INTERVIEW: Wanda Sykes Talks 'Undercard,' Comedy Career; Chris Rock; Oscars Slap, Mike Epps + More

Summary

The Breakfast Club: Interview with Wanda Sykes

Podcast: The Breakfast Club – The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Lorna Laros
Guest: Wanda Sykes
Episode Air Date: March 30, 2026
Main Theme: Wanda Sykes discusses her new film "Undercard," her comedy and acting career, her views on the evolution of comedy, personal growth, representation, and memorable moments in the industry.

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Episode Overview

This episode features comedy legend Wanda Sykes, who joins The Breakfast Club team for a candid, lively, and humorous conversation. Topics range from her new dramatic film "Undercard" to her path into comedy, lessons from her collaborations with Chris Rock, the changing landscape of comedy, personal reflections on family, activism, and the ever-viral Oscars slap incident. Through honest anecdotes and witty banter, Wanda shares insights into her career philosophy, the challenges of navigating Hollywood, and her purpose as an artist and creator.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Wanda's Comedy Origins & Early Career

• Entry into Comedy: Wanda describes growing up watching classic variety shows with her family, which fueled her love for making people laugh and inspired her to eventually leave her government job for stand-up.
  • “I worked at NSA...but I know something else I was supposed to be doing...I wrote jokes and...got on stage, lights came on for me.” (05:26–06:14)
• Chris Rock Show Experience: Landing her first big break as both a writer and performer on "The Chris Rock Show," she credits Chris Rock for assembling a diverse, talented writers' room and empowering creativity.
  • “Chris...put together a team and just let everybody be themselves.” (07:01–07:37)

Navigating Comedy's Evolution and Cancel Culture

• Comedy and Truth: Wanda asserts that uncomfortable truths are still possible in comedy but acknowledges how big audiences influence content choices.
  • “If I'm trying to fill an arena...you gotta appeal to the masses...sometimes what the masses want to hear…it's ugly.” (08:53–09:31)
• On Offending Audiences: She encourages comics to stay true to themselves, even if that means a smaller, but more genuine, following.
  • “If what I want to say...only gonna get maybe 600 people, then those are the 600 people…you're supposed to be speaking to.” (09:47–10:09)
• Punching Up vs. Down: Wanda aims to "punch up" in her comedy due to her position as a Black queer woman but recognizes that punchlines can land if coming from a place of love, not mean-spiritedness.
  • “You can punch down and be funny, but if it's coming from a place of love...it's a difference when it's mean.” (12:58–13:35)

Pushing Boundaries & Notable Comedy Moments

• Writing Edgy Jokes: She recalls writing controversial jokes that were too far even for the 90s, like a Ray Carruth joke that “killed at rehearsal” but was wisely cut from air.
  • Notable quote: “It was bad...Chris was like, you know I ain't gonna do that joke. Damn good joke, but you know I ain't gonna do this.” (14:12–15:05)

Breaking Ground in Drama: "Undercard"

• Transition to Drama: Wanda took on a challenging, non-comedic role in "Undercard," despite initial doubts.
  • “I was not looking for the role at all...I read the script...it was good...Can I pull this off?” (16:12–17:13)
• Emotional Depth & Personal Loss: She drew from losing her longtime dog to access the emotional range needed for the part.
  • “I didn't know I could go...places where this movie required me to. Losing my dog really helped me to get emotional.” (22:28–22:56)
• Impact of Drama: Performing drama made Wanda confront emotions she might previously have joked away—an experience likened to a different kind of grieving.
  • “Comics...always find a way to make something funny...But yeah, that's...what we do to get out of it, not just sit with it.” (23:16–23:38)

Family, Faith, and Identity

• Reconciliation with Parents: Wanda describes her evolving relationship with her parents after their initial struggle to accept her marriage and sexuality, highlighting eventual understanding and love.
  • “They realized that I was moving on with my life, and they realized that I was happy and...confident.” (29:19–29:36)
• Faith and Acceptance: Emphasizing her strong Christian faith, Wanda discusses how misconceptions about religion and sexuality were challenged and ultimately transformed within her family.
  • “We’re trying to put God in this box...God is blessing her, and they had to get to that place...” (30:10–30:57)
• On Labels and Representation: The hosts discuss identity labels in media, touching on her "Undercard" character being described as "butch" and how representation is handled in her creative projects (39:21–40:53).

Industry Reflections & Memorable Collaborations

• The Upshaws’ End & Creative Disagreements: Wanda clarifies rumors around the conclusion of her Netflix show "The Upshaws," noting that it was a natural creative wrap, not due to disagreements or storylines about her character's sexuality.
  • “It was just a difference of opinions, that's all...I thought we did a good job and I'm happy with the way we finished it.” (41:00–42:21)
• Hampton University Special: Filming her comedy special at her alma mater was both a homecoming and a creative risk, motivated by a desire to uplift HBCUs.
  • “Going back to my school...Is this material going to work with them?...I mean, killed it, killed it, killed it.” (44:19–44:29)
  • "Let's go home. Let's go home." (45:15–45:53)

The Oscars Slap & Industry Trauma

• On the Oscars Slap: Wanda opens up about the shock and physical sickness she felt as co-host during the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident, and about how it reopened conversations on race, respect, and professionalism in Hollywood.
  • “I was working that night...I watched my co-worker get popped...Not supposed to happen.” (46:58–47:42)
  • "It just even sickened me more watching everybody just sit out there and...not react...I was like, I'm done with y'all." (47:17–47:42)
• On Hosting Awards Shows: She’s ambivalent about ever hosting the Oscars again, calling it a “thankless job,” but wouldn’t categorically rule it out.
  • Notable: “I'm not gonna say I would never host again, but I probably will never host again." (49:02–49:11)

Advocacy and Purpose

• Immigrant Rights & Activism: Wanda donates all her online sales to support immigrant rights through the ACLU, driven by a sense of justice amid current political policies.
  • “They're out there snatching people...nothing legal about what they're doing.” (38:10–39:13)
• Hiring Women and Black Women: She's intentional about hiring women, especially Black women, in her production work.
  • “Absolutely. Especially black women.” (50:33–50:34)

Legacy and Intent

• What Wanda Wants Her Legacy to Be:
  • “She was a voice for those who didn’t have a voice...common sense...she gave it her all...and funny. Hella funny.” (49:56–50:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Comics "Punching Down":
  "You can punch down and be funny, but if it’s coming from a place of love...it's a difference when it's mean." — Wanda Sykes [13:01]

• On Being the Only Woman Writer:
  "I felt like, okay, I can’t mess this up, because they weren’t gonna hire another woman...so you get in the door, you got to make sure you leave it open." — Wanda Sykes [07:41]

• On Hosting the Oscars:
  “I watched my co-worker get popped, you know, at work...That’s not supposed to happen.” — Wanda Sykes [46:58]

• On Family Acceptance:
  “They realized I was moving on with my life, and they realized I was happy and...confident.” — Wanda Sykes [29:19]

• On Career and Voice:
  “I want Wanda Sykes to mean that...she was a voice for those who didn’t have a voice...and funny. Hella funny.” — Wanda Sykes [49:56]

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Important Timestamps

• Career beginnings and comedy influences: [04:48–06:23]
• Chris Rock era, writers’ room atmosphere: [06:25–08:16]
• Punching up/down & cancel culture: [11:24–13:35]
• Story of highly controversial joke: [14:08–15:05]
• Transition to dramatic acting in "Undercard": [16:01–20:06]
• Processing grief/emotions for drama: [22:28–23:38]
• Family and faith discussions: [29:19–31:06]
• On immigrant rights activism: [37:48–39:13]
• Reflecting on The Upshaws: [40:53–42:41]
• Reactions to the Oscars slap: [46:37–47:42]
• Defining her legacy: [49:46–50:20]

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Tone & Language

The episode blends irreverent, sharp comedy with heartfelt sincerity, staying true to Wanda's trademark style. The hosts keep the mood energetic and easygoing, often infusing personal stories and playfully challenging Wanda with pointed questions. She responds with candor, resilience, and wit, creating a rich and memorable conversation that feels both personal and culturally resonant.

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For listeners interested in more than entertainment, this episode is equal parts masterclass in comedic authenticity, lesson in artistic courage, and a celebration of personal growth through adversity.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Let me get this straight. You're in Italy Child pretended to be the white Italian man's fiance.

[Wanda Sykes]

Hard to believe.

[Michael (Nephew)]

This is Michael, my nephew.

[Podcast Host]

Then you ended up catching feelings for the black Italian Cousin Brothers.

[Guest or Caller]

On April 10, she came for the pasta and got lost in the sauce.

[Wanda Sykes]

Please just tell me that you support me. Damn.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No.

[Podcast Host]

Is he fine though?

[Wanda Sykes]

Come on, baby. You can eat, pray and love me.

[Guest or Caller]

Baby, you be in Tuscany B13 only. Peterson. April 10 may be inappropriate for children

[Podcast Narrator]

under 13 on the Adventures of Curiosity Cove podcast. What if the Right Fit isn't what everyone expects? In the case of the Right Fit, Ella explores movement, confidence and belonging and learns that not all strength looks the same. This Women's History Month story introduces kids to women who change sports by trusting themselves and moving differently. Listen to Adventures of Curiosity Code every Monday from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Cino Show Host]

On the Cino Show Podcast. Each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejo talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Guest or Caller]

I'm an alcoholic and without this trope, I'm a die.

[Cino Show Host]

Listen to Cino's show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up this season on Math and Magic, CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario.

[Daniel Alarcon or John Green]

People think that creative ideas are like these light bulb moments that happen when

[Guest or Caller]

you're in the shower where it's really

[Wanda Sykes]

like a stone sculpture.

[Daniel Alarcon or John Green]

You're constantly just chipping away and refining.

[Bob Pittman]

Take two Interactive CEO Straus Zelnick and our own Chief Business Officer, Lisa Coffey. Listen to math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Daniel Alarcon or John Green]

I'm Daniel Alarcon and this is my friend. He's much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co host of the podcast the Away End with my old friend Daniel on our podcast the Away end. We'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why. Of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Narrator]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day, I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne. Tha God. We are the Breakfast Club. Lorna Laros is here as well. We got a special guest in the building, the legend Wanda Sykes, ladies and gentlemen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Welcome.

[Wanda Sykes]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you.

[Wanda Sykes]

Good morning. How you feeling? My energy. I got good energy right now, you know.

[Lorna Laros]

Right now?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, right now. Yeah. I'm sure I'm gonna crash in about an hour.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, you been up all night or something?

[Wanda Sykes]

All night. But, you know, I had a little thing last night, a screening of.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Of the movie, which is out right now.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. So we. I may have had a few drinks.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So. So today.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, yeah,

[Wanda Sykes]

Last night.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Did she have Lil Kim, Little Kim come out?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, not.

[Podcast Host]

She had Partisan Fontaine and a boogie

[Charlamagne Tha God]

with the hoodie, but she had a part where she gives out $5,000 to the person who can shake their ass the best. And so.

[Wanda Sykes]

And you won.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, I didn't.

[DJ Envy]

He tried.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He definitely tried. He tried. You know, in these. You know, in these trying financial times, they was out there shaking that ass

[Wanda Sykes]

to get that money for 5,000. Yeah. But I was upset because I slipped a disc. That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I got upset because it was all women. And then this guy came out there popping ass better than all of them. And he won. And I'm like, of course. I ain't like that.

[DJ Envy]

Charlamagne's eyes was on him all night.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, you taking money out the women pockets. Like you ain't had to do that.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Ass is ass.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you.

[DJ Envy]

Well, this is Wanda's first time on the show. Welcome.

[Wanda Sykes]

It is. Wow. Yes. Oh, man. Yeah. I don't think I've ever. I've never been in.

[DJ Envy]

I think you did it one time on Zoom. Yeah, I think you called in on Zoom one time.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. During the COVID Yes, Yes, I did. I did.

[DJ Envy]

Before we get into undercut, I want to start from the beginning, if you don't mind, for people that don't know wanda from the 757.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay. How you.

[DJ Envy]

How did you get into the arts? What made you want to get into the arts? And comedy and acting and all of that.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, I grew up in that time where it was all variety shows was on, you know, like, you know, Flip Wilson and even Ed Sullivan, all back then. So. And my family, you know, we watched all that, you know, watched all those shows, and. And I just remember sitting together and laughing, and so that always stayed with me. But, you know, my dad was in the military, and also, I grew up where you go to school, you get a good education, you get a good job, and that's what I was doing, working for the government. I worked at NSA when I came out of our beloved Hampton University.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, ma'.

[Wanda Sykes]

Am. Ended up at nsa. And I just got to the A point where I was like, this is not where I'm supposed to be. I'm like, you know, the job is great. Security and all, but I know something else I was supposed to be doing. I was, like, looking at my high school yearbook, and everybody had written things like, you're so funny. Even the teachers were like, you should be on stage. So I was like, you know what? I'm gonna write some jokes. And. And I. I just wrote jokes and. And went to. To radio station. Was having a. A talent competition, and comedy was a category. So I was like, all right, let me try. I auditioned and they said, okay, yeah. And I got on stage and did it. And. And just, like, the lights came on for me from.

[DJ Envy]

Right away, they knew. You knew it was a star.

[Wanda Sykes]

I didn't win, but I just knew, like, ah. I felt like I was in my skin. Like, this is. This is what I'm supposed to be doing. Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was the Chris Rock show one of your first big breaks?

[Wanda Sykes]

Absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay. When you was around.

[Wanda Sykes]

Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Right on. Chris Rock show was my. My huge break. Yeah. Chris, you know, I. He was doing Bring the Pain, and I. I opened for him at Caroline's while he was working on that. And. And he. He said, you know what? I'm. He. He just remembered me. So when he got his show, I got a somebody called, like, hey, can you submit some writing materials? I was like, yeah, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So y' all had a dream team. It was Louis ck, Chris Rock, Ali Leroy, Lance Crowther.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What were those rooms like?

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, man, I was the only woman in there. But it was. It was great. Those guys were. Those guys were funny. And Chris, what I love about Chris is he. He just, you know, he. You know, he's a great general manager. You know what I'm saying? He put together a team and just let everybody be themselves. Like, it's it's quirky and out there, you know, and he. And we were able to produce our own bits. You know, he. He would look at something, put his thing on it, and, hey, all right, you know, do this, do this, but just let us. Just let us go.

[Lorna Laros]

Were you ever intimidated being only woman?

[Wanda Sykes]

A little bit. You know, A little bit. I just. I felt like, okay, I can't mess this up, because they weren't gonna hire another woman. Right, right, right. You know what I'm saying? That's. That's how it works with us. Like, you get in the door, you got to make sure you leave it open. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

And.

[Wanda Sykes]

Or open it wider for somebody else to come through, like, leave your mark. So a little bit. But they were very supportive. All the guys were real supportive, especially Louie. Louie was real cool with me. I mean, he didn't jerk off in front of me. I guess I ain't shake that ass enough.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When you heard about that, did you feel left out? You was like, damn.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know what? I was like, God damn. That was, like, right down there, like, two doors down. Two doors down. It was my office. Ali and Lance, and then Louie right there. Nothing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But, I mean, y' all used to be on the phone, so sometimes he got quiet on the phone. But the thing I used to love about the Chris Rock show, it was. It was just full of uncomfortable truths.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Even that. That whole era was full of uncomfortable truths.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right, right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you think comedy is still allowed to be that honest? We're in an era now where everybody wants jokes, but they don't want the truth that comes.

[Wanda Sykes]

No. You know what? I think you. You're allowed to do it, but it's just who wants to do it? You know what I'm saying? It's like, I. I think it's there, but I think people are. You know, if. If I'm trying to fill an arena. You can't. You. You know what I'm saying? You. You can't. You gotta be. You gotta appeal to the masses. And sometimes right now, that what the masses want to hear. It's. It's ugly, you know? You know? Yeah. So. Yeah. So. But I think you can do it, though. You still can do it. Yeah.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah. All right, good. I'm glad you said that. I'm gonna do it.

[Wanda Sykes]

Do I do it?

[Lorna Laros]

Just do it.

[Wanda Sykes]

Just do it.

[Lorna Laros]

That's what I'm gonna do.

[Wanda Sykes]

Exactly. I mean, you're funny, so just.

[Lorna Laros]

Thank you.

[Wanda Sykes]

Just do it.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah, but when I do me, when I do, funny, people be getting mad.

[Wanda Sykes]

Who who gives a shit? You can't do it for them. You got to do it for you. You gotta say what you want. And hey, if. If what I want to say and what makes me feel, you know, good about my, My gift that I have, if I'm only gonna get maybe, maybe 600 people, then that's. Those are the 600 people that, that, you know. Yeah, you're supposed to be speaking to.

[DJ Envy]

But do people get offended too fast?

[Wanda Sykes]

You know what I'm saying? Like, but, but if you want. Oh, I want to. You know, then you. Then you got. You gotta compromise.

[DJ Envy]

But do people get offended too fast where? It's like, you know, back then, jokes just flew. It didn't matter. You made fun of everybody.

[Wanda Sykes]

Exactly.

[DJ Envy]

It could be the crippled person. It could be to this person. It didn't matter. People laugh now. It doesn't seem like they laugh. They look for a reason to say, you know what? We gonna boycott your next show.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, yeah, everybody wants to. You know, I even hate using. You know, like, everybody. But a lot of people like to, to be, to be the critic. They want to be the police. And, you know, so it's like if you say something and it might offend you, but, but you got to look at where that person is coming from. Maybe, you know, maybe their life, their perspective is different from. From what, you know. Yeah, you're offended, but you ain't. You're not staying in my shoes. You don't see it from, from my perspective. So I think that's what, that's what we, We've gotten away from is seeing it from. I, I got it, you know, See where you're coming from. I got it. Yeah. Yeah. And I think it. And the whole. It's empathy, really. Yeah, it's empathy. We've. We've gotten away from that. People don't, don't, don't get that.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah. And it's more than one perspective on one thing, you know, so.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Do you think there's a, like, when you talk about, like, empathy and people, you know, having an opinion about jokes, I feel like the punching up, punching down conversation gets brought up a lot in that.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right, right.

[Podcast Host]

Do you feel like there's a fine line between that? Like, do you think somebody can punch down people, still respect what they're saying, have empathy and they have actual take, or do you feel like that's always going to end in somebody being upset and you being. Trying to be, trying to cancel you.

[Wanda Sykes]

I have no problem. Like me, I always try to try to punch Up. I always try to punch up because I feel like. But, but that's me. And I know the, the. And I always call it a gift. The gift that I have. And so I try to use that for not just myself, but for. I mean, naturally, I'm. I'm. I'm in a position where I'm a black woman and queer, so I'm always coming. I'm coming from. Yeah, yeah. You know, going up. I got to go up. You know, I didn't know you were quite

[Lorna Laros]

clown.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You took them serious.

[DJ Envy]

Did you take them serious? Did you take them serious?

[Lorna Laros]

Like how she was looking?

[Wanda Sykes]

Like how always moisturized beautiful skin moisture. Oh, I know. You was quick.

[Guest or Caller]

Jesus.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, continue.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sorry.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, but, yeah, I think. But, but if you, if you punch down if it's funny, I'm gonna.

[DJ Envy]

I'm.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I'm gonna laugh.

[Lorna Laros]

Got it.

[Wanda Sykes]

But it's a different. It's a difference in punching down and coming from a. A perspective of. A perspective of I, I, I, I hate you or being mean. You can punch down and be funny, but if it's coming from a place of love, you know, like one of Chris's good jokes, like, one of my favorite jokes is punch it down. But when he says about I have my money in, in books, you know,

[Charlamagne Tha God]

but it's also true. My daddy told me that forever growing up, you want to hide something from a black brother, put in the book.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, exactly. But it's a funny joke. And it's also like, hey, a little message. You know what I'm saying? A little message there.

[Lorna Laros]

So start reading.

[Wanda Sykes]

Exactly.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Have you ever held back a joke in today's climate to date.

[Wanda Sykes]

Now, I. I know I, I did a. I wrote a joke on Chris on Chris Rock show, and it's like, oh, God, what was that? It was bad.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn. It was bad. In the 90s, I got it.

[Wanda Sykes]

It was bad. It was bad. Remember Ray Carruth? Yeah, yeah. The. The play for the Panthers.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

And he shot his. His girlfriend who's pregnant, and he had the baby.

[Podcast Host]

And.

[Wanda Sykes]

And it was. And I was like, yeah, you know, it was raised baby because it had his. His mama's eyes and his daddy's bullet.

[Lorna Laros]

Jesus.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[DJ Envy]

Damn.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Jesus Christ.

[DJ Envy]

That might have been a little too far back.

[Wanda Sykes]

Horrible joke.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But did the room laugh?

[Wanda Sykes]

It killed at rehearsal. And Chris was like, you know I ain't gonna do that joke. He's like, damn good joke, but you know I ain't gonna do this. I was like, and you shouldn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But, you know, you know, that's what I love about you, Wanda. You rep women's basketball. Soul strong. Like, you got a WNBA shirt on right now. Have you always been a fan of women's basketball?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes. Okay. Yeah, Yeah, I always love basketball. And then when the women's game kicked off, yeah, I'll always been a fan.

[DJ Envy]

Did you play basketball?

[Wanda Sykes]

I did, and then I stopped growing, you know, I was like, oh, I guess it's the band. She said, I guess it's the band. I played the drums. Played drums in the band.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you always supporting the Gamecocks.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, come on. Don Staley. That's my. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Love dawn and that. That whole squad and what she's doing, her program is just incredible.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, she's. She's like the. The. The. The.

[DJ Envy]

The.

[Wanda Sykes]

The ground. The. The. The. The. She grew. Yeah. For. For the wma. She's the feeder to the wnba. So, yeah, she's a. She's amazing. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now you got the new movie undercard, right?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And it's a. It's a drama. You know, you've been making people laugh your whole career, right? What made you say, let me stop joking and give him some pain? Let me step into this pain real quick?

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, I. I was not looking for the role at all, but the director and co writer, Tamika Miller, she came to me and she was like, look, I got this project. I want y' all to. I want you to check it out. I want you to do this role. And I read the script, and I was like, it's a drama. And I was like, so. And it was good, you know? And I just called out, I said, so what? Queen Latifah said, no,

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Stupid.

[Bob Pittman]

Okay,

[Wanda Sykes]

that must be that, right? And she's like, no, I really, really want you to. To play this part. So I didn't believe it at first. Like, oh, can I pull this off? And, yeah, she just talked me through it and. And how she wanted to shoot it and. And the cast that she, you know, was going to build around me, and I felt like she made me believe I could do. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Do you still audition for roles or. No.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, God, I'm the worst at audition. I can't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Really?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I can't. Like, my. My agent is always like, hey, they want you to. For this part. I was like, okay. They say so the audition. I was like, oh, no, it's a pass, man. What.

[Lorna Laros]

What about audition?

[Wanda Sykes]

No, I. I suck at audition.

[Lorna Laros]

Really?

[Wanda Sykes]

I have actually, like, been in a situation casting people and and, you know, holding the script and auditioning and they've. They've actually taken the pages out my hand and say thank you.

[Lorna Laros]

Really?

[Guest or Caller]

Really?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Well, I'm like. Like early on or like now, what was that?

[Podcast Host]

That. That. That's recent.

[Lorna Laros]

Early on?

[Wanda Sykes]

No, no, no. Audition is not for me.

[Lorna Laros]

Is it memorizing lines or getting nervous in front of the people or is it stiff?

[Wanda Sykes]

I don't know. I just. I'm just horrible at it. But if you give me the part, you know, it's a real job. I gotta show. I'm gonna show up. I'm gonna bring it. Because I'm like, hey, you know, I gotta. I gotta deliver. But if it's like, I'm not good at trying out

[Charlamagne Tha God]

before you take the stage, then. Because I would feel like that's kind of the same thing.

[Wanda Sykes]

A little bit. No, not really. Because. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I. I get little butterflies before I go out. But that's good. That's. That's good.

[DJ Envy]

I mean.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Yeah, it means something. Yeah. But I don't know. You give me a script and I

[Lorna Laros]

got auditioned in this movie, Undercar. Were you fighting the natural urges to be funny or was it.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, a little bit. There was, like, some moments where I was like, oh, man, this would be real funny if I said this right now. Like, there's a scene, a beach scene, where the little girl, she runs out, you know, to the. To the. Into the water. And I was like, hey, you know, I was like, mika, wait. And I want to say, you know, I can't swim. Like, you know, if you want to, you know, but. But no, and also, you know, it's really. We're on tight budget and tight, you know, on time, so it was like there was no room to, like, you know, play around. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Was there. Okay, Was there anything that you took from this character and, like, portraying this character that you're taking back to the stage with you, even though it was a drama?

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, that's a good question. Yeah, I think it's. It's. It's her. Where you have to, like, you know, like, forgive yourself. You know, her character, she had to get to a point to where she had to really, like, forgive herself and to be accountable, you know, and so there's this. So there's moments on stage with my comedy where, you know, I find ways to use that. I think.

[Podcast Host]

What are you forgiving yourself about for right now, like, currently on stage? Like, what are those thoughts?

[Wanda Sykes]

I don't. I think it's more about, you know, like, like you, you want to do better or, or, you know, be a better person, you know, a better wife, a better mother.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That radical roof joke.

[Wanda Sykes]

That too. Yep. Absolutely. Yep. That I can't believe. I can't even believe I said that. Yeah, I repeated that. But, yeah, it's just, it's just those, those moments. But hey, that's why we keep going, though, because there's always opportunity to, to do better the next day or the next, within the next minute, you know,

[Charlamagne Tha God]

so when you saw the script for Undercard and you see it's not really no jokes, like, did that scare you or excite you?

[Wanda Sykes]

Scared me, Yeah. I was like, there is not one funny moment in here. Not at all, you know? Yeah, yeah, it was, it was a little scary. It was a little scary. But I knew what I was signing up for and I wasn't gonna, I, I had too much respect for the, the writer and director, so I wasn't gonna try to. Let me make, you know, maybe make it. Wanda let me know. I didn't want to do that.

[DJ Envy]

Were you into boxing? Are you a boxing fan?

[Wanda Sykes]

Started, yeah. No, actually, I've always loved boxing. You know, I, I remember listening to fights on the radio.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You ain't that old now.

[Wanda Sykes]

62.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

62 ain't good.

[DJ Envy]

They had TV back then, Wanda. Come on now.

[Wanda Sykes]

No, we listened to, yeah, we listened to the, we listen to, I listen to Cash's clay fight on. Yeah. On the radio. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, we always been a fan of boxing and now I'm like, really into it. So I, I still still train. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

You train?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

How often you train?

[Wanda Sykes]

When I'm home, When I'm, I'm in Philly, I, I, if I'm home for a week, I go in maybe four days a week.

[DJ Envy]

And do you spoil you spoiled people too?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I spar with the young people or the, you know, he'll throw me in a couple times with some, with some younger people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I, I ain't gonna spar with another 62 year old person.

[Lorna Laros]

All right.

[Wanda Sykes]

I will beat that ass. I can be any one right my age.

[Lorna Laros]

What did this movie bring out of you that, that you didn't know you had any before you did it?

[Wanda Sykes]

I didn't, I didn't know I could do drama. I didn't, I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't know I could go, you know, go places where this movie required me to, to do. I didn't know I could, like, actually Step into a role and feel that, you know, and. And be that. That. That character, you know, I think losing my dog really helped me to be able to. To get emotional. Yeah. Yeah.

[Lorna Laros]

Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How long would you leave the dog?

[Wanda Sykes]

How long ago Riley passed? What, like, maybe six years ago? Five. Six years. Wow. Yeah. But I had him for, like, almost 18 years.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, that was my guy.

[Lorna Laros]

So. Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did doing drama force you to sit with emotions you usually joke your way out of?

[Wanda Sykes]

Hell, yeah. Hell, yeah. Because that's what comics do. You know, we. You know, we. I mean, even just as. As black people, we do that. We, you know, you got. We always find a way to, you know, make something. Make something funny. Get out, you know, get. Get to. To get out of it, not to just sit with it. But yeah, that's. That. Absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was that the first time you grieved your dog? Probably right.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, I hate to. Oh, man. You know, because I. I. No, because I, you know, I lost grandparents. I. I'm blessed that both my parents are still alive. I know. I know, man.

[DJ Envy]

But.

[Wanda Sykes]

But damn. But you, like, so this is the first time you actually miss somebody. It's like this. The first time you actually. I'm like, damn. She said, I got other family members. I got grandparents.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Jesus.

[Lorna Laros]

It's like my parents still living, though.

[DJ Envy]

No friends, no family, just a dog.

[Wanda Sykes]

Jesus. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Now, you mention pretty much, you mentioned your parents, and I read something that at one time, you and your parents, they. Y' all didn't see eye to eye?

[Wanda Sykes]

No.

[DJ Envy]

They didn't even come to your wedding. So how did y' all get back to where they would understand what was going on? And how was those conversations?

[Wanda Sykes]

They realized that I was moving on with my life, and they realized that I was happy and that I was confident. And let me get this straight. You're in Italy.

[Podcast Host]

Child pretended to be the white Italian man's fiance.

[Wanda Sykes]

Hard to believe this.

[Michael (Nephew)]

This is Michael, my nephew.

[Podcast Host]

Then you ended up catching feelings for the black Italian Cousin Brothers.

[Guest or Caller]

On April 10, she came for the pasta and got lost in the sauce.

[Wanda Sykes]

Please just tell me that you support me, girl.

[Podcast Narrator]

No.

[Podcast Host]

Is he fine, though?

[Wanda Sykes]

Come on, baby. You can eat, pray and love me, baby.

[Guest or Caller]

You be in Tuscany. Radio PG13, only in theaters April 10, may be inappropriate for children under 13.

[Podcast Narrator]

Usually on this podcast, we'll kill you. We talk about the diseases, infections, and biological threats that can make us really sick.

[Michael (Nephew)]

But right now, we're doing something a little different.

[Podcast Narrator]

We're stepping back and looking at what the human body needs. To keep going.

[Michael (Nephew)]

When you consider what we know about sleep in humans, there's one rule that comes out we are predictably unpredictable sleepers.

[Podcast Narrator]

We're talking about why sleep works the way it does, why our bodies don't follow neat rules, and why modern life makes rest so hard to come by.

[Michael (Nephew)]

The second half of our series takes us to the digestive system with a multi part series on what happens after we eat. Okay, I just have to say that all of my favorite words apparently are digestive words.

[Podcast Narrator]

Sphincter, peristalsis, duodenum. It's fascinating, it's funny, and it matters so much more than you think.

[Michael (Nephew)]

Episodes of our new series run from January 20 through February 17, with new episodes every Tuesday on the Exactly Right Network.

[Podcast Narrator]

Listen to this podcast will kill you as part of the Exactly Right Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts on the

Adventures of Curiosity Cove podcast. What if the right fit isn't what everyone expects? In the case of the Right Fit, Ella explores movement, confidence and belonging and learns that not all strength looks the same. Tennis is powerful, fast, focused and kind of fun. Strong swing, Ella. This Women's History Month story introduces kids to women who change by trusting themselves and moving differently. A thoughtful episode about identity, courage, and helping kids discover where they truly belong. So it's okay if I'm not quite sure what my thing is yet. It's absolutely okay when and if you do find a sport you love. You may be the next Gertrude, Tony or Venus at Curiosity. Listen to Adventures of Curiosity Cove every Monday from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Guest or Caller]

I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hi dad.

[Guest or Caller]

And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen and she says, I have some cookies and milk. This is badass, convict. Just finished five years. I'm gonna have cookies and milk at Mom. Yeah.

[Cino Show Host]

On the Cino Show Podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejllo talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville and more.

[Guest or Caller]

I'm an alcoholic and without this probe, I'm gonna die.

[Cino Show Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the Cino show and listen now.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. And I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and stories from the frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. I'm talking to leaders from the entertainment industry to finance and everywhere in between. This season on Math and Magic, I'm talking to CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario, financier and public health advocate Mike Milken. Take Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick.

[Daniel Alarcon or John Green]

If you're unable to take meaningful creative risk and therefore run the risk of making horrible creative mistakes, then you can't play in this business.

[Bob Pittman]

Sesame Street CEO Sherry Weston and our own chief Business Officer, Lisa Coffey.

[Michael (Nephew)]

Making consumers see the value of the

[Wanda Sykes]

human voice and to have that guaranteed

[Michael (Nephew)]

human promise behind it really makes it

[Wanda Sykes]

rise to the top.

[Bob Pittman]

Listen to Math and Magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, it was with. With my life, and I knew who I was and. And they were missing out, so they had to, you know, kind of like, meet me where. Where I was.

[DJ Envy]

They reached out to you or you reached out to them? How was that?

[Wanda Sykes]

I mean, we never, like, stopped talking, but.

[DJ Envy]

Because if they didn't come to your wedding, I figured you'd be like, you know what? I'm not speaking to y' all again.

[Wanda Sykes]

No parents. I cut them off. Like, I. I'm just saying, I never, like, cut them off. I would call, but when, you know, the conversation would shift to, you know, you shouldn't. I will go, okay, I love you. I'm not gonna have this conversation again with you, but I love you and I'll, you know, talk to you later.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are they real religious?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. I mean, but, you know, I'm not gonna say I'm. So am I. I mean, it's like, I. Yeah, I love God and I'm. I'm a Christian. And I think they saw that also. That, oh, wow. She's, you know, her faith hasn't changed. Not only that, my. My faith was stronger. It really. I'm, like, very close in my. My walk with God. And so I think they saw that too. Like, oh, you know, we, you know, we. We. We're trying to put God in this box and. Yeah, yeah. And. And she's over here living her life, and God is blessing her, and she's, you know, loves. And they had to. They had to get to that place of.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, what is they. People are more Concerned about what other people think instead of what they. They feel they were more concerned about. Oh, what, What.

[Guest or Caller]

What.

[Wanda Sykes]

What's my. What's my church gonna say? What's my folks gonna say when. And. And it took those other people, like, I think God sent them people in their church saying, oh, my God, your daughter. I love what she's doing. I love this. You know, and sent people in their lives like, you know, I had. My. My child is. Is. Is gay and struggling, but what your daughter is doing really helped us and whatever, so they. They had to hear these messages. So I think God was sending them people to make them go, oh, okay. And, yeah, I'm glad you said that,

[Charlamagne Tha God]

because I think about people who, you know, I guess are deemed homophobic are there against, you know, the gay lifestyle. I wonder if they really, truly feel like that, or they just feel like that because society and religion tells them they should feel like that if they actually thought about it. Do you really care if she would. A woman.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you really care if he. With a man?

[Wanda Sykes]

And why. Why do you care? Yeah, you know, that's the whole thing. It's like, why do you care? Like, how does that affect you? Yeah, how does it affect you?

[DJ Envy]

How are they with your grand. With your kids? With their grandkids? At first.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, man, they. My mom, she. Yeah. My whole family. Yeah. Everybody. They. They. They love the kids.

[Lorna Laros]

Everybody's loved. Okay.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Love the kids. It's so funny, like, early on, you know, with kids, like, you know, like babies, like, one, one or two, whatever, and my mom was visiting, and Olivia was crying, and I picked her up, whatever, and was like, hold her, and she stopped crying, and she, like, put her arms around me, and. And my mother was like. Well, she. She just. It's. It's like. She just. Just. It's like. Like, just. God, right there with you. I was like, I'm her mother. You know, she, like, look at that little white girl. Just. I mean, but you can see in her face the confusion. Like, that little white girl just. Just grabbed on to you.

[Lorna Laros]

Like, you're not raising her or anything.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you got to see her perspective, though. How old is she?

[Wanda Sykes]

My mother? What. My mom's almost 90.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay. So she went through. She didn't even see segregation. She went through schools when they were. When they weren't segregated.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Damn. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So that's a big deal to her.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Conversations probably get real in depth, like, at certain points when you're trying to explain certain things. Not explain, but Just like, when moments like that happen and y' all talk through, or do y' all just laugh about it and move on?

[Wanda Sykes]

We. I mean, we kind of laugh. We laugh. You know, my mom says something, and at the time that she said it, I was like, kind of, you know, throwback, antebellum south shit is that? But she. She. They. They, you know, in Virginia, and they bought a house. This is. This was back in, like, maybe the 80s, 90s. Yeah, whatever. They were housed right on the water, right in. In Portsmouth. And. And she. She said, you know what?

[Podcast Host]

I look.

[Wanda Sykes]

I look around, and they were the, like, one only black families on that street. And she's like, I look. I look around at these white people, and I think I. I feel sorry for them. I said, what do you mean? She said, because, you know, I. They probably looking like it's a lot for them because they like looking at us like, you know, we used to clean these homes, and now we're living here. That's a lot for them. And of course, I'm like, look good in your face. Yeah, good, good. But she's right. Cause you look at the situation we're in and what she was saying, what her empathy was feeling their fear, and that's. And that's what we're dealing with now. A lot of fear. Like, these. These folks, they feel like they're losing their place, and. Yeah, but, I mean, it's of them to feel like they. That this should be their place, like they own everything. But what is she saying?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She don't like living around either.

[Lorna Laros]

Oh, my God.

[Podcast Narrator]

What?

[Wanda Sykes]

She was saying that it must be hard for. For, like, white folks to see, you know, like, you had it all, and now we're right next to you, and that must be. Must be scary.

[Lorna Laros]

And that was the time when we didn't have it all, and now we do, and a lot of times more than they have.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Lorna Laros]

And so I get what you said.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Jess.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Got you, Got you.

[Lorna Laros]

I noticed, like, when you struggling, somebody's really, really supposed to help you.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right? Yeah, I work with. Thank you.

[Lorna Laros]

Three people do that to me every day.

[Wanda Sykes]

That must be exhausting.

[Lorna Laros]

Sometimes you do.

[Wanda Sykes]

Exhausting.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

What are your conversations about? Like, because you're also very outspoken when it comes to politics. Right? Like, you. You don't hold back against Trump and administration. But your mom comes from an era where it's like, whew, hold on.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, yeah. It's scary for her. She goes, wanda, babe, I know you. You know, I just. I Just get nervous. You out there saying stuff. Please don't, you know, don't, don't. Don't go too far. She, she will say that.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

And you know what? I think I do hold back some, Some stuff because of.

[Podcast Host]

Really?

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, I do. I think I hold back thinking about. About. I do. I think about my family, I think about my kids. I hold back some. But then again, it's like, it's, you know, it's who I am. But I know where the line is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, we've always, you know, you've always mixed comedy with politics, but now it's like, it seems too ridiculous to even do satire on, and it seems too, even too dangerous.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is there funny in it?

[Wanda Sykes]

You know, there is. Yeah. There's funny there. And I think people, they want to hear it because they need to laugh. I mean, I think when I go on stage, a lot of people are like, just give me some relief. Help me get through this. I need somebody. I mean, if it's not just to make it funny, but to give me some explanations, I need to see a way out. Where's the light at the end of the tunnel? But, yeah, it's, it's, it's, you know, there, there is a fine line and it's hard. It's hard. Like so funny you use the word satire. Who's doing satire anymore?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, because, you know, Daily show is supposed to be like the satire, but they're actually probably one of the most factual, honest I know.

[Wanda Sykes]

And that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

One of the most factual, honest new journalists out there.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lorna Laros]

What led you to donate 100% of your online sales to supporting immigrants rights? And my voice is gone. Cuz I saw Cardi last night, so I'm sorry.

[Wanda Sykes]

He was up there shaking that ass.

[Lorna Laros]

Yes, I was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, she was too, though. She really was.

[Wanda Sykes]

I really was.

[Lorna Laros]

Yes. I should have went at $5,000. But anyway. Yes, you donate 100% of your online sales to immigrants. Immigrants rights.

[Wanda Sykes]

Because I, you know, it's, it's what's needed. You know, they out there just snatching people. Snatching people, man. Or this was supposed to been a, you know, the campaign, whatever. For getting violent criminals off the street. What violent criminals show up for their court hearings. You know what I'm saying? Like, they hiding out at, you know, Home Depots. Home Depot. Because, because, you know, violent criminals, they, they love a good DIY project. That's what they, you know, you know, so it's. No, yeah, so I, the, the aclu, they, you Know, they're, they, they need the, the funds to.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Defend these people. Because right now, you know, it's, there's, there's no oversight. There's nothing, you know, just. There's so, it's so illegal what they're doing.

[Lorna Laros]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

Come on. How you gonna jump out of, out of Ford Focus and go snatch people up? I mean, come on, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right? It look more official when it's the suv. I want to ask you about identity, too. Right. Cause, you know, you talk about. We were talking about what people think and what people feel like. Even when I look at the character Cheryl and the undercard. Did she have to be called a butch? Cause it says a butch. Retired boxing champion and recovering alcoholic. Couldn't it just be retired boxing champion and recovering alcohol?

[DJ Envy]

He said plays a Jack Butch in the newspapers. Drama.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, you didn't know that?

[DJ Envy]

You hear that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, that's the description.

[Lorna Laros]

A lumberjack butch. I know.

[Wanda Sykes]

That's right. Come on. Come on, Michelle, let's go.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's the point of the butcher?

[Wanda Sykes]

I mean, do we, I mean, that doesn't bother me. I guess that, that doesn't bother me that her character, you know, she was, she was a former boxer. So I, I guess it's the, you know, that if that's how the, the writer saw the character, then I'm like, okay, so, yeah, I'm hearing she was in shape. I say, I say to that. Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

When does it for you, right, with playing characters, when does it go too far when people try to portray characters that are in the community? Right, because we had Mike Epps here, and he had told us when he was here that the Upshaws, the ending of it was because they tried to write a storyline for your character where there was something gay that would come into your character. And we know that she wasn't gay. And I know that you've said that you didn't want, you wanted her to be straight for the, the full entire show.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, I think I, I, I, I, you know, I love Mike. I love Mike dearly. And I think it was like I, like, misunderstood what he was saying, I think, because. Yeah, that, because, because that didn't happen. I think what Mike was saying, honestly, I'm not gonna say what I, What Mike, but I know, I think the show just kind of like ran its course. The kids got older. We, you know, Mike is. The show was his idea. He came to me and was like, hey, I want to do the show about a working class family in the Midwest. And that's what we delivered, I think. Yeah. I mean, you know, with. With the. The writers and the showrunner, Regina, we. Yeah, every. It was all. It was all love, but everybody's gonna have a difference of opinions, and sometimes, you know, voices gets. Get. You know, we. We raise our voices when you're passionate about what you're doing.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Wanda Sykes]

So I think overall, we. We all wanted to make the best show possible. We. We just wanted to. But it was just a difference of opinions, that's all. But I think what we delivered, everybody was happy with it.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, they live and breathe by that show.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah. My mom.

[Podcast Host]

You can't tell her not.

[Wanda Sykes]

I love that show, and I love. Everybody worked on that show. I love what we did and hated to see it end, but really, I mean, I thought we did a good job and. And I'm happy with the way, you know, we finished it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you wanted to keep it going.

[Wanda Sykes]

If we could have done another season, I would have. Yeah, I would have signed up for another season.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Everybody said it was your fault.

[Wanda Sykes]

Damn.

[Lorna Laros]

I don't think nobody said that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, I made that up.

[Wanda Sykes]

I'm gonna say. I know absolutely no one said that it is, you know, but. But no. Yeah. Yeah. But no, I think Net Netflix, they were a great partner. And. And I think it was. And. And we knew. We knew going into that last season that was the. The last season. So we got to. We got to end it the way we wanted to end it. Yeah. Nice. Yeah. Can you please tell your engineer to stop yawning like that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He was out laughing.

[Wanda Sykes]

Look at him. Oh, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's not you. Yeah, it ain't you. They get up early. Yeah, they get up early, not you.

[Wanda Sykes]

They got to turn the lights on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's not true at all.

[DJ Envy]

Now you filmed your. Your comedy special at Hampton University.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

How was that? Ogden Hall. How was that?

[Wanda Sykes]

I was cursing in Ogden Hall.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, my goodness.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. I. It was so much pressure, but it was. Yeah, I. Because I didn't know, you know, and. And I had. I was doing a show in. In Jersey, and I had a. Had, you know, some. A lot of my sorrows came to the show. Who. And. And I'm. I was so glad that they came out. I said, y', all, this. This is gonna work in Hampton, right? It was like, yes, it's gonna go. It's gonna kill. And after that. So that made me feel a little bit more confident. Yeah. Yeah. Because I had a little test. Test run.

[Lorna Laros]

What was. What was the actual pressure about, though?

[Wanda Sykes]

Like, Going back to, going back to my school. You know, I didn't, you know, who's going to show up and how, you know, is this material going to work? Because my audience, I would say my audience is probably like 60% white, you know, maybe even, maybe 70 or, you know, but I'm going back to my, my home, my, my hbcu, you know, is this going to work with them? Are they going, you know, and, man, I mean, killed it, killed it, killed it. It was beautiful. And Julie Dash directed. Yeah. So, yeah, yeah. So. Because I wanted it to be special. I was like, this special. I, I, I, I, I need a challenge. And what could make it, you know, better than the last one? And, and I was like, let's go home. Let's go. Let's go home.

[Lorna Laros]

Whose idea was it to do it at Hampton?

[Wanda Sykes]

Actually, my producing partner, Paige. Her. What? She said she was like, you should go. Go back to your school. I was like, out your mind. She's like, no, you, you really should. And I was like, nope. And then I thought about it and the way this administration was attacking HBCUs, and then it made it, you know, it gave it more of a reason for me. Yeah, that's. So that's why I said, okay, now it's not just going to be this. I want. Damn. You know, now there's a connection for me with the material and the place.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How do you make a special special material wise? I know you told us how you made it special.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That way. But how material was.

[Wanda Sykes]

Push it. Push, push the limits. Don't, don't go up and just do it. Chris Rock always told me that from the jump, like from my first special, which was a half hour, he's like, don't go up there and do a set that make it special. So you got to push yourself, polish it, you know, just go, go, go to a place where, you know, challenge yourself. Go, go, go to, to areas where people are going to be a little bit on this, on their seats or, or like, oh, damn, she said that. I've been wanting to say that, you know, so, yeah, that's.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't think people realize how close you and Chris are, because I remember that night of the Oscars you were hosting, and I remember you saying you were physically sick. And everybody's like, why is she physically sick? And I'm like, but y' all don't realize how close Wanda and yeah, Chris are.

[Wanda Sykes]

Right, right. No, people, people don't. That. I, I caught a lot of flack from that. Like, Because I said, you know, about how I felt.

[Lorna Laros]

Wow.

[Wanda Sykes]

But I'm like, y' all gotta realize I was working that night. Yeah. And. And I watched my co worker get popped, you know, at work. You know what I'm saying? So it's. It's. Yeah, you're not. That's not supposed to happen. And so. Yeah, so I. I really. I was upset, like, physically upset by that. And then it didn't. It just even sickened me more watching everybody just sit out there and, you know, and. And not react. And then to give that man an award afterwards, I was like, I'm done with y'. All. I really was. I was, like, done with all this.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I know Will Smith reached out to apologize to you, too, for overshadowing that night.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, he did. He called. He called. But you know what? I was actually physically sick. I had a. I had a nasty, like, sinus infection, so I didn't even pick up, but he left a message and. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Have you ever had an extensive conversation after. Oh, sorry.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, man.

[Lorna Laros]

I just want you to call. Call.

[Wanda Sykes]

You know what? I was like, I received it. I accept it. I'm. I'm good. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What did your mama say about seeing them black people act up in front of all them white people? Oh, my God.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, you see? Exactly, Exactly. Lord Jesus. Why, why, why, why they do that, Wanda? I was like, I know, Ma. I know. All the white people just looking at them. My God, they never gonna give us nothing else.

[Podcast Host]

Did you see when those fake reports were circulating that Will Smith and Chris. Chris Rock were supposed to sit down together and do, like, a one on one. It was fake, though. It was fake, and I cleared it up and reported. But I was wondering if you saw and if you were like, they ain't no way in hell that's gonna happen.

[Wanda Sykes]

Oh, yeah, Yeah. I was like, nah, nah, nah. That. Yeah, I knew that. I mean, I know, Chris. I'm like, that's not gonna happen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you. You would never really host Oscars again?

[Wanda Sykes]

I'm not gonna say I would never host again, but I probably will never host again.

[DJ Envy]

I'm bring my own security next time.

[Wanda Sykes]

I love it.

[Podcast Host]

Traumatized, like, in real life.

[Wanda Sykes]

I'm not gonna say I'm traumatized in real life, but it's. It's. It's a thankless job. Nobody. Yeah, yeah. And.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And, you know, don't seem like it's no upside.

[Wanda Sykes]

Conan did a great job. Exactly. There. There's no yeah. There's. There's no yeah. I mean, it would have to be some. Like, maybe, you know, what. Maybe if. If somebody, you know, you know, Uptown Saturday Night did a remake, and that's, you know, and that's up. Maybe I'll. I'll host.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, it's like, up for Best Picture. Okay, that makes sense. When it's all said and done. What do you want Wanda Sykes to mean to. To comedy?

[Wanda Sykes]

I want Wanda Sykes to mean that, you know, she. She was a voice for. For those who didn't have a voice. That she was, you know, common sense, that she gave it her all. Yeah. And funny. Hella funny.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Were you there already then?

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Wanda Sykes]

Appreciate y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All.

[Lorna Laros]

Real quick. I love to say, I know you produce and you create so much, and I know that you said recently that you're very intentional about hiring women.

[Wanda Sykes]

Absolutely.

[Lorna Laros]

Especially black women. I be acting sometimes, you know, and if you got anything coming up, I got. I love to audition. You don't, But I do.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay.

[Lorna Laros]

Yes. Actually, I don't, but I will. I'm not gonna lie to you, because you won't be lying to us. So, yes, I don't like auditioning, but I'm really, really good at it, and I will do that.

[DJ Envy]

There you go.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay. So, yes, I will be looking real. For real. I think. I think you're very funny.

[Cino Show Host]

You are.

[Lorna Laros]

And you told me that 10 years ago I saw you. Oh, my God. I was in la. It was at some. This is after I did rel, but I had, like, no, this wasn't 10 years ago. Like eight years ago, whatever. And you told me that, like, you're very funny. You know, I'm gonna see you again and all that. And I was like, she's never gonna call me, but.

[DJ Envy]

Did she call?

[Lorna Laros]

No, she didn't. But she's here now, and timing is everything, and I'm way better than I was then, so. Boom.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why don't you tell her what your real is, huh? Go find your real on Tubi. She can watch your reel. On Tubi.

[DJ Envy]

She being serious.

[Lorna Laros]

But I act, and I. I want to get back in front of the camera.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay. All right.

[Lorna Laros]

And I'm very serious about it.

[Wanda Sykes]

No, for real. I mean, you got ideas?

[Lorna Laros]

I do.

[Wanda Sykes]

Okay. All right. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Well, definitely check out undercard. It's out right now. And we appreciate you for joining us.

[Wanda Sykes]

Yeah, it'll be on video. What's that? Video on Demand. Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

[DJ Envy]

Definitely check it out.

[Wanda Sykes]

I know. My flashlight is always touch nothing. My kids always taking my phone. The flashlight is on. Oh. Oh, shoot. I ain't even touching her today.

[DJ Envy]

It's Wanda Sykes. It's the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning.

[Wanda Sykes]

Thank you.

[Podcast Narrator]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[Wanda Sykes]

Y' all finished or y' all done?

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.