- I'll never forget the day that Wanda told Mike,
"Mike, Mike, call me a used Q-tip."
(all laughing)
What?
How do you come up with that?
- [Announcer] This is What A Joke.
- [Announcer 2] With Tom Papa and Fortune Feimster.
- [Announcer] On Netflix Is A Joke Radio.
- I listen to the show all the time.
- Oh, that's so cool.
- That's awesome.
That's so great 'cause we're huge fans of yours.
- Yeah, for sure.
I have the pleasure of interviewing
Kim and Mike and Wanda for the Netflix After Party.
- Yeah. - We meet again
- Yeah, baby.
- What a great group.
That's amazing, they put that together.
- It's so incredible.
- Yeah, the show's super funny,
'cause you know, sometimes when you first hear
that there's like, that multicam type of show on Netflix.
You're like, how's that?
How's that going to work with streaming?
It's like not what you sort of think about
when you think of streaming and it's so funny.
- Wanda and Regina, they really put their foot in it.
I mean, it's,
that's a, that's a term like,
like if somebody is cooking greens and they're really good,
and you say, oh, you put your foot in that.
(all laughing)
- Usually when I'm putting my foot in things, it's not good.
- [Kim] Yeah, no, no.
(all laughing)
- It really has like this,
a little King of Queens to it.
It's got a little Sanford And Son,
with a way Mike. - Yes.
- [Tom] And Wanda go after each other.
- Right, right, right.
- A little Aunt Esther in there.
- Exactly, George and Helen.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's funny, it's got some soul to it.
It's really great.
- Sorry, you can see me at three.
Think I'ma go for a fade this time.
(audience laughs)
- What you gonna do about that hair on your back?
Bring the waves
(audience laughs)
- Dad, there you are.
Mom said I can get a new phone.
- The hell I did.
- Oh, snap.
Didn't see you there.
- We've been over this phone thing.
- But everyone at school has the new iPhone.
- OK, well borrow theirs.
- This phone sucks, it doesn't even work.
(cellphone rings)
Hello.
- Phone works.
(audience laughs)
- It's so jarring to have been sitting in your home
like hunkering down from everyone.
And then they're like, all right, back to work.
- Yeah.
- And you're like onset,
in your mask and you feel all right.
And then they're like, take the mask off.
And then your like...
(all laughing)
- Well, I had actually been doing some work
before we went back to work on The Upshaws.
I directed a short film
for BET Her.
So I was kind of comfortable, I guess, a bit.
- What was that about?
- They did a campaign for mental health awareness
and so they did different topics like sub topics.
And so mine was on postpartum depression
and I was one of the female directors for that project.
- Wow. - That's cool.
- That is super cool.
- I love directing.
In fact, I'm directing and executive producing a series now.
- I didn't realize that.
- So when I'm like down with the press today, I go.
Everybody's all happy, cause we have late calls today,
so that I can come into this,
but when I show up to work
and I'm all glammed out,
and they're like, oh.
Who?
- [Fortune] That's the best, yeah.
- And they're like, oh, Kim.
I didn't recognize you with the hair and the lashes.
- Yeah.
(Tom laughs)
- Normally on my Ron Howard with a baseball cap
and my headphones, and I'm, you know.
- Do you have a preference acting over directing
or are they just so different?
- I love both. I love being able to contribute
to the entire vision.
You know, but it's a much longer and stronger commitment,
when you're, you know, doing just kind of the whole thing,
as opposed to just do your part.
I started when I was,
when I was doing Facts of Life
and as God would have it
the DP for The Upshaws
was lighting director on Facts of Life.
and taught me. - No.
- Everything I know
- Oh, that's awesome. - That's amazing.
- Yeah, he's got like a zillion Emmy's,
and all sorts of things.
Don Morgan is his name but.
- Wow.
- I always learned I always like to hang out with crew
and learn and learn, you know,
my mom when I started college, she was like,
have a backup plan.
Learn how to do something else.
- Yeah, for sure.
I mean, listen, one of my favorite shows of all time
is Living Single.
- Oh, yeah. - Oh.
- That was my jam.
I watched it all the time.
- It was such an amazing experience, you know?
And it's one of those where,
you feel the chemistry right away
but we certainly didn't know what we were going to be,
as people would later come to call us, groundbreaking
and an iconic, you have no idea any of that's happening
you just, you know, you ride. - [Tom] Yeah.
- Is it different?
Like I know Mike and Wanda are also actors
but is it different working with people who are like,
come from the standup world?
Like, does it make it a whole different vibe?
Like as far as like sticking to lines or improv.
- Not with these two, because they're professional
and they've done so much scripted.
To me, it's more of an added bonus
as opposed to the burden of, oh my god,
please find a class.
- You know? - Right.
- It's like, time to teach folks to act right now.
You should have done that already,
if you wanted to be up in this lane.
So I didn't have that at all.
- It sounds like that's happened though.
(all laughing)
- Kim's like I have stories.
- I didn't have that.
We didn't have that
because again, they've done so much scripted.
And they really know when to do on the page
and everything was on the page, so well.
I mean our scripts, our writers' room.
Ooh. - [Tom] Yeah.
- Phenomenal writers' room, phenomenal writer's room.
- [Fortune] Yeah.
- We really didn't need to improv or to write on the fly.
But when I mentioned that it's an added bonus
that they are a stand up comedians is,
you know, Wanda would be able to listen and she sits down,
let's punch that joke up.
- This job is in the bag.
And when I get it, I'ma march right into my boss's office
and quit right in her face.
- Bump that, you should take a dump on her desk.
(audience laughs)
She'll get the message.
- What kind of psycho does that?
- Nobody I know.
(audience laughs)
- Now see, I was thinking,
I would show up late,
maybe wear jeans.
- We quit different.
(audience laughs)
Whatever, do you.
The point is, the moving on,
moving up, no more roadblocks.
- Hey,
now that I've got my coffee,
wanna throw in a little quickie before work.
- I forgot about that dead end.
(audience laughs)
- No baby, I can't.
I have my interview at St. Vincent.
- Yeah, baby that's today.
Oh, go ahead on this Upshaw.
- Yeah. - Baby you gon' get that job.
- Ooh.
- I know, that's right.
- It ain't nothing more sexy
than a woman getting a big ass paycheck.
(audience laughs)
- Oh, pump me up daddy, pump me up.
- Oh, I hate when you like him.
(audience laughs)
- They are such professionals though.
And they have a great respect for one another.
- Right.
- There wasn't this competitive nature of,
oh, she got a good one and let me one up her,
let me one up her.
You know, and then were there all night,
because y'all trying to play the one up game.
- Right.
- Because you ego is in the way, you know.
It was none of that, at all.
Oh my gosh, not at all.
- There was just.. - Oh that's so good.
It's such an added bonus,
as opposed to like I said, oh my God.
- Yeah.
(all laughing)
- I know, comedians don't have the best reputations.
- Yeah, we're not used to structure, so.
(all laughing)
- Well, we know you you have a lot more press to do,
and you've got to go back to work and start directing.
I love the idea that you're just going to show up
on set to direct today and you're going to be all glammy,
and you can be like, oh, that's right, she's also a star.
(all laughing)
- Exactly, like yesterday when I did Entertainment Tonight,
I had a massive, fabulous mane,
and I couldn't get that damn thing off no matter what I did.
So, I just went on set directing,
just hair everywhere.
- Just hair.
- And I'm trying to do my thing, and be my crew baby self,
and I'm tryna' pass a light
and the whole unit got caught on a light.
- [Fortune] Oh no.
- It's like, oh, Ms. Kim you look so good,
you must've had something to do today.
(all laughing)
- Every time I'm filming something,
and they put mascara on my eyes,
I'm not used to except I don't, obviously wear it.
And so as soon as I get home,
I don't realize I've done this like for like an hour.
And I just, Jacks is like, oh my God,
you look like, you know, are a bank robber,
like raccoon eyes. - Raccoon, right.
- So crazy.
Listen, I wore my best sweatshirt for you.
- I am super impressed. I appreciate it.
- Come on, it's never been worn before.
I was like, Kim's on the show.
I'm going to step it up.
(Kim and Fortune laughs)
- Well, I appreciate it.
Looking swanky there Ms. Fortune.
(all laughing)
- So great to finally meet you.
- [Fortune] Yeah.
- You too, and again, such a fan of both of yours,
but Tom, I've been listening to your work
for such a good, good minute.
And I just, whenever I see your name on,
I just stop, I'm on my, my Sirius XM dial and I just listen.
And sometimes I'll say the punchlines with you.
What happened to grandma.
(all laughing)
- That's so cool.
- That's amazing. - I love your work.
I really do.
You're so funny.
- Oh, thank you so much.
- I can't wait for you guys to get on The Upshaws.
- That's right. - Yeah, that'll be great.
- I'd love that. - That's right.
- There's gotta be a lesbian neighbor that, you know,
knocks on the door and needs eggs or something.
- No household is complete, without that.
- Well, we're big fans of you
and we appreciate you coming on the show.
- I might wreck my car, if I'm driving
and I see my name up on the grid when I'm listening.
- [Tom] Yeah.
You're the best.
(upbeat music)