JENNIFER LOPEZ HOSTED THE SHOW
WITH MUSICAL GUEST DABABY.
>>> OVER TWO YEARS AGO, LENA
WAITHE MADE HAOLLYWOOD HISTORY
WHEN SHE STOOD ON STAGE WITH AN
EMMY AWARD IN HER HANDS.
LAST YEAR HER SHOW TIME CALLS
"THE SHY."
SHE WON A NEW FAN IN DIRECTOR
STEVEN SPIELBERG.
A NEW FILM "QUEEN AND SLIM."
LENA AND I GOT TOGETHER FOR A
SUNDAY SIT-DOWN.
>> WHAT'S UP?
>> HOW ARE YOU?
>> WILLIE, GOOD TO MEET YOU,
TOO.
>> LENA WAITHE'S RECENT RISE IN
HOLLYWOOD.
THE 35 YEARS OLD STAR KNOWS
BETTER.
>> THE EARLY YEARS ARE VERY
BROKE AND DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF
MONEY.
WORKING ALL JOBS.
I WANT TO CONQUER IT.
BY CONQUERING IT, I WANT TO BE
THE MASTER OF MY CRAFTS AND A
GREAT WRITER.
>> WHAT WAS THE MOMENT WHERE YOU
FELT OKAY I THINK I CAN SURVIVE.
>> THE EMMY MAY HAVE BEEN THAT
MOMENT.
IN 2017 AFTER A DECADE IN THE
BUSINESS, THE SCREEN
WRITER/PRODUCER AND ACTRESS
BECAME THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN AN EMMY
FOR OUTSTANDING COMEDY WRITING.
>> THIS THING THAT MAKES US
DIFFERENT, THOSE ARE SUPER
POWERS.
EVERYDAY WHEN YOU WALK OUT THE
DOOR AND PUT ON YOUR IMAGINARY
CAPE AND GO OUT THERE AND
CONQUER THE WORLD.
THAT WIN FOR AN EPISODE OF THE
NETFLIX SERIES "MASTER OF NONE"
WHICH SHE STARRED IN HISTORIC
AND VERY PERSONAL.
>> I AM GAY.
>> YOU ARE WHAT?
>> I AM GAY.
>>> WAS THAT A DIFFICULT THING
TO DO OR WAS IT GOOD TO PUT IT
OUT THERE?
>> IT WAS THE EASIEST THING I
HAVE EVER DONE.
I HAVE LIVED IT AND SURVIVED IT.
I CAME OUT, I DID THE THING AND
MADE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE AND I
HAD MORE PERSPECTIVE WHEN I WAS
SITTING DOWN TO WRITE IT.
>> ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS OF
ALL YOUR WORK WAS THAT YOU CAME
FROM A PERSONAL PLAY.
YOU ARE NOT SHY ABOUT YOUR LIFE.
>> WHO YOU GOT TO PICK?
>> GIRLS.
>> OH, YOU ARE A PLAYER NOW,
HUH?
>> THE SHOW TIME SERIES ABOUT
WAITHE'S HOME TIME IS NOW IN ITS
THIRD SEASON.
>> WHERE DID "THE SHY" COMES
FROM?
>> I WANT IT TO HONOR LIVES.
A PERSON GETS UP AND GOES TO
WORK EVERYDAY AND TAKING CARE OF
THEIR KIDS AND DOING ALL THE
RIGHT THING AND TRYING TO PURSUE
LIFE, OFLOVE AND HAPPINESS.
SHE WAS RAISED BY HER GR
GRANDMOTHER BEFORE MOVING TO THE
>> OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR LIVES
SHOWING PEOPLE WHAT CHICAGO
LOOKS LIKE.
THERE IS A CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
THERE WHICH IS LOSS IN SOME OF
THE NEWS STORY.
I WANT TO HUMANIZE THE PEOPLE OF
CHICAGO.
BARACK OBAMA AND THE GUYS THAT
PICK UP YOUR GARBAGE EVERY WEEK
ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
>> WAITHE DREAMED OF BEING A
WRITER INSPIRED BY SOME OF THE
FACES AND STORIES SHE SAW ON
TELEVISION.
>> YOU DON'T GET BLACKER THAN
THOSE SHOWS EVEN THEY ARE EASY
TO WATCH AND RACIAL.
I KNEW THOSE STORIES WERE
IMPACTING ME.
>> HOW DID YOU GET I WANT TO
CREATE THAT SHOW?
>> BEYOND IT?
MY TEACHER IN FIFTH GRADE.
SHE WAS LIKE I LOOK FORWARD TO
TO YOUR PAPER EVERY WEEK BECAUSE
YOU WRITE AS YOU SPEAK.
I KNEW IT WAS A COMPLIMENT AND I
FELT THAT WAS MY POWER TO WRITE
AND TELL STORIES.
>> IN HER LATEST DISPLAY, WAITHE
WRITTEN AND PRODUCED HER FIRST
FEATURED FILM.
"QUEEN AND SLIM."
>> STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE.
>> CAN I ASK WHY, OFFICER?
>> IT IS A STORY OF A YOUNG
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COUPLE ON THE
RUN AFTER THEY SHOOT AND KILLED
A WHITE POLICE OFFICER DURING A
STRUGGLE A T A TRAFFIC STOP.
>> DID YOU WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE
FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE?
>> EVERYONE IS GOING TO FEEL
UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN THEY GET
PULLED OVER.
THERE IS NO VILLAINS AND HEROES
IN THIS MOVIE.
IT IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
>> IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE.
>> I CAN HEAR SOME PEOPLE MAY
WATCH THAT SCENE IN THE MOVIE,
WELL, THEY'RE NO HEROES, WHY ARE
THEY A HERO IN THE STORY, THEY
KILLED THE MAN AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE MOVIE.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
>> WE KILL POLICE OFFIC
OFFICERS -- THAT'S NOT A MOVIE
FOR US.
THAT'S REAL LIFE.
ALL WE WANT TO DO IS FLIP THE
NARRATIVE.
IF ANYONE IS UPSET WE ARE SEEING
VIOLENCE ON POLICE OFFICERS ON A
MOVIE SCREEN, IMAGINE WHAT IT IS
LIKE TO SEE IT HAPPENING IN REAL
LIFE AND NOTHING HAPPENS BECAUSE
OF IT.
IT IS PURPOSELY WRITTEN ON THE
PAGE AND ON SCREEN THAT YOU SEE
A PICTURE OF THE POLICE
OFFICER'S FAMILY.
THAT'S MY WAY OF REMINDING
PEOPLE THAT HE HAS KIDS AT HOME,
TOO.
HE HAS A WIFE WAITING FOR HIM.
THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE.
AND WE KEEP ON BUMPING UP
AGAINST EACH OTHER.
IT IS OUR HISTORY COMING BACK
AND HAUNTING US.
>> "QUEEN AND SLIM" IS MAKING A
BIG YEAR IN WAITHE'S
PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
THE BIGGEST NEWS CAME AT HOME
WHEN SHE RECENTLY MARRIED
HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVE ALANA MAYO
IN SAN FRANCISCO.
>> WHY DON'T WE GET MARRIED IN
CITY HALL THERE BECAUSE IT IS
BEAUTIFUL AND SO MUCH HISTORY
WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
I WAS LIKE OH YEAH, THAT'S A
GREAT IDEA.
WE DECIDED TO KEEP IT JUST US.
IT WAS EASIER THAT WAY.
>> MPLANNING WEDDING AND PICKIN
OUT NAPKINS.
WE ARE BLESSED TO BE BUSY.
>> A LITTLE BIT.
>> HOW DID YOU FIND TIME TO GET
MARRIED?
>> EXACTLY.
>> WAITHE IS FINDING TIME TO
SUPPORT A TALENTED SHOW BUSINESS
THROUGH HER NETWORK.
>> BECAUSE OF THE WORK YOU HAVE
DONE AND THE SPOTLIGHT YOU NOW
HAVE, YOU CAN HELP PUT SOME
PEOPLE ON THAT SPOTLIGHT.
>> YEAH.
>> WHY IS THAT SO POIMPORTANT T
YOU?
>> I WANT TO LEAVE THE BUSINESS
IN BETTER SHAPE THAN I FOUND IT.
THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS
EDUCATE.
WE ALL DESERVE TO BE HERE AND
THAT OPPORTUNITY AND HAVE OUR
STORY TOLD.
"QUEEN AND SLIM" IS IN THEATERS
NOW.
A BIG THANKS IN NEW YORK TO HOST
OUR KOCONVERSATION.
TO HEAR LENA TALK ABOUT WHAT'S
NEXT FOR HER, CHECK OUT OUR
WEB EXTRA AT TODAY.COM/SUNDAY.
DON'T FORGET TO HEAR THE ENTIRE
AND THE COMPANY FOCUSING ON ITS
MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOMERS, KIDS.
WE ARE BACK IN 30 SECONDS.