

We should make it clear. No one wants to hang out with him.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay. All right.

[Conan O'Brien]

Always alone.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

He's always alone.

[Wanda Sykes]

All right.

[Conan O'Brien]

Because I think he loves to be. He loves to be annoying. He just loves to. I mean, he loves that hitting that frequency. And he's so good at it.

[Wanda Sykes]

He's the best. The best at it.

[Conan O'Brien]

I want to talk about your personal life for a second because I find it interesting. I know you talked somewhere about how you thought coming out was important. It helped you get up in front of people and you felt like, be more honest or before you had been holding back a little bit. Is that the case?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Yeah. Before, you know, it's. I knew that I had this, you know, secret or whatever, and so I had to have somewhat of a protection. And it's just sitting there in the back of your brain, you know? So it's like, I don't want to push too much because somebody might yell out, you know, you're a lesbian, or, hey, you're gay. So it's like, okay, I don't. Let me just. At arm's distance, let me, you know, protect myself. But once I came out, it was like, windows down, you know, roof Back, you know, let's, let's, let's go. So I just felt. I just liberated that there was nothing that I had to hide, you know?

[Eduardo Perez]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's like you were carrying something.

[Wanda Sykes]

You put it down or it's like

[Conan O'Brien]

a version of the funny hat or the sweater. It's just like, no, no, no, this is me. And.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. There's nothing you can say now to, you know, that would, you know, hurt me or whatever.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. People shout that at me a lot.

[Wanda Sykes]

A lot. You're a lesbian.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're a lesbian.

[David Hopp]

It's usually just Sona.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's usually Sona. Sona follows me in the clubs.

[Wanda Sykes]

Well, maybe you shouldn't have gotten a tattoo.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I know I've met your wife. She's French.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes, she is.

[Conan O'Brien]

And is there a culture clash there? Because with the French, you know, just like your wife, she's from this very different situation. How does it manifest itself in your relationship?

[Wanda Sykes]

I mean, everything. I mean, even from like just, I mean, food alone, it's, you know, there's no snacking. So. Yeah, snacks, they don't do that. I gotta like, sneak get my snacks, you know, Like, I would like, go out in the car, eat a couple potato chips and I'll come in the house. She was like, is that I smell. Is that chips?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Is she smoking? I'm sorry, I saw you.

[Wanda Sykes]

She doesn't smoke. It's just how I see her.

[Conan O'Brien]

I see her.

[Wanda Sykes]

That's just how I see her.

[Conan O'Brien]

She has an invisible space. Cigarette.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

That is fantastic.

[Wanda Sykes]

But, but yeah, it's. It's the three meals, but it's. They're great meals, you know that because it comes with wine and champagne, you know, and there's like a little pre meal before, you know, pre snack before the meal.

[Conan O'Brien]

Maybe if you had wine with your potato chip, she would be. She'd be okay with it.

[Wanda Sykes]

We've done that.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're there with your Pringles.

[Wanda Sykes]

She's like, time for that peril, you know, and. And there's a little, like some pistachios, maybe a little saucy sauce and some champagne. I said, oh, I can get down with this. This is. Now we talking, you know, and then you have your lunch and then you get to do that again for dinner. You get to have a little pre game for the dinner.

[Conan O'Brien]

They know. They know a thing or two in France about how to live. Yeah, it's that we haven't figured out.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right. We were in Mexico and she wanted to buy these bowls and she was you know, just, you know, going back and forth with the guy. She also speaks Spanish. So she was going back and forth with a guy, and, you know, guy was like, 700. And she was like, no, four. And the guy was like, all right, you know, four. So. And I heard he asked her where she was from. She said, oh, Belgium. Right. So, like, why? She said, she's from Belgium. So we get outside, and I'm like, why'd you tell that man you're from Belgium? She's like, well, I didn't want the French to look bad. I didn't want to think badly of the French. Like, that's the kind of shit French people do, you know? That's exactly what French people would do. I'm not going to take responsibility for that. No.

[Conan O'Brien]

Now you've got teenagers, twin teenagers. Do they think you're funny? Will they give it up? My kids. My kids are very wary of giving it up for me. And I get it. They're like. They're very happy to put me down, and rightfully so.

[Wanda Sykes]

They do it. They love doing it. Olivia was like, about two years ago, yeah. Mother's Day, she gave me a pet rock.

[Conan O'Brien]

I haven't heard of those. I think those were big in, like, 1976. The Pet Rock.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. And you could decorate it. You could put, like, the googly eyes and little crazy hair on it. And she was like, isn't that great? I was like, you know, my mother would have thrown this at me, and I'd given her a rock. A rock. I said, you are a very blessed little girl right now. But she thought it was funny, but, you know, to do that. So it's that type of thing where they know what I do and they know that people know me. So to them, they feel like it's their job just to. Just to bring you down a little bit. Just to chop you down a little bit. So I, you know, I get it. They did come to a show this summer. I did a little European tour, and they came to the show in Paris, and they were the first two backstage, and they were like, oh, mom, that was so cool. That was great.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, great.

[Wanda Sykes]

Wow. You know. So they enjoyed the show.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

But mom at home. Nah, I'm not funny. Yeah, they don't give it up at all.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's better that way.

[Wanda Sykes]

I think so, too.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wouldn't it be creepy if they're like, you were just so funny?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

What?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I know it would be. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it was so funny. Lucas was through a little phase when he was, like, maybe 10. Because, you know, we're out in the streets, and some people, you know, like, hey, Wanda. You know, Wanda Sykes, what's up? And they would go, why are they. Why are people young? I said, I don't know. They just. You know, maybe that's somebody I went to school with or whatever. That would try to downplay it. Lucas went through this phase for, like, three months. Whenever I walked in the house, he would go, wanda Sykes,

[Conan O'Brien]

Get it up.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Make some noise.

[Wanda Sykes]

I just said, that's how people do it. So he's a Wanda.

[Conan O'Brien]

Sides, that would be creepy. That would. Yeah, yeah. Let's talk about the movie, because this is. I was saying your stand up is your. Feels like that's your lifeblood. But you're a good actor. You are a very good actor. And this opportunity to do this film, how did it come about? Undercard.

[Wanda Sykes]

Tamika Miller, the director and co writer of the script, she reached out to me, and she's like, look, I have this project. It's for you. I wrote it with you in mind. I would love to send you the materials. I'm like, okay. All right. And I read the script and looked at the materials. I was like, oh. And I said, this is good. And so I called her. I said, so Queen Latifah said no, right? Was like, no. I'm telling you, this is. I. I had you in mind for this. So I was like, you know, I. I don't know if I can pull it off. I said, I've never done a drama. And I. She's like, I. Believe me. I think, just trust me, you can do this. And, you know, we met and kind of, like, went through the script. Yeah. And I was like, okay. And, you know, she just had so much faith that I could do it. I'm like, well, I'm gonna prove her wrong, you know?

[Eduardo Perez]

Really?

[Conan O'Brien]

You have faith in me, huh? Well, watch this. Yeah. But you do a very good job. And your character, whose name is no Mercy, that's her nickname, you have this world weariness that seems real, like you're dealing with a lot. Your character's dealing with a lot. And you're getting evicted, and you're going through some intense stuff, and you're going through intense stuff with your son, and you aren't putting any comedy air quotes around it at all. Do you know what I mean? Which I think is that's another scary thing to do, but you did it really well.

[Wanda Sykes]

Thank you.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I don't know what is it like for you to sit and watch yourself in this situation where you are so not going for laughs. Did that feel scary at all to you?

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I know, like, after a take, she was. She would say, okay. And I said, you sure? She's like, yeah, I got it. And I'm like, yeah, but what. You know, is there something else that you need? She's like, wanda, I got it. Let's Come on. Let's move on. But for me to go back and watch, I couldn't go watch the takes, you know, And I'm glad she didn't say, you want to see it? You know, so I didn't see it until it was. Until it was, you know, completed. And then my notes. A lot of my notes were more about. We were just, you know, the story, moving the story along.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, it's so interesting because you go along in a situation where you know when something's working because you hear this very specific sound, but then you're in a situation where that is not the goal anymore. I mean, in the limited experience I've had doing any kind of acting, it's been, well, where's the laugh? And you're like, there isn't one, you moron. You moron. There's no. And you really need to shed all of that. Put it away. Cause that is not the point of what we're doing anymore. And this has nothing to do with that world. And so that's always a new level of terror. Because, you know, especially when you're trying these things and, you know. You know, you're not. You're not 25. You're like, okay, I've done some standup, and now I'm gonna try this. It's just a whole. You've been relying on a certain rhythm for a really long time, and now it's this. It's. I don't know. I found it terrifying anytime I've had to be in that kind of situation, you know.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Yeah, it is. But I knew I couldn't do it. You know, I was like. I said, wanda, you cannot, like, do the wink at the camera. You can't.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

You can't.

[Conan O'Brien]

Just one.

[Wanda Sykes]

You can't. You know, you just. Yeah, you have to lock in. It's the only way this thing is gonna work. And the crew, everyone who worked on that film, they were. You can see them, like, rooting for me.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, that's nice.

[Wanda Sykes]

The cast, everyone, you know, after that first day, they was like, oh, this connect. Okay, come on, y'. All, let's Move faster. Hey, hey, come on, come on. You know she ain't bullshitting. Come on there, everybody. Come on, come on, come on. I mean, everyone. I mean, everyone just like, oh, all right. We might have something here. Let's go.

[Conan O'Brien]

So are you interested in doing more? That's. That's always the question. You'll be getting a lot. Is the acting, you know, just film acting. You know, doing this kind of.

[Wanda Sykes]

It's gonna be project by project based on that, you know, I'm not looking for another dramatic role. You know, I like making people laugh. I wanna. Yes, comedy's my. That's my love. So I, you know, that's what I'm looking for next.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wanda, congrats. You're getting great reviews. Undercard is in theaters now. And I want you to come back soon. Cause I love talking to you. You're hilarious. And you're also. I know you to be a really great person. So it's always a delight to hang with you.

[Wanda Sykes]

Thank you, Cohen. I love you too.

[Conan O'Brien]

I hope now you're no longer indifferent.

[Wanda Sykes]

Well, you know I love you, but, you know, we'll see.

[Conan O'Brien]

Say hello to the all new Alexa plus and see how Alexa can do so much more for you. Need last minute concert tickets, Craving your favorite restaurant? Just sit back, relax, and talk naturally. Alexa's on it. You know what? I cannot speak naturally. I've never done that.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Alexa's always telling me to calm down.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I feel like you'll yell at it.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I would never yell at Alexa. Alexa remembers what you love, anticipates what you need, and makes it all happen. Alexa brings thousands of possibilities to life, ready whenever inspiration strikes. And now Alexa is free with prime on your Amazon devices like echo and Fire TV. Amazon.com Alexaplus on eBay, every find has a story. Like if you're looking for a vintage band tee, the one you wore everywhere until you lost it. Womp, womp. Or your brother Neil burned it.

[Wanda Sykes]

Aw.

[Conan O'Brien]

Now you're on ebay. And there it is. The things you love have a way of finding their way back to you. Especially on ebay. From rare collectibles and vintage cars to designer fashion, it's all there. You can find it if it's out there. And it can be back in your loving arms. Shop ebay for millions of finds, each with a story. EBay, things people love. All right, now, now, David, you very kindly last night drove me out to Covina. Yeah, I am trying out some material and I went to the Chatterbox, which is a Terrific comedy club that Lori Kilmartin told me about out in Covina. And so you said, hey, I'll give you a lift. Very kindly. And you and I were driving and I tried to play my tunes through your car. Yeah.

[David Hopp]

You said you wanted to be the dj.

[Conan O'Brien]

I wanted to be the dj. And you said, well, just use my phone. Cause it's already hooked up.

[David Hopp]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

So I got a brief glimpse.

[David Hopp]

It was the biggest regret of my life.

[Conan O'Brien]

I got a brief glimpse, you know. Cause I see all of my, you know, I have my DJ list.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And it's all rockabilly songs and then the Clash and then, you know, it's just this. It's all this different stuff. Stuff from the 90s, but it's pretty fast rock and you know, sort of jet fueled rock and roll. Percussive. And then you said, just use my phone. And you hand me your phone.

[Wanda Sykes]

Why?

[David Hopp]

I did this on my phone and

[Conan O'Brien]

I could see your Spotify.

[David Hopp]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And what did I see? The first thing I saw, first thing,

[David Hopp]

I hand him the phone and I just hear, oh my God.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh no.

[Conan O'Brien]

What was the very first thing?

[David Hopp]

It was a Hilary Duff playlist. And then I recently went to the Pantages to see the Notebook, the musical. So I was listening to the very

[Conan O'Brien]

first thing I saw was the Notebook. And then like seven songs from the Notebook.

[David Hopp]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then.

[David Hopp]

Great soundtrack.

[Wanda Sykes]

It.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

It is, it is a great sound.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm not aware. Okay, what is that? The, what's, what are the songs like? Is Notebook a song?

[David Hopp]

No.

[Conan O'Brien]

Notebook. I feel you with my thoughts. You're a notebook. Nixon was a crook. You were a Notebook. Okay, so what it's based on the movie.

[Eduardo Perez]

It's not a, a, a musical about a notebook.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's based on opportunity, beautiful music.

[David Hopp]

It's like picture if you and Ryan Reynold singing in that bit you did with him for the Notebook.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right. Made out with Ryan Reynolds.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Well, listen, that was first thing I saw. Then there's a lot of Hillary Duff.

[David Hopp]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Who I think is lovely. I love Hilary Duff. Who does it.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

And. And then I started flipping through. You just had.

[David Hopp]

Oh, well, I'm going to see the Backstreet Boys next week, so. I had them on there too.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

All right.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know, it was, it was fascinating. A quick glimpse into how we're different.

[David Hopp]

Just a little.

[Conan O'Brien]

Just a little bit.

[Wanda Sykes]

Just a little different.

[Conan O'Brien]

A little bit. And no, it wasn't. I don't judge. I'm not a judge. Oh, you're not?

[David Hopp]

Who are you talking to? I'm sorry.

[Conan O'Brien]

Let's take a poll. Who thinks Conan judges, Not a guy who judges. I don't see how we're different. I only see how we're the same.

[David Hopp]

Who is this guy?

[Conan O'Brien]

This is the guy. I wish I was. Is it the guy I asked? I don't know. No, it's not.

[David Hopp]

I hate this guy.

[Conan O'Brien]

No. Yeah, I was. How long? I mean, what else would I have found if we had gone through. Seriously? Let's talk about what else I would have found if I'd kept scrolling.

[David Hopp]

Oh, God. Well, you would have found some audiobooks. I'm listening to one called you'll Never know.

[Wanda Sykes]

I think you'd like.

[Conan O'Brien]

What's that about?

[David Hopp]

It's like a murder mystery kidnapping book.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay.

[David Hopp]

It's really good.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay.

[David Hopp]

You would have found some, like, you know, any music that.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Like a carryover.

[David Hopp]

Some Sabrina Carpenter.

[Conan O'Brien]

So I get the most excited text from you the other night because you got last minute tickets to go see Hillary Duff and you lost your mind, which was very sweet. I like that.

[David Hopp]

Dare I say it was the greatest night of my life?

[Conan O'Brien]

But you've seen me perform.

[David Hopp]

Oh, dare I say it was the greatest night of my life.

[Conan O'Brien]

That's quite a dare. You.

[David Hopp]

It was in the same venue. I've seen you perform at the Wiltern.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, it was at the. She did a show at the Wilton.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you said you saw her and that it was transcendent.

[David Hopp]

It was like. The crowd was incredible. She was amazing. She did all the throwbacks and some new ones from the unreleased album that you guys are all excited for.

[Conan O'Brien]

We should get her in here. I act like I could just summon her. No, this isn't one of those things where I. That's so sad, David. Just looked like I've arranged to have her here. David, who do you think I am?

[David Hopp]

Aren't you like the Oprah of comedy?

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I'm really not. That's so funny. You looked for a second like, oh, my God. Well, David, guess what? We have a surprise for you.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

I can have a publicist try to get her on the podcast and she'll probably say no. Oh, no. Love to have her here, but she was a big part of your growing up.

[David Hopp]

Everything. Yeah. All her music.

[Conan O'Brien]

What was the show she was on?

[David Hopp]

Lizzie McGuire.

[Conan O'Brien]

Lizzie McGuire.

[David Hopp]

They were supposed to bring it back and then it didn't happen. We're all devastated. The Liz McGuire movie. A classic.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay. She's also in Agent Cody Banks.

[David Hopp]

Agent Cody Banks. And then you've watched.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

How do you know Agent Cody Banks.

[Wanda Sykes]

Thanks.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

How did you know that?

[Conan O'Brien]

I was a big investor.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh, oh, okay. All right.

[Conan O'Brien]

Put everything I had into it. Oh, did. Okay, yeah. No, I don't even know why I know that. I just remembered her being in that movie.

[David Hopp]

You were traveling somewhere and it was on.

[Conan O'Brien]

Oh, I think I watched it. It's one of those movies where I watched some of it over someone's shoulder on a plane without sound.

[David Hopp]

So creepy.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Conan.

[Conan O'Brien]

So creepy.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

That's a weird thing to say.

[Conan O'Brien]

Everyone does that to. Just look at. Everybody watches. You're on an airplane flight, and someone usually on the other aisle, like one or two rows up is watching a movie, and you're too lazy, that being me, to, like, oh, I'm supposed to go find which movie I'm gonna watch. But I just start looking over someone's shoulder, and they're usually about a third of the way in. And I just start watching it without sound and trying to figure out what's going on. No one else has done this here. I've done it. Eduardo, have you done it?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

I've done it. I don't.

[Conan O'Brien]

I've definitely peaked people around, but I'm

[Sonam Viswanathan]

not, like, full on watching you.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I'll kind of watch it because you kind of try and figure out what's, you know, what's going on and. Oh, okay, I see. Cody's gotta get his way out of that volcano. Oh, look, there's Hilary Duff. She must be the love interest. I don't know. You just watch those things. I've watched many movies like that.

[Eduardo Perez]

It's also way better than what happened to you on a plane where someone was watching you and saw you.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, I've had that experience where someone was watching a monologue of mine and looking over, and if the joke was good, they would turn and give me a thumbs up. I can't hear it. Cause they've got their headphones on.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Oh, God.

[Conan O'Brien]

And they were watching my monologue, and I had. This is a bunch of years ago. And they were watching. It was when they have the. You know, it's tv. So they're watching the show that was dropping right then that I had taped a few hours before. And this person kept. They would turn around and I can just see me making stupid gestures and looking like a fool. And then you can tell my rhythm. And then I hit the punchline and the person turned to me on the first one and gave me a thumbs up. And I'm like, oh, well, that's good. And then I saw them. I was Trying to rack my brain, because just a few hours later. What was the second joke? Was the second joke any good? And then I kind of had a bad feeling, and I can see. I know my timing, and I see that I finished that joke. And the person turns to me and did the eh gesture. And I'm like, are we gonna do this the whole flight? Good one. Not so good one. Anyway, so I had that experience. But I really do like watching someone else's movie and trying to figure it out.

[David Hopp]

My last flight, so don't look at this. I was watching heated rivalry, but I like. I'm on a flight, so I, like, sat with my phone like this, covering everything.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Blanket over you, and you'll pay.

[Conan O'Brien]

So you're basically watching. Is it porn?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's not porn. Well, don't help me away from the show. I'm not trying to tender and it's sweet.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, no, but there's nudity.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

The first two episodes are, like, real fun. There's butts. Well, we talked about.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, we talked about that. And I think everyone's talking about heated rivalry now. They don't need any help from us anymore. I think we got them safely launched.

[David Hopp]

You did it all.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

It's a movie you can comfortably watch or a show you can comfortably watch on an airplane.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah.

[Eduardo Perez]

Same thing happened to me with. I'm watching the show industry, which I love right now. And there is. And it's kind of all going fine. It's about finance, but sometimes there's some sex scenes, and there is a. All of a sudden a reveal where she's wearing a huge strap on, and I. I, like, jumped forward in my seat to block. But they. The people next to me saw what I was watching, and that was.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, they probably just thought, you know, suspicions confirmed.

[Eduardo Perez]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

But El Creepo in seat 7D, it's

[Eduardo Perez]

way better than the time where. So the Dark Knight Rises had just come out. And it was that time where it was on planes, but you couldn't watch it anywhere else. It was out of the theaters, but wasn't on streaming. And I just really.

[Conan O'Brien]

I spent.

[Eduardo Perez]

I'm not kidding, probably an hour and a half just watching the Bane scenes because. Just over and over. And then I realized what I was doing, and I looked over, and the woman next to me was horrified, like, trying not to look at me. And I realized, oh, yeah, I've just been watching Bane for an hour.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Why were you just watching this?

[Conan O'Brien]

He's cool, man.

[Eduardo Perez]

Bane's cool.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Come on.

[David Hopp]

You would just, like, finish it and then. Then just rewind to that.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, because.

[Eduardo Perez]

Yeah, exactly. I was molded in the dock. What?

[Sonam Viswanathan]

You just forwarded to the scenes with Bane?

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, Those are cool scenes.

[Eduardo Perez]

Bane's cool.

[Conan O'Brien]

Come on, guys.

[Eduardo Perez]

I'm not the only guy who thinks Bane's cool in here.

[Conan O'Brien]

Not at all.

[Eduardo Perez]

All right, well, I think we're out of time. The rap light is on.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

Let that linger. That is weird.

[Conan O'Brien]

Rap line came up. Rap came us in. Okay, so.

[Wanda Sykes]

Wow.

[Eduardo Perez]

I completely derailed that.

[Conan O'Brien]

We can cut.

[Eduardo Perez]

I'm sorry.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

No,

[Conan O'Brien]

I thought we were all sharing scenes.

[Eduardo Perez]

I thought we were sharing stuff on planes.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

When I rewatched Heated Rivalry, I forward to the sex scene like a normal person. But, like, I just didn't know people forwarded it to, like, all Bane scenes in the.

[Conan O'Brien]

In the Dark Knight, everybody. Blade. All right, listen, I'm proud of everyone here. I don't even know why I said that. Oh, this is just a segment, right?

[David Hopp]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, so there's no fun thing at the end where I go, our next guest?

[David Hopp]

No, you just say, bye.

[Conan O'Brien]

I so don't know what happens on this thing anymore.

[Sonam Viswanathan]

That's okay.

[Conan O'Brien]

Listen, you're doing your best. You know what? You should be proud of your set list of music.

[David Hopp]

Thank you.

[Conan O'Brien]

You know what I mean? It's yours. It means something to you. It means nothing to me.

[David Hopp]

No.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I judge you for. For it negatively.

[David Hopp]

You're welcome for driving you to Covina last night.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's just literally a few streets away from my home. Peace out.

[Narrator/Producer]

Conan o' Brien needs a friend. With Conan o', Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley produced by me, Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow. Theme song by the White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer. Samples, engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Bautista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign [e-mail] Conan and if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a friend. Wherever fine podcasts are downloaded

[Conan O'Brien]

foreign. We've all been there you hold on

[Narrator/Producer]

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[Conan O'Brien]

and suddenly it's Expired. Expired in 2012. Dang it. Fortunately, by switching to Geico, you could save about 900 on car insurance without ever touching a coupon. It feels good to save big. It feels good to geico.

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