with respect to today's guest
because I don't know if you know this, right,
but your girl-- check this out.
She got some moves, okay.
I'm trying to get on "The Masked Dancer,"
and what better way to do that than ask the host
of "The Masked Dancer"?
Welcome to my crib, Craig Robinson!
What up? - [laughs]
- I'm letting you know straight up,
this whole interview is a bribe.
It's a straight-up bribe to get on "The Masked Singer."
- Straight-up bribe, yo. - Straight-up bribe, yo.
Welcome. How are you?
- What's up, Lilly? I'm good. How you doin'?
- I'm fantastic.
I wanna ask you this, okay?
Quarantine happened. Everyone's trying to adapt.
We're trying to figure out life.
You are a stand-up comic, amongst other things.
- Yup. - I'm trying to figure out
how people like you-- specifically you--
how have you adapted?
Like, what-- how are you doing your thing?
- My first show back was a--these car shows,
where it's an audience of cars,
people sitting in their cars,
and, you know, you go up and do your thing.
And I guess I was 50-50 on it
because, you know, it's one thing
for people to walk out when you do your act,
but to drive off, that was a whole
nother level of hurt, and, so yeah, my comedy--
- Did that actually happen, though?
- Oh, that happened.
My comedy caused a traffic jam.
I mean, but, you know, give me a break.
I hadn't done my act in six, seven months.
You know, I was trying to remember it,
and then I'm watching people drive off,
so it was just like, my heart was hurting.
- That is tough. I get that.
But at least the bright side is,
you probably didn't get heckled, right?
How can people heckle you from a car?
- Um...
well, they-- they blow their horns.
- Oh, yeah. - So--but that's--
that's the thing: they blow if they like it.
They blow if they don't like it.
I don't know.
- [laughs] Well, I tell you what.
I give you--kudos to you for adapting,
'cause I'm sure that's very, very difficult to do,
because you're also all about, like, deadpan humor,
which, as you said, you need intimate settings
to kind of play that vibe of comedy.
- Exactly, exactly. - Exactly.
So I gotta ask, for someone who plays deadpan humor,
every time I watch your performances
or any other comedian that kind of has this straight face,
I always wonder, like,
do you ever crack, or do you ever break on set?
Because I feel like you are the person
that makes other people break.
- What? Of course.
I mean, it's a video out there
of Will Ferrell, like, destroying us.
But Will, for sure, is trying to destroy the take.
He doesn't care. - [laughs]
He's trying to-- - That's his goal.
- And this one video from "Eastbound & Down"
is Danny McBride and Will
and Will is just improvising the craziest stuff:
"I can feel it in my plums.
Two-for-one on the farmers' market."
And I gotta stand there serious,
looking in the eyes of Danny McBride
while Will is going off.
It was--it was torture,
and yeah, I was-- I broke a lot.
You know, I just try to say, "Hey, this is not happening.
You know, think about your paycheck."
I don't know. It's-- I don't know where to go.
I'm just like, "Stop laughing. Stop."
And then that makes it worse.
And then you see Danny, like, have just--
any movement, it just--
a glimmer in his eye, and then it's over.
The whole take is over, ruined.
- Do you pride yourself in making people break?
'Cause I kind of get it from the perspective
of Will Ferrell in the scene.
Like, I feel like I would be like,
"Yeah, I want to make this hard for you.
"I want you to laugh. I"--
Do people take pride in that?
- My--I pride myself on
once the take is up, once they yell, "Cut,"
and then everybody, like, busts out laughing
because they had to hold it that whole time.
So no, I try to-- and just get the crew going.
You know? - Yeah, no, absolutely.
All right, so, Craig, here's the thing.
My personal style of comedy is, like,
loud, energetic, in your face.
I wish I was good at the deadpan-type stuff.
So I would love to do a deadpan-off with you
in hopes of learning.
So here's what I'd like to do.
I'd like for you to stare into my soul,
and I wanna do the same things.
And I wanna exchange some dad jokes
in the hopes of making you crack.
And you can try to make me crack,
which I'm gonna try very hard not to do,
but I probably will.
How does that sound? - Okay, okay.
I think I got something. - Okay.
[clears throat] I'm gonna go first, okay?
So stare into my soul, okay? Here we go.
[inhales deeply]
[clears throat] I'm already laughing.
Hey, Craig.
I don't trust stairs.
They're always up to something.
♪
- So, um, why did the scarecrow
win an award?
- I don't know. Why?
- He was "out standing" in his field.
[laughs]
♪
- I appreciate that you're laughing at your own joke.
I really--I really-- - I'm sorry.
- [laughs] - Okay, okay, okay. Go.
- All right. All right, cool. [clears throat]
Hey, Craig, did you hear the rumor about butter?
- No. What about it?
- Well--well, I'm not gonna spread it.
♪
- What do you call a wreath
made of $100 bills?
- I don't know.
- "Aretha" Franklins.
♪
[laughs]
♪
- So dumb. So dumb, it's good.
[inhales deeply]
[clears throat]
We're both losing, but that's fine.
Um-- [clears throat]
- Hey, Craig. - Yeah.
- I don't know if you heard, but...
a cheese factory exploded in France.
- Oh, no.
- Yeah, "da Brie" is everywhere.
♪
- Hey, Lilly. - Hmm?
- Why did the man get fired
from the orange juice factory?
- I don't know.
- He couldn't concentrate.
♪
- [laughs]
Okay, I'm not good at this.
I can't do--this is why you're the deadpan comedian,
'cause I'm not good at it. - Oh, my gosh.
I can't say 'em and not laugh.
That's the problem.
- So let's talk about this.
Congratulations, you are the host for the very new
"The Masked Dancer," which is incredible.
Congratulations. - Thank you very much.
- How has it been?
- It is so much fun.
It's entertaining all day long.
It's an incredible thing to be a part of.
- So basically, for those watching at home,
in case you're living under a rock,
essentially, there is a performer that is a celebrity
or someone well-known but that's in a mask
and the judges and the host, Craig Robinson,
doesn't know who the person is, and they gotta guess.
But, Craig, I'm actually shook. Like, be real with me, okay?
Like, just real, real talk.
You legit don't know who they are?
Like, you real, real talk don't know who they are?
- Legit don't know who they are.
So it's interesting like that.
And yeah, I legit don't know. I don't know till it's time--
- So basically, what you're saying is, like,
Craig, I could be one of the dancers
and you wouldn't know.
- You legit could be one of the dancers,
and I wouldn't know, until I gotta
say your name and reveal you.
- Exac--'cause I got moves.
Like, I-I got moves, so I could very easily--
- I hear you talkin', and I see all that space,
but I don't see any movement.
- I'ma break it down for you right now.
I'ma break it down. Let's get a wide shot.
I'ma break it down for you right now.
Ready? Ready? Ready? Ready? Okay.
I'm gonna let you pick a limb here.
Pick from--do you want from--away from right hand?
- Oh, oh, yes. Right arm to left leg.
- Yup. - Spin and then, like,
kind of, you know, jazz-hands shimmy.
- Okay, I'ma go right arm, left leg, left leg,
right arm, spin, jazz hands for you, okay?
- Five, six, seven, eight.
[both beatboxing]
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
[laughter]
You ain't playin'. - I'm just saying.
I'm just saying, it could be me.
Maybe this is not the first time we've met.
- It definitely could be you. - That's right. [laughs]
Let's show a clip real quick from "The Masked Dancer."
- K-Ci & JoJo, that's, like,
one of my favorite songs in the world.
- Everyone. - ♪ All my life
[together] ♪ I pray for someone like you ♪
♪ And I thank God
♪ That I - I finally found you.
- Harmony!
[together] ♪ All my life
[laughter]
- Nailed it. - Totally.
- I love the vibe. I love the energy.
Craig, I love your blazer.
Fashion on point. - Thank you very much.
- You are the star. - Thank you very much.
- It's hard--and you're next to people in costumes,
and you look like the star.
- [laughs] Shout out to my wardrobe squad.
- Nice, I like-- - Katja...
- I wanna let you know-- - And Tracey...
- Yes. Shout out, shout out, shout outs.
- Yuli... - Shout outs, shout outs.
I know how important wardrobe--
- Keris. - Okay, there's more.
How many people it take to dress you?
- It takes-- hey, it takes a squad
to make me look like that.
- Like, is this your wardrobe team
or the cast of "Game of Thrones"?
But real talk, shout out to wardrobe.
- As you can see, no one helped me today.
- [laughs] - So there you go.
- Craig, thank you so much for joining me.
Everyone at home, make sure you tune in
to "The Masked Dancer."
I could be on it. It could be me. You never know.
8:00/7:00 central on FOX.
You don't wanna miss it.
Craig, thank you so much.
- Thank you, Lilly. It's been a pleasure.
Thank you, everybody. - Been a pleasure
see you again, because, you know...
I might be on the show; I don't know.
I'm just-- I'm just sayin'.