Trump Stumped by Worst-Case Iran Scenario & Hegseth Gives Bullying Pep Talk | Erika Alexander

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Stumped by Worst-Case Iran Scenario & Hegseth Gives Bullying Pep Talk | Erika Alexander
Date: March 5, 2026
Host: Michael Kosta (for Jon Stewart)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show covers a satirical breakdown of the current (fictional) U.S. war with Iran, exposes political absurdities around the conflict, skewers the government’s lack of foresight and consistency, and shifts midway to a deep-dive on the BAFTA awards show controversy involving racial slurs and neurodiversity. The episode concludes with a lively interview with actor and producer Erika Alexander about her career, representation in Hollywood, and her latest NBC show.

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Major Segments & Discussion Points

1. America’s War with Iran – Comedic Breakdown (02:28–13:34)

Key Points:

• Lack of War Planning: Michael Kosta mocks the absence of clear goals or plans in the American military campaign, poking fun at how weapon supplies might run out and how Trump seems woefully unprepared for worst-case scenarios.
• Trump’s Leadership and War Logic:
  • Trump, asked about worst-case scenarios, responds, “I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person. Right. That could happen.” (03:31–03:41)
  • The show lampoons the administration’s inability to find a successor in Iran, as “all the candidates” are “dead.”
• Succession Farce: Cynical jokes about the Ayatollah’s son taking over, and the pro forma threats from Israel on targeting any successor.
• War Rhetoric as Bullying: Secretary Pete Hegseth’s over-the-top, villainous commentary—“America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy. Iran cannot outlast us. We control their fate. They are toast, and they know it.” (06:29–06:46)—is ridiculed for sounding like a movie villain rather than a sober statesman.
• Political Contradictions on the ‘War’ Label:
  • Senators and officials contradict themselves about whether the conflict qualifies as a war, leading to running gags about the “Mark Wayne” persona, who can’t keep his own stance straight.
  • Memorable wordplay: “Mark this down as a war, but weigh this down as not a war.” (08:45)
• Satirical Pentagon ‘Reporting’:
  • Grace Kuhlenschmidt, play-acting a reporter at the “chaotic” Pentagon, jokes about being “down to six bullets” and the military being run on tequila shots following every missile strike.
  • Grace’s joking suggestion that Donald Trump become Iran’s next Supreme Leader: “The only person Donald Trump respects is… what if the next leader of Iran is Donald Trump?” (11:00–11:17)
  • Kosta immediately retorts, “You’re right, that's very stupid.” (11:17)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Trump’s like, I just realized starting a war in the Middle east could have some downsides. Huh?” — Michael Kosta (03:41)
• “An unequivocal target for elimination. What a fancy way to say, we’re going to kill you.” — Michael Kosta (05:58)
• “I just want to dance. But, you know, the job has a lot of long term career growth…” — Michael Kosta, parodying the Ayatollah’s son (05:26–05:46)
• “Mercy is for the weak. An enemy deserves no mercy.” — Michael Kosta, mocking war rhetoric (07:21)
• “America’s big enough for all of us. We are the true Rosetta Stone for what it looks like to create a more perfect union.” — Erika Alexander (33:36)

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2. Into Deep: The BAFTA Awards Show Racist Slur Controversy (15:17–23:09)

Key Points:

• Incident Overview: Josh Johnson delivers a thoughtful yet comedic analysis of the BAFTA controversy, where a Tourette syndrome sufferer (John Davidson, also the subject of an award-winning film) involuntarily shouts the N-word during the ceremony.
• Nuances of Neurodiversity vs. Racism:
  • Johnson explores the complexity of the issue: “Every time I’ve been called the N word, I was told the white person couldn’t help it... And now I’m confronted with someone who actually couldn’t help it.” (16:33–17:03)
  • The internet’s backlash is characterized as “diversity vs. neurodiversity,” with Johnson urging people to place the blame on the BAFTAs and BBC, not the communities involved.
• Failed Institutional Response:
  • BAFTA’s apology—“If you were offended”—is lampooned for being conditional; BBC is roasted for not censoring the incident out despite a two-hour delay (“That’s plenty of time to bleep it. And don’t tell me you lost track of time. The only thing I know about your country is that you got big ass clocks.” 20:38).
  • Hypocrisy is exposed as other political statements (“free Palestine”) were censored, but the slur was not.
• Call to Action:
  • Johnson concludes: “So please black Twitter and neurodivergent TikTok, stop firing off at each other and turn that heat onto BAFTA and the BBC because together your heat is equal to the sun. Roast them, Light em up. Fry their asses.” (22:32)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “The man called his shot. He basically Babe Ruth the N word.” — Josh Johnson (19:21)
• “How are you gonna hand out editing awards and you can’t edit?” — Josh Johnson (21:46)
• “Now whenever I hear something bleeped, I’m gonna assume they might be saying free Palestine.” — Josh Johnson (21:10)

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3. Interview: Erika Alexander (25:46–34:29)

Key Points:

• Career Longevity:
  • Alexander discusses her diverse, decades-long career, starting with “The Cosby Show” and “Living Single,” and how her latest role (“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”) came after a direct call from Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Sam Means, and Tracy Morgan.
  • “I worked my whole life to get that type of call... It’s like being called up to the— I was in the majors, but suddenly another major team wants you.” — Erica Alexander (26:55–27:14)
• Navigating Hollywood as a Black Actress:
  • She candidly details challenges faced after “Living Single,” annotating the structural impediments of racism and gender bias in the industry: “You can do really well somewhere, but doesn’t mean that they have some place to put you afterwards.” (30:35–31:01)
  • Alexander recounts forging her own path through creative work like the “Concrete Park” comic and founding Color Farm Media, aiming to empower marginalized communities and creators.
  • “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it. You play the cards you’re dealt.” (32:05–32:09)
• Advice for Young Actors:
  • Encourages authenticity over assimilation: “Don’t try to bend yourself into pretzels. No one please do that. It’s not necessary. America’s big enough for all of us...” (33:36)
  • Repeats her signature mantra: “Haul ass. And it takes longer than you think it does. Haul ass.” (34:09)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Comedy is a full contact sport. You have to be in it to win it. They’re gonna throw you something and you gotta be ready to, you know, receive and throw it back.” — Erika Alexander (28:34)
• “You just have to be confident... You don’t always need to know. You just need to, you know, let go and let God.” — Erika Alexander (29:42–30:11)
• “Color Farm Media—We call ourselves the Motown of film, television and tech.” — Erika Alexander (32:09)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Opening – War with Iran commentary kicks off | 02:28 | | Trump’s war logic & leadership mocked | 03:31–04:36 | | “All candidates are dead” succession gag | 04:36–05:46 | | Israel’s threat and war rhetoric satire | 05:46–07:04 | | Contradictory “Is it a war or not?” banter | 07:57–08:46 | | Satirical Pentagon report / Trump as “Supreme Leader” riff | 10:23–13:34 | | BAFTA segment w/ Josh Johnson – “Into Deep” | 15:17–23:09 | | Erika Alexander interview begins | 25:46 | | Resilience and representation in acting, Color Farm Media | 30:35–33:36 | | Erika Alexander’s final advice wrap-up | 33:36–34:09 |

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Summary Tone and Style

The episode maintains The Daily Show’s signature irreverent, quick-witted style, mixing sharp satire, extended sketch humor, and self-aware commentary on both American politics and broader pop culture. Erika Alexander’s interview is earnest yet conversational, blending insight and warmth with the same offbeat energy.

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Notable Episode Highlights

• Satirical Crisis Coverage: The Iran segment lampoons American foreign policy, media narratives, and the Trump administration’s contradictions with relentless absurdity.
• Memorable Satirical Exchanges:
  • Grace’s pitch for Trump as Iran’s new Supreme Leader is a comedic high point.
  • Josh Johnson’s presentation on the BAFTA scandal merges memorable quips with thoughtful social analysis.
• Erika Alexander’s Inspirational Journey: Her reflections on navigating Hollywood’s obstacles and creating opportunities for herself and others are both moving and motivating.
• Consistent Thread: From politics to pop culture, the episode skewers the confusion, hypocrisy, and contradictions pervasive in American discourse.

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For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode is a showcase of The Daily Show’s best attributes: fast-paced political satire, diagrams of institutional absurdity, and a meaningful conversation about representation and resilience in the arts.

Transcript

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Announcer/Advertiser]

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[Michael Costa]

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[Michael Costa]

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source is the Daily show with your host, Michael Costa. Yeah, baby. We got a good one tonight. We're cooking. We're cooking. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Michael Costa. We've got so much to talk about tonight. Iran posts a new job listing. Chuck Schumer has a nuclear meltdown and the BAFTA wars went proper. Rise up, gov'.

[Guest/Caller]

Nah.

[Michael Costa]

So let's kick things off with the latest on America's war with Iran. Nothing bad can happen. It can only good happen. We're now five days into our war with Iran and things are looking just a little bit dicey. No one seems to have a clear plan for the war or even a clear reason why we started it. And apparently America's military is even at risk of running out of weapons, which is one problem I never thought America would have. I thought we had an unlimited stockpile of Those, like, spinoffs of Yellowstone. Oh, by the way, tune in to Paramount for the world premiere of Yellowstone in Space. But despite all those problems, the good news is Donald Trump is in charge. And I'm sure he's diligently thought through all of the wartime scenarios. What's the worst case scenario that you

[Announcer/Advertiser]

have planned for in Iran?

[Michael Costa]

Well, I don't know if there's a worst case. I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person. Right. That could happen.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, no shit. You're just thinking about this now? I do six months of research before I buy a new shampoo. Trump's like, I just realized starting a war in the Middle east could have some downsides. Huh? Also, it's a little disturbing that he says it as casually as when you realize you've never seen a bird's penis before. Do they even have them? But Trump's right. You don't want a new leader who is just as bad as the old one. So I'm sure the administration has a deep bench of candidates ready to step up. Right?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

President Trump said some Iranian officials his administration was hoping could take over have been killed in the war.

[Michael Costa]

Well, most of the people we had in mind are dead. So, you know, we had some in mind from that group that is de. And now we have another group. They may be dead also. Okay, well, the good thing is there's a third group. Oh, what's that? They're dead also. And the fourth group's dead. And the fifth group's dead. They're all dead. I cannot believe this. You killed all the candidates? Even the ones who were willing to accept a lower salary because they appreciated the potential for long term career growth. Now, if I was Iran, I did what my middle school did when my English teacher had a baby and just let a gym teacher be the Ayatollah for a little while. But apparently they have another plan. So who is running Iran?

[Announcer/Advertiser]

The late Ayatollah's son has reportedly emerged as a leading candidate.

[Michael Costa]

Boring. Come on, dude. You're not supposed to follow in your dad's footsteps. Where's your rebellious spirit? I don't want to be the supreme leader of Dad. I just want to dance. But, you know, the job has a lot of long term career growth, so I don't see a good reason why he wouldn't take it.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Israel's Defense Minister this morning said anyone Iran appoints will be an unequivocal target for elimination.

[Michael Costa]

Damn. An unequivocal target for elimination. What a fancy way to say, we're going to kill you. The Ayatollah son is probably like, you know what? Now that I think about it, I'm not really a management type. I'm kind of more of a creative guy now. My asshole stepbrother, though, he's ayatollah material for sure. You know what? The plan for succession is not going well. How about the war itself? And I don't need to hear from Donald Trump this time. Surely there must be a more sober voice in this administration.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy. Iran cannot outlast us. We control their fate. They are toast, and they know it. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight.

[Michael Costa]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come on, dude. Not a fair fight. That's not usually something you hear the good guys say. Which, remember, that's us, right? Let's try again. And this time, avoid sounding so much like a bully.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

We are punching them while they're down.

[Michael Costa]

Which is exactly how it should be. Dude. What the. Dude, why does the Secretary of Defense sound like a cheesy movie villain?

[Announcer/Advertiser]

America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy.

[Michael Costa]

Mercy is for the weak. An enemy deserves no mercy.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

We control their fate.

[Erica Alexander]

We will decide your fate.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

We are punching them while they're down.

[Michael Costa]

Always kick them when they're down.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

And President Trump got the last laugh.

[Michael Costa]

Looks like it's I who will have the last laugh. Fun fact, that evil Muppet also got his start as a weekend Fox and Friends host, so. But I guess Secretary Pete's bravado clears one thing up. This is very much a war. Which puts him at odds with what senators like Mark Wayne Mullen have been saying.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

This isn't a war.

[Michael Costa]

We haven't declared war.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

We are not at war with Iran. This isn't a war. This isn't a war with Iran.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, not a war. I thought it was obviously a war since, you know, you've been speaking next to a map of all the places we're bombing in the war. Also all the, you know, and the. And the. And the. I don't know how it all works, okay? And I'm not the only one who's confused by this, because it seems like Mark Wayne is also getting confused.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

This is war, and we're taking out the threat. And if you're part of the threat, then you have. You're a target.

[Michael Costa]

We'll concede.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

This is war.

[Michael Costa]

We haven't declared war.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

They declared War on us.

[Michael Costa]

Secretary Hicks hasn't declared.

[Erica Alexander]

Now, you said they called it.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

They called it war.

[Michael Costa]

What I was saying.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Well, that was a misspoke.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah. Did he say that was a misspoke? Hard to believe the guy who said he did a misspoke did a misspoke. Now, I know it seems like Mark Wayne's contradicting himself, but what you gotta understand is that Mark thinks this is a war, but Wayne thinks it's not. It's just a constant battle. Yeah, how good is that? Mark Wayne? So, yes, mark this down as a war, but weighing this down as not a war. Anyway, thank you. Anyway, with Republicans tripping all over their words, trying to sell this unpopular war adjacent conflict, it's the perfect opportunity for Democrats to come out with a clear anti war message. Oh, and here comes the truth Hammer. Look, no one wants a nuclear war. No one wants a nuclear Israel. But we certainly don't want an endless war, plain and simple. What did I say? Nuclear Israel. Oh, no. Got it. Let me say that again. All right. Wow. If you're confused, just know that his full name is Chuck Wayne Schumer. So, for more on what comes next for Iran and its leadership succession, let's go live to Grace Kuhlenschmidt. Grace. Grace, Grace, Grace, Grace, Grace. What is the latest?

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Michael, I'm here at the Pentagon and it is chaos. We're down to six bullets and Pete Hegseth makes us do shots after every single missile strike. I am wasted right now.

[Michael Costa]

Okay, I'm sorry that you're trash, Grace, but what about the next steps? Have the Trump administration figured out who could be the next leader of Iran?

[Announcer/Advertiser]

No.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

It's a huge problem. We need to find a leader now, or going to war with no plan whatsoever is gonna seem like a bad idea. The problem is the leader needs to be someone Donald Trump respects. And the only person Donald Trump respects is.

[Michael Costa]

Hold on, Grace.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

I said hold on. I'm thinking. I'm thinking. I've thought maybe this is a stupid idea, but what if the next leader of Iran is Donald Trump?

[Michael Costa]

You're right, that's very stupid.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

I know, I know it's dumb, but maybe.

[Michael Costa]

Why would Donald Trump wanna be Supreme Leader of Iran?

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

I don't know. Maybe he'll like the title. It's kind of an upgrade. Actually, this idea isn't that bad. It's like President.

[Erica Alexander]

Ew.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

We let anyone be president, we let Donald Trump be president, But Supreme Leader only, like, two guys have ever been Supreme Leader. That's. That's like Getting to be a Sheldon. On tv, we've only had Sheldon and young Sheldon, but this. This is Iranian Sheldon. You know, this actually isn't a bad idea.

[Michael Costa]

This is a terrible idea. Donald Trump doesn't even know how the Iranian government works.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Yeah, he doesn't know how the American government works, and it's worked out fine.

[Michael Costa]

No, Grace, it has not worked out fine.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Don't be jealous that I had a good idea. Michael, he's gonna go for this. He'll have total immunity. He can imprison all the journalists he wants, and the flowy robes will hide the skin condition that's slowly eating away his flesh.

[Guest/Caller]

Maybe.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Maybe this is the dozen shots of Cuervo talking, but I think I'm the smartest girl alive.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Grace.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Grace.

[Michael Costa]

Grace. Sorry, Grace, but you're not. Even if Trump wanted to do all this, he would have to convert to Islam.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Oh, no.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

He would have to abandon the Christian beliefs he's been so faithfully adhering to his entire life.

[Michael Costa]

Shut up, Michael.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

This is the best idea in the history of Earth. It works out for everybody. Democrats get rid of him, Republicans get him out of the way for 2028, and Lee Grinwood gets a second song to sing. And I'm proud to be in Irania.

[Michael Costa]

Grace, that's. That sounds like the same song.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

That sounds like the same song. I don't see you pitching anything. What's your genius idea?

[Michael Costa]

Okay, I don't know. Maybe Iran has some sort of interim caretaker government that can maintain order with international help until free and fair elections can be held.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. And why would Lee Greenwood even go to Iran? That doesn't make any sense at all.

[Michael Costa]

Great schooling, Schmidt, everybody. When we come back, we find out about history's worst award show. Don't go away. What are you talking about?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Announcer/Advertiser]

Last year, I went through many different life changes. I needed to take a pause and examine how I was feeling in the inside to better show up for the ones who need me to be my best version of myself.

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[Michael Costa]

Welcome back to Daily Show. With most news stories, we try to cover them quickly. But other stories require us to go deeper. And for those, we turn to Josh Johnson. In our new segment into deep.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Let's talk about award shows. They honor creative people, they celebrate great art, and they're how we track the migratory pattern of the Skarsgard. But one recent award show raised a lot more questions than who are you wearing? It was supposed to be an evening of Hollywood glamour mixed with British royalty. By the British Film Awards ceremony known as the baftas. Is facing outrage after black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage only for the N word to be shouted from the audience. Ooh, bafta. Bafta, bafta. Don't you miss when nobody knew what you were, when we all thought you were a trade deal or something. You know, I actually once met someone who told me they had a bafta and I was like, I'm so sorry, is it terminal? Now, ordinarily I dismiss this as another story about a racist slur, but let's go a little deeper. The shout came from John Davidson, who lives with Tourette syndrome, a condition that can cause people to make sudden involuntary tics. This is a tough one. Cause you gotta understand, this is hard for me as a black person because every time I've been called the N word, I was told the white person couldn't help. You know, no, no, no, they're old, they're from the south, or they bet on Tyson and he lost. And now I'm confronted with someone who actually couldn't help it. So it's kind of hard to know what to do with your anger here. And the Internet at large made this out to be diversity versus neurodiversity. But I know it's not that because I asked my neurodivergent friends who are black what they thought. And then a bunch of people came and asked me what I thought. And I was like, wait, what made you? I mean, yeah, I like anime, but you know what? Nevermind, never mind. Like I said, I asked those friends. And as soon as we finished talking about Dragon Ball Z, we got into it. So to go a little deeper, the. The man who shot out the slur was John Davidson, who was at the baftas because there was an award winning movie based on his life with Tourette's. So yes, his outburst was involuntary and he addressed it in a statement afterwards. But right after that I saw a lot of white people who don't have Tourette's giving him a pass. Which is weird because white people don't hand out those passes. White people don't give out passes to say the N word the same way. I don't give out the passes to Cracker Barrel. I know that's not my place. The baftas also tried to apologize during the ceremony and here's how it went.

[Michael Costa]

You may have heard some strong and offensive language tonight. The tics you've heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you were offended.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

If you were offended. I mean, the only two options are being offended or liking it. Saying if ruins a whole apology the same way kind of ruins a whole wedding. Vow. I vow to kind of be faithful. Also, maybe the apology shouldn't come from the host of the Traitors. I honestly don't trust anything that man says anymore. But enough from Floop from Spy Kids. Let's go even deeper because it doesn't begin and end with John. He warned the Baptists that something like this could happen back in October.

[Michael Costa]

He explained, nerves trigger those vocal tics. Sometimes my tics, I'll shout the N word. And people misunderstand that and they see it as being racist. And it's about more about tic triggers certain things. Like today, lots of people around. I'm feeling very, you know, motor text in case I lash out or whatever, you know.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

So this man called his shot. He basically Babe Ruth the N word. Watch this from row 40. Now, Bafta did make an announcement in the room before the ceremony that there could be, but they didn't do enough.

[Erica Alexander]

Well, John Davidson is said to be deeply mortified by the incident on Sunday. He has now said to the BBC, why on earth was I allowed to sit so close to a microphone?

[Announcer/Advertiser]

They sat him next to a microphone. This feels like a Final Destination movie when they make one of the characters go to a dynamite factory. Like, what are you thinking? And if you're thinking the BBC, the network that broadcast the awards deserves some blame. You have no idea how much blame the BBC is apologizing. They have come under a lot of fire because they allowed the racial slur to go out on the broadcast even though it was pre recorded.

[Michael Costa]

The moment was broadcast without any censoring.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Despite being on a two hour delay.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

A two hour delay. That's plenty of time to bleep it. And don't tell me you lost track of time. The only thing I know about your country is that you got big ass clocks. I mean, if they're not bleeping the N word, they must have not bleeped anything.

[Michael Costa]

The big question this morning, why did

[Narrator/Advertiser]

these outbursts remain on the broadcast when

[Michael Costa]

other parts of the event were cut like the words of one award winner who said free Palestine.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Now whenever I hear something bleeped, I'm gonna assume they might be saying free Palestine. I'll be listening to music like oh wow, I didn't realize Cardi B and Meg thee stallion wanted a wet ass. Free Palestine. How could this possibly happen?

[Michael Costa]

The corporation said producers were overseeing the coverage from a truck and simply did not hear the.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Oh that, that makes sense because most of the times I've been called the N word, it's been hurled from a truck. Look, I have seen so much anger and hate online fighting over this with people rushing to attack anyone they saw as ableist in some ways that were pretty racist. People are pretending to be neurologists while saying things like don't you say the R word, you N word. Everyone was so mad at each other with all of us when all of us should be mad at the baftas. They have failed both groups and the people that overlap at every turn. They sat John next to a microphone, they didn't edit it out even with a two hour delay and they left it up UNEDITED on the BBC streaming service for 15 hours. How are you gonna hand out editing awards and you can't edit? Even worse, you embarrassed Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. No one gets away with that. So please black Twitter and neurodivergent TikTok stop firing off at each other and turn that heat onto BAFTA and the BBC because your heat together is equal to the sun. Roast them, Light em up. Fry their asses. They're from England, they burn easy. But hey, maybe I'm in too deep.

[Michael Costa]

Josh Johnson. And when we come back, Erica Alexander will be joining the show. Don't go away. Josh Johnson.

[Guest/Caller]

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[Michael Costa]

welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an award winning actor who stars in the new NBC series the Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. Please welcome Erica Alexander. Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

You've got an enthusiastic crowd here.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

I just might stay.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, I love some Erica Alexander. I don't blame them.

[Erica Alexander]

I love Michael. I love them and I appreciate all these years I've gotten support from beautiful people like that and that's why I'm here today. It's 43 years in what yes, I'm surprised.

[Michael Costa]

But you're only 25. You've been in some amazing shows. Wow. The Cosby Show, Living Single.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes.

[Michael Costa]

Now you star in the Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. How did you get here? How did you get on this?

[Erica Alexander]

I got a call from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Sam Means and Tracy Morgan. And you have to pay attention to that. That's a big deal.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

I mean, I worked my whole life to get that type of call. And so it's a great thing. It's like being called up to the. I mean, I was in the majors, but suddenly another major team wants you.

[Michael Costa]

Right, right.

[Erica Alexander]

And they know what they're doing. They're masters of the game. And so I was glad to be invited.

[Michael Costa]

That's amazing. You may know, but I am in the series for about 10 seconds. And. Did you feel my presence on set?

[Erica Alexander]

I mean, how did I think I did? I smelled you.

[Michael Costa]

You smell me good? No, he smells good.

[Erica Alexander]

Like victory.

[Michael Costa]

That's right.

[Erica Alexander]

Because everybody they brought in were ringers. They don't play.

[Michael Costa]

The cast is amazing. I couldn't.

[Erica Alexander]

They bring in amazing talent. So. Yeah, no, you can feel that when you have big winners on there and you want to rise to the occasion, but then guest stars, feature player, all of that, they know what they're doing. So. Yeah, I smelled you.

[Michael Costa]

Thank you so much, fella. Thank you. Thank you. Fellow host Ronny Chieng. You were in a couple scenes with him.

[Erica Alexander]

Yes, he plays my rival.

[Michael Costa]

That's right. He plays your rival.

[Erica Alexander]

He's there to antagonize me.

[Michael Costa]

But. And be honest, how many takes did it take him to get it right?

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Wow.

[Erica Alexander]

You know, I'm sorry to say, one.

[Michael Costa]

He was great. He was great. You guys are great together. But let's talk about the cast, because you can carry a show.

[Guest/Caller]

You.

[Michael Costa]

But then how do you also. This is a team sport, this show.

[Erica Alexander]

It is.

[Michael Costa]

How do you. What's your strategy when you've got so many stars on screen at the same time?

[Erica Alexander]

Well, comedy is a full contact sport. You have to be in it to win it. They're gonna throw you something and you gotta be ready to, you know, receive and throw it back. I'm really gratified that they think that I can be around, you know, fantastic people who have been doing it for years with each other. They've got a vocabulary and a shorthand that I don't have. I've never done a mocking. And that's what this is. And so I think that, you know, many people think that comedy is Just, you know, a monologue and, or what you're doing on stage. But comedy lies in this space, in sitcom space. And it's hard to translate because you'll have no audience to tell you where the joke is. And so you just have to be confident that the people who set you up and who have told you this is what you need to do are gonna take the funniest thing that you can do and. But it has to be in context of everything and what everyone is contributing.

[Michael Costa]

I was intimidated by the scripts because they were so funny with so many jokes, with so many references I didn't necessarily understand.

[Erica Alexander]

I didn't know either.

[Michael Costa]

And I wanted to ask you, I was hoping to steal from you. How did you approach those scripts?

[Erica Alexander]

Doll face? If you get the Rosetta Stone, let me know. I had no idea. I had no idea, actually. Actually I felt kind of weird. I kept talking to Robert Carlock saying, I really don't know what I'm doing or whether it's hitting. He says, don't worry, Erica. We tell you, usually when they say that, they just give you a final notice note under your door. We'll tell you. You don't want to be told. You kind of want to know in your bones, but you got to be okay with discomfort. You don't always need to know. You just need to, you know, let go and let God. There it is.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah. After Living Single, which is a five year sitcom, iconic sitcom that people. But you talked a little bit about after that, you weren't getting the opportunities you thought you might, which blew me away because you would have thought you're now a star, you should be getting all the opportunities. Talk a little about that.

[Erica Alexander]

It's a tough business because if you complain about what you're not getting, people might think that, you know, hey, but look what you got. But the truth is you're up against things that are inside of systems that exist everywhere else. And there's a system of discrimination, bias, discriminatory, you know, racism, also gender problems that affect Hollywood. And this is the 90s. They don't know where to absorb you. You can do really well somewhere, but doesn't mean that they have some place to put you afterwards.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Erica Alexander]

And so you have to, you know, it's a mental game too. You gotta be ready to push through and see where else, what else you can offer. I got into creating opportunities for myself to advocate for people, for marginalized people, and to lift the voices of people who did not have the type of platform I had. I learned how to write comic books. I did something called Concrete park with my ex partner, but my creative partner, Tony Perrier, it was that, to me, is what people don't talk like, what does it take to stay in the game? Because it doesn't mean that you'll always be wanted, but it does mean that you do have a certain skill set. And you got to find out where you can put it. Where can you contribute?

[Michael Costa]

I mean, you could have been mad and complained, but you formed a production company.

[Erica Alexander]

I sure did.

[Michael Costa]

Color Farm Media. Color Farm Media.

[Erica Alexander]

Thank you for mentioning that.

[Michael Costa]

I just love the idea. You know, it's easy to sit and go, I'm not getting it. I'm not getting the thing I want. I deserve it. But it sounds like one of the things you did. You said that let me go create some stuff.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, Michael.

[Michael Costa]

And I love that.

[Erica Alexander]

Deserve's got nothing to do with it.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Please.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Erica Alexander]

You know, deserve's got nothing to do with it. You just, again, you play the cards you're dealt. Color Farm Media. We call ourselves the Motown of film, television and tech. We were trying to do what Berry Gordy did. There's a ton of people. It's not just down to, you know, the more explicit bias and gender and all that stuff, but also, you know, geography. You may not feel like you're born into a place where they'll accept what you're doing. Where do they find Dolly Parton up in Appalachia or, you know, those types of places. Where can we find talent? There's ageism, there's all of that. We wanted to affect that and correct that as well as we could. There's other people in the game. Avery duvernay, all of those people. So, yeah, we did John Lewis, Good Trouble, which is a documentary. And also, you know, I actually directed a reparations doc. Yeah. Called the Big Payback.

[Michael Costa]

Come on. Yeah. And we're still waiting for the payback.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah, I'm still waiting.

[Michael Costa]

Still waiting for the payback.

[Erica Alexander]

Yeah.

[Michael Costa]

You are excellent. In the Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins. It was. I hope if the show continues, we can somehow work in the same scene together. But, you know, we're doing a scene right now. I know, but. Excellent.

[Erica Alexander]

My character is a sports agent manager, so she is most likely to be mixing it up with you.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, that's right.

[Erica Alexander]

Cause you.

[Michael Costa]

I'm a thrice divorced sports anchor. I have to ask because, you know, you have the experience of this industry, but what would you say to a young actor? Coming up, a young black woman trying to come up and make it in show business.

[Erica Alexander]

Um, I'd say you, they're looking for you. But make sure that you present your best self, your authentic self. Don't try to bend yourself into pretzels. No one please do that. It's not necessary. America's big enough for all of us. We are the true Rosetta stone for what it looks like to create a more perfect union. It means for us to accept each other in diversity of each other and also haul ass. Haul ass. And it takes. Takes longer than you think it does. Haul ass.

[Michael Costa]

Thank you, Erica. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins airs Mondays on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock. Erica Alexander, Take a quick break. A wipeout after this. Thank you. You're the best. You're.

[Erica Alexander]

Close your eyes, Exhale. Feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts.

[Erica Alexander]

Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

I almost couldn't breathe when I saw

[Erica Alexander]

the discount they gave me on my first order.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Oh, sorry.

[Erica Alexander]

Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

1,800-contacts.

[Michael Costa]

60% of top distributors run on Epicor Profit 21. It's ERP built for distribution, enhanced with a genic AI that doesn't just inform, but acts optimizing inventory, streamlining purchasing, and making every day easier.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Don't play catch up.

[Michael Costa]

Visit epicore.com win. That's the show for tonight. Now here it is, your moment of Zen. Thank you, Derek. You're doing a great job. Bernie, I think you're okay. You want to say something really fast? Burning. Thank you. He gets my vote. He gets my vote. I have to go back and look at the war, you know, have a lot of things happening. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

Plus,

[Michael Costa]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Reggie, I just sold my car online.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Let's go, grandpa.

[Michael Costa]

Wait, you did? Yep. On Carvana. Just put in the license plate, answered a few questions, got an offer in minutes. Easier than setting up that new digital picture frame.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

You don't say.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, they're even picking it up tomorrow. Talk about fast.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Wow.

[Michael Costa]

Way to go. So, about that picture frame. Ah, forget about it. Until carvana makes one.

[Announcer/Advertiser]

I'm not interested.

[Erica Alexander]

Car selling made easy on Carvana Pick

[Announcer/Advertiser]

up fees may apply.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

60% of top distributors run on Epicor Profit 21 it's ERP built for distribution,

[Michael Costa]

enhanced with a genic AI that doesn't just inform but acts, optimizing inventory, streamlining purchasing and making every day easier. Don't play catch up. Visit epicore.com win.