The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Anika Noni Rose

Episode Date: March 4, 2024

Celebrate Women's History Month at Questlove Supreme with 2021 conversation and a guest can literally do it all and does in the world of theater, TV and film. Think about it, Anika Noni Rose is an award winning actress who has played an array of characters who live in totally different worlds. From a Disney princess to crooked cop with enough edge to rival 50 Cent, she does it and we believe it. Whether she is singing her sentiments or speaking with a South African accent we feel her presence. But what is her story, where does such talent come from? Find out these answers and more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Hi, this is Shig of Steve from Questlove Supreme. This March, we're celebrating women's history at QLS, something that we've done for years. Back in March of 2021, we spoke to a new. Nika Noni Rose about her acting, singing, and voice work, she discussed growing up in Connecticut, working on Dreamgirls, and landing a life-changing audition for Disney's The Princess and the Frog. This is a powerful and sincere conversation that is worthy of hearing, and I hope you enjoy it.

You know, what's here? What's going on? What's going on? I ain't see you over there in the corner. What's happening? That's okay. You know, it's funny. I thought I was visible for about six minutes, and I was like,

oh, I'm just a blank square. So I don't have a thing in it. We were just talking about the salt and pepper. lifetime. The Salt and Pepper Lifetime. We want deep as salt and pepper. Deep as salt and pepper. Did you watch it yet?

I want to say. Oh, come on, bro. I was on time for that thing. And? Wait, hold on. Wait, 60 seconds. So it's 30 seconds. Go.

30 seconds. Okay. The Salt and Pepper story, it was, I mean, it was cool for Lifetime. I thought they cast salt real good. Pepper, I wouldn't really too convinced on Pepple. I really was not convinced with Tretch.

I really like the way they cast Herbie Lovebug and the twin. Although it hasn't really been documented that Herbie Lovebug has a twin brother. He has a brother. I don't know if it's his twin brother. But Herbie, Herbie does have a brother. The lookalike was in his

he was in the shoot video, I want to say. His brother was in the shoot video. I can't remember which scene. But anyway, Yeah, I mean, it was a little too long. I felt like it probably could have been like two hours. I mean, you know, if the Jackson's... It was three hours long. It was three hours.

And mind you, let's contrast that with the Jackson's story being four hours. So... Oh, that was multiple movie nights. Okay. Yeah, the Jackson was five. Yes, yes. Yeah, so if they're at the ending... Did you learn anything about Salt and Pepper at all?

Not that you didn't know, but just anything. I didn't know that pepper, well, not pepper, salt had the eating disorder. They kind of, they kind of hinted at that. You know what I'm saying? That was new information. But yeah, that was it. And, you know, it was, hey, man, I watched that shit on the Sunday afternoon on my couch hot, nigg. Hey, man.

It did what you need to be doing. Hello, welcome to the show. Thank you. Welcome to the show, ladies and gentlemen. So, yeah, this is Questlove Supreme. And I'm yours, Cuesto. That was, we, that was our cold open, Fonticelo's hot take on the salt and pepper lifetime movie. Damn, as this episode airs in women's history, mom, shit.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway. So we have a sugar steve with us. Hi, everybody. Hi, Nika. Hello.

We have unpaid bill. Yep. And we have Laiya with us as well. Our esteemed guest today. Oh, yeah. We're doing great. Thanks for asking. Oh, okay. How are you doing, Steve? Great. Okay. Nice sweater. I like the sweater.

It's a champion hoodie. It's not a sweater. Okay. Well, they can't see you on the on on on on. I mean, it's a very expensive sweater. Steve, can I please introduce the guest? Anyway, our esteemed guest today is an amazing versatile award winning actress, uh, who stage credits, uh, range from Carmen Jones to raising his son, uh, to Eli's coming. Carolina Change, which she won a Tony Award and her TV credits. So many ladies' number one detective agency. She played Wendy Carr on one of my favorite TV shows. I miss the Good Wife so much. Like, that's one of my favorite shows ever. And I wish we're still here, even though, you know, the reboot, not the reboot, but

the good fight is sort of okay, you know. But anyway, we also can't forget her role as a Jukebox character. on everyone's favorite guilty pleasure, power. Not to mention Little Fires Everywhere. She also did the quad and had a cool bucket list check as a voice on The Simpsons. Not to mention her movie credits are just his own point. This past Christmas, she starred in Netflix's amazing jingle, jangle, the Christmas journey, which hopefully will last for years and decades and decades and decades.

New Christmas story? Yeah, definitely. All my nieces and nephews enjoyed it. Not to mention there's dream girls for colored girls only. And also, Princess and the Frog. Yes. She starred as Princess Tiana as the first black princess and the historical

Princess and the Frog for Disney. Incidentally, she is the youngest inductee to be honored as a Disney legend. I want to know what a Disney legend is. And do I qualify for my four seconds? No, I'm playing. No. Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to our show. Oh, my fellow academy a member, it's like a secret society that only people know.

Anyway, welcome to Questlove Supreme, Anika Noni Rose. Thank you. Thank you for coming. Thank you. I wanted to ask, how have you made out in the past year? You know, this year has been difficult on a lot of people, and it's been an adjustment for artists in all mediums, like for singers, for, you know, actors and, For pretty much anyone in the arts, it's been an adjustment. So how have you been adjusting to the past year or so?

The past year was rough. It was a rough year. And then you sort of feel funny even saying that because it's been rough for everybody, like heavy for everybody. In lieu of work, I've been really lucky because I'm a voiceover artist. So even when I can't do something where you see me on a set, I can still do voiceover work. So that's a blessing, you know, to be able to do that.

And I've started doing some film work as well, which is weird and still feels weird to be on the set because I still sort of feel like, don't be that close to me. So professionally, I would have to say that I've been pretty lucky in that respect. You know, personally, it's taken some adjusting to. It's been wild. It's been a frightening year. It's been a year full of really intense anger. If there is an emotion on the emotional scale, I don't think that we've been saved from it this year. I think we've done that

whole circle. So, you know, I'm grateful to be healthy, especially as an asthmatic. I'm very grateful to be healthy. I'm grateful that my family wasn't touched as often as some people have been by COVID and that type of loss, but I've lost friends and I've lost family. And it's been a really shit year, to be perfectly honest. No, we welcome that honesty, you know. You know, I'm grateful for the possibility of change. And we'll see, you know, how just how much people are able to do. But, you know, January 20th, when everybody finally got inside and the doors were locked and the cameras were gone, I felt like I could read a little bit. I just wanted everybody to go inside.

I was like, this is great. Can you now go inside? Everyone. Right. Everybody. I want your mama inside. I want your stepchildren inside. I want everybody inside.

So I was really, I felt like, it felt like at the end of the movie, of a movie shoot, when I've been wearing a corset and I have to take that corset, get to take that corset off for the last day, it felt like I have been wearing a corset for four years. And I finally got to take that thing off and get a deep breath in. I felt like I could just breathe a little bit. That is a very great metaphor. We've all been wearing spanks for the last four years. We can wear a waste trainers Waste trainers and drinking Much more painful

Wait Not tell me the look on on Bill and Steve's face Like I was like do we have to translate this for you Like no no no I'm hip I'm hip type clothing You know I admire you for

You know The transparency and the honest honesty about it Because you know This has been a hard adjustment this past year. And for a lot of us, this forced us to deal with ourselves and to deal with the people in our lives, like to really get to know them. I mean, if you're quarantining alone or with a partner, your children, or your family members, and that sort of thing. So this was an adjustment for,

you know, a lot of us. And, you know, a lot of us didn't make it, you know, through the past year, wiser or, you know, I know a lot of people that are, in this field that have given in to panic and fear and that sort of thing and sort of lost it there way. I know there's three divorces going on right now like three, three, four of homes going through divorces. Yeah. Wow.

Yeah. You know, I hope for you that, you know, it was at least a lesson. But for the voiceover work, was it more of a pivot for you or was it what you were always doing or was it something new that you weren't exactly prepared to make, you know, something as serious as far as your career is concerned? It's something that I've always been doing and that I really enjoy doing. And then it became something that I was also really, really grateful to be able to do, you know, outside of just saying, oh, yeah, I get to do voiceover. I'm a voiceover artist.

That's fun. And I'm glad to do that. It became something to be really grateful for during this past year. Can I ask? What experience does that entail? I took one hand. I did one time of trying to do voiceover work and, you know, kind of, I'll say I was unprepared. It was like an American Express card and I didn't realize that like the inflections that you have to have and, you know, read things distinctly.

So I know Fonto does it as well. Like what? I do a little bit too. Oh, and lie you. Well, actually, you all be voiceover. I mean, sure this team. Not like a new one. Teach me.

Teach me the wise ways. Like what, what does good voiceover? work entail as far as having to I assume that if you get called back, that means you're good enough to work again. You know, it's different. It's different for depending on what type of voiceover you're doing. Like if you're doing a commercial and they call you

to be your voice because your voices, because you know, you are Questlove. They just want to hear your voice. So there's some things that you don't have to worry about. You don't have to create a character. But you still have to read whatever it is that they've given you in a way that gets the whatever emotional tone that they want. How does it push their product the best way? So in that respect, you know, you have to be ready for that.

If you're doing a character, they're looking for actors most of the time, unless, of course, you're being called in to be yourself. They're still looking for you to be an actor, but you still get to be yourself, which is. is, which takes a little bit of that onus off of you. But I would say if they're looking for a character, if you're talking about a cartoon or an animated feature, or even a voiceover for a feature film, there's acting involved because you need to know how to put forth the emotion, the information that they need to have. And I think that what trips people up is that they think, oh, oh, well, it's just, I'm just going there and talk. It's going to be fine.

It's so not that. And it's a lot more than that. And it's also tiresome because if you are doing a whole feature or something like that, they may want you to lay that whole thing down in one day. And by the time you're done, you're like, thanks. That was really nice. Thanks for having me. And it's also very competitive too because like unlike, unlike, unlike, uh,

But in some ways, even more so in the acting, because we're acting, you can kind of age out of a role, so to speak. But in voice acting, I mean, hell, Nancy Cartwright, been playing Bart Simpson for 30 years. You know what I'm saying? Like, so once you get in those roles, you kind of stay there. And if you're there, you can stay there. But it is extraordinarily competitive. It is becoming more different by the day and more competitive by the day because it's becoming more compartmentalized. the day as well. So it's very interesting watching the shift. But to be able to be on The Simpsons

was so much fun and I got to be so silly and anytime I get to be silly, I am very happy. And, you know, Princess Tiana was a huge, huge honor, but I love doing voiceover. For me, I love being able to create a character. I love when somebody listens to something and they don't realize it to me or they figure it out real late. That gives me a kick. Like I feel real honored when that happens. And that's exciting to me. And that's the difference.

That's what Cree Summer taught us, y'all remember? Like that is why Anika is in the Cree tribe of things where you can't tell and where you can do all kinds of different characters and whatnot. But then there's just the voice over, a voice over artist, which is sometimes, like you said, just the record. Which is talking about like commercial where they're like, hey, we want to know who this person is. I'm regular. Because they want to sell their product on that person's voice.

And look, trust if Nike or Apple or any of those people want to be like, Anika, it will be great. I'll be there before they finish the sentence. I'll be right there. Right there. Direct deposit form in hand. Yes. I wish I knew that ahead of time because I think I came there prepared to do like my Dom Pardo impression.

when I when I ask my manager like so what they think they're like they're going to roll with da-da-da-da-da I was like I mess up and they were like they just wanted you to sound like you or me here and I was like oh you know I was talking like this the whole time

and then-da-da-da-da-da-no. So now now I know that. Okay. Yeah but there'll be another chance for you because your quest love and they see you on TV all the time and you are distinctive and now you know. Well, coming and sell AI.

I think you can't. Okay, okay, okay, all right. Because you have kind of both feet in all of these areas of acting, is it one, is it highly unusual to not just concentrate on one particular medium, like strictly television or the Broadway stage or movies? Like, are you just one of those supernatural people that will just take whatever it comes your way? Or, you know, is it, or is it highly unusual for a person in the acting field to sort of stretch out to all three different arenas? I'm sure there's more than three, but I know TV film.

I think that when you can do that, you're lucky to be able to do that. So I think that, you know, and let me not say that it's just luck, because somebody's going to be like, excuse me, ma'am. You know, there's a lot of training involved. There was a lot of work involved to be the actor or performer that I am. And I've been lucky for the time that I've been here, that I was here at the perfect time to be able to be in the running to be Princess Tiana because five years beforehand or two years beforehand and two years afterwards, it couldn't have been me, you know.

but also there is an adjustment of your craft depending on what you're doing. You're not doing the same thing on stage necessarily that you're going to be doing on film, that you're going to be doing on television. And it's not something that I can be clear about, but there are tiny adjustments. And there are some people for whom they're amazing on film.

And they get on stage and you're like, what? And there are some people who are on stage and you're like, I've never seen anything like it. And they get on film, you're like, oh. And, you know, so there are, there's a translation that happens. And if you are somebody who is able to translate to different mediums, well, it is, again, a blessing. It's the work that you've done. But it's also, you know, you're lucky to be able to do that because there are people for whom They're magnificent actors in either realm, but they get on screen and your face looks funny. And you don't know why your face looks funny because your face looks great in person. But the screen will change your face.

Like you get up there and you're like, wait a minute. Why does my eye look so high on that side? Those things happen on screen. So the reasons that people don't make it on screen aren't always about their talent per se. there's always something that can make it not work for you. So I'm glad to be able to do all three things. And it was a plan for me to be able to do all three things because I like to do all three things. And I'm somebody who I get tired of doing the same thing over and over.

Like it's important to me to be able to stretch out and try something different and be in a different space because I get antsy. And I want to be able to challenge myself. And basically, anytime you see me doing something different, it's because I was like, yeah, I want to try that. Let me see if I can do that well. And I jump in. Which one edges out more? Like, what do you prefer?

Do you prefer the stage, TV, or movies? I, what was the last or? Movies. But then again, there's also voiceover. So, I mean, it's like four. I love stage. And you know why. You know that feeling being on stage, live in front of people.

And the challenge that it is to yourself every time you're on a stage, how much better it makes you having to do that, wanting to do it. I love stage and I love film. And that's a different type of challenge. And it's also finite, which is sort of lovely. But on stage, you have more control. over what you're doing, over the performance that you're giving, and you, I really feel like stage is the place where I sharpen my pencil, where I hone my skill,

so that when I step out to do something else, I know that I have grown a new limb from the time that I spent live on stage. Oh, I was going to ask, have you ever given any consideration or thought about, like, singing, like making the Nicanoni-Rose album? Like, is that a dream or passion of yours?

I love to sing. I have an album that I've been wanting to do for several years, and I just don't quite know how to do it. And then I have a different musical project that I'm actually in the works of planning now. So, yes, I love singing. And I don't know. And I think probably, you know, when I started, when I started, as a performer, I wanted to be, I wanted to be like a Grammy winner. I said, by the time I'm 21, I want to grab it. That's what I wanted to do. That's what I didn't know that I wanted to be an actor. And that feeling came later. And then I've just been really, really focused on this part of my career. And I think that it is a loss to me, inside of me, to not sing as much as I used to even.

And definitely that is in my plans. I just have to, some things I need to figure out. And some help I need. I need some help. Which is a genre of passion? I, that's probably part of the problem. I just love to sing. Because you're a Jack-a-Wall-Treat.

So I need to focus, you know. And I have a focus on something. I did a, I did a concert series a few, well, God, several years ago now. I'm very bad at time. and it was a tribute to my grandmother, and I would like to turn that into an album. And I always wanted to do some sort of like popy thing, some sort of pop, R&B.

I love rock. I would love to put out a rock song. So like I'm not, I don't feel like, oh, I would only do, you know what I mean? Because you have a song out now, right? That's really popular from the jingle jangle I hear. Yes. And John Legend wrote this song. It's called Make It Work. And it is such a brilliant piece of writing. And he is so interesting because his soul, I think, is 102 years old. And so... That's about right. Right? So he puts all of that into his music. So what Make It Work gave me was R&B and gospel. And gospel. and a henna pop and a tap of rock all up in one thing.

And it gave me intense musical joy to be able to sing it. I love it so deeply. And it was so smart with regard to the movie because it was talking about many different things. It was talking about making the relationship work between me and my dad, but it was also talking about him making his creation work and making his life. work again. And what John managed to do in the music is he has a work song in there, like an actual work song from time in the fields. You can feel it in the base and the movement of that song. And it talks to you in a way that I don't know if people realize they're being

spoken to. It comes from the inside. And you know, music music moves you in wavelengths because your body moves on wavelengths. So when people are like, oh, I hate a musical, but then they go to a musical and they're like, oh, my God, it was amazing. They've got caught because of what the music has done to your body and the wavelengths that your body moves on. And when music is really good, it seeps into your body that way. And I think that that's part of what he created with that song.

having written it and it was my great joy to be able to come in and partner with him and take it to the next place of that vocally. It was an amazing experience for me and I loved it. I wanted to know what before you said that, you know, the stage is what calls you more of all the avenues that you can do your craft. I wanted to know that even it's weird that that's your choice, even though, like, I think a lot of times stage actors get not dismissed, but, I mean, there's really no glamour or glory in it so much, you know, like the accolades that a movie actor or a television actor would get is hardly, you know, extended to the Broadway world. And at that, there's so much pressure because you kind of have to deliver out the park every

night. Like, there's no such thing as a bad night or one false note, you know, especially with musicals. Like, how hard is it to preserve your, like, and basically to hit it out the park every night when you're on stage? Like, how much pressure is that? Musicals are particularly exhausting. But it's also life-giving. Like, you leave the stage, you finish your show, for me, it takes hours for me to become tired. I am so high when I leave the stage, you know, like my energy is moving and I get home, I make something to eat and I talk on the phone or I read something. I'm up for hours. It takes me hours to fall asleep because of the energy coursing through my body. But it's exhausting and it takes an extraordinary amount of

discipline, which I don't know that people who haven't done it realize that, which is why it's sometimes conquers people who haven't done it and are like, yeah, let's do that. And then they're like, oh, my God, it's show number four. I'm about to die because it's a murderer like that if you don't know how to pace yourself for it. So depending on what you're doing, like for me, if I'm doing a musical, I want nine hours of sleep, period. I don't want to talk to people about it.

I don't call me in no single digit a.m. No, I'm not trying to get up to do nothing with you. No, we're not going out at night because I have to make sure that somebody's $150 or however much they spent is worthwhile when they come to that stage. And that's my job. And I take too much pride in what I do to ruin it by being out at a bar or out doing whatever. And look, some people can do that.

I can't. I'm speaking about me. Because you don't go to Broadway road when the show's done. No. I may go out to get something to eat, but what you will not see me do is talk. Or like stay up late. I'll be at a restaurant eating, but if I'm talking to somebody, I'm talking in their ear. Like I'm in their ear right here, real quiet because I'm going to, I'm going to lose my voice.

Trying to speak over the din of a restaurant, you stress your voice so badly that the next day, your voice is tired, not from the show you did, from the talking you did afterwards. So I am really, I go home most of the time. Wow. And I drink an extraordinary amount of water. I probably drink about two liters of water a day, no less, to make sure everything is moving. I eat super properly and well because I can't. I can't afford to be sick at all.

Are you a vegan? No dairy? I am not vegan. I would like to be that person, but that's where my discipline doesn't quite get that hard. I need a piece of meat. You know, and not every day, but I need some meat, or I'm cranky and tired. But I do, you know, I cut back on, I don't eat a whole lot of fried stuff. I don't eat a whole lot of spicy stuff.

I don't eat a whole lot of heavy, heavy stuff. Why? Because those are the things that get on your body and say, ooh, you've had fun. You ate really well. How about some reflux for tomorrow? So those are all things that I'm thinking about when I'm performing. And somebody is going to be like, oh, you don't have to do all that.

I never had to do all that. I do this. I do that. That's great for them. And I wish I was that person. But for me, it involves a whole lot of discipline. And I'm not bitter about it because it's the thing that I love to do.

So it always feels worth it. That's weird to hear because the time that I was involved with the cast of Fala, they would go super hard. Like every night. That's like a party in a star thing, I think. Like you get to a certain age, you can't party that hard. And when you're like, you know, a lot of the ensemble kids don't feel like they need to save the voice as much as it were, Anika, I'm trying to stop you, right?

there, Bill. But you know what I'm like, No, no, no, no. Anika, we have the same friends. You just said something that I, go ahead. You just said, well, Nika, now I can understand

why you wouldn't have to. I don't know, no, no, no, no, no, Bill, you about to be muted. Oh, right. No. Oh, man. I just got canceled. Shit.

I never got sung on the show before. I got canceled. I have never, this is always been the way that I approach my job. It's my job. And, you know, Fela was an amazing show with amazing artists in it. Also, a dance-heavy show. I don't think it was as vocally heavy as it was dance-heavy. And it's a different type of singing because it's also choral singing.

So everybody's singing except for, what was his name? Sa. Sorry. Saar, who was, ooh. chef's kiss, magnificent. So it's choral singing. So you have a whole lot of voices that can fill that thing out. And again, let me make this clear, no shade whatsoever.

But if one choral person is singing at level six or seven on a Tuesday night, the audience isn't going to know that one choral person is singing at six or seven unless that person has a solo. So when you're in a show that you can do choral work, I think you have a little more space. Yeah, you got something to lean on. That's what I was trying to say. You can lean on that. Now ain't what you said, dude. You can lean on the person that is next to you in a different way.

But if Saar were to go out drinking every single night, Saar going to have a different show the next day. You know what I mean? And he was, oh, God, they were magnificent in that show. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with, some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield.

in this new season of The Girlfriends. Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no.

I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcast. I'm AGOWodden. My next guest, you know from Stepbrothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money

Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings.

I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come. Look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be... Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes, franchises. make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity

scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring income. Consistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so-ins, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.

Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police.

As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wait, speaking of Bill, um... I said, make them look good. Michael. Yeah.

Someone says something nice about me. Well, now he's canceled Bill instead of an unpaid bill. I'm out. Yeah. Wait a minute. Because, Anika, I was looking on your credits and I saw Hamilton there. Explain this to be. When was your run with this?

Because I didn't do a run. I helped workshop Hamilton. Ah. So I did. The original table, like the. The last. not the last workshop, but the second to last workshop to Hamilton, we did a workshop up at Vassar at New York Station Film, which was amazing. And then I did a raisin in the sun, and I couldn't really do anything while I was doing a raisin in the sun because it was a three-hour tour.

And I was, it was just a. really busy and heavy show and dramatic. And I didn't have a lot of space to do other things while that was happening. They were still doing another workshop for it after that. And they got the lovely Renee Goldsbury. And she ended up being blessed with the role. But that's how those things happen. You know what I mean?

Like sometimes, sometimes. Do you remember this, Bill? I was not at that. I thought you were going to bring up being on the Sesame Street float, which is what you. you and Anika have in common other than many other things. Well, no, but I mean, she, when I read that she was in the initial Hamilton thing, I was like, wait a minute, Bill, that's your whole world.

I did, I did know that. I wasn't there during that, but I know that Anika was the first Angelica, many, many moons ago. Oh, okay. Yeah. Okay. I was just confused because when I read that, I was like, wait a minute. I could have sworn it was always made a record, Amir and she was not there when we made that record.

Right. And that's the thing. I was like, wait, was I in room with Eni? And what's so crazy is that Renee and I actually did the good white together. Exactly. And she is so amazing and beautiful and fantastic. And to watch her, you know, step up there and get that Tony and give that beautiful speech afterwards, I was so happy for her because she is such a good person as well as being, you know,

stupendously talented and not too painful on the eye. She's a lovely human being. So, you know, sometimes you lose out on a role of somebody. And with no rationality at all, you sitting at home mad at the person. It has nothing to do with that person and you. But you have a little bad. You're sitting home mad, cussing under your breath. But she is somebody for whom, you.

You really can't begrudge anything. She's so good at what she does. She's such a lovely person. She is really a blessing. So I was really, really happy for her. Does that mean I was not sad that I didn't get to do it? No. But it does mean I had a great time when I did do it.

And I was happy that the person who ended up getting to do it was somebody really beautifully fitted to what it was. Oh, nice. I mean, you won a Tony previously for Carolina Chains. What was that like to? I believe that that world is very not unpenetrable, but just very hard to get a seat at the table, just based on my limited experience of being in that world.

So what did it feel like to get the acknowledgement at least? It was one of the most amazing moments of my career because it was the last thing that I expected. I just had no idea that that was what was going to come from that role. And even at the time, people were like, oh, we're coming to see your show. I was like, well, it's not really my show. I come in at this point in time, but come to see the show because the show is amazing and everybody was phenomenal in it.

I was stunned when I got nominated. And then when I won, if you ever get to see that video, like my head dropped. Like they said my name. They said my first name. I didn't even hear my middle name. My head went down. And then I was just focused on not tripping as I got to the stage.

Everyone's like, don't fall, don't fall, don't fall. Don't trip, please. There's a lot of wires. There's a lot of wires. Don't tell you that. There's a lot going on. And you're in a heel and you haven't eaten for six hours. Fat.

And you are freezing because it's right of sitting. music hall. Yeah. And you're not trying to drink nothing because your dress is fitted and you're not trying to have, you know, come up there and put a pooch. So all of those things happen. But I did have a Luna bar in my purse. Oh, smart. Oh, I always have a snack. I'm the one with a snack because otherwise I'm cranky. So I have established that you're hangary like spice already. I'm not good with the hunger. I'm not good. And I try. I know meat and chocolate. Okay. I can try. But my friend was like,

Anika, we're just going to carry some snacks for you because you don't really know how to act after a certain point in time. And I was like, no, but I can't even deny that. So I had snacks, but, you know, what was amazing to me was that it was a collection of my peers who said, you. You did something that stands out that is worthy of recognition.

And I looked out into Radio City Music Hall and the people in the balcony, I could see them, barely. But I could see them like they stood. And I could hear, at some point my hearing came back. Like I got to the stage and then I could hear this wave of applause and I could see the, the woman who wrote the music, Janine Tesori, was climbing over somebody else to grab. them while it was happening. My brother was in the audience. My grandmother was there and both of my parents. And I think I was so very moved and full. And I think that, you know, those times when you just have no idea, like I didn't even know when nominations came out. And I try not to know

because I feel like it's stressful. I don't need that stress. You know, it's so rare that we're in a position where we're nominated for something and then and then go. head and get it. That's something else. So I don't need to be thinking about, oh, April 2nd is blah, blah. That's just stress you don't need. So I just go on about my life. But I had zero idea that that was going to happen. And it was phenomenal. It was phenomenal that feeling. And it led to me being in Dreamgirls because Bill Condon saw Carolina change. And then he came back and saw me in Pearly. And that's how I got to audition for Dreamgirls. What was that experience like?

It was an audition. The audition, it was interesting because I was such a knucklehead and I was so new. They had asked me to audition and I said, well, you know, I'm actually supposed to perform at the Library of Congress. And I told them that I would and I can't pull out of that because, you know, it's a performance that I said I would do. And so let me know when you have a. second round of auditions. And that could have gone so wrong. So they did let me know.

And they were like, but now we're in Los Angeles. And I said, well, I guess I'm going to fly myself to Los Angeles. And that's not something that I do regularly. I really generally feel like if somebody really, really wants you in something, a company, they'll send for you. but if you really, really, really want something and you have to decide what that thing is, then bring yourself and go get it. And my point of view was, I'm coming to get this.

So I flew myself out. I did an audition. It was a great audition. It was months before I heard from them. Like it must have been three months. I think it was. And then they wanted me to come to a callback. And they flew me out for the callback.

And there was a limo that met me at the airport. And I was like, what? I didn't know this really happened. Upgrade. By this time, where were they in the casting process? Like, has some people been casting and some hadn't? Or, like, where were they? By the time you got the limo.

I wish that I can tell you, but you know what? I was concerned about myself. Okay. No, I was just curious about, like, Eddie Murphy, you know. Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure Eddie was already in there. I think they were already there from the beginning. But we weren't audited.

with them. And they were still trying to figure out who the girls were going to be together, you know. And there are so many reasons why I may not have gotten that job. I'm short. I am 5.2. and a half. Beyonce, I think, is 5.6. Jennifer is 5.9. You might not have seen me on screen. So it was, you know, it was me in literally 5.5 inch heels through that entire movie. so that we could all be on screen together. And those are some of the things that people don't know happen when you're casting something. You got the Lollipop Guild, me,

and then you got it for a Piaz. So anyway, so I went, they flew me out, and I auditioned again, and I sang Ain't a Party live and with no music. And then it was like another three months. And I was like, well, you know, you start to Wilkes after a while. During that three months waiting, like, how are you supporting us?

Are you still working as an actress, like, you know, making money and stuff? You know what? I've been very lucky that I've never done anything else with this. I've never waited a table. I've only done this. Whoa. Wow. Straight from school.

Okay. And I'm really really grateful for that because I've seen people at restaurants. Right. I've seen friends. People are not nice at restaurants. You know, people come in getting real entitled about their medium well hamburgers. Yes, they do. I'm grateful for that, and I have a lot of respect for the people who can deal with the public feeling special about their hamburger.

So I've never had to do anything else, but I have been broke. And at that time, I really wasn't having much money flow coming in because I didn't have a stage job in that morning. moment. And I remember, but I still had to get my hair done because your hair is your face. So if you have an audition, your hair need to be right. So I was getting my hair done. I was under a hair dryer and my phone rang and my agent was trying to talk to me and I was like, what? I can't hear. So I got out from under the dryer and called this person back and they told me that I had gotten the role. And I was sitting in the hair, dry. hairdresser, tears running down my face because I wanted it so badly and I felt like it was for me.

Like I felt it in that moment. Sometimes you're wrong, though. And I was so thrilled that this was the next thing that I was going to do because I knew that music and I knew that show really well. And then Anthony Mangela, who did the number one lady's detective agency, saw me and Dreamgirl. called Bill Condon to ask what kind of person I was, and that's how I got the audition for number one ladies. So everything is sort of connected. I see.

I want to know, I know that you worked with the great Debbie Allen. She's one of our bucket list hopefuls for this show. What was it like working under her, direction for Cat on a hot tin roof. First, it was an all-black

version of it, which is unusual. Like, what was it like? And also with James L. Jones was in that his work, right?

Yes, he was. That was my big daddy. And Felicia was big. Yeah, Felicia Versa. Yeah. It was, it was great

working with her because you're working with somebody who knows the stage like the back of her hand. You're working with someone

has no pretense. You're working with someone who will occasionally pull your hair to make a point. And I love her. I love her deeply. And the fact that she came to me with that role was, I mean, it's something I never thought I would do. Not because I didn't think I was able to do it. I just never thought that I would be considered for that role.

I mean, you're talking about a sacred cow, Tennessee Williams, who would have ever thought a black Maggie would grace a stage? And that's the role Elizabeth Taylor played, correct? Yes. Yes. And I loved that play, and I loved those words. And I loved that woman, Maggie. She's an amazing and tortured soul. And Debbie said, you know, would you like to do this?

And I said, absolutely. and I will really be grateful to her forever for giving me that opportunity to stretch myself like that. And to be an adult, like a full-blown woman on stage, which until that point, I had not really done. I was playing kids most of the time and really young people. And this was somebody who all the youth had been sort of sucked out of her. She was and she was a woman. and she traveled the world in womanhood before she was even a woman. So this was something that it was perfect in my life space because I had known disappointment

at that point in time and I had known pain and hurt. And Debbie knew that piece and she knew that stage. And she just set me free in that space. And I'm really, really to this day, very grateful for her. And she's somebody you can laugh with, but also who, who has done her homework and you know that you can have an in-depth and fruitful conversation about the art of it with her. Okay.

One question I had for you, Anika, I was specifically concerning your time at FAMM, you is not too many. We don't get too many HBCU grads, you know, the great show. I'm HBCU grad. I graduated North Carolina Central. Oh, fantastic. Yeah, Pam, you was actually one of my schools. I was, you know, I got like,

accepted it to, but I wasn't going all the way to them, Florida. That would have been. But I wasn't doing that. Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's right. Yeah. So, like you too. So, yeah, just tell us about that time, you know, growing in fam and just what that experience was like for you and how you think that influenced your, your artistry. Well, I wanted to go to an HBCU. I didn't know which one I was going to, but I knew I wanted to go. And I had already been accepted at a couple of other schools that,

were, you know, traditional schools. But I had family who went to Howard. I had family who went to Hampton. I had family who went to Pham. And so I was familiar with these schools. And I don't know. I wanted to go someplace that was small enough to build a program and have individualized attention if you needed it. That was important to me. Because, say, how? Howard, great school, fantastic school, huge. So, you know, different. That much smaller? It's, the department is much smaller.

Okay. Oh, the department. Okay. The department is much smaller. And I was coming from Connecticut. And that's another reason why I wanted to have an HBCU experience, because that wasn't my growing up experience. Like, in my particular neighborhood, I was one of two.

black folks. Yeah. And I don't know if the other person knew that they were one of them to. What city in Connecticut? Bloomfield. Oh. Yeah. Beautiful town, gorgeous town and a great growing up, and I'm happy to have had it.

But it was important to me to have that experience. And I, you know, and I grew up in a family who made it, you know, I was very clear about who I was and where I came from and what my history was. I didn't know if I would ever, I don't think I would ever have the opportunity again after this time to be surrounded by my own culture. So that was important to me to have that experience. And it was a, I think it was a good experience. It was a good place to be on stage. I studied theater.

So I didn't study acting necessarily, specifically. I studied theater. So that meant I was acting. If I wasn't acting, I was doing costuming or directing. watching or nighting. Yeah, I was doing everything. And I think that that was a gift to me as an actor because it made it very clear that there are a lot of other things happening around you

that make the thing work. It's not just about you. It ain't you. You know, you are the reason the one thing that you're doing is happening, but you can't just do that. You know what I mean? And so I think it made me very appreciative of everything. that happened all around me.

And the band was exquisite. And I knew the band before I had gotten to the school, and I had seen them live before I had gotten to the school. And they were, you know, it was just such an amazing culture to be a part of and to be proud to be a part of. And there are a lot of HBCUs with some good bands, but then there's FAMU. Oh.

Did this, did you, did this prepare you for your time on, on the quad, on BET? Yes. Because you know what was amazing about my time on the quad is that I was playing a woman who was from Connecticut, who was thrown into the HBCU experience. That's right. Did they know your, did they know your history when writing this character or it was just coincidence? Rob Hardy did. Rob Hardy did, but a little bit of coincidence. And it was really interesting and great for me to be able to bring that aspect of myself to what I was doing.

And I had spent a lot of time in academia because of family and my grandmother was a teacher. And so all of those things sort of came to a head. But the HBCU thing, most assuredly, I think. you have to live it to know it. And you can read about it and you can watch some video, but you sort of have to live it to know it. And I was grateful to be able to bring that part of myself to that space. And we had a couple of writers on staff who were HBCU people at Rob Hardy,

who also went to Famu, was one of the creators. So it was luck that all of that came together in one space. and she was a pretty fun character to play. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite

athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield. And in this new season of The Girlfriends,

Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed.

I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wadden.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot.

I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come look for up-and-coming talent. that if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying

under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth.

You doctored this particular test twice in so-ins, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.

Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian, Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. this is Love Trap.

Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Can I ask a random role question? Because it was two roles I just wanted to ask you about. And one of them is very random, but it's still one of my favorite episodes of this, this franchise. Law and Order. Yes, Law and Order SVU. I wanted to ask you about that, and I wanted to ask you about what that, now that I know, I mean, I knew you were from Connecticut, but what that meant as an East Coast actor, what that means to East Coast actors in a way. And

was that something that you felt like you had to do it was on a bucket list of sorts in a way? Because it's, I feel like everybody has run through Law & Order and a. not, and it was a badge of honor. Okay. To be the only New York actor that I knew who had never been on law and order. I was like, apparently they don't want me, and I'm the only New York actor they don't want. So I'm going to turn that into an honor. Instead of being like, y'all don't, I can't even be dead in the park.

Like, people die every week on law and order. A mayor got to be dead. Hey, I'm a dead body in law and order. Right? I'm a dead body. You. Hey, I didn't even get that. So.

It took years before that happened. And it was a great and interesting role. And the guy who wrote it, ooh, what's Matthew's last name? I can't think of his last name, but I'm going to figure it out right now because that's rude. He was so good. And I'm looking him up right now. That's why I'm trying to multitask. My mind he saw you on it.

David Matthews. Okay. David Matthews wrote that episode. Warren Light is a really good dude and they love theater people. But David wrote something so interesting with this character, this woman, this Merriam Dang, who was based on a real person who had had that situation happen to her. And I cannot remember the real woman's name. So they don't lie when they say that in the beginning.

Okay. Oh, no. It's all real. I researched her. I pulled her up. I listened to her accent over and over again to find this woman. And it was an interesting accent. It was different for me to do.

But it was fun, it was fun to do. And it was just, it was something different for me to do. And then I, now I can't say, I'm the only one who they didn't want. That's crying a law order. My second real question was just about to, going to be about Jukebox and the way that character was brought to you. And if it was brought to you, if you auditioned and why you took it, it took me four episodes to realize it was her. Oh, my God. You were just, that's when I was like.

Oh, she's, wow, you just, all things are kind of flying by you, Amir, like, like, like Hamilton. No, well, not all things. No, you're still in the dog house, yo. No, I'm just, I'm going to come back. I'll come back. I'll come back. Wait until we get to Princess of the Frog. I got many questions.

No, but literally, I've got all kinds of shit. There was a point where, you know, where I guess you were going to kill Tarik or whatever. And when I watched the credits at the end, I was like, no, that's not her. Let's get out of it. And then I realized that was you and I had to rewatch that episode again. Yeah, I totally did not make that you until you really lost yourself in that role. I'm three and Nika Rose right there for me.

That is, see, that's my favorite compliment. I love that. I love jukebox. I loved jukebox. Did Courtney poach you to do it or like how? I met her. She's one of the nicest people ever. Also from Connecticut.

Oh. Oh, wow. Courtney and I have mutual friends. And we met at a game night. And Courtney also wrote on the good wife. What? So she knew me from the good wife. I didn't know her at that point.

And then we met at this game night and had a great time. And when we met, we were like, we like each other. We should go to lunch. And so we went to lunch. and she was like, you know, Anika, is there a role that you'd want to play that you feel like no one would ever give you? And I was like, huh, well, yeah. She was like, well, what is that? I was like, I would like to be a complete badass, like preferably on a motorcycle, which I don't drive.

I don't ride motorcycles, but I'm thinking this is something no one would ever to give me. and, you know, just completely like wild. And the outside of anything somebody would think of me for it. And this was years before power had even happened. She was like, oh, that would be really cool. I'd love to see you this way. And I was like, yeah. And so cut to a couple years later, I get a call saying,

would you be interested in she's a cop. She's a rogue cop. She's a lesbian. She's sort of murderous. I said, yes. Yes, I would. I would be absolutely, I mean, you ain't got to tell me nothing else. You played the shit out of her.

Thank you. I loved her. I loved her because she was ruthless and interesting and different. And it's something I would never be in life. You know what I mean? Like I would never want to do the things that she did in life. But that's one of those times where you can do all the horrible things on screen. and have fun with it. And I got to mush 50 cent in the head. Like, who gets to mush 50 cent in the head?

You did more than mush 50 cent in the head, yo. And the accent, I heard the DC accent. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, it was, it was really, really fun for me. And it was so well written. The episodes were so well written. And that was, that honestly was another moment where they were just like, so how you want to do it. And I was like, oh, really? Let's go. I just got to go. And I had been in New Yorker for so long. I've lived in New York for a really long time. And I've always been, I grew up on the East Coast. So, you know, thank God I haven't had to really spend time with those people, but I've definitely seen those people.

And you recognize them when you see them, when you look into their eye and you see like they are not worried about doing a way. with you. It would not bother them. You've seen those people. So I loved her. I loved her. And thank you. Okay. So I, if you can, can you completely walk me? Now, I feel safe asking this question, because people already know on the show that my animation watching activity is very, very low. with the exception of occasional few so I don't feel bad when people ridicule me for not

you never saw the Lion King yes I've been through all that so can you walk me through the process now of and again I know this is a very historical pivotal

not even for you but just for history so much pretense I love it keep going keep pre-evil I'm done to Newley's on soultering. Where's John? So he didn't see Princess at the Frog. But you haven't seen it. No, no, no, no. But what I'm

asking is, please walk me through the process of how that role came to you. And it's the best shit ever. You have daughters. I have daughters. And we've talked about this. And it's

just great. But go ahead. I was in L.A. doing Carolina change. After we closed the New York run, we did a soft tour just L.A. and San Francisco. And that was all I did because by then I had done over 300 shows. And while I was in L.A., the Disney people came to see it at the Mark Taper. And they were like, we'd love to have a meeting with you.

And I was like, yes, because I had always wanted to be a Disney voice. I'm not necessarily a princess. I really didn't care what I was going to be. I just wanted to be a voice. And so I had this meeting, and I told them that I would love to be anything. And I could be a fleet, even. And I had a sound for the fleet or the tick. And they probably thought I was insane.

And from that meeting, I was a couple years later, three years later, two years later, they called me to audition for the princess and the frog and and I read that the piece that they gave you because they don't give you the whole thing and I was like oh I know this girl I am this girl I am from a small town where nobody did what the thing that I wanted to do I spent my growing up and trying to do what I do being told you know that it wasn't a thing that I wanted to do. wasn't perhaps possible. I knew who this girl was and I was a hard worker. So it took three auditions over, I don't know, it must have been a year that those auditions happened. One was, the first one was the day after the Dreamgirls premiere in L.A. So you will see no pictures of me at the GM girls premiere party in LA because I went back to my hotel room and I

worked on that audition. And I think I sang everything in my book when I went in there because I was like, I'm going to get this role. And the second one was sometime later. And I also crazy, I was working on a show in Australia. And I got a call back for the princess and the frog. And I was in God, I was in New York. I was flying out to Australia. I think the next two days I was flying out. And my audition was going to be, I had to go to Australia,

unpack a bag, shoot for one day, get on another plane, go back to L.A. And the day after that was my second audition. That sounds crazy because it was. However, I didn't care. Right. Because I wanted that role. And I was like, if I have to turn around and get dressed on this plane and gargle my way to Burbank, I'm coming to get this role.

So we did that. And then time went past. And I think I was, it was 2006. So I was doing the, you were doing the Oscars telecast for Dreamgirls. And Randy Newman was there because he, of course, had something that was nominated. and I'm looking at him because he had been in the room auditioned. I'm like, hi.

Toy Story 16. And I'm just hoping he's going to say something positive to me. And he was like, hey. And some more months went by before I got the word. And that one, I got the word

walking down the street in New York, headed to the bank. With a sad piece of check in my hand. I don't know what from. I just know. It wasn't exciting, but I was happy to be putting it in the bank. And I got the call walking down Broadway that I had gotten that role. And they were like, where are you?

I was like, I bought Broadway. And they were like, you should come to our offices so we can celebrate. And I bopped myself to the Disney offices. I had an intense, tearful, fabulous celebration. And, you know, three years of making later, it came out. Wow. So it took three years from that point. Wow.

For it to come out. Was that really what you were asking me? And I gave you an entire, oh, okay. We live for, this is the rabbit hole central. But we live for those things. Wait, can you talk about, can you talk about Princess and the Frog, like the music? So like straight out of New Orleans and like just the whole process of like getting into that vibe. Also, Randy Newman known for like the medium shuffle sort of getting himself out of that and writing things that are.

very, you know, New Orleans-y, as it were. And, like, how did, what was it, what was your approach to that and how did you feel about, like, being that character? I loved being that character. Because the singing, like, the acting and the voice stuff is great in that show, but the singing and, like, you know, you're always trying in Disney stuff to be the next great Disney songs, because Disney songs are so high, this is coming from a guy who works at Sesame Street. Disney songs are so high on the, you know, on the thing of great songs. Like, did you feel a sense of purpose? I feel a sense of that you had to be up. I mean, you're always up to a certain level.

I'm not going to say that. But like, did you feel a sense of having to push it over the top? Like, what was that? I don't want to get canceled again. No. My finger is hovering, but I didn't have to tap the mute button. I'm glad. No, I felt a sense of responsibility towards the character.

I felt a strong sense of responsibility towards her because I wanted her to be as honest and as real as possible. And I felt like it was something that I was owed as a little black girl in this country who grew up on Disney. I felt like it was something that my parents' generation were owed, having never seen that. And I felt like it was something that was owed to the generation. coming up behind me, that this person be real, that she be relatable, that she be honest. And there were things that we talked about as we went through it. You know, musically, I wanted to hear the youth in her voice, particularly as we started the movie and the wonder in her voice.

And I wanted her to be true to the sound of that era. So the movie starts with a tiny song. The evening star is shining bright. So make a wish and hold on time. There's magic in the air tonight. and anything can, that was flat, thing can happen. So I wanted that beginning to definitely be as magical and whimsical as possible.

And as we went through, almost there, you got her spirit in there and you got her soul in there. That song. By that last note that I was able to just, I was given the space to just hold and go with it. And then at the end, when she sings down in New Orleans, which Dr. John had sung towards the beginning of the movie, I felt like it was important to hear the maturity of who she had become and the journey that she had gone through. So it's still her. But, you know, we all sing differently for different occasions, different feelings, different moments.

I really put a little bit of her gut in that song because I felt like, Like she was freed of some things. She was freed of the responsibility that she had put on herself. She was a more, she was more open to just having some fun. She had found love, which she didn't expect. And she had achieved her dream. And I feel like that is an opening up that happens, that takes you from being a girl to a young woman. And I wanted that to be heard in her voice.

So when you get to that down in New Orleans, sorry, down in New Orleans, in the Southland, there's a city way down on the river. I wanted to use some more of the bottom part of the voice and some more, and to let some more dirt, for lack of a better word, come into her voice for that song. And that was important to me and we had a conversation about it because I didn't want her to be, to spend a whole movie singing in this place. I didn't want that. Not for New Orleans.

You know what I mean? And I felt like it was important to the truth of who this young woman is and would be to have that space. Were you allowed to sort of drive what your character was or did you have to have like a conversation with the Disney people? Because I, you know, I would think that at least when you're dealing with Hollywood superpower like that, they're always thinking about middle America and we don't want to scare them off and, you know, that sort of thing. Yeah, no, I wasn't worried about middle America.

You know, she's from New Orleans, so I was worried about New Orleans. And she's me. So I was worried about representing, you know, who we are. And they wanted it to be as. true to form as possible. They really did. And so I was given the space to say, you know, I don't think this would be, this doesn't really make sense to me for this reason or the other.

And I was heard when I said those things. Now, mind you, I didn't write the story. So it's not like necessarily the story was going to change. But if I said that something culturally didn't sit well. or if I said that, I know we had a big talk about the scene in the, I think I'm free to say this, the scene in the swamp where when Princess Tiana was a frog still and Naveen was a frog, and they were being hunted. And there was, when we first did that scene, my concern was, I said, what we don't want in this scene

is for it to feel like a slave hunt. Because, you know, black folks are always going to think about and feel that feeling when you've got these real, what's the good word, like hick white dude with two teeth and a net and some dogs running after us. Trauma. Trauma. It's very important to have the tone of that scene correct.

And we talked about it. And I talked about it. And they were like, oh, you're absolutely right. So it made a difference in how that scene moved and the words that were used and how the chase happened. And I'm glad that I was working with a group of people that were open to hear that. And you would think, well, of course they would because they want to make some money, but you'd be surprised the amount of times that people don't listen to you. As you were saying it, I was thinking to myself, they listen. And I was wondering, is there anybody in that room that looked like you, though, that was helping to write that story?

But I'm guessing that that's why you had to provide that expertise. Well, I mean, I think we had one black writer, maybe two, but they weren't always there with us. And I think when you're dealing with large entities, that you do the best you can to make sure that you're heard. But sometimes it's hard to be heard. And look, I don't know what conversations happened before I said that. So let me make that very clear. I don't know what conversations happened. But sometimes it's hard to be heard from the inside of the room.

sometimes something has to come through from the outside of the room for people to understand oh I know that all too well this isn't just so-and-so who I work with every day yes right this really is something that you know will be a universal thought issue you know problem feeling but I don't know what they talked about beforehand but I know that for me that that was something that we really needed to talk about. And I'm glad that they heard me. And they were really wonderful during the process, like really wonderful.

Peter Del Valko, Ron Clements and John Musker, who are amazing. And they also did The Little Mermaid. So it was an amazing production team. And I did feel listened to when I spoke. And I'm glad for that. And I think it's only smart of people who are creating something in a culture that isn't there is to listen to the person who's in the

room for whom it is. Now, am I from New Orleans? No. But as a black woman who grew up in this country and knows her history and has family in the South, there are things that I'm going to bring to that that they never would have listened to. They're, first of all, not even women. So we could start there. You know, it was a group of men. But they were good dudes. And there were other things that we talked about. Like I asked for Tiana to be left-handed. and they were totally into that. Yes. Right?

That's something that you just don't. I am. And it's something you just don't see. You know, get to see. It was important to me that she not have a cookie cutter body. I was like, you know,

this is a black girl. So let's make sure that, you know, we don't want it to look like porn, which sometimes cartoons can do to people, but she need to have a booty because let's be true to form. Let's make a real person not just paint something that's then. And to be clear, this wasn't a fight. They asked me the things that I thought of that I felt were important.

And those were, you know, some of the things that I talked about, but not all of them. But those are the things that you will see immediately and that her hair not be straight. Those are things that you'll see immediately. And it was, and I have now taken you all the way to Wonderland because I think I've forgotten what the question was that I started with. No, this is what I welcome to question. love Supreme. Yes. Every tangent is a good tangent.

Again. No, this, this brings a whole new level of respect that, you know, was already there, but added more to it. No, thank you for sharing that. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me.

Cliver Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment.

And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories, that don't always get told and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules

that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man.

A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ago Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo.

My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come, look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved.

And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be a. inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast,

to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so much, correct? I doctored the test ones.

It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Some lights the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Lespian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young.

This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Maricopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice has served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You're in Tyler Perry's For Color Girls with damn near half of Hollywood. What was that whole experience like in doing that movie? You know, it was interesting because most of those people, I didn't see till the end. Okay. I did that and see him. So I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't see them.

However, it was, it was actually a really good experience. And I'll have to say that as far as how you're treated on a set, Tyler had, there were flowers in my trailer every morning when I went into work, fresh flowers. That never happened before. So that makes a difference? You know, all it says is we care. Okay.

And at the very least, you're doing so much heavy work that it kind of doesn't end up lifting away. Well, at least I'm starting my day off with these flowers. Yeah, you start off with something nice. Yeah. Because you're going into the shits. There was going to be that one. But that was a really lovely thing. And we shot in New York and we shot in Atlanta.

And it was pretty fast. But yeah, so I didn't really get to, Tandy and I became very close on that set. For some reason, we ended up being, what year was that? We ended up being connected. That was 2009. And Carrie and I became friendly, but we didn't really get to, you know, meld and work together. Because it really, as much of an ensemble as it was, it was also, you know, if you know, if you know the original piece, which I'm sure you do, it was monologues.

Yeah, right. It was singular stories that cut together and touch each other in the corners. But what I am grateful, like that monologue is such an amazing and phenomenal monologue that I got to do in the hospital. And I remember Tyler one was like, oh, so we're going to do this shot and then that shot and the other shot. and I started to do it. We did a rehearsal and then I went back to, we didn't want to use a lot of time because it was so emotional and I was coming off with something else.

I'm going straight into that. And I was supposed to go back to makeup and I said, no, I don't want any makeup. I want you to leave my face as it is. I think it's important to see her face. I don't want her to look nice or better or, falsely worse. I want you to see her face as it is. And he did not fight me on that. And then one thing that he did, which I really appreciated, was he was like, you know what, we were going to do different angles, but you just do your monologue. And so instead of doing different angles and

cutting and doing this and that and the other, I did a take. And he got closer and closer and closer and closer with the camera so that it didn't have to be cut up. And I didn't have to find, create that same emotional space because I've waited now for 15 minutes for a camera angle to change or for a lens to change, which, God bless them, those people are doing their jobs and they're trying to make you look as good as possible when the edit is done. But sometimes there is something to be said for allowing the, emotional space to live and just showing it in its naked space. And I think that that's something,

that's something that happened in that, in that moment that I think Tyler totally made, well, look, that sounds crazy, but it felt like the right choice to me at the time. And as an artist, it definitely was the right choice for me to be able to do the best that I can do in that space. You know what? You mentioned that. And then it also hit me, that, well, because I worked on it as well. Oh. You were on kids. No, no, no, no.

Not colored girls. I worked on Roots. Oh. You were on Kizzy. Yes. And Roots. I totally forgot. I was.

Yeah. Episode four, I think I was. You know, which was quite an honor to bring that to bring that story to the young people, people who haven't seen the original who didn't know about the original. And it was at first, I was like, why are y'all doing this again? Why are y'all messing with this? We lived through this shit already.

This trauma. And not because it was about slavery, because listen, I think it's important that people know about slavery. Here's one thing. There's a reason that the Jewish population teaches the Holocaust all of the time. And they teach it all of the time because it is important for young people

to know what happened so that it does not happen again. We must move through the pain of the thing so that we know how to keep it from coming back so that we are clear on our history. And so for people who did not live the history know what their lineage did and can teach themselves and their children to do different things and make different choices. We must tell the story of slavery. We must. And maybe we need to tell it from a different angle. I think that it's important to talk about it's important to talk about the revolutions that happened on on plantations.

It's important to tell this to not just tell the story of bondage, but to tell the story of the breaking freeze, to tell the story of the Moors, to tell the story of the, sorry, the, oh, I can't remember. I'm shaking my head so hard because me and Fonte had this debate all the time. I'm like, it's important. The Moors is not the word that I wanted to say, but the, ah, what are they called? The people in Jamaica and in Haiti who went off into the hills. And I can't think of the name of the word that starts with the M. Can't think of it right now. But see, that's why you have to keep telling us. That's why we need it.

But there were other angles to enslavement and to slavery. But also what we need to do, like with Jingle Jangle, is have stories in that time period where you see people who are not dealing with bondage because bondage was not what we sprang from. Bondage is not the only thing that happened to us. So I am somebody who, yeah, sometimes I'm like, oh God, another slave story,

but only because it's coming from the same angle. We have to look at other angles, but we cannot afford to not tell this story. And if we thought we could afford to not tell this story, January 6th should have taught us. Pa-p-p-p-p-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-poo-pah. For real, for real. Exactly.

That's where I am on that. I'm dealing with Lyia-making gun, because I make a joke because I make this point constantly and people always argue with me about it. And I'm like, I don't understand 12 years of slave was not the same slave movie as Roots. 12 years of a slave was really something kind of different. Like, I've never seen the story of a,

man that got kidnapped. Like, stop acting like that's a saint. It just was, uh, so I'm just, Maroons. Maroons. Maroons. Maroons. I want to give me. We can rest now. Yeah. Sorry. Are you, do you feel that you're now at the place where you can, well, that you can create productions and, and, and things that you want to do without having, without not having to go through the Hollywood shuffle. Like are you past the place where it's like, no, this particular company calls and we want you to fly in to read for this role.

And I'm learning now through this show that there's two different types of processes. Like you get called in and you have to read and read and read and wait for a callback. And then there's people that are like, I won't do that. There are times when I won't do that. There are times when I won't do that. because sometimes people want to put you through hoops just to put you through hoops. And there's too much tape for people to watch to be putting folks through hoops for no reason. Of very different roles.

You know what I mean? It's not like I've been doing the same role for 20 years. And you're like, but today we'd like you to be a magician and we've never seen you pull a rabbit out of the hat. You know, there's a lot of tape for people to look at. So there are some things where I'm just like, no. No, I'm not going to do that. there are other things that I would be willing to, and I do go in for. I mean, I'd like to say that's over, but I don't know that it's ever over, to be perfectly honest.

There are things that I get offers for, and then there are things that are like, we'd love for you. We love you. You're amazing. We think, oh, my God, you are our favorite in this. And we've got this amazing role. We'd love for you to read. And you're like, what happened to all that other love for? about what happened to that oh so we love for you to read is sort of the deal breaker that like uh man

it depends on the on the role on the project on how i feel about it it depends there are a whole lot of variables that that go into that um so is there a genre that you haven't stepped into yet like uh the horror genre or i don't know if they're called the marble world like science fiction or not I don't know. Like, I don't know what the... I was supposed to do a horror movie. I was scheduled to get on a plane two weeks after quarantine hit. Yikes.

And I was supposed to be in Budapah. Budapest, Romania. But no, it was a really... It was interesting and different and potentially a lot of fun. And now I think it's dead. I would love to... I miss comedy. I miss comedy.

And I think... Maybe people have forgotten that I can do that. So I sort of miss that. And I really do miss doing comedic things. I would love to do a cute little romantic comedy or just a regular comedy. I love sci-fi, and I'm glad you mentioned that. And I've got the rights to a couple of book series that I'm trying to make happen. And then I don't have the right to a couple of series.

that I'm friends with the authors and I'm like, we are talking about moving forward with me as part of their package without moving the rights, but to have me as a producer and an actor on it. Because I sort of, I love sci-fi, I love us in the world of sci-fi. I love anything that goes beyond the boundary that people have tried to give us. And so I'm into those things because I'm not into being told who I am allowed to be.

So that is always exciting to me when I can find something that is outside of the space that we have sort of been relegated to. Because I got always saying people are like, when I see a sci-fi movie and people are, you know, 75, 100 years into the future, and you've got one black person. person, you will lie. You will lie. There is no way that black people, and I mean throughout the diaspora, have been through the things that they have been through and are here in 2021. And you think we're not about to be here in 3021? If you here, we're here. We started this thing. We're here. So that is always a story that I'm interested. in telling and putting us in a space where we have been told that we do not belong or will not exist. I'm always interested in that.

Awesome. Awesome. Real quick, my last question is about jingle jangle. What was the experience for you in doing that film? And, well, I know it was important for at least my nieces and nephews, like they lost their minds over it and seeing it. Yeah, but how did that project come to you? David Talbert. offered me that role.

And it was so funny because I think he was trying to get in touch with me for like the better part of a year. We just kept missing each other. And I would have missed out on something so great. No happy for the success for him, too, by the way. Yes. It's really, really great for he and for Lynn. Mm-hmm. And so we had a Zoom meeting because I don't know where I was.

I think I was in New Orleans shooting. something. And so we met on Zoom and we talked and then it was had to go up the flagpole. And then oh, and while we were talking about it, I had read a version of the script, which was a fairly early version of the script at that point. And I was like, this is cute and this is cool. And yeah, this is interesting. And then he was like, and you know it's a musical. And I was like, oh, yeah, I had heard it was a musical. That's cool. well, who's doing the music? And he said, Philip Lawrence, Phil, and John Legend.

And I was like, and sold. Because everything came together in that package. You've got this Christmas story with us centralized and normal, but also magical. And now you've got these amazing musicians connected to it. I love Phil Lawrence. I think he is magnificent, and I also love Bruno Mars, who you know that he writes for a lot. But he as a singer, musician, is also beyond Phil himself. And I've already told you how much I love John Legend and his work

and how he is able to translate story to song and song for a story. So all of those things sort of just worked to. together. And it was a really wonderful thing to be a part of another project that centralizes black children and our wonder, our ability to feel wonder. The joy of Christmas in a way that wasn't showing lack. You know, there was family dysfunction, but that's important to show too because we all had it. But the story wasn't about what these people couldn't have, couldn't get, couldn't whatever, aside from love. And they rectified that. The story took place in the Victorian age with these amazing costumes by Michael Wilkinson, who's Australian

randomly and phenomenal. And he mixed all these African fabrics in with these Victorian costumes and these amazing colors. And then the hair was shared. Martin, who I'd worked with on half of the yellow sun, and all the hair was natural. And it wasn't like, there wasn't a commentary on it because this is what people's hair was supposed to look like, does look like, looks like. So the amount of positive reinforcement within this film without beating people over the head with it is just fantastic. And then, you know, again, to be able to sing the songs that I was able to sing was delicious. And I'll say this, because we were talking about make it work. And it's not a way that people have heard me sing before. And that for me was

quite the gift because I love to access that part of my voice. And I think usually when people are thinking of me, they're thinking of me as a soprano because that's, you know, I am a soprano. However, I'm also that. You know, I'm also that gritty, I don't know, you know, I'm not Fantasia. So I'm not, I haven't gone there. I think when I do, that's the farewell concept.

That'll be the last note. But I also live in the deeper register of my voice. And I really enjoy being there. So there was an aspect of my voice that I don't think I had gotten to express before. And that to me was really joyous to be able to do. So the whole thing, and I got to work with my philosophy. and Rashad, who I just love, love, love.

I got to see Madeline come into being, which is always something that's amazing when you see a little kid come into being. Kieran Dyer, who played Edison, who was a scream. It was also magnificent. And the lovely and very gentle Forrest Whitaker. So there was nothing to not like about it, really. Wow. Thank you.

You know, our episodes can go on forever, but, you know, we got to wrap up. We had to wrap up. No, we really thank you. I thank you because I have embarrassed myself in front of you at least twice. Oh, talk about it. You did? At least twice. I have shamed myself at least twice.

Now, the first time you were DJing at an Emmy party. I do this all the time. Yeah, this happens to everybody. Yeah. In LA, I can't remember what hotel it was. But anyway, and you were going off. New Year's Eve? No, no, the Emmys.

The Emmys was a couple years ago. Kirk was playing the hell out of this guitar. I mean, when I say he was playing the hell out of this guitar, so he was playing it and he lifted it over this girl's head. And I think she was talking. And I don't think he appreciated that at the time. So he lifted it over her head. And she was talking about her.

friends. And the guitar came over her head and he's playing the guitar in front of this girl as if she was playing it and got all of her attention and all of our attention. And my mouth is open and my eyes are wide and I'm like, I can't believe what's happening right here right now. This is amazing. And so I started, y'all were going on a break. I think it was for Amazon. I remember this. It was like roof of the hotel. Being crazy. Yeah. Yeah, I remember. I was a little fanned out, right? I was amped by the music and I was feeling very fanny.

And I was walking and talking and not paying attention, but like running my mouth about how fantastic everything was. And I don't remember who stopped me, but I was being talked to. I wasn't talking at somebody's back or anything. I wasn't being a crazy person, but I was talking and running my mouth. And I had to be stopped. And I was like, what? What's happening? And it didn't occur to me that you all were going into your dressing room.

Oh, really? And I was just walking and talking and like heading into this dressing room, y'all. And I was mortified. And I was like, these people are going to think I'm insane and they are never going to speak to me again. And it has lived with me for years. So thank you for erasing that, like, you know, men are blacking it from your memory. Listen, on behalf of all the roots, we definitely welcome you into our dressing room. room. Thank you.

It's safe now. I'm just joking. Yeah. Shut up. Why? Anyway, no, thank you so much for doing this for us. And thank you for real. You know, we appreciate your talent and sharing your story with us.

And, you know, we're proud of you. Thank you for coming on the show. Thank you so very much. It was really lovely speaking with all of you and getting to know you and, you know, outside of what you see of the person. But really getting to see you, the person has been a gift, all of you. And Bill, I forgive you. I was late.

I'm canceled. I was missing. Nice. Thank you, Aniga. I'm going to take that. I'm going to shift my ban. All right. Unmuted.

I'm still canceled, but thank you. On behalf of Laia and Sugar Stephen Farage. Wait, wait. We have the same birthday, September 6th. Really? Yeah. Nice job. Did you do?

Do you do? Who's in the house? Wow. That's my wife's birthday. You got, you and my wife have the same birthday. And she's left-handed as well. Wow. Left-handed.

That doesn't happen often. Nice. Yeah. That's wow. Anyway. Anything else, Steve? Nope. Just the birthday thing.

Thanks, question. Okay. Okay. Fine. Anyway, we have a birthday vulgaro down there and Laya and Fontegalo and and uncanceled Bill. This is Questlove. signing off for QLS. We'll see you on the next girl round. Thank you.

Yo, what's up? This is Fonte. Make sure you keep up with us on Instagram at QLS and let us know what you think and who should be next to sit down with it. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast. All right. Peace. Much Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHeartRadio, visit the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

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