Uzo Aduba

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert – Episode Featuring Uzo Aduba

Episode Details:

• Title: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
• Host: CBS
• Guest: Uzo Aduba
• Release Date: March 15, 2025
• Episode Focus: Uzo Aduba’s recent achievements, her memoir, and her new role in “The Residence”

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1. Introduction and Warm Welcome (00:00 – 02:10)

The episode begins with Stephen Colbert introducing Uzo Aduba, highlighting her impressive accolades as a three-time Emmy Award winner and Tony nominee. Colbert underscores Aduba’s notable roles in popular series such as "Orange Is the New Black" and "Mrs. America", and introduces her latest project, the Shonda Rhimes series "The Residence", where she portrays an eagle-eyed detective.

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2. Personal Milestones and Achievements (02:10 – 04:12)

Stephen Colbert opens the conversation by congratulating Aduba on her recent successes:

• Colbert: “You won your third Emmy. You got married.”
• Colbert: “You wrote a memoir.”

Uzo Aduba responds with humility, mentioning her busy schedule balancing her new marriage and motherhood:

• Aduba: “Yeah. Haven’t been doing a thing between a book and a baby.”

They discuss her daughter, who recently turned 16 months old. Aduba shares insights into her parenting experience, highlighting her daughter's developing communication skills:

• Aduba: “She's sleeping through the night. You know, sometimes she has sleep regressions, but she's mostly sleeping through the night, which is good.”
• Aduba: “She's gotten that from me. Big talker. Loves words.”

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3. Writing and Memoir Inspiration (04:12 – 06:07)

The conversation shifts to Aduba’s memoir, inspired by her mother. Colbert inquires about the familial influences on her writing:

• Colbert: “Now, this memoir right here. Your mother inspired you to write this memoir?”
• Aduba: “Yes. My mom, yes. In her own way. She kept a journal her entire life, and I have journals because of her.”

Aduba explains that her memoir not only reflects her experiences but also includes the lives of her brothers and sisters:

• Aduba: “Absolutely. They have read it recently.”
• Colbert: “Do they approve?”
• Aduba: “Yes, they do. They do.”

She shares a personal anecdote about her sister reading the memoir during their vacation in Cabo, Mexico, and her sister's subdued yet positive reaction:

• Aduba: “...she was like, it was good. And I was, okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. We did.”

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4. New Series: The Residence (06:07 – 08:49)

Stephen Colbert introduces Aduba’s new series "The Residence", a whodunit set in the White House. They discuss her fascination with mystery genres:

• Colbert: “Are you a fan of mysteries in general?”
• Aduba: “I do. I like Clue. I watched Clue a ton when I was growing up. Remember that movie? I love that movie.”

Aduba reminisces about classic mystery shows like "Murder, She Wrote", linking them to her mother's love for the series:

• Aduba: “My mom loved that show. And that was Cabot Cove. Yeah. Jessica Fletcher.”

Colbert humorously suggests a theory about Jessica Fletcher being a serial killer, to which Aduba responds playfully:

• Colbert: “There's a theory that Jessica Fletcher is actually a serial killer and she's killed her story. That's it.”
• Aduba: “It tracks.”

Discussing the set of "The Residence", Aduba shares intriguing details about the White House set:

• Aduba: “There are a lot of levels underground. Like, there are probably something like four or five levels underground.”
• Aduba: “I went almost all the way down. And when I was being shown through the White House... I got it.”

Aduba elaborates on her character’s unique detective style, integrating her passion for birdwatching:

• Aduba: “My character style is. Well, she's a birder. That's her hobby, bird watching. So she uses a lot of those skills.”
• Colbert: “You mean binoculars?”
• Aduba: “She uses exactly. The body's right here. She's looking at it.”

She explains how her character employs a “bird’s eye view” to gather clues, enhancing her investigative prowess:

• Aduba: “She's using kind of like a bird's eye view to get clues and get clues put together. You know, instead of looking at people, like, from here, she's looking from 3,000ft up, gathering.”

When asked about her personal experience with birding, Aduba admits it’s not her favorite activity but finds "The Residence" engaging:

• Aduba: “I have, and it's not for me. But it's very relaxing.”

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5. Closing Remarks and Upcoming Releases (08:49 – End)

Colbert wraps up the discussion by promoting the release date of "The Residence":

• Colbert: “The Residence is available on Netflix March 20th.”

He thanks Uzo Aduba for joining the show and encourages listeners to watch the episode:

• Colbert: “Uzo Aduba, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert.”

Aduba adds a promotional note directing fans to The Late Show YouTube channel for more content:

• Colbert: “Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.”

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Notable Quotes:

• Uzo Aduba (02:56): “Never a day in my life have I ever said that. Right. And so until I had my daughter, and then she started walking...”
• Uzo Aduba (05:24): “Can we go down to those two other levels? And they're all like, that's the bunker. No, I was like, oh, okay. No problem. Get it. I got it.”
• Uzo Aduba (08:27): “She's using kind of like a bird's eye view to get clues and get clues put together.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert offers an in-depth look into Uzo Aduba’s multifaceted life, from her celebrated acting career and personal milestones to her literary endeavors and latest acting projects. Aduba’s candid discussions provide listeners with a heartfelt and insightful portrayal of her journey, both professionally and personally.

For those interested in exploring more about Uzo Aduba’s work and following her new series "The Residence", available on Netflix starting March 20th, this episode provides a comprehensive and engaging overview.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

Hello. Hello friends. Welcome ladies and gentlemen. My next guest is a three time Emmy Award winner and Tony nominee. You know, from Orange Is the New Black and Mrs. America. She now plays an eagle eyed detective in the new Shonda Rhimes series the Residents.

[Uzo Aduba]

I'm here if you need anything. I don't need anything. Well, if you do, what would I need? Federal resources like a tax refund? I'm here to help. No, you're the guy they put on the case to make sure I don't put my nose in things that might be uncomfortable for everyone. And you're the guy who tries to undermine me when I tell them the truth I've met 100 guys like you, and I don't remember the name of a single one. My name is Edwin. I'm not that guy. I'm really just here to help. What floor you want to go to the party, right? Yes. First floor. Can you hand one? That would help.

[Stephen Colbert]

Please welcome back to the Late Show. Uzo Aduba. Hello.

[Uzo Aduba]

Hello.

[Stephen Colbert]

Nice to see you again.

[Uzo Aduba]

Nice to.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, since the last time you were here, we were talking backstage. It's been too long.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

You won your third Emmy. You got married.

[Uzo Aduba]

Thank you, guys.

[Stephen Colbert]

There's your husband. You got married. That produced something beautiful. Yes. Here's your baby. A brand new baby. And you wrote a memoir.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

There you go. So you've been keeping busy.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yeah. Haven't been doing a thing between a.

[Stephen Colbert]

Book and a baby. When do you sleep?

[Uzo Aduba]

Never.

[Stephen Colbert]

Rare. Yeah, rare. How old's your baby now?

[Uzo Aduba]

She was 16 months yesterday.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, wow. Little. Okay. Is she sleeping through the night at all?

[Uzo Aduba]

She's sleeping through the night. You know, sometimes she has sleep regressions, but she's mostly sleeping through the night, which is good.

[Stephen Colbert]

And is she, you know, is she. How talkative is she?

[Uzo Aduba]

Oh, my gosh. Okay, first of all, I'm a talker, so she's picked.

[Stephen Colbert]

She's special.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yeah, exactly. She's gotten that from me. Big talker.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Uzo Aduba]

Loves words. She's walking me.

[Stephen Colbert]

Favorite words. I would like to know what the baby's favorite words are.

[Uzo Aduba]

Okay. Favorite words are. Thank you. Yeah, maybe.

[Stephen Colbert]

I was about to say you really painted yourself as a pretty good mom here.

[Uzo Aduba]

No, she loves. Thank you. Because she knows she's going to get something. So even before she's gotten it, she's like, cookie. Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

She seals the deal, becoming a parent. I mean, I found, you know, it's nothing new, but turn you into your own parent. Like, you see things coming back in the way that you're disciplining or talking to them. Does that happen to you? Have you found yourself, like. Have you found yourself transforming?

[Uzo Aduba]

Oh, for sure. Okay. So my mom, growing up, we call them. My mom's name is Nanyam. So Nanyem. Yes. And so Nanyaem is these things that she would do when we were kids, and one of them she would always do if we were, you know, getting ready to touch something we weren't supposed to touch, she'd go, no, no, no. And it was always with this slow finger wag.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Uzo Aduba]

Never a day in my life have I ever said that. Right. And so until I had my daughter, and then she started Walking. And one time she was going towards a plug, you know, socket, you know, And I. Out of nowhere, I do not know where it came from, all of a sudden, I was just like, no, no, no. And I was literally like, who said that? That was me. You know, it was so wild.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, so this memoir right here. Your mother inspired you to write this memoir?

[Uzo Aduba]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And why was she a writer herself?

[Uzo Aduba]

My mom, yes. In her own way. She kept a journal her entire life, and I have journals because of her.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, this is not just about you. Are your brothers and sisters lives in this as well?

[Uzo Aduba]

Absolutely.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have they read it?

[Uzo Aduba]

Yes, they have read it recently.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do they approve?

[Uzo Aduba]

Yes, they do. They do. No, they do totally approve. They only just read it. My sister and I, we were out on vacation this last month in Cabo, Mexico. And while we were together, for some reason, that's when she decided to read the book.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, God.

[Uzo Aduba]

Which is probably next to you on the beach. Correct. My greatest nightmare. And I'm laying there, you know, and she's laying in the chaise lounge, just slipping through, no words. She's not laughing, you know, I'm like, is this funny? Is it not funny? Is it working? You know? Are you into it? Are you not into it? I don't know how she's responding to it. And then it's like she just finished it. And I was looking at her like, what do you think? What's going on? She was like, it was good. And I was, okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. We did.

[Stephen Colbert]

You got a new series that you're in. It's called the Residence. It's a classic whodunit, but it's in the White House.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Are you a fan of mysteries in general?

[Uzo Aduba]

I do. I like Clue. I watched Clue a ton when I was growing up. Remember that movie? I love that movie.

[Stephen Colbert]

Played the game.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yeah. Yep. The game, too. Yep. Totally. Murder, she Wrote. My mom loved that show. And that was Cabot Cove. Yeah. Jessica Fletcher.

[Stephen Colbert]

Lot of murders.

[Uzo Aduba]

Lot of murders. Although I have a theory. I can't tell if it's that a lot of murders were happening there or if what we were watching was her books. Each story. Do you know what I mean?

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. If you think about that, there's a theory that Jessica Fletcher is actually a serial killer and she's killed her story. That's it.

[Uzo Aduba]

It tracks.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you learn. Did you learn anything about the White House you didn't know?

[Uzo Aduba]

Yes. There are a lot of levels underground. Like, there are probably something like four or five levels underground.

[Stephen Colbert]

Really? I've been to the basement, like, where the library is?

[Uzo Aduba]

Yes. And then there's even basements that go throughout the entire house.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you go down there?

[Uzo Aduba]

I went. I went almost all the way down. And when I was being shown through the White House, you know, there were two levels, I think it was, that were below where we were. And I said, can we go down to those two other levels? And they're all like, that's the bunker. No, I was like, oh, okay. No problem. Get it. I got it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Every detective has their own style.

[Uzo Aduba]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

As a detective, what is your character style?

[Uzo Aduba]

My character style is. Well, she's a birder. That's her hobby, bird watching. So she uses a lot of those skills.

[Stephen Colbert]

You mean binoculars?

[Uzo Aduba]

She uses exactly. The body's right here. She's looking at it. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

How else does it come in handy?

[Uzo Aduba]

Well, because she's using kind of like a bird's eye view to get clues and get clues put together. You know, instead of looking at people, like, from here, she's looking from 3,000ft up, gathering.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have you birdered yourself? Have you gone out birding?

[Uzo Aduba]

I have, and it's not for me.

[Stephen Colbert]

But the Residence is.

[Uzo Aduba]

But it's very relaxing.

[Stephen Colbert]

The Residence is available on Netflix March 20th. Uzo Aduba, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.