The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Erika Alexander Part 1

Episode Date: April 24, 2024

Actress Erika Alexander joins Questlove Supreme for a special two-part interview. In the first half, Erika recalls an unusual upbringing that brought her from a childhood in a motel room along Route 66 to the city of Philadelphia. She details making a powerful impact on Camille Cosby to land a part in a beloved sitcom and how that experience prepared her for a definitive role on Living Single. Erika is an incredible storyteller who speaks with heart and draws from experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard 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. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I bowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. 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 Podcasts on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12

and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. This is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far. But I'm John Green, co-hosted the podcast via Way End, with my old friend Daniel

on our podcast, the away end, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here?

We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. It's your podcast. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. We're rolling? Let's go.

Supriam. Supremma, Sub-Sup, Supremar Roe-Carm. Supremma, Sub-Sup, Sub-Sprima Roll Call. Supremma, Sub-Sep, Supremma Roleca. Supremma Rolecom. It is Questlove. Yeah. Aren't you glad?

Yeah. Erica, I don't did. Let me see here. Yeah. Y is going to get mad. Oh, why. Supriva, sub-s-s-sop-rima roadcar. Suprema, sub-sup, sub-sup, sub-sprima, road call.

My name is Fonte. Yeah. That's who I am. Yeah. Letting you know I too. Yeah. Have a cousin named Pam. Roe-Call.

Supriva, Sub-Sah, Sub-ROM Suprema, Supremea, Roca. My name is Sugar. Yeah. And this is my phone. Yeah. And if you're still living single, I live alone.

Prova. Supremia, son, sub, Supremia, Ro. I'm unpaid bill. Yeah. Now take it easy. Yeah. Might have drank. Yeah.

A few martini. Roll call. Hi. Supremma. Your turn, Erica. So, my turn. Oh, my friend. Not yet.

Suprema. Roca. It's Laia. Yeah. And let's talk style. Yeah. TV couples. Yeah.

It's Max and Kyle. Roca. Roca. Supraima Role. Your turn. Supremma Roca. My name is Erica. Yeah.

I'm the coolest. Yeah. I don't know what I'm doing. Yeah. I don't hope. I don't look too foolish. Roeca. Supraima.

Supriva. Supriva. Suprima. Suprima. Suprima. Suprima Roca. Suprima. Suprima.

Subima. Suprima Roca. Suprima Roca. Suprima. So, so, Supremo Role, God. I had to do that. We gotta have to dance in silhouette like for this. We got to call me glass, man.

Yeah, we have, yeah. That was funky. Funky fresh. I feel very well. Thank you. Thanks up. Fun fact, in doing the L.L tour, whenever Latifah went on the road with us, the biggest, like bigger than any LL song, bigger than any song. Bigger than any song.

Living single theme zone. When we did live in single, that shit was like doing smells like teen spirified by Nevada. Yeah, I can believe it. Like, Dana thought I was lying to her when I said, yo, we need to do that twice. Like, literally, as soon as it came on, do, do, do it, check it, check, check, check it.

Whole crowd started. Well, all the way, I'm glad I got my girl. I love it. Well, that's good to know. Take that to the thing. This is a new version of Quest Love Supreme, which we are still in the room together, but we're doing a virtual episode.

We're live in person. We're sort of live. Yeah, we're sort of, yeah, in person, right? Well, we're here together, which we don't like it better than us being all on Zoom. This is still cool. I know, right? Yes, exactly. Wish you were here.

Team Supreme, how are we? Good, man. So we're just, we're not going to act like. We're not going to act like we weren't doing this like three hours ago. No. I'm just, yeah. How's life for you, Bill? Fantastic.

I had a good afternoon. Thank you for asking. and then I took myself out to dinner and I feel fantastic. What did you have for dinner? Martinis and sea bass. It was great. Wait, did you all eat together?

I wish. Well, let me ask Fonte. How's it going? I'm good, man. Did you have a buy yourself date as well? No, actually me, Carvo and Laya we went and had some Mexican food for lunch. In New York?

Yeah. How did that turn out? This shit was banging. I was surprised. Where'd you go? The spot in the hotel, Those Caminos. Those Caminos.

To hear episodes in which we do, not remote, but like in person, all of your hotel culinary inventions, adventure sound awesome. Like, I've yet to hear a bad review. And you have to have the Fonte experience in a restaurant. We were just talking about this earlier. There is an experience with Fonte. He likes to recommend things. He suggests, you know, he's really good.

I'm a man of husk. I've been this size a long time. So I don't get food wrong. I know that. I know snacks. Speaking of which, I actually, you know, infamination. Well, yeah, as a foodie, people will think that my culinary choices are very hoity-to-dy and whatever up the way that lies. I am you right now.

However, Captain Crunch. No, dog. You know what? I gave a chance for the first time and wasn't mad? I'm not mad at Chipotle. Chipotle's only good. No, no, no. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, I very much prefer Dos Toro's if you're going to go that fast food Mexican. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Well, across the nation, I can't do anything about that. Wait, those torres is... I like those torres' steak much more than Chip. And that's what I normally get.

Let's intro our guest today. So, you know, it's hard to say whether or not the category that you fall into is just actress or character actress. However, I will, oh, the way she looks like, in my opinion, I think you are an ace character actress because you often come when I don't expect you to show up in any film, no matter what you're in, and you really have the ability. Like, I get excited when, oh, damn, she's in this. Oh, it's going to be good. Yeah, it's going to be good. Like, I've yet to have a casual response Like if she, if I'm unaware that she's part of it, like I didn't realize that she was going to be Briss's mother and Wu-Tanks.

That part, right. Right. That part. Yeah. Or you're going to get out or whatever, like, where you just don't expect to see her. Yeah. Then my ears prick up like a puppy, like, ooh. Yeah.

You know, that sort of thing. It is like it makes the movie more interesting. Oh, thank you. Well, first of all, Caroline in the Oscar-nominated. American fiction. American fiction. Yeah. What was your last name in that?

I was Coraline in American fiction. But did you have a last name in that? Not that I know of. I was just Coraline. Okay. Side question before I say your name. If given a character, are you allowed to give yourself a last name if it's not there in your bios? Are you allowed to make your character up if you're...

Yes. I'm able to do what I want as long as I don't put it in the lines or the story. I get it. Okay. All right. Also, barbell and run the world, which I don't know. I enjoy. Right. Thank you. In the brand new Apple series, Swimming Orange Sharks, she's a mayor of Lockhart. And no, no, no, you're in Shining Girls, right? You're Abby Keegan. Shining girls. I was, that was Apple. Right. Exactly. I'm sorry. I'm getting my networks mixed up. But of course, we would be remiss, of course, mentioning the world in which. At least she entered my life, even though I know you've had a life of acting before then. But of course, as Cousin Pam on the Cosby Show, but probably I will say that Maxine Shaw's one of the most loved characters, period. And to this day, I still wonder if her in Overton, not Overton, Kyle, Kyle, yeah.

Yes, are making it like are they married to the day. Yes, exactly. Erica Alexander. Yes, sir. Thank you. I'm very happy and proud to be with you all. Thank you, Quest. So where are you right now as we speak?

Well, I'm zooming in on a Zoom from Vancouver because I'm filming for the Apple Plus series Invasion. I watch that. The second season. Third season. Third season. Oh, that's a good one. Oh, Eric.

Yeah. Killing it. Yeah. That's a good one. A lot of secrets on the set. Simon Kimberg is the showrunner and he famously did a lot of, well, all of the X-Men movies and Deadpool, I think, or Daredevil, one of them. Yeah, he's pretty awesome. So you're going to be a recurring?

I am going to be a regular character, but only on season 30. So you're in Vancouver right now? I am in Vancouver and we are filming and it's a big production. It's a international global production. They did a lot of their filming the two previous years in South Africa, Morocco, Japan, England. And now they've kind of rested here in Vancouver. I see.

How many weeks have you been there so far? I think I'm going on my fourth week. I just got here just after the NWACP Awards. You know, I often hear of like right now, I mean, Vancouver, of course, is an acting hub. Like, how often as an actress are you in Vancouver? Like, how regular are shows? And why besides the tax reasons or whatever? Like visually, like, why is Vancouver the designated, you know, uh, yeah.

I filmed her before in 2016. It was another sci-fi series. I forget the name of it. But I don't think. there's any other reason beside the tax incentive to go up here. No, it's actually quite beautiful and it can double for New York City or maybe a European street. It really matters that it's got a lot of nondescript places, a lot of outdoor spaces so they can do a lot of action here. They've got a really great amount of crew and talent up here. So I think the idea

is that the American dollar compared to the Canadian dollar also helps. So there's all these factors. And it's very close to LA. You fly here two and a half hours you are here. Oh, I forgot the proximity. That helps. Hey, by the way, are you familiar at all with La Casa Gelato? Have you heard of this place? No, it sounds delicious, though. La Casa Gelato is a place in Vancouver. They have 500 different types of ice cream flavors. Lord. Like, when you first walk in, literally, it's the biggest ice cream parlor. You're you ever seen your life. However, like once you get in the middle, when you get past the regular chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, then you get into intricate things like cheddar cheese ice cream,

basaltic vinegar ice cream, ghost pepper ice cream. It ain't always supposed to be ice cream. Fried chicken ice cream. It sounds nasty. It sounds awful. No, no, no, no. It's, it's worth, it's worth it. Why are y'all shaking your head? I take your word for it. I believe you. Gravy ice cream. White gravy ice cream. Yeah. I take your word for it, boy. There is pickle failure of ice cream, though. No, no, I'd highly recommend it for people to, you know, just to do it once over. And you're saying it's in Vancouver, that's the point. In Vancouver, yeah.

It is, yeah. I mean, it's one of their, like a landmark spot in there, but. For sure. Well, if I ever want to have diarrhea and the dribbly shits, I will absolutely drop it. There we go. There we go. That's the dribbly schits. So am I the only one that's not lactose?

intolerant. Good for you, Amir. Yeah, that's great. But I feel I can't be the only black person that indulges in ice cream. It's a red thing. Oh, okay. But P.S., I just want to add to, y'all, I'm suggesting invasion because I got to imagine this show is like a super sci-fi show, but it's also like super emotional. Like, it's an amazing show. So I can't only imagine

that it's pulling, taking all your energies and whatnot because, man. Well, you know, it's a very big cast. So a lot of that burden are shifted to different people's shoulders at different times. But what I imagine is that because Simon Kinberg is such a heavy dude, they gave him the type of money that you need for it to command that kind of time. So he takes a lot of the time to film. And it's a very thoughtful sci-fi exploration of what it is to be invaded. it. You know, so that's what you feel. I think you hear that sort of slow crew. And by the way, whenever you feel that in a film, it's because usually the production has more money.

Playing and simple. They don't have to rush through plot and all the types of things that other people do. They can really just sort of linger on people's faces and allow people to perform and or emote. And that's what's happening. See, the way she said emote. And I'll see it clearly tells me that acting like she's a serious, a serious acting. A vespian, yes. Exactly. Yes. So one thing I do know about you and I never got to talk to you about, you're a Philadelphia.

Come on. I always forget. Yeah. And, yeah, she graduated. Well, I do know that when I first heard about you, like, it was a big deal in the newspapers, like, girls high, alumni. Wow. You went to girls high. I did.

Yes. And I went to George Washington High School for a year, and that's where Kevin Hart went. But I'm actually a transplant. I'm from Arizona, and I came when I was in seventh grade, eighth grade. So I went to Roosevelt and Leeds, too. Roosevelt was like going to a prison. Leeds was one step up. From prison?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. One was more closer to Germantown, and that was, I think they closed. that down. And then of course the other one was more Mount Airy and that was a lot more, I don't know, better. Right. What part of Philadelphia were you from? Mount Airy. Oh, nice. He was a nice part of town. See, when you're from West Philly, I just think anything that's north of City Hall is just N-O-R-F, North Philly, even if it's Mount Airy. So what was your beginnings in the world of acting? Like,

Were you a Freedom Theater kid or was this stuff in your school? Did you not want to go to Creative Performing Arts? Well, you know, I think we had a conversation in here, and I know you've had plenty of them, but you went to school with my little sister, Charlonda. Yes. He's the one who went to the School of the Arts that you did. But I was discovered when I was 14 in the basement theater called New Freedom Theater. Freedom Theater.

It's closed. I talked to the council in the other day. We got to get that back. That theater is beautiful. It is beautiful, but it's tucked in the middle of Temple University and surrounded by, I don't think, people who understand what it's significant. Gentrification. What's going on with Howard University?

I got you. Roger that. Roger that. So I was discovered in the basement theater by a movie company, merged in Ivy Film. Independent film came to Philadelphia. They were looking for little girls back in Brown to audition for this movie. and after nearly 12 to 13 auditions and four screen.

Screen tests. Screen tests. Yeah, I was the one they chose when this vote cleared. Wow. Okay. What happened at Freedom Theater? Like, because that was one of the places where I wanted to go. But instead, my parents put me in settlement music school.

Oh. And my sister went to Freedom Theater. Like, it was like, okay, we're going to have. her act and he's going to do music, but we would only pick her up afterwards, but I never knew like what happened in there. Like what was, what would they teach you there? Well, Johnny Allen Jr. and his partner, um, they started it and they started in the 60s. 60s famously were starting to try to train black children the way the Black Panthers did, that they knew the schools that were primarily white weren't giving them any sense of themselves.

And you had people like the great Nina Simone talking about Young Gifted and Black. So that's really what was going on there with some sort of idea that if you infused a child with the strong sense of themselves and you also gave them creative outlets, got them in touch with their body, discipline, voice, sound, body, all of those things, performance, speech,

communication, that you could influence the rest of their life. And they proved their point, like a lot of the schools that were going around the country at the time and new freedom theaters of that kind of tradition. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 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 what you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard 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. I'm Ago Wadam. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. 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 an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat just hanging.

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 podcast, 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 Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault in Our Stars,

and now I guess also is the co-host of the Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team.

Very debatable. And I was there most loyal and sometimes own way. fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How old were you when you start at Freedom Theater? Like, at what age did you start? 14. I only went there for the six-week program. And then I also did like two summers of a play called Under Pressure, which was their resident production that they put on every year every summer.

Is the hope or I guess the goal of the school to draw people, notable people to see the kids and have them work with someone notable or or is it just like we teach you the craft of acting and then you're out there in the world. Like are they like this is how you get an agent or this is. is how you, you know, this, this commercial casting directors coming to our thing tonight. Like, is it any of those things involved? No, not when I was going. It might have changed. It really was about self-love, self-reverance, power, black power, young gifted in black, a sense of yourself inside of a white world.

How can you move through it? How do you stand? Lifting your head, your skin, making the children go home and get undressed and look at themselves in a mirror, all parts of themselves, the lower parts of themselves, having some kind of regard and respect for hygiene, the way you spoke, the way you stepped up, grammar, all of those things. It was really more like a boot camp for life for black kids. Did you realize that immediately, or is this like, in hindsight, like, I hated going to, okay, I'm sorry, I did not hate going to Selmaid Music School.

But I hated the homework assignments. However, I now realize, thank God I went to Selma's Music School. That saved my life. But you realize that stuff like when you're way older. Did you realize that at the time? Because even when we were doing those types of exercises

at performing art school, whatever, like we'd be in the back laughing like, you know, they'd want us to learn Elizabethan and project with your voice and no, you know, we're just like that settlement wasn't as black as freedom in that way though that's like a different experience right right that's true i think my sister went to settlement too my baby sister how many

siblings do you have i'm one of six and fourth there's two younger than me there's charlonda who you know and then there's myisha and i think she went to settlement and all of you have dabbled in the arts yes in some way um although my sister it was a social worker there in philadelphia and my brother's a Philly cop. Oh, so your family really stayed in Philadelphia. Were you the only one? Yes, they did. Both my parents were orphans, so we didn't necessarily have a place to be. Wherever we were was where we were at. But I think you were talking about, did I recognize what it was doing then? Yes, they were very overt. It was like a boot camp. It was like an officer and a gentleman. They were going to make you understand the power of being black and blackness and more importantly the power of

self-love and we needed that because at the time i was going in there the streets were a battleground it was crack incarceration uh young women were getting pregnant it was really like some kind of weird pathology movie and i think they couldn't be soft about it they had to be overt they didn't have the privilege to set back and not act like they were trying to do. They were trying to radicalize you. And I think that it worked. Well, when you said, Offers and a gentleman, I'm like, wait a minute. I just remember Louis Gossack Jr. making Richard Greer cry in the rain. I'm like, wait a minute. So. Yeah, a lot of people cried. But they were crying because it was like church. You got in there and you had real

awakenings. And you reckoned with, even though you might. might have thought a lot of people had a confidence and didn't have, I guess, the fears that some children had. They all had that. We weren't allowed to be children. And there, I think, that they knew they were different type of child and that they needed to break us down so we could be vulnerable. All right. Not me, though, by the way. I'm a preacher's daughter. I came in already vulnerable. I was scared of Philadelphia and students. And I was... Wait, your dad was a breacher? Yeah, church of God and Christ, baby.

What's your? Oh, wow. It was a cogic. He was cogent. For sure. Oh, yeah. Where was the church? Well, my parents were coming out of New Mexico.

My Charlesbad, Las Cruces, they were Bible students. They traveled around in the car. And that's why I spent the first 11 years in my life in a hotel called Starlight off of Route 66. Wow. That was where you lived? Yeah. Wow. What was, wait, let's go back even further.

I'm starting at Freedom Theater. No, I want to hear you as a nomad. What was that like? I was born in Arizona off Highway 66, but don't want to be associated with those cowboy hits. Yeah, I got my own song, just like Beyonce got her, Texas Hold' him. That's right. But, you know, that's what made me different and a little bit,

a lot of trepidation in Philadelphia. because it was so bombastic and forward. And I'm coming from Hopi, Navajo, Mesdizo, Mexican, German Lutherans. And then there was my parents who were Cogic Baptist. And then my brother, my, sorry, my father got discovered by the German Lutherans. And they sent him to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. And that was in Chestnut Hill. So he was going to be, or is currently a preacher?

He died at 52 shortly after he finished at seminary. They sent him to Brooklyn in East New York to start his church, mostly Puerto Rican neighborhood. Most of those people had their churches for years. He maybe had four or five members, but by that time he was too sick to recover, he was born with a bad heart. They didn't think that he would live past 17. He did.

He was a miracle. And I think he lived long enough to deliver us. to Philadelphia, and that gave us a lot more choices. Were you expected to join the ministry? No. Wait, you mean? No, you said that no, as a matter of fact. Like, what was the home environment like?

Because most people of the cloth that I know, like, it's a very strict environment. and hearing that you're a preacher's kid, but also like you dabbled in the arts. Like it's almost like oil and water to me because most people that I know like try to keep their kids out of any joyous expression, like singing, dancing, anything that's deemed secular. Well, that wasn't the case for us.

My father was a boy preacher, so he didn't have a choice. Well, let me just put it to you like this. my story and my background are their origin story is very Southern Gothic. And so you don't get the feeling that these people are making this choices. They're making choices because that's what's in front of them. And if you look at the black tradition, a lot of those people were preachers. Around the end of Reconstruction, the people that they called in to ask

about 48 acres of mule were pastors and were clergymen. Other than that, you were either going to be a farmer, perhaps, maybe a teacher, but in showbiz. And so that tradition of creatures' kids becoming showbiz kids like Denzel and a lot of these people, because we saw performance our entire life. My mother sings, she plays the piano. She was trained as an opera singer. And pianist, my father played the piano by ear. And we got along and got over with the kindness of strangers because a lot of times they were performing for their food.

They didn't just preach. They got in there and said, oh, and suddenly that could get you chicken and maybe some rent. It sounds like, I mean, just based on what you just told us in the last 10, 15 minutes, like your family sounds pretty miraculous. Like you kind of slid in there that both your parents were orphans, which is miraculous. I mean, not even knowing their adoption stories. Wow. Wow. And them coming together and meeting each other.

So my question also was, did they also have this underlayer of foundation for you to even know about freedom theater? Did they also give you this other layer of self-awareness, of blackness? But on top of going to this church that the Germans brought him, this is so many layers. Like, did you get that from them as well? your activism and community and knowing about blackness and who you are? I would say the activism, yes. I think most black people that came from that error thought they were being hunted and they were haunted by whiteness.

They were hunted literally by white people. And so you always had to assume that you had to find a place to be. It wasn't just like the Green Book. You had to choose where you were going to live. You had to choose the type of career that didn't make you a threat. And so that's why I get people playing being athletes. They're performing for white people. They're coming in front of them and they're offering their voice and their talents.

And suddenly they may be a threat when I go outside that door, but inside that door they have a certain type of privilege. And so I think that my mother, who was twice orphaned, and she had an extraordinary background, she was raised by, the richest couple in her town in Carlsbad. And that's why she had, she knew how to, Amir talks about enunciation. Pronunciation is very important to her. That's where it comes from.

But then of course, being a child of a preacher, you know that everything they do. You see, it's all part and parcel. But you're also coming from respectability politics. They were the people who did not want to do. want to look dusty. You were coming out for plantations. You're talking about after reconstruction. You're talking about all the things that black people were seen as dirty and unsophisticated and unlearned. They had to immediately establish their bona fide. And so begins the black bourgeois. There you go. And then once they found that we had money, so begins the

black middle class. Oh. And the race for labels. You're saying that has already brought me back to 12 because there's a time where even if I wanted to go to the movies, I would have to put a suit on. And it's like, why do I have to put a suit on to see Jim Kelly and Black Belt Jones in Silent Scream at the Capitol on 52nd? And their, you know, their whole thing was like, well, yeah, it's respectability politics, but it's also like, if you have a suit on, you won't get shot. Safe, yeah, you're safe.

Right. But then I thought it made me a target to bullies. Like, why is he walking in with a suit on? Like, everyone else is casually dressed, but I'm the one guy is sitting there, like, you know. But, Mayor, you remember the boys choir of Harlem? That was the whole mix of there to put on suits. And that's how they went to school. And it made them targets, but it also made them responsible for their behavior.

They needed them to look and look at different. different. I see. After the six weeks at at freedom theater like what was your next move into what brought you a step closer to your profession? Like at what point were you like okay I want to be an actress and pursue it seriously? I never accepted that I was an actress until maybe my late 30s or early 40s. So even with Cosby and living single you didn't feel like you were a full-time actress? No. No.

I would always go back to my traitor talking about I was going to write my comeback piece. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver 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 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 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. I'm Ago Wadam. 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. 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm John Green.

You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars. And now, I guess also is the co-host of the away end, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was there most loyal and sometimes only. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty.

Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, so I'm skipping. Since you brought it up, let me skip. So the last day of living single, or better yet, a week after living single. Are you feeling like, do I go back to being a civilian or do I, are you basically saying that was your mind state? Like, I'm not a full-time actress until I have the next stable job or? Your life as an actor, just as a musician, is very porous. Nothing ever ends.

Nothing ever really begins. You can feel a little bit because people have rap parties and that helps you sort of put your mind around. Like, it's done. Yeah. But you've probably been auditioning the whole time for other things, and I had been. And at the time, I was dealing with a lot of heartbreak because there was a lot of, I guess, hierarchy as to who they would allow to work other jobs. And I wasn't that person. On the cast?

On the cast, yes. Okay. Yeah. And so I missed out on a lot of things, roles that they would always. for me but I couldn't take because Fox wouldn't take it and they would have pushed my career forward. So once I got out of there and I wasn't, it's like being five years in the same high school, you want to go. You're ready to go. And unless there's something keeping you there, some kind of overall goal you might have, maybe you're really bonded with the cast, it's really going well, everybody sort of signs up to do it again.

But it was breaking down on its own. So I didn't think about it at all like, oh, like I'm a civilian. I've always been a civilian. Just one that people know. And so I've been famous longer than I was not famous. In Philadelphia, when Mayor Good calls you to the mayor's office and give you the key to the city and a proclamation and kids start acting weird around you that never really paid attention to you. You see how celebrity warps things. So all I ever wanted to do was sort of return to a stable version of myself, but that was impossible.

So I kind of accepted that that came with the territory. But I got to say, once I got out of there, I thought, I'm going to be a producer and write because I've been trying to do that since the Cosby show. Oh, wow. And the acting thing, I'm not just being kind of glib about it. I hadn't accepted that I was this actress. It's just something that I could always do. So I think as a musician or you understood that maybe in your core competency, you could always do it, you were good at it.

You could sit down and play the piano and people said, oh, you're good at it. But it didn't mean that you wanted to be a pianist. So with acting, I had to accept later on that I just didn't get chosen like, like, hey, you can act and here's a career that I did enjoy it and that I was an actress. And when I had that sort of come to Jesus moment, it was because a hypnotist, a hypnotist put me under. Oh, wow. And when I left the office, I started to sob because she said, Erica, you're an actress.

And I go, I am an actress. And I had not really said that to myself. How do you feel now? I feel like I'm an artist and a creator. And I think that best sort of says about the activism, the fact that I have bigger ambitions than any one production can fulfill. But I just love the idea of people who are creators, and I like to learn. What's your dream project, the one that you need, that if you had,

at $100 million, this is what I'm making. You know, I think there's room for a new King Panther, and I would love to do a character like that, because I'm good at physical comedy, and I'm good at comedy, but I'm also dramatic. And I think if you look what Peter Sellers did, he was allowed to be a lot of different states of weirdness. I like the British sense of comedy,

and I would like to do something like that. All right. Let's manifest. Yes, it's coming. It's manifested. Let's do it. Okay, so now, back to your teens.

What was the stage that you're like, okay, let's take this serious. Like, your first audition, what was that like? At 14 or just later on after that? How were you when Pam came into full disclosure also? I kind of thought I was like maybe. a decade and a half older than you. Like, what?

That baby face? You look fucking awesome, by the way. Thank you. Like in my mind, I thought like, okay, well, you know, she's 80s kids like started, da-da-da-da. Because cousin Pam wasn't a teenager that cousin Pam was supposed to be.

In my mind, I'm like, wait, I was like 20-something when the Cosby show came in her. She was definitely like 14, 15. Because I'm thinking of the special ed episode and all that stuff. So in my mind, you were way younger than me. like trying to school you and use words like Manifest. That's hilarious.

No, I was older playing younger than myself because of the hours, you know, that those things take, they try to get kids that are older, teenagers that are older, play younger. I was younger than Malcolm Jamal, but I actually think I'm older than Malcolm Jamal in real life. Right. So actually, I didn't audition for cousin Pam. That was your first audition? No, not at all. She said she didn't audition for it.

Oh, you didn't? When I was 20 years old. Okay. I had been acting for, since I was 14, I had gone around the world with Royal Shakespeare Company. I did a nine-hour play called the Mahabharata. I did miniseries and a movie with Whoopi called The Long Walk Home. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. So that's where that experience comes from.

Okay, I see now. Yes. And I had done two or three plays at the public, one with Joseph Papp, his last play called The Forbidden City, Bill Gunn's last play. So I had done a lot of theater, which a lot of black people did. If you look at Sam Jackson and all these cats, there were no TV and films to absorb that type of talent thing. You had one or two things. And if you were lucky to be those one or two people, you maybe could catch lightning in the bottle. No one expected to have a career in film and television, certainly not a black woman.

So I was doing a play at the public. And the story goes, it was actually a play called The Bidden City, Joseph Papp's last play that he directed. And the great Gloria Foster, he's the light skin woman in the matrix. From the Matrix, yeah. Have a cook of the writer's reign. That's the great Gloria Foster. And her best friend is Camille Cosby. And when I was told that Camille Cosby came to see the play, and then went back to her husband, Bill Cosby, and said, you've got to see Gloria in this play and this little girl.

The little girl she was talking about was me. He never saw the play, but I also hear that he liked to give his wife gifts, and I was a gift. I got a call one day. Could you be at Mr. Cosby's house in about an hour? And I showed up just off of Park Avenue in the Central Park. he made a roll up for me right in front of my face. He said, so there's this girl. And her name is Pam.

And she's the cousin of Claire. And that's how we went. And I said, thank you very much. And I was cousin Pam. He must have loved that you were from Philly, too. He just all came together. Call me hometown. And he really put a definition and, I don't know,

kind of a premium around people who were self-made. And I think that's what he liked. that he saw me as being self-made and that I didn't need him. That's where those were his words. How intimidating was it to enter not only like an established institution, but I mean by that point,

it was such a well-oiled machine and oftentimes in kind of the folklore TV shows like adding a new character that late in the game is often seen as a jump in the shark moment. Yeah. Oscar the Brady Bunch,

or whatever. Yes. Or Oliver. Oliver. Wow. Why? I watched a lot of TV. I thought that much closer to you right now.

You mentioned Oliver from a Brady bunch. Yeah. So, but how did it feel just coming into an already established well-oiled machine by that point? I guess the difference is, is I'm not the star. I'm a featured character. I get to day trip. I get to drop in at a little salt and pepper. But the flavor's theirs.

And it's a new dish. It's got a lot of juicy dark meat. You know, and so they're adding a different flavor. But they've had the criticism that the Cosby Show was too inaccessible. The family was inaccessible because they were too upper class. So cousin Pam came in from the other side of the tracks. Oh, you're supposed to be the street element. Can you imagine?

Did they want you to be more thugged out than you were? Or like, how did you? I think that he is. If he had told that to his, the writer's room, they might have thought it, but you have to understand. The king of respectability politics back in the day was Bill Cosby. So he set us down, me, Cameron, and white Alpan, and gave us the speech, do not make me ashamed. Just like you get in church, don't you go out there and act the fool. Don't do all your head.

Don't do, you know, any extra on it. And so we were told that we weren't going to do it. But it was sort of just saying, this is not that place. I have Mary McKeba on the show. I have this person on that show. We are the talented tent. Do as I say. But Karen was Charmaine.

Oh, she must have had to constantly like. That's right. She went to have a. Yeah, so she must have to constantly weigh that line because that's like, that's Charmaine. Yeah, no, she didn't because they got her because she talked like. I mean, they wanted that favor. They didn't know what to do to Cousin Pam.

So it's like they gave me my own posse. And that helped me. That was dope. The strain off the show. So I got it. I probably wasn't people's cup of T. And I didn't really necessarily know what I was doing. I didn't think I was funny. But I also didn't think they wrote me funny.

And I was confused a lot. By the time I got to living single, I understood the idea of acting to camera and having an audience. I had done them separately. but to put them together was confusing. And then I got it. I'd ask Mr. Cockney. I said, who do I act to?

And he said, the audience, because he's stand-up. I asked the director, Ellen Giddleston. I said, who did I act? And she said, the camera. They were both right. So I had to get that type of timing in my head, listen for the audience, because they were my best, they were the fourth character in the show.

And then also, if they couldn't see what I was, doing because the light wasn't on the camera because the camera wasn't ready. It had to hold. And so there's this dance you're doing. And it's like timing. It's like music. And if you get it. Did you say dance?

You can be funny. Did you say dance? Because that makes me think of the cousin Pam dance. Do you know that's a thing, right? No. The cousin Pam dance from the special ed episode. The special ed episode. When you start, when you do the, when you do that, when you.

What? That's a thing. Like, yeah. You did not know that. I did know it. I didn't know. Thank you for letting me know. It's a dance.

It's funny you said that because there was an episode of Arsenio in which De Niro, who rarely gives interviews, was basically explaining to Arsenio. I think it's right around the time when Goodfellas was coming out. So there was like 89, 90, whatever. And De Niro was explaining to him, like, basically. I'm not acting. He gave this whole thing about like if you, most actors will, you know,

the mistake they make is they show emotion and all that stuff. And he's like, real life people don't show their emotions. They hold back. So he was basically saying that because he holds back and is very dry in his delivery, that's what makes him the everyday person. Right. And that

stuck with me a lot, even though like acting wasn't my, my focus. back then but when he said that I was like oh so that's more it's what you hold back and I actually liked your role because I'd never seen someone of your character of your ilk not be a caricature because I think sometimes it's it's almost like the acting version of being a gospel chops musician you know like every musician nowadays got to show off everything they do Melisma, yes. You held back, and then I saw an interview that you did,

and because you had Felicia Rashad's, you know, like when she talks, like Felicia Rashad has that camomile. Grace. Grace. Grace. When you spoke like that, I was like, oh, she's like a real actor's accent. And I was going to ask if you dabbled in Shakespeare, but you already told that to us. I actually liked the fact that you were kind of nondescript in the Cosby show and that you weren't all the way, you know, you could have been JJ, you could have been JJ or Hillary from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, like, a character.

I don't know. That was my two sense. I appreciate that. I think what you're seeing is that I think somehow, even in a character, you have to express a level of authenticity. And I'm from Arizona. So I don't have the idea of blackness as being a set of tropes that are like very big and large. Because that's not what I saw. I saw black people be black like American fiction black. That's the idea is that we're printed presented with a set of stereotypes that we don't even know that we're pushing.

And black people were probably. only people to have to have burden. We're always trying to balance a version of ourselves. And we don't even know where we end or begin anymore. But I do say this about comedy. It is a full contact sport. And you have to give to receive. You have to embrace it.

You have to chant it. You have to love it. You have to go out on a limb. You have to be bold. You can't be scared. You have to be curious. And that allows you to be free in the moment and make improvisational choices because I'm not necessarily changing the line,

but I am changing the inflection in the line. The delivery of it. The delivery. So that said, could you tell me, if we're going to the social media term, how it's going and how it ended or whatever, when you're given Maxine Shaw, which, you know, as I said, at the top of the show, I believe that Maxine's character is the end. anchor of that show. You know, like for me,

Latifah is the, the, the, the, I guess, the straight man of, of, of, of, of the click. And Dorothy. And my mom. Yeah. Right. And both Kims have to sort of be colorful. Blanche. Right. Which really allows you, I think, Elaine to really,

like all of your punch lines were funnier and all, your physical comedy and then your chemistry, which at the time, I don't think you're going into this thing thinking like, okay, by season one I'll be this caring. Then we'll have our sort of rapport with each other. Like, because both of you two basically wrote each other to glory, in my opinion. But how did you prepare for your role as Maxine Shaw on Living Single? I prepared for it my entire life before I got there.

and I took every little piece that I understood and put it in a role that nobody was paying attention to because I wasn't the star that Latifah or Kim Coles or Kim Fields was. I was actually fourth. I was the dark-skinned person in there with T.C. Carson and they weren't looking at me. And I learned from the Cosby show, or at least I understood now,

the dance of the camera, comedy, and the audience. And the audience, yeah. So I knew, and you can see in the first year, we kind of pushed those stereotypes that got us the roles, the audition, like, girl, I got this to this, so it's a little amped up. But that's what you do to get the role. Otherwise, these people who are executive positions don't think you're doing anything if you come in and do something

that's a little bit more laid back. We're not allowed that type of soft presence that a lot of... Nuisance. New ones. Thank you that other performers get. Black people have to come with it right away. So I like to think that I'm in there discovering and experimenting and it's not harming anybody, as long as I deliver the show they want.

But each time I got more information about what the audience liked about Max. And each time I wanted to deliver a version of her that was authentic to me, Erica, but that and that balanced the show because you have to be generous with comedy. The people aren't, that's why they don't do so well. They're trying to get the line funny all the time. And sometimes you're there to take the hit and sort of just look. And it's not about you. It's about you just tossing around and you've got to know.

but I think nobody was looking so that's what I was I think people oftentimes when they see greatness or whatever you take it for granted again I always refer to watching Steph Curry play

like he's going to throw it in and you automatically know it's going in no matter what so at one point you just take for granted that all right yes he knows pulling off some incredible shit because he does it all the time right but then then it's like okay they always do that but I don't think people really appreciate

the fact that first of all it's six of you and so I almost feel like all right so in jam session situations especially when I'm paying with musicians that aren't my my guys in the roots I automatically have to go into okay this guy's overplaying so let me dial it down a little bit so that it's not too overwhelming because my fear is that I always make the all-star game analogy that All-Star games are very boring because everyone's on 100. So there's really no sense of drama or whatever. Like when everyone's at 100, to me that's just as boring as everyone being amateurs. Exactly.

So how do you, but there's such a push and pool chemistry with the six of you when you're in scenes together. Like, what do you credit that to the writing of the show or do you know to hold back some times and let Kim get her shine or whatever. And is it like a game of basketball in which you guys instantly know what the other character is going to do? Because there's even some moments on that show

in which I'm like, I wonder if they rehearsed that ahead of time to get that timing right or that sort of thing. Like to me it was effortless. So when did it gel? For you? It jelled immediately. Everybody saw it.

Really? And I think the right analogy is music. I think that if there was genius or maybe lightning in a bottle it's because they recruited performers and other collaborators that have a pinch it for individualism. And what they play well with others. There's soloists that play well with others. If you look at Latifah Kim Coles, Kim Fields, you could all be soloists, but we understand the whole and you've got to have Your self-esteem has to be in check. You have to know who you are.

And I think that we were at an age. I was 23 coming in. But we had done enough in life that we didn't have to win. We knew we would win if we all win, if we all won. So I think that you want soloists who play well together, especially if they were expecting the ensemble. And we did. Hey, you talked about being a brown-skinned woman on the screen.

I'm so curious for Maxine Shaw in this look. I was just talking to somebody earlier, and we were talking about your braids. And somebody was like, did you know that Erica's braids were made out of yarn? I was like, yeah, we used to do that back in the day, especially because hair cars more than yarn. But regardless, I'm so curious how you were able to pull this off at 23

and you being forth on the call sheet, this look. I came in with that month. Okay. I can assure you that no white person would have ever allowed me to come in with that. And it wasn't because the white thing has nothing to do with. It's just that she was the lawyer and they would have probably wanted her hair oppressed. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. And I came in like that because I had worked with Woopi Goldberg. She played my mother on the long walk home. I knew she was your mother on. Yes, I remember now. Yes, this is basic. And we carry with us, all of us in the world, everybody. Yes.

Somebody imprints on you. So if you look at that hairdo, it's jumping jack flash. smash. Oh, wow. Yeah. Stop that and with the... Yeah. There you go.

And I just come from that tour. I mean, actually, I just come from a series for ABC, and the producers asked me, but I shaved my hair, and I did. It was nothing. It was natural because my hair kept frizzing up, and I didn't have a perm. And so they asked me to shave it off. I said I would, and I was growing it out, and I had a hairdresser. in Brooklyn, Deborah Hare Bay, who does the NRA locks.

And she said, I know what I can grow your hair out. And so you see the whole back is shaved. And she had to catch on the top. She said, I'll do a cool bob. And you can do anything with his hair. And I just have to walk in and audition with that hair. And that's Maxine. And by the time you finished the show,

it was gorgeously long and layered and, oh. And it was a wig. Get the fuck. That's right. Because I kept getting ready. recognized and I couldn't go anywhere. So I said you got to make a wig. Yeah, so that was about a question earlier.

You were talking about you could see the response from people. How did you know? I mean, because this is free social media. Yeah. How did you know like, okay, this is really, it's hitting? Like, it was instant. We were on Sundays and our lead in was Martin. And we beat our lead in from then on.

Hmm. You beat the number one show. And I don't like to say black show, but you have a cast of black people. And you beat the show. They say the black show, the number one black show in America for Latins and blacks. You win. So that's what happened. Wow.

I can't remember if they went because it did that help Martin? I can't remember. It was kind of messed up. They made a Thursday night. They put New York undercover. New York undercover. They made like a black night. And we are all insulted.

it by it. Wait a minute. So, okay, because I was about to say, I always remember living single as a Thursday show. It started as a Sunday show. It was a Sunday show. After Living Color, that's right. No, no.

It was. Our leading was Martin, then was Living Single. And then in Living Color. I think Living Color was on an, I don't know if they were on another. It was probably off by the Fox. Fox. It was. Yeah.

Yeah, it was. Yeah, they were Fox. No, no, no. Oh, you were Fox. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yes, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then they decided, let's put them all on the same night.

That was Black Night Thursday. Then they flipped living single to first. We became Martin's leading. Gotcha. That's what Damon Wayans was fighting. Remember that? They tried to do that to him and said, I think. I did not know that.

Okay. Hi, everyone. This is Sugar Steve from Questlove Supreme. We are so sorry to do this, but we're ending part one right there. Please come back this Friday or check your podcast feed for part two with the incredible Erica Alexander. In that interview, Erica speaks about working on Get Out, American fiction and her role as Riza and Divine's mother on Wu-Tang in American Saga. See you soon. Thank you for listening to Questlove Supreme.

This podcast is hosted by Amir Questlove Thompson, Laia St. Clair, Fonte Coleman, Sugar Steve Mandela, and myself, unpaid Bill Sherman. The executive producers are Amir. Just walked into the goddamn room, Thompson, Sean G, and Brian Calhoun. Produced by Brittany Benjamin, Jake Payne, and Laia Sinclair. Edited by Alex Conroy. I know Alex Conroy. Produced for IHeart by Noel Brown. Much Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio.

For more podcasts from IHart Radio, visit the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the Four. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed, I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this.

He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends, trust me, babe, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. This is much more famous than I am.

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co-host of the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to The Away End with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers.

We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.