(upbeat instrumental music)
- We're living through a unique time
both with the global pandemic and the social unrest.
What have you all learned about yourselves
during this period?
(comedians laugh)
- I prefer it and I want it to go on forever.
(laughs) Not the social unrest, the lockdown.
I'm enjoying the lockdown, I mean.
It suits me.
- I found that I had a lot of things I didn't realize
that were very important to me
that were like I would do for sanity over the, you know,
many decades of my life,
and when they're taken away,
ugh, it's challenging to figure out like new stuff
that makes you feel like a person.
- I mean technologically speaking,
I've realized that if the apocalypse were coming
and technology was all that I had,
I would be not good.
So I'm shocked I'm here today.
(Lacey laughs)
I'm shocked that my computer worked
and you know, (laughs) that's that.
(Ricky laughs)
- Ramy, what about you?
Have you learned about anything about yourself
in this period?
- I agree with...
- Just say no. - I mean definitely
what Dan said was great.
I really haven't learned.
It's like you think you learn something
and then you don't and then you're like,
"No, that wasn't, that was just...
"I was just losing my mind.
"I was just losing my damn mind."
- Kenan, I'm curious, in this moment in time
are you sort of thinking,
"Thank God we don't have to do
"an episode of 'SNL' right now"?
Or are you thinking conversely, "Too bad we're dark,
"'cause we could really lift people up in this moment"?
- Yeah, I mean I think a lot of the responsibility
of doing comedy is to make people try to feel good
though bad times but it is definitely very tip-toeish
at the moment so it might be a little harder
than, you know, than it would be funny.
So I don't even know if the point of doing it
would be worth it, you know, if it's not gonna be funny
because everybody's so sensitive about everything right now.
- That's the best time.
- Yeah, yeah. - When everyone's on edge
and everyone's sensitive, that's the best time
to be insensitive. - Right.
- My show was packed with jokes about AIDS,
cancer, famine, the Holocaust.
This is just gonna top it up.
- I'm glad this helps Ricky's brand.
(Lacey laughs) - Exactly, it's helping...
(comedians laugh) This is Ricky's
prime time right now.
- Do you ever get nervous, Ricky?
- Uh, um, I don't know.
I have some anxiety dreams.
- What are your anxiety dreams?
- Well I'm on a train and I'm going in and out of a tunnel
and my dad spills milk all over my face.
- You sure that's milk?
- That's not true, that's not true.
I just made that up.
- You just lied to us about a dream you had.
- I'm anxious right now, if I'm being honest.
- Are you?
What are you anxious about, Dan?
(Ricky laughs)
- Ramy, one are the things you've talked about
with your show is that you hoped
it would start conversations.
What kinds of conversations has it started for you
and your family?
- I think so much of what we've looked at in the show
is kind of a conversation of a millennial
who has faith which just feels like a thing
that's super contradictory.
I think in general, religion's basically
just like a punchline in comedy
and I think for us to kind of find
what's funny within it while it still being a genuine thing,
as it is to a lot of people who are trying to figure out
the nooks and crannies to like,
"Well, how do I hold onto what I believe in
"and also react to what I'm feeling and seeing
"in the present moment?"
And so I think on a community level,
it's really interesting just for
the various Muslim communities to not only look at
this story and feel relatability
but also be challenged on certain things.
I mean one of the things we looked at in season two,
we were really lucky.
We got Mahershala Ali to play my sheikh
and it was an exciting thing for the show
because you had this Arab Muslim family
and then suddenly as a show,
we get to look at anti-Blackness within the Arab community.
We get to look at what is a type of racism
that we don't really talk about
which is there's this umbrella of people of color
but underneath it there's still a lot of anti-Blackness.
And so to be able to break that down on a show like ours
while also looking at things that people care about,
and then seeing LGBT characters
and they're also still people who are still called Muslim,
and that's something that people have a hard time
reckoning with, as well.
And so to be able to do that as a show,
I make my show for people who resonate with it to watch.
Sometimes people think like,
"Ah man, you put a Muslim family on TV
"and now the South are gonna understand Muslims."
And I'm like, "The South isn't watching Hulu.
"Like I don't think they care."
This isn't about that.
This isn't about swing voters.
It's not about bringing people over.
This is about people who are invested in these themes
also need to be challenged on what they think
they think they know.
And so that's what's interesting to me.
It's not about bringing in other people,
it's really about we're all in the same room
but we can't just be echoing the same conversations.
We need to dig into them in a more meaningful way.
- What are the sort of responses that come at you
with the shows that you guys are making
that you perhaps don't expect at all?
- Mine was the emotional response.
I was surprised that people would come up to me
and they'd tell me their story of grief.
Nearly everyone that came up to me said,
"I lost my sister three weeks before I watched the show,"
or "I lost my wife last year."
And it was amazing they would say that to a stranger
because they sorta use the show as an in
and they said, "Oh, and I was Tony.
"That was me for a year."
So that was quite a shock.
It made me want to treat that responsibly in series two
so I didn't make him get better because you don't,
you don't snap out of depression.
It does sort of affect you,
and the things that affect you is when
a real person comes up to you and tells you
it affected their actual life.
Do you know what I mean?
It's sort of scary to have a responsibility as a comedian
'cause it's not good.
It's not good to have a responsibility as a comedian.
As a person, you do, you know, you do worry
but you can't detach yourself from the world,
as much as I'd like to.
So you just try and make bad things funny, that's all.
- I think any time you tell stories that are not part
of the mainstream narrative, you're going to affect people.
If my case, to really make an active choice to tell
a gay love story that felt authentic to my own experience
in a way that I hadn't seen depicted in television before.
I think, as anybody whose stories are kind of
not at the forefront, you end up,
as an actor or you know as a viewer,
you end up watching yourself in a way kinda distilled into
a version of what people want you to be
or what network executives consider to be kind of
a palatable version of who you are.
And so for me, I think, you know, I was given an opportunity
and I was given the freedom by both our networks
in Canada and the U.S. to tell whatever stories
I wanted to tell, and as a result,
it was a conscious effort on my part
to make sure that all the intricacies
of the relationship that I was writing felt real
and that, you know, when I walked into the store
that I owned with my boyfriend that we kissed
as straight couples would kiss,
and you realize in those moments
that that isn't represented a lot on TV.
You don't see casual intimacy between two men on television.
And you know at first,
it obviously kind of strikes you as like,
I wonder how people are gonna take this.
I wonder how kind of middle America is going
to perceive this but the surprising thing was that
I can probably count, and maybe I'm not,
I mean I'm not scouring the internet for negativity,
but I do feel like you know the positive outcome of this
is that I can probably count on two hands
the negative things that have been written.
But the volume of letters and notes from people,
be it kids who have seen themselves reflected in our story
or kids who have come out of the closet by using, you know,
certain dialogue from our show
or parents who have accepted their children in ways
because they had been able to learn through the show.
I think television is an incredibly powerful medium
and I think, you know, in comedy in particular
people don't expect to necessarily be caught off guard
by sentimentality or love.
And I think this new wave of television
and I think the freedom that a lot of, you know,
new creators in TV have been allowed is the capacity
to be funny and to also be emotional
and to also tell stories that we don't get to see.
So it's very exciting and, you know, I have to say
that it's quite thrilling to be in the company
of everyone here because I do feel like the work
that everyone has done has helped, you know,
move the dial for voices and for stories
that we don't get to see all the time.
- Damn, that was very well said, Dan.
My goodness.
- (laughs) Must be a writer.
(Dan laughs)
- I think it's true.
I think people second guess the public too often.
I think, as you say, the networks they do say,
"Can the public take this?"
When it's a taboo subject, or something.
And the answer's yes.
Real life's much scarier than anything in fiction.
I deal purposefully in taboo subjects for that reason
that I do want people to feel slightly uncomfortable
when I start talking about it.
There's no harm can come from discussing taboo subjects.
That, you know, that's what stops them being taboo,
and it takes the audience to a place it hasn't been before
and that's exciting in fiction.
We create our own heroes and villains are sorta
role play for the soul.
- Yeah, I will say though, with taboo subjects, you know,
it's obvious some of you guys talk about
that stuff more than I do,
but I think it's also important what the point of view
or perspective on the taboo subject is.
I think sometimes people just do shock to do shock
and I do think that that stuff can cause
actual harm in the world.
I really do.
I think there are jokes against certain marginalized groups
that can actually hurt.
Um so, I think talking about taboo subjects is extremely,
extremely beneficial but I do think that the point of view
you take on them is also important.
- Of course, of course.
I always say, "Is there anything you wouldn't joke about?"
I say, "No, it depends on the joke."
An offense often comes when people mistake
the subject of a joke with the actual target,
and that's really important.
And that's a really important distinction to make.
But a big part of my comedy is saying things I do not mean.
I say the wrong thing
'cause I know the audience knows the right thing,
and that's why they laugh.
- How do you feel about audiences that might watch it
and think, "Oh, that is how Ricky feels.
"That is his true point of view."
- To a certain extent, you've gotta aim
at people who get it.
If I play to 15,000 people,
there are gonna be rapists, pedophiles, murderers.
I'm not gonna, you know-
- Who's coming to see your show, Ricky?
(Ricky laughs)
What is your demo?
(comedians laugh)
But, you know, to think that someone might not get that joke
I think that's a worrying state of mind
because there comes to a point where you go,
"Listen, the joke's there, the joke's gettable,
"most people get it."
If there's one person that doesn't get it,
I can live with that.
And I think that's the exciting bit,
that they feel clever when they get it.
Someone might take you at face value doing an ironic joke
or satirical joke.
Well yeah, some people try to inject themselves with bleach.
(Lacey laughs)
You know, I don't know what to say really.
There are stupid people in the world.
- As the longest tenured
cast member on "SNL", when did you get comfortable
with he idea that you would decide
when you're ready to move on
versus Lorne Michaels deciding for you?
So put another, when in your tenure did you stop
being nervous about getting fired?
- Yeah, I mean I guess I wasn't worried about being fired
after a couple of season just because
you have to let that go
and just kinda do the job, you know what I mean.
And, you know, if you're so focused on getting fired
every single show, you can't focus on entertaining people.
- You've gotta try and get fired.
That's my advice, try and get fired.
(Lacey laughs) - Right.
- Ricky, that is terrible advice.
- Pleasing the people. - Go the other way.
- Yeah, exactly.
(comedians laugh)
- That's not good advice, Ricky.
Try and get fired.
You can do that if you're Ricky Gervais
but somebody else gets their first job,
they take your advice, they try and get fired.
Guess what?
They get fired.
- They got fucking fired.
Onto the next five. (laughs)
- They'll get over it.
They'll get over it.
They'll thank me later.
- I mean, I just also have to say, Kenan,
you are so good on "SNL" and you are so...
It's just watching you is so,
you're just so effortless and there is so much stress
that goes into that job.
I mean I've been to a couple tapings
and just as an audience member I'm stressed out.
You just make it look so easy
and the character work that you do is so joyful
and fun to watch.
It kinda speaks for itself in terms of why
you have not been fired.
It is a skillset that just is magnificent to watch.
- Thank you, man.
You know, I don't take praise well,
but I really appreciate that.
You know, I've been very blessed, is all I can say
and just try to stay focused and really try to figure out
the formula of comedy.
That's why I was telling Ricky earlier
that I loved his special so much
because he spent so much time talking about
how to talk about, like going back to taboo subjects,
but just showing the fact that anything can be talked about
if you do it smartly, you know what I mean.
And that's how I approach, you know, sketches,
or trying to push forward how, you know,
Black comedy, I guess, is perceived or progressing
or whatever and just trying to move away from
just playing traditional roles and stuff like that.
So always just being very serious
about the approach basically.
- Dinesh, your character from "Silicon Valley",
what was the sort of thought process in taking that role
all those years ago?
And did you worry about the sort of type casting
that could come with it?
- Not really for that specific show
because even though I'm a nerd,
everybody's a nerd.
That's the show about nerds, right.
If I was the only Brown guy on the show
and I was the only nerd, that would be one thing,
but that is a show about nerds and I was just such a fan
of Mike Judge.
I mean everything he does is so, so good that for me I knew
that that character was going to be specific enough
that it wasn't gonna fall into the stereotypical
roles that I'd been talking about.
So no, for me, easiest job I've ever said yes to
is "Silicon Valley".
- Over the course of the run of "Silicon Valley",
your career, I think it's fair to say, has exploded.
But I wanna talk about this moment in time.
The pressures that come with the choices that you make.
One of those things was being a superhero,
being a part of the Marvel superhero family
and there's a first in that.
How significant was that for you
and what sort of kinda sort of weight comes with it?
- Well, it was very significant for me
'cause it was something I really, really personally
wanted to do.
I'm a big like fan of sci-fi, big fan of superheroes,
big fan of Marvel movies,
so I really, really wanted to do that.
Now, on top of that there's this other pressure that comes
in that I'm the first South Asian superhero
in a major Hollywood movie, in a Marvel movie.
I'm the first Pakistani superhero
but then that stuff it's a little harder to negotiate
because I can only represent myself.
I can't represent the millions and millions of people
so I do feel that pressure but I think the only way
to relieve that pressure is just to have more people
have these opportunities.
For me, when I got that part, I was like,
"I wanna look like someone who could take on
"sort of the traditional Hollywood-looking superhero."
So I wanted to look like someone who could take on Thor,
who could take on Captain America.
To me, that was an important part
and of me it was important
because I was the first Pakistani superhero.
- So you had to get jacked for your culture.
- Yeah, I'm doing reps for Pakistan.
- You have to get ripped for it.
That's the newest Ice Bucket challenge.
(Lacey laughs)
Ripped for Pakistan. - All of Pakistan
can now eat cake and sit on the couch
because I'm out here doing pull-ups.
- We're gonna touch very quickly on the photo
that broke the internet.
I guess the first place to start is what surprised you most
about the sort of response to it?
- Just that my aunts saying they were really proud of me.
Did not expect that. (Lacey laughs)
That was a weird one having like aunts send me
a shirtless picture of myself (comedians laugh)
is not something I'd expect.
Listen, it got so much bigger than I thought
it was going to get.
I had no idea that it was gonna be like that.
If I'd known it was gonna be like that
I probably wouldn't have done it
because I still...
I'll tell ya, I've come to hate that picture.
- You have, why?
- You know, it's weird.
You sort of get a weird body dysmorphia
when the whole world is concentrating on how you look,
and listen I'm very, very grateful
and I put those pictures out for a reason, right.
I did that because I wanted that reaction, obviously
but then when you get that reaction,
it's a little weird where you're like
people are really judging little bits
of your physical being.
And I know a lot of people have it a lot worse than me
but it sort of makes you feel kind of naked.
I became shallow.
I got obsessed with how I looked
and then all I would see are sort of
what I perceived as flaws.
- That happened to me.
People judge me because of my body a lot
and I'm trying to turn that around by being more cerebral.
I probably haven't been to the gym in 35 years
just to try and-
- You got in shape, didn't you, Ricky?
Yeah, you did.
- Yeah he did.
- Did I?
- [Lacey] (laughs) Did I.
- I've had liposuction but only on...
I've had a lot of liposuction but only in my testicles
because it's where I put all my fat.
So I just had enormous balls
and I've had them leaked.
- That picture would break the internet for sure.
(comedians laugh)
- That's not where I anticipated that going.
- I did.
- You did, oh good.
(comedians laugh)
Shame on me.
- Yeah, I was like,
"When's Ricky gonna talk about his fat balls again?"
(comedians laugh)
(upbeat instrumental music)