Welcome to the show.
Thank you. I'm happy to be here.
Listen, before you say anything,
every woman that I told
I was coming on the Trevor Noah show said,
"You tell him that I said
he is foyne."
(laughter)
Oh.
(applause and cheering)
"He is..." Oh, let me get it out.
"He is foyne
as woyne."
(laughter)
This-this was the exact instruction
that was given to you by the people?
Absolutely. Now, in English, that's "Fine as wine."
But when women really love somebody,
they say, "Foyne as woyne."
(laughter)
-Thank you for that. -(applause and cheering)
-Welcome to the show. -Thank you, baby.
Um, Jenifer Lewis, The Mother of Black Hollywood.
There could not be a more apt title for this book...
-Mm-hmm. -...for who you are.
Because wherever you go, you-you have an energy
that resonates about you.
Uh, many black people know you from, like,
some of the most famous, iconic black movies,
but now, because of shows like Black-ish,
your face is everywhere,
people recognize you everywhere you go.
Why The Mother of Black Hollywood?
Well, you know, I did, uh, 68 movies,
and I think 60 of them, I'm playing somebody's mama.
-(applause and cheering) -(both laughing)
Everybody's mama, from Whitney Houston to Tupac Shakur
to Taraji P. Henson.
-I mean, I've played everybody's mama. -(laughter)
Tina Turner, everybody.
Who was your favorite?
Who was your favorite mama to play?
Wow. See? Now you're gonna get me in trouble.
I think it would have to be Taraji.
-Oh, really? -Oh she went toe-to-toe with me, baby.
-She's an amazing actress. -And let me tell you.
-Yeah. -Oh, she's amazing!
Uh, but I would end the scene, and then she'd come back at me.
And then I'd go back at her.
She won.
What I love about this book is, you tell us so many stories.
I mean, like, for instance, working with Whitney Houston.
You know, you talk about Whitney Houston
at the peak of her fame, and there's a story in the book
about how Whitney didn't want to come out,
'cause it was, like, a cold day and it was snowing...
Oh, yeah, it was record-breaking storms here in New York.
-Right. -Uh, blizzards upon blizzards upon blizzards.
And, um, so, they had teased my hair up for a scene,
way high, and... Whitney didn't show.
So they would have to... would have had to wash my hair,
-in that cold-ass trailer... -(laughter)
and then... fix it for another scene.
Oh, honey, I called her, I said, "Little girl...
"little girl, this ain't no concert, little girl.
Yeah, this is a team. You get your ass over here."
And this is exactly what she said.
(chuckles)
"Mama. Mama.
"Mama, I can't get out of the garage.
"The snow is up to the... up to the door, Mama.
Mama, I'm so sorry."
I said, "Yeah, well, I guess I believe you.
Get out!"
She-- Whitney Houston--
Whitney Houston...
God, I loved her.
She was the sweetest little thing.
-Right. -And a hothead.
She was sweet. She'd come over, you know,
she was always a little insecure about her acting.
And, of course, she'd come over to me.
Shit, I didn't know what I was doing, either.
-But... -(laughter)
we became very good friends.
And I will say this.
I was being interviewed by a journalist
in the back of the church,
when we were... she was singing in the choir stand,
and he was asking me questions,
and he said, "So, what do you think of her?
I said, "Darling"-- I never took my eyes off of her,
because she was doing what she does best,
which was to sing gospel.
She came right out of the church.
-Right. -So... I said to the journalist,
"Darling, shh.
"Her voice is the eighth wonder of the world.
-Wow. -Hush."
-Wow. -Sure did.
That's what every single story in this book feels like.
It feels like you were there
living through times and periods.
You know, like, some of the most memorable moments,
some of the most memorable periods.
But not just in acting as well. I mean, what I loved
about the book is how you talk about your life journey.
You know, I came to know Jennifer Lewis through movies,
and then over time, you know, you see a Broadway show
here or there.
But what I enjoyed was talking about your personal life.
-Mm-hmm. -The journey that you went through personally.
-Yeah. Um... -You're larger than life,
but you had to come to grips with the fact that...
you were suffering from being bipolar.
Absolutely. Absolutely.
-Why was it a struggle for you to accept that? -Well, you know,
I came from poverty.
I sang my first solo in church when I was five years old,
and from the reaction of the congregation,
I knew what I wanted to do with my life instantly.
And I had a little something in front of my name.
My family calls me Jenny.
I had a little word in front of my name.
"Here comes crazy Jenny."
Well, I thought I was special for being crazy.
(laughs) I thought it was fabulous, right?
Well, we didn't know about bipolar disorder back then.
-Right. -And then I went on to college,
and, um, when I got to New York,
I realized I had a sex addiction,
uh, and how dangerous it really was,
especially back in those days.
How I didn't get AIDS, I don't know,
-but I had many, many friends who did pass away. -Right.
And, um, left New York,
went out on the road with Bette Midler as a Harlette,
and my behavior was still out of control.
But let me tell you what saved me.
I had a dream.
Even when they were passing cocaine around.
I was like, "What's that?" He said, "That's coke, baby."
I said, "Ooh, how do you do it?" He said, "Well, you put a line."
(sniffs) "You take it up."
And thank God I asked this next question.
I said, "What happens next?"
He said, "Well, you'll feel a little drip down your throat."
I said, "My throat?!"
I said, "Man, I got a matinee tomorrow.
I ain't putting shit on my throat."
(laughter)
(applause)
Because the dream was so...
and the word I can only think of is "mighty."
It was a mighty dream.
-I wanted to entertain. I loved people. -Right.
I was only gonna go so far in acting out
so I couldn't hurt the voice nor the body.
I... It was the dream
that made me not act out too much
that I would hurt myself.
-But-but... -But you had to go to therapy,
and that was something that, in the book,
you really dig into.
It's, like, how difficult it was for yourself
not just as a performer, not just as an adult
but also as a black person
to admit that therapy was something you needed
because in black communities, for a long time,
therapy is something that is considered for crazy people.
Absolutely. There is such a stigma.
And what I found out touring with my book around the country,
what I found out, guys,
is that people...
really want to know.
They-They're ready to speak up.
-They just have to be encouraged. -Right.
We are as sick as our secrets.
I will say it over and over and over again.
So, people, the churches
-are starting to have counseling sessions. -Mm-hmm.
And if your church is not, then bring it up.
Bring it up. Start coming together.
Yes, I have a sex addiction. Yes, I'm an alcoholic.
Yes, I'm a drug addict. Yes, I'm on opioids.
Yes, I need help.
And we've got to help each other.
But I'm gonna say something.
You reach out to people about three times
and then leave 'em alone, 'cause they'll kill you.
-(laughter) -They-- No, no. Not kill you.
-But you can't save someone's-- someone else's life. -Right.
You cannot.
But you can certainly reach out.
When you look through your own book,
you know, it's-it's a powerful experience
when you write about your life as you have lived it.
When you read the book from cover to cover,
are there moments where you look at
that you wish you could change or are there things
that you wish you could relive?
Not one.
I have not one regret.
Okay, it was that one man in Chicago, but...
you know, other than that.
That one man in Chicago.
You know he was from Chicago!
-Anyway... -(laughter)
(laughing)
But, no, uh, you know,
when I got to L.A., here--
This is great. I don't think I've ever said this before
or, for that matter, put it together.
Well, I-I put it together.
I had trained in the theater,
and, you know, you're large in the theater.
Everything is-- hits the back row.
We were taught in the day to hit the back row with the voice.
So if it was...
(sings loudly)
-You know... -(whooping)
Oh, I know.
(cheering and applause)
But we were-- So, what-- You get to Hollywood,
and that camera is right here.
Oh, my God.
And what that camera tells you
is you either know who you are or you don't.
You can't lie in front of that camera.
So I had to get help.
I had to calm down.
Once again, the dream.
Nothing was more important than a dream.
People, find your passion.
I speak to the millennials all the time.
Don't ever stop dreaming.
You must dream.
That's what life is.
It's more of.
And we have a right to pursue happiness.
I never thought I'd be running around quoting the Constitution.
You have a right to pursue happiness!
(cheering and applause)
I love it.
And in case you're wondering,
every single moment in the book is like this but in words.
Jenifer Lewis, everybody.
-Thank you, sweetie. -Thank you so much for being here.
The Mother of Black Hollywood is available now.