WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.740 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. Today we are really 00:00:03.740 --> 00:00:05.900 digging into someone quite remarkable, Wanda 00:00:05.900 --> 00:00:08.880 Sykes. I mean, she's consistently sharp, incredibly 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:13.160 versatile, and frankly, just fearless. Absolutely, 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:16.359 a true force. Her career, it spans stand -up, 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:20.329 acting, writing, producing. And activism, too. 00:00:20.530 --> 00:00:22.550 Deeply committed activism. It really is amazing 00:00:22.550 --> 00:00:24.629 when you list it all out. So many hats, right? 00:00:24.750 --> 00:00:26.949 And she wears them all so well and often at the 00:00:26.949 --> 00:00:29.170 same time. Exactly. I mean, she's an Emmy -winning 00:00:29.170 --> 00:00:31.629 writer. Right now, she's co -creator and executive 00:00:31.629 --> 00:00:34.289 producer of The Upshaws on Netflix. And you might 00:00:34.289 --> 00:00:36.350 remember, Entertainment Weekly called her one 00:00:36.350 --> 00:00:38.689 of the 25 funniest people in America way back 00:00:38.689 --> 00:00:41.509 in 2004. Yeah, 2004. That's longevity right there. 00:00:41.630 --> 00:00:43.909 So our mission today, our deep dive goal, is 00:00:43.909 --> 00:00:45.829 sort of tracing that whole trajectory. Where 00:00:45.829 --> 00:00:48.710 did this incredibly uncompromising voice come 00:00:48.710 --> 00:00:50.810 from? And how has she managed to keep that huge 00:00:50.810 --> 00:00:53.270 professional success going while also being so, 00:00:53.350 --> 00:00:56.090 well, politically potent? It's a balancing act. 00:00:56.189 --> 00:00:58.109 Yeah, definitely. We've got sources covering, 00:00:58.210 --> 00:01:00.409 you know, the big career milestones, her personal 00:01:00.409 --> 00:01:03.049 story, and honestly, some seriously surprising 00:01:03.049 --> 00:01:06.109 origin details. Things that just make you rethink 00:01:06.109 --> 00:01:10.469 the phrase unconventional background. Let's maybe 00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:13.010 start with the recognition. That really sets 00:01:13.010 --> 00:01:15.549 the stage for how comprehensive her approach 00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:18.459 to comedy has always been. Good idea. That Emmy 00:01:18.459 --> 00:01:20.000 win you mentioned, it came pretty early, right? 00:01:20.060 --> 00:01:23.340 1999? Yeah, for outstanding writing for a variety 00:01:23.340 --> 00:01:25.659 music or comedy special. That was for her work 00:01:25.659 --> 00:01:27.700 on The Chris Rock Show. And that win tells you 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:29.980 something crucial. She was a writer, a powerhouse 00:01:29.980 --> 00:01:32.079 writer, long before most people knew her face, 00:01:32.180 --> 00:01:34.640 you know? That's the key point, absolutely. She 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:37.310 wasn't just like... a comic reading line someone 00:01:37.310 --> 00:01:39.650 else wrote, she was generating the material, 00:01:39.810 --> 00:01:42.909 material that really helped to find late 90s 00:01:42.909 --> 00:01:45.370 political satire. Right. But to really get the 00:01:45.370 --> 00:01:47.629 full picture, to appreciate how sophisticated 00:01:47.629 --> 00:01:50.549 she became as a writer and later a producer, 00:01:50.829 --> 00:01:54.069 we have to talk about the big surprise, the one 00:01:54.069 --> 00:01:57.950 detail that makes everyone pause. The wait, what 00:01:57.950 --> 00:02:00.489 moment? Exactly. Here's where it gets really 00:02:00.489 --> 00:02:03.219 interesting. Before the Emmys, before the writers 00:02:03.219 --> 00:02:05.359 rooms, before she was even doing stand up on 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:08.939 like Def Comedy Jam, Wanda Sykes had this incredibly 00:02:08.939 --> 00:02:12.020 sensitive, very structured, high level government 00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:15.939 job. She worked for five years, get this, as 00:02:15.939 --> 00:02:18.240 a contracting specialist at the National Security 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:23.319 Agency. The NSA. The NSA. It's just the contrast 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.819 is wild, isn't it? Totally jarring. You go from 00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:28.360 like classified documents and government procurement. 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.000 Uh -huh. Bureaucracy. Rules. Structure. To the 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.159 world of stand -up comedy. Which is, you know, 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.599 chaotic, often unpredictable, definitely not 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:38.560 classified. And it wasn't just a quick internship 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:41.120 or something. Five years. That's a serious commitment. 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:44.099 She was deep in the logistics, vendor management, 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:46.740 the really complex procurement stuff needed to 00:02:46.740 --> 00:02:48.800 keep a massive intelligence agency functioning. 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:51.039 So she had this highly organized, systematic 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:53.979 brain trained in, well, government work. Exactly. 00:02:54.099 --> 00:02:56.020 Which she then turned around and applied to, 00:02:56.180 --> 00:02:58.319 you know. writing jokes and eventually running 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:00.599 entire TV shows. It's quite the pivot. I just 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:03.259 love the image of her like doing a set at some 00:03:03.259 --> 00:03:05.680 DC open mic, maybe that Coors Light super talent 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:08.460 showcase they mentioned on a Friday night. Yeah. 00:03:08.580 --> 00:03:10.460 And then Monday morning, she's back at her NSA 00:03:10.460 --> 00:03:13.780 desk managing contracts. It's like two completely 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:15.939 different lives colliding. It really shows incredible 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:19.099 discipline, doesn't it? Holding down that serious 00:03:19.099 --> 00:03:22.319 career while simultaneously finding her true 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:25.259 voice, her comedic voice. Which leads us perfectly 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:28.659 into the foundation. Her early life, those roots, 00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:31.900 which are also pretty surprising in their own 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:35.439 way. Right. So Wanda Yvette Sykes, born March 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:38.759 7, 1964, in Portsmouth, Virginia. OK. And her 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:40.979 family life, very structured, as you might guess 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:43.800 now. Her father, Harry Ellsworth Sykes, was a 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:46.080 U .S. Army colonel, worked at the Pentagon. Wow. 00:03:46.259 --> 00:03:49.560 OK. High level. And her mother, Marion Louise, 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.159 was a banker. So you've got military discipline, 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.500 financial structure. That kind of environment 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:56.580 definitely instills a sense of order. And the 00:03:56.580 --> 00:03:58.300 family moved to Maryland when she was young, 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:00.879 third grade, I think. Yeah, attended Arundel 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.960 High School in Gambrills. And that structure 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:06.120 carried right through her education. She went 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:07.919 to Hampton University. Got a Bachelor of Science 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:11.060 degree in marketing. Exactly, marketing. That's 00:04:11.060 --> 00:04:13.039 it. And she was in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 00:04:13.310 --> 00:04:15.349 Again, this isn't the typical path you imagine 00:04:15.349 --> 00:04:17.370 for a groundbreaking comedian. It sounds more 00:04:17.370 --> 00:04:19.790 like someone aiming for a corporate track or, 00:04:19.810 --> 00:04:22.910 well. Or government success, which is exactly 00:04:22.910 --> 00:04:25.589 where she ended up initially. Precisely. That 00:04:25.589 --> 00:04:28.689 BS in marketing. It led straight to the NSA. 00:04:29.410 --> 00:04:32.129 And just to elaborate a bit on that role, contracting 00:04:32.129 --> 00:04:34.050 specialist. Yeah. What does that really mean? 00:04:34.250 --> 00:04:36.610 It's essentially being a logistics expert, but 00:04:36.610 --> 00:04:39.509 on a massive scale, handling large, often very 00:04:39.509 --> 00:04:42.860 sensitive procurement decisions. Buying hardware, 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.720 managing services from vendors, making sure everything 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:47.579 complies with, you know, endless regulations. 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:51.379 So skills like organization, negotiation, paying 00:04:51.379 --> 00:04:53.980 attention to tiny details. Invaluable skills, 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:56.819 especially if you later decide to become, say, 00:04:56.939 --> 00:04:59.319 an executive producer running a complex network 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:01.480 television show. That's a brilliant connection. 00:05:01.819 --> 00:05:04.519 I hadn't really thought about how those NSA skills 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:07.160 might translate directly to Hollywood production. 00:05:07.459 --> 00:05:09.519 It's not a stretch at all. Managing budgets, 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:13.519 timelines, people. It's project management, just 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:16.019 in a different field. Okay, that NSA period makes 00:05:16.019 --> 00:05:19.100 a different kind of sense now. But speaking of 00:05:19.100 --> 00:05:20.980 deep foundations, we have to talk about that 00:05:20.980 --> 00:05:23.139 genealogy piece, the thing from the PBS show, 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:25.639 Finding Your Roots. Oh, absolutely. That was... 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.620 That was stunning. Truly unique history, not 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:30.579 just for her family, but for American history, 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.600 period. So they traced her ancestry way, way 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:35.879 back, right, to the 17th century. Yes, specifically 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:39.199 to a 1683 court case in Virginia. It involved 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:41.600 her ancestor, a woman named Elizabeth Banks. 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:44.720 And Elizabeth Banks was. She was a free white 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.980 woman, but also an indentured servant. Correct. 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:50.199 And the case came about because Elizabeth gave 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:53.379 birth to a biracial child. a daughter named Mary 00:05:53.379 --> 00:05:56.220 Banks. The father was an enslaved man. Okay, 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:58.100 and this is where the legal stuff gets really 00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:01.220 crucial, especially for that time period. Hugely 00:06:01.220 --> 00:06:04.500 crucial. Because in colonial Virginia, the laws 00:06:04.500 --> 00:06:06.839 were solidifying around the idea that a child's 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:09.240 status followed the mother. But it was still 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.560 early days. And in this specific documented case... 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:15.300 Mary Banks, the daughter, inherited her mother's 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:17.759 free status. Exactly. Despite the father being 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.199 enslaved, Mary was legally free because her mother 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:23.209 was free. This set a vital legal precedent at 00:06:23.209 --> 00:06:26.089 that time. So Wanda Sykes' family line, going 00:06:26.089 --> 00:06:29.209 back centuries, was rooted in documented freedom, 00:06:29.350 --> 00:06:32.009 even against the backdrop of slavery and, you 00:06:32.009 --> 00:06:34.170 know, immense social and legal pressure. Right. 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:36.029 It's an unbroken line of freedom traced back 00:06:36.029 --> 00:06:38.529 to the late 1600s. And the historian they quoted, 00:06:38.629 --> 00:06:41.329 Ira Berlin, he specializes in American slavery. 00:06:42.189 --> 00:06:44.410 His quote was incredibly powerful. He said, Sykes' 00:06:44.529 --> 00:06:47.009 family history is, and I'm paraphrasing slightly, 00:06:47.329 --> 00:06:49.569 the only such case that I know of in which it 00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:51.730 is possible to trace a black family rooted in 00:06:51.730 --> 00:06:53.790 freedom from the late 17th century to the present. 00:06:53.850 --> 00:06:55.829 The only one he knows of. That's staggering. 00:06:56.110 --> 00:06:58.689 It provides this incredible historical context, 00:06:58.810 --> 00:07:01.629 doesn't it? For the kind of freedom, and frankly, 00:07:01.790 --> 00:07:04.269 the uncompromising nature you see in her comedy 00:07:04.269 --> 00:07:07.149 today. Her willingness to speak truth to power, 00:07:07.310 --> 00:07:10.589 to be absolutely herself. Maybe it's not just 00:07:10.589 --> 00:07:13.170 a personality trait. Maybe it's ancestral. Wow. 00:07:13.470 --> 00:07:16.089 That's a powerful thought. Okay, so her background 00:07:16.089 --> 00:07:20.449 is this mix of intense structure, the NSA years, 00:07:20.629 --> 00:07:23.949 and this deep, resilient history. How did she 00:07:23.949 --> 00:07:27.110 make the actual leap? From contracting specialist 00:07:27.110 --> 00:07:29.350 to comedian. Well, it wasn't overnight. It was 00:07:29.350 --> 00:07:31.370 gradual. She started doing stand -up back in 00:07:31.370 --> 00:07:34.129 1987. While still at the NSA. Right, at those 00:07:34.129 --> 00:07:36.089 talent showcases in D .C., like the Coors Light 00:07:36.089 --> 00:07:38.089 one. So she had about five years of practicing, 00:07:38.230 --> 00:07:40.949 doing gigs nights and weekends, basically honing 00:07:40.949 --> 00:07:42.810 her craft without the immediate pressure of needing 00:07:42.810 --> 00:07:44.829 comedy to pay the bills. Smart way to do it, 00:07:44.829 --> 00:07:47.389 really. De -risked it a bit. For sure. But then 00:07:47.389 --> 00:07:50.480 came the big decision, 1992. She leaves the NSA. 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:52.720 Grits the stable government job. And moves to 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:54.899 New York City to pursue comedy full -time, which, 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:57.139 as any comic will tell you, is a massive leap 00:07:57.139 --> 00:08:00.120 of faith, trading security for, well, chaos and 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:01.879 uncertainty. But she started getting noticed 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:04.139 pretty quickly in New York. Yeah, she got some 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:07.759 important early TV spots. Russell Simmons' deaf 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.800 comedy jam was huge back then. It put her sharp 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:13.220 delivery, her perspective, in front of a big, 00:08:13.220 --> 00:08:15.399 influential audience. And then came the connection 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.120 that really changed things. Opening for Chris 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:21.589 Rock. At Caroline's Comedy Club. That was the 00:08:21.589 --> 00:08:23.649 first major break, the one that led directly 00:08:23.649 --> 00:08:25.769 to the next step. Which was joining the writing 00:08:25.769 --> 00:08:29.230 team for the Chris Rock show on HBO in 97. Exactly. 00:08:29.470 --> 00:08:31.629 And she wasn't just writing. She was on screen 00:08:31.629 --> 00:08:33.870 a lot, too, doing sketches, playing different 00:08:33.870 --> 00:08:36.250 characters. That's critical development time, 00:08:36.409 --> 00:08:38.990 mastering joke structure in the writer's room, 00:08:39.049 --> 00:08:42.389 and mastering timing and delivery on stage all 00:08:42.389 --> 00:08:44.870 at once. And that all led to the Emmy win in 00:08:44.870 --> 00:08:47.529 1999. You have to remember what that show was 00:08:47.529 --> 00:08:49.840 like. Oh, yeah. The Chris Rock show was smart. 00:08:50.019 --> 00:08:52.759 It was political. It was doing cutting -edge 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:55.519 cultural satire. She was right in the thick of 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.059 a creative process that demanded rigorous thinking 00:08:58.059 --> 00:09:01.639 and honestly fearless commentary. So that NSA 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:04.179 -trained, organized mind probably meshed perfectly 00:09:04.179 --> 00:09:06.240 with the need to be provocative and sharp in 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:08.580 the writer's room. I think so. It's that synthesis 00:09:08.580 --> 00:09:11.799 again. Structure meets artistic rebellion. Let's 00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:13.759 unpack the comedy style that really came out 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:16.080 of that period. It's described in so many ways. 00:09:16.850 --> 00:09:19.429 Observational, surreal, insult comedy. Black 00:09:19.429 --> 00:09:23.490 comedy, blue comedy, satire. It's a wide range. 00:09:23.730 --> 00:09:26.129 But what does that list actually mean in practice? 00:09:26.230 --> 00:09:28.590 How does she use those different tools? Well, 00:09:28.610 --> 00:09:31.629 I think it means she starts with a... Familiar 00:09:31.629 --> 00:09:33.830 observational stuff about relationships, daily 00:09:33.830 --> 00:09:36.690 life, you know. But she always injects it with 00:09:36.690 --> 00:09:39.889 this political edge, this perspective rooted 00:09:39.889 --> 00:09:42.269 in her identity as a black woman in America. 00:09:42.490 --> 00:09:44.750 Right. So even when she's using, say, blue comedy, 00:09:44.870 --> 00:09:46.789 which can sometimes just be for shock value, 00:09:46.909 --> 00:09:48.809 she's usually doing it for a reason. Often, yeah. 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:52.080 to satirize hypocrisy or maybe societal hangups 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.679 about sex or race. It pushes a point home, makes 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:57.179 it sharper. It's not just jokes for joke's sake. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.480 And the subjects she tackles are huge. American 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:01.679 politics, obviously. African -American culture, 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:05.159 pop culture, racism, sexism, relationships. Human 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:08.250 sexuality traditions. Pretty much everything. 00:10:08.409 --> 00:10:11.049 Her stand -up specials are incredibly dense with 00:10:11.049 --> 00:10:13.590 this stuff. If you go back to her early 2000s 00:10:13.590 --> 00:10:16.409 material, she used these almost surreal setups 00:10:16.409 --> 00:10:18.750 to get at races. It's not just the obvious stuff, 00:10:18.789 --> 00:10:21.230 but the microaggressions, the everyday absurdities. 00:10:21.370 --> 00:10:23.950 Exactly. She has this amazing gift for taking 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:25.950 those interactions, the ones that are frustrating 00:10:25.950 --> 00:10:28.919 or confusing or just... plain weird and turning 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:30.860 them into punchlines that are both hilarious 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:33.220 and make you think, oh, yeah, I get that. And 00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:35.379 that versatility, moving from jokes about her 00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:39.139 kids one minute to like biting satire about Congress 00:10:39.139 --> 00:10:40.879 the next. That's why she stayed relevant for 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:42.740 so long, wouldn't you say? Absolutely. She's 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:44.440 always challenging the audience. Yeah. Making 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:46.519 you laugh, sure, but also making you think. Yeah. 00:10:46.539 --> 00:10:48.700 It's never passive viewing with her specials. 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:51.179 And that mastery, that unique voice, it led very 00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:53.879 quickly to her becoming almost ubiquitous across 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:57.669 TV, film, voice acting. Which brings us to the 00:10:57.669 --> 00:11:00.250 next phase, her dominance on screen. Yeah, she 00:11:00.250 --> 00:11:02.450 clearly understood that to really build a lasting 00:11:02.450 --> 00:11:05.690 career, she needed to move beyond just the stand 00:11:05.690 --> 00:11:08.110 -up stage. And those TV roles starting in the 00:11:08.110 --> 00:11:10.970 2000s really cemented her place in the mainstream, 00:11:11.230 --> 00:11:14.110 often in quite different ways. Let's talk Curb 00:11:14.110 --> 00:11:17.250 Your Enthusiasm. That was a long recurring role, 00:11:17.350 --> 00:11:21.600 2001 to 2011, playing herself. Which is such 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.100 an interesting role on that show. Because in 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:26.379 Larry David's universe of awkwardness and neurosis, 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:29.000 Wanda was often the only one who saw right through 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:31.019 his nonsense and just called him on it. Totally. 00:11:31.019 --> 00:11:32.879 She was like the voice of reason or maybe the 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:35.340 voice of justified exasperation. Exactly. She 00:11:35.340 --> 00:11:37.879 functioned almost as this unshakable moral compass. 00:11:38.379 --> 00:11:41.460 The one character who absolutely refused to play 00:11:41.460 --> 00:11:44.019 by Larry's ridiculous unwritten social rules. 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:46.379 It's kind of a recurring theme for her actually 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:48.240 being the one who speaks the truth, even when 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:50.340 it's super uncomfortable. And doing it in a largely 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:54.200 improvised setting like Curb that takes incredible 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:57.240 comedic intelligence, just lightning fast wit. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:11:59.799 For sure. Then she tried the more traditional 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:02.279 sitcom route herself with Wanda at Large on Fox 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:04.580 in 2003. That one was pretty short -lived though. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:07.639 Right. But her biggest mainstream sitcom success 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:10.740 was probably The New Adventures of Old Christine. 00:12:11.019 --> 00:12:15.139 Definitely. 2006 to 2010. Playing Barb, opposite 00:12:15.139 --> 00:12:17.580 Julia Louis -Dreyfus. She started recurring, 00:12:17.779 --> 00:12:20.090 then became a series regular. That really established 00:12:20.090 --> 00:12:23.269 her as this reliable, funny presence in a more 00:12:23.269 --> 00:12:26.250 conventional network comedy format. It did. But 00:12:26.250 --> 00:12:28.690 then years later, you see her guest roles and 00:12:28.690 --> 00:12:30.950 they really showcase her range, her ability to 00:12:30.950 --> 00:12:34.269 adapt to very specific comedic tones. Like the 00:12:34.269 --> 00:12:36.750 Emmy nominations she got for Outstanding Guest 00:12:36.750 --> 00:12:39.090 Actress for Black -ish a couple of times. Right. 00:12:39.129 --> 00:12:42.509 2017 and 2018. And maybe even more impressively, 00:12:42.549 --> 00:12:45.129 playing Moms Mabley on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 00:12:45.129 --> 00:12:47.950 in 2020. Playing Moms Mabley, that's portraying 00:12:47.950 --> 00:12:50.190 a comedy legend, a real pioneer. That requires 00:12:50.190 --> 00:12:52.549 more than just being funny. It requires research, 00:12:52.669 --> 00:12:55.789 embodying a historical figure. Absolutely. It 00:12:55.789 --> 00:12:59.049 showed real dramatic and comedic depth. But going 00:12:59.049 --> 00:13:01.149 back to her current work, her commitment to being 00:13:01.149 --> 00:13:03.590 behind the camera as well as in front is clear. 00:13:03.809 --> 00:13:06.169 You mean the Upshaws on Netflix, where she stars 00:13:06.169 --> 00:13:09.129 as Lucretia Turner? Yes, but crucially, she's 00:13:09.129 --> 00:13:11.950 also listed as co -creator, writer, and executive 00:13:11.950 --> 00:13:15.519 producer. Ah! There's that NSA trained mind again. 00:13:15.740 --> 00:13:18.399 Exactly. Executive producing a major comedy like 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:21.720 that. It's managing budgets, schedules, people, 00:13:21.960 --> 00:13:24.840 creative vision. It demands that same logistical 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:27.740 skill set. She has real control over the story 00:13:27.740 --> 00:13:30.350 and the tone. Blending family comedy with that 00:13:30.350 --> 00:13:32.789 sharp social relevance she's known for. And alongside 00:13:32.789 --> 00:13:35.269 all this TV work, her film career was taking 00:13:35.269 --> 00:13:37.909 off too, giving her huge visibility. Yeah, big 00:13:37.909 --> 00:13:40.169 live action roles. Monster -in -Law in 2005, 00:13:40.490 --> 00:13:43.110 that was a hit. My Super Ex -Girlfriend in 2006. 00:13:43.669 --> 00:13:46.149 Then those family comedies like Evan Almighty 00:13:46.149 --> 00:13:48.690 and License to Wed in 2007. She was popping up 00:13:48.690 --> 00:13:50.830 everywhere for a while there. And more recently, 00:13:51.009 --> 00:13:53.409 people definitely know her from the Bad Moms 00:13:53.409 --> 00:13:56.279 movies. Oh yeah, Dr. Carl. The therapist. Right. 00:13:56.340 --> 00:13:59.320 In both Bad Moms 2016 and A Bad Mom's Christmas 00:13:59.320 --> 00:14:02.639 2017, she just steals every scene she's in. Her 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.220 ability to just drop into an ensemble cast and 00:14:05.220 --> 00:14:07.379 make her lines the funniest ones with that dry 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:09.940 delivery. It's mastery is comedic timing. Okay, 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:11.899 but we absolutely cannot skip over her voice 00:14:11.899 --> 00:14:14.059 work. The sheer volume of it is incredible. It 00:14:14.059 --> 00:14:16.279 really is. She's leveraged that distinctive voice 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:18.779 into becoming, honestly, one of the most reliable 00:14:18.779 --> 00:14:21.139 and recognizable voice actors out there, especially 00:14:21.139 --> 00:14:24.590 in animation. The list is long. Stella the Skunk 00:14:24.590 --> 00:14:27.850 in Over the Hedge. Yep, 2006. Bessie the Cow 00:14:27.850 --> 00:14:30.269 in Barnyard, both the movie and the TV series 00:14:30.269 --> 00:14:32.289 that followed. And probably the biggest one for 00:14:32.289 --> 00:14:34.730 a lot of families, Granny in the Ice Age movies. 00:14:34.789 --> 00:14:38.029 Yes, the grumpy, hilarious sloth. She was in 00:14:38.029 --> 00:14:40.360 two of the sequels. Continental Drift and Collision 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:43.179 Course, those are massive global franchises. 00:14:43.460 --> 00:14:46.179 Her voice was a key part of their comedy. It's 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:48.639 amazing how her voice works for both kids' movies 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.519 and, you know, much edgier stuff, like Gladys 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:54.779 Murphy on Crank Yankers. Right, the puppet prank 00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:58.279 call show. The original run in the revival. And 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:00.419 she even jumped into Star Wars recently, voicing 00:15:00.419 --> 00:15:04.080 Fee Genoa in The Bad Batch. Wow. From Ice Age 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:06.639 to Star Wars, that's incredible range. It just 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.320 shows her marketability. That voice carries this 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.139 specific weight. It could be sarcastic, warm, 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:14.759 observant, sometimes all at once. It makes her 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:17.259 perfect for pretty much any genre, from G -rated 00:15:17.259 --> 00:15:20.340 animation to R -rated satire. Okay, so we've 00:15:20.340 --> 00:15:23.220 covered her incredible output, stand -up, writing, 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:27.440 acting, producing, voice work. Now let's pivot 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:30.220 a bit. Let's talk about the moments where Wanda 00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:32.740 Sykes, the public figure, the voice of opinion, 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:35.970 really came into focus. Ah, right. The times 00:15:35.970 --> 00:15:38.230 when her political views, her sense of integrity, 00:15:38.409 --> 00:15:41.009 put her right in the spotlight. Late night hosting, 00:15:41.230 --> 00:15:43.889 controversies, those principled stands she's 00:15:43.889 --> 00:15:46.009 taken. She had experience hosting, right? Like 00:15:46.009 --> 00:15:48.570 Comedy Central's Premium Blend way back. Yeah, 00:15:48.590 --> 00:15:51.009 she did. But her own big shot at late night was 00:15:51.009 --> 00:15:54.549 the Wanda Sykes show on Fox, ran 2009 to 2010. 00:15:55.100 --> 00:15:57.320 And that show had a specific format, didn't it? 00:15:57.399 --> 00:15:59.500 Aimed at political comedy. Yeah, it was structured 00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:01.659 kind of like Bill Maher shows, a monologue, then 00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:03.919 a panel discussion about current events. It was 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:06.159 clearly positioning her as a major voice in that 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:08.480 space, trying to blend her stand -up wit with 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.159 topical analysis. And just before that show launched, 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.600 she landed a really high -profile, high -pressure 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:15.539 gig. The White House Correspondents Association 00:16:15.539 --> 00:16:19.779 Dinner, May 2009. Featured entertainer. Which 00:16:19.779 --> 00:16:21.700 was a huge deal in itself. She was the first 00:16:21.700 --> 00:16:23.899 African -American woman to do it and the first 00:16:23.899 --> 00:16:27.620 openly LGBT person in that role. Absolutely groundbreaking. 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:30.000 Cedric the Entertainer was the first African 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.299 -American man back in 2005, but she broke multiple 00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:35.519 barriers that night. But the night is often remembered 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:39.580 for, well, something else. A specific joke. The 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:42.279 Rush Limbaugh joke. Yeah. Yeah. This was pretty 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:44.820 soon after President Obama had taken office and 00:16:44.820 --> 00:16:46.879 Limbaugh had famously said he hoped Obama would 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:49.940 fail. And Sykes's response during her set was 00:16:49.940 --> 00:16:55.100 intense. It was pure, uncut Wanda Sykes insult 00:16:55.100 --> 00:16:57.639 comedy delivered on the biggest political stage 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:01.019 imaginable. She quipped something like Rush Limbaugh 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:02.919 said he hopes he fails. I hope his kidneys fail. 00:17:02.980 --> 00:17:04.779 How about that? And then added something about 00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:08.569 waterboarding. Whoa. Yeah, that. That did not 00:17:08.569 --> 00:17:11.170 go over quietly. No kidding. Massive public backlash, 00:17:11.349 --> 00:17:14.029 nonstop media coverage. It was incredibly controversial. 00:17:14.269 --> 00:17:15.869 And it really highlighted her style, didn't it? 00:17:15.910 --> 00:17:19.150 Willing to use aggressive, even blue humor against 00:17:19.150 --> 00:17:21.490 a powerful political opponent right there in 00:17:21.490 --> 00:17:23.170 front of the president, the press corps, everyone. 00:17:23.349 --> 00:17:25.490 It absolutely cemented her reputation. This is 00:17:25.490 --> 00:17:27.450 a comic who will push boundaries, who will risk 00:17:27.450 --> 00:17:29.470 alienating people to make a political point she 00:17:29.470 --> 00:17:32.250 believes in. No fear. It was a definite professional 00:17:32.250 --> 00:17:35.430 risk. But as we've seen, she seems to prioritize 00:17:35.430 --> 00:17:39.049 her integrity over playing it safe. Which brings 00:17:39.049 --> 00:17:41.730 us to another major live TV moment much more 00:17:41.730 --> 00:17:45.609 recently. The 2022 Oscars. Co -hosting with Regina 00:17:45.609 --> 00:17:48.450 Hall and Amy Schumer. And finding herself right 00:17:48.450 --> 00:17:51.069 in the middle of the Will Smith -Chris Rock slap 00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:53.890 incident. Right. And given that Chris Rock was 00:17:53.890 --> 00:17:56.230 her friend, her former boss from the HBO show. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:59.000 Her reaction was pretty strong and immediate. 00:17:59.319 --> 00:18:02.200 Very strong. She publicly criticized the Academy 00:18:02.200 --> 00:18:04.200 for letting Will Smith stay in the room after 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:06.799 the slap, enjoy the rest of the show, and then 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.880 accept his award. She used words like gross, 00:18:08.940 --> 00:18:11.039 right? Saying it sent the wrong message. Exactly. 00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:13.119 She said for the Academy to let him stay. I was 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:15.119 like, how gross is this? This is just the wrong 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.730 message. Her stance was clear. Assault happens, 00:18:17.809 --> 00:18:20.630 you get removed. End of story. It was about professional 00:18:20.630 --> 00:18:23.089 conduct and the signal it sent. And that sense 00:18:23.089 --> 00:18:25.069 of professional integrity, standing up for what 00:18:25.069 --> 00:18:27.329 she thinks is right, wasn't just about reacting 00:18:27.329 --> 00:18:29.630 to live events. It affected her career choices 00:18:29.630 --> 00:18:31.710 directly, like her exit from the Roseanne revival. 00:18:32.190 --> 00:18:36.009 Ah, yes. 2018, she was the head writer for that 00:18:36.009 --> 00:18:39.529 10th season revival. A huge, high -profile, presumably 00:18:39.529 --> 00:18:42.069 well -paying job. But then the star, Roseanne 00:18:42.069 --> 00:18:45.009 Barr, posted that infamous tweet, the racist 00:18:45.009 --> 00:18:47.579 one about Valerie Jarrett. And Sykes' response 00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:50.960 was immediate. No waiting, no hesitation. She 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:54.200 announced on Twitter, May 29, 2018, that she 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:56.400 would not be returning to the show. Before ABC 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:58.720 even canceled it, that's key. She quit first. 00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:02.119 Yes. She walked away from a massive gig, a powerful 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:05.319 role, purely based on principle. Standing against 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:07.880 speech, she found reprehensible. It just confirmed, 00:19:08.059 --> 00:19:11.170 yet again, this pattern. career comes second 00:19:11.170 --> 00:19:13.410 to her core values. So from the White House dinner 00:19:13.410 --> 00:19:16.130 to the Oscar stage to the writer's room, it's 00:19:16.130 --> 00:19:18.809 a remarkably consistent ethical line. She doesn't 00:19:18.809 --> 00:19:20.470 seem to separate her job from her conscience. 00:19:20.630 --> 00:19:22.670 Not at all. Which makes her one of the most reliably 00:19:22.670 --> 00:19:25.890 outspoken and frankly trustworthy political voices 00:19:25.890 --> 00:19:27.890 we have in entertainment. OK, let's transition 00:19:27.890 --> 00:19:29.829 out to her personal journey, her coming out, 00:19:29.890 --> 00:19:32.630 her family, her health, which, of course, is 00:19:32.630 --> 00:19:35.329 all deeply tied into her activism as well. Right. 00:19:35.490 --> 00:19:38.700 So she was married before in the 90s. to a record 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:42.039 producer named Dave Hall. But the major personal 00:19:42.039 --> 00:19:44.359 shift, the one that became public, happened later. 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:46.940 She married her wife, Alex Nebalski, who's French, 00:19:47.160 --> 00:19:50.720 in October 2008. Yes. And then, just one month 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:54.039 later, November 2008, she publicly came out as 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:56.599 a lesbian. And the timing and setting were significant, 00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:59.180 weren't they? Very. She came out while speaking 00:19:59.180 --> 00:20:02.119 at a same -sex marriage rally in Las Vegas. It 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:04.740 was specifically about California's Proposition 00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:07.720 8, which aimed to ban same -sex marriage. So 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:10.099 her public coming out was intrinsically linked 00:20:10.099 --> 00:20:12.200 to a political fight she cared deeply about. 00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:14.259 Wow. So it wasn't just a personal announcement. 00:20:14.259 --> 00:20:16.900 It was an act of political activism itself. Pretty 00:20:16.900 --> 00:20:20.339 much. And then shortly after... April 2009, she 00:20:20.339 --> 00:20:23.579 and Alex welcomed fraternal twins. So the public 00:20:23.579 --> 00:20:25.359 declaration, the fight for marriage equality, 00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:27.559 and the creation of her family all happened very 00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:29.940 close together. It really underscores the urgency 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:31.759 she must have felt. But the journey to acceptance 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:34.299 wasn't necessarily smooth, even within her own 00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:37.099 family. No, and she's been open about that. She 00:20:37.099 --> 00:20:39.200 actually came out to her parents back in 2004 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:42.819 when she was 40. And initially, her parents, 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:44.859 who came from that more conservative, structured 00:20:44.859 --> 00:20:47.730 background we talked about, They really struggled 00:20:47.730 --> 00:20:50.089 to accept her homosexuality. To the point where 00:20:50.089 --> 00:20:52.309 they didn't attend her wedding. Right. Which 00:20:52.309 --> 00:20:54.390 caused a period of estrangement, which sounds 00:20:54.390 --> 00:20:57.289 incredibly painful. It's a reminder that even 00:20:57.289 --> 00:21:00.210 for successful, confident public figures, family 00:21:00.210 --> 00:21:02.789 acceptance can be a difficult process. Have they 00:21:02.789 --> 00:21:05.769 reconciled since then? Yes. The sources say they 00:21:05.769 --> 00:21:08.250 have, thankfully. But sharing that story highlights 00:21:08.250 --> 00:21:10.630 the personal cost that sometimes comes with living 00:21:10.630 --> 00:21:12.839 authentically. Beyond her family life, she's 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:14.920 also used her platform when it comes to her health 00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:18.619 in a really powerful way. Yes. In 2011, she went 00:21:18.619 --> 00:21:20.980 on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and announced she'd 00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:24.339 been diagnosed with DCIS, ductal carcinoma in 00:21:24.339 --> 00:21:26.940 situ. Which is described as a non -invasive stage 00:21:26.940 --> 00:21:30.279 zero breast cancer. Correct. And facing that 00:21:30.279 --> 00:21:32.839 diagnosis, she made another significant choice 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:35.859 and chose to share it. She opted for a bilateral 00:21:35.859 --> 00:21:38.359 mastectomy to significantly lower her risk of 00:21:38.359 --> 00:21:40.680 developing invasive cancer in the future. And 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:44.099 by being so open about it. She became this incredibly 00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:46.819 effective, though maybe accidental, advocate 00:21:46.819 --> 00:21:50.180 for women's health, encouraging proactive screening, 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:53.599 discussing preventative options, using her own 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:56.140 vulnerability to potentially help others. Her 00:21:56.140 --> 00:21:58.960 more formal activism goes deep, too, right? Especially 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:02.119 around LGBTQ plus issues. Oh, yeah. She was, 00:22:02.259 --> 00:22:05.599 as she said. devastated when Prop 8 passed in 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:08.339 California. She threw herself into the fight 00:22:08.339 --> 00:22:11.319 for marriage equality, hosting events, emceeing 00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:14.359 fundraisers, really using her voice and visibility. 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:17.180 And her activism isn't limited to just that one 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:19.900 issue. Not at all. She's worked with PETA on 00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:22.539 promoting anti -chaining laws for dogs in her 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:24.920 home state. Animal welfare is clearly important 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:26.940 to her. And she supports the Ruth Ellis Center 00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:29.339 in Detroit. Yes, which is a vital organization 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:31.720 providing support and services for homeless or 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:34.539 at -risk LGBT youth. That shows a commitment 00:22:34.539 --> 00:22:36.059 to the most vulnerable parts of the community. 00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:38.000 And she uses her platform constantly, right, 00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:40.319 like on Twitter? Definitely. Promoting specific 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:43.519 political actions, like urging Congress to pass 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:46.380 voting rights legislation, like the Hashtag For 00:22:46.380 --> 00:22:48.619 the People Act, or commemorating civil rights 00:22:48.619 --> 00:22:51.700 icons like John Lewis. She understands her platform 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:54.039 is a tool for social and political engagement. 00:22:54.410 --> 00:22:56.809 She truly is an entertainer who walks the walk 00:22:56.809 --> 00:22:58.950 when it comes to advocacy. And that combination 00:22:58.950 --> 00:23:01.230 of talent and commitment has brought her a lot 00:23:01.230 --> 00:23:03.089 of recognition over the years from different 00:23:03.089 --> 00:23:05.809 spheres. Which brings us neatly to the last part, 00:23:05.990 --> 00:23:08.809 awards and discography. We mentioned the 1999 00:23:08.809 --> 00:23:11.750 Emmy win for writing, but her standup itself 00:23:11.750 --> 00:23:14.589 has earned major awards too. For sure. She won 00:23:14.589 --> 00:23:17.390 the American Comedy Award way back in 2001 for 00:23:17.390 --> 00:23:20.619 funniest female standup comic. That's pure recognition 00:23:20.619 --> 00:23:22.960 early on. And then there are awards recognizing 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:26.700 her impact beyond just comedy. Exactly. GLAD 00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:29.259 gave her the Stephen F. Kolzak Award in 2010. 00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:33.000 That award specifically honors LGBTQ plus media 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:35.480 professionals who have made a significant difference 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:37.859 in promoting acceptance. And more recently, is 00:23:37.859 --> 00:23:40.190 she still getting that kind of recognition? Absolutely. 00:23:40.450 --> 00:23:42.670 She's actually set to receive the Critics' Choice 00:23:42.670 --> 00:23:46.130 Association's Celebration of LGBTQ Plus Cinema 00:23:46.130 --> 00:23:48.769 and Television Career Achievement Award in 2025. 00:23:49.329 --> 00:23:51.190 These aren't just trophies. They acknowledge 00:23:51.190 --> 00:23:53.690 decades of impact on visibility and culture. 00:23:53.890 --> 00:23:55.509 And her stand -up is still getting nominated 00:23:55.509 --> 00:23:58.369 for major awards, right? Yes. Just this year, 00:23:58.390 --> 00:24:01.269 2024, she got a Golden Globe nomination for Best 00:24:01.269 --> 00:24:03.130 Performance in Stand -Up Comedy on Television. 00:24:03.309 --> 00:24:05.630 That was for her latest Netflix special, Wanda 00:24:05.630 --> 00:24:08.309 Sykes. I'm an entertainer. It proves she's still 00:24:08.309 --> 00:24:10.160 at the absolute top. Top of her game, still relevant, 00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:12.079 still cutting edge. You can really trace her 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:14.000 evolution by looking at her specials over the 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:16.240 years. Definitely. It starts with Tongue Untied 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:19.380 back in 2003. Then those two big HBO specials, 00:24:19.380 --> 00:24:22.720 Sick and Tired in 2006, which was huge. And I'm 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:25.500 a Beamee in 2009. Then later came What Happened, 00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.099 Miss Sykes in 2016. And not normal on Netflix 00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:30.940 in 2019. That's the one that got recent Emmy 00:24:30.940 --> 00:24:33.619 nods too. Right. And don't forget the book. Yeah, 00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:36.759 I said it. From 2004, a collection of her humorous 00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:39.119 observations. It just reinforces again that she's 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:41.400 fundamentally a writer, a generator of sharp 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:44.119 content, not just a performer. It's that combination, 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:47.000 isn't it? The literary skill, the sharp writing. 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:49.279 Combined with that absolute fearlessness on stage, 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:51.759 she crafts the material with that disciplined 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:55.299 mind, maybe honed back at the NSA. Huh, maybe 00:24:55.299 --> 00:24:57.259 so. And then delivers it with all the emotional 00:24:57.259 --> 00:24:59.960 weight and historical resonance of someone deeply 00:24:59.960 --> 00:25:02.460 committed to speaking their truth. Okay, so. 00:25:02.970 --> 00:25:05.329 Let's try to wrap this all up. What's the final 00:25:05.329 --> 00:25:08.529 takeaway from this deep dive into Wanda Sykes? 00:25:08.609 --> 00:25:11.269 We've gone from the NSA. Right. A highly structured, 00:25:11.569 --> 00:25:15.029 bureaucratic government job. All the way to comedy 00:25:15.029 --> 00:25:18.109 legend, Emmy winning producer, voice acting star 00:25:18.109 --> 00:25:21.789 and highly visible, deeply principled activist. 00:25:22.210 --> 00:25:24.589 I think the synthesis is that Wanda Sykes has 00:25:24.589 --> 00:25:27.230 somehow mastered this incredible balancing act 00:25:27.230 --> 00:25:30.950 between professional success, mainstream bankability. 00:25:31.230 --> 00:25:33.450 I mean, she's granny and I. You can't get much 00:25:33.450 --> 00:25:35.890 more mainstream than that. Or Dr. Carl in Bad 00:25:35.890 --> 00:25:38.529 Moms. Hollywood clearly trusts her to deliver 00:25:38.529 --> 00:25:41.009 commercially. Exactly. But at the same time, 00:25:41.029 --> 00:25:44.029 she is absolutely relentless and uncompromising 00:25:44.029 --> 00:25:46.250 in her political commentary and her personal 00:25:46.250 --> 00:25:50.029 integrity. The Limbaugh joke. The Oscars condemnation. 00:25:50.250 --> 00:25:52.990 Walking away from Roseanne. These aren't small 00:25:52.990 --> 00:25:55.549 things. They define her as someone who will not 00:25:55.549 --> 00:25:58.069 back down, even if it might hurt her career. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:01.039 It's a really delicate high wire act. She's been 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.700 walking for decades. And she proves that maybe 00:26:03.700 --> 00:26:05.359 you don't have to choose. You don't have to pick 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.920 between having massive corporate success and 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:10.859 being a genuine, fearless voice for change or 00:26:10.859 --> 00:26:12.960 dissent. Maybe that discipline she learned early 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:15.119 on, that structure, allows her to manage the 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.279 complexity of wearing all those hats. I think 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:19.539 that's a huge part of it. She seems uniquely 00:26:19.539 --> 00:26:22.059 equipped to handle both the demands of the industry 00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:24.400 and the demands of her conscience. So that leaves 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:26.039 us with a final thought, something for you, the 00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:28.680 listener, to maybe chew on. In today's world, 00:26:28.759 --> 00:26:32.779 which feels so polarized, so divided, can entertainers 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:35.000 maintain that kind of broad success across so 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:37.559 many platforms while also being so consistently, 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:40.940 unapologetically outspoken on political and social 00:26:40.940 --> 00:26:44.579 issues? Or is pulling off that constant, delicate 00:26:44.579 --> 00:26:47.880 balance, is that itself Wanda Sykes' greatest, 00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:50.119 most challenging performance? It's a fascinating 00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:52.180 question. She hasn't just shown it's possible. 00:26:52.380 --> 00:26:54.440 She's practically written the playbook on how 00:26:54.440 --> 00:26:57.009 to do it. Her career really is an incredible 00:26:57.009 --> 00:26:59.549 case study. How those foundational skills, that 00:26:59.549 --> 00:27:03.109 structure, combined with an absolutely unwavering 00:27:03.109 --> 00:27:06.349 moral compass can fuel decades of relevance and 00:27:06.349 --> 00:27:09.190 impact. Truly remarkable. That was the deep dive 00:27:09.190 --> 00:27:11.930 into the extraordinary career of Wanda Sykes. 00:27:11.970 --> 00:27:13.470 Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next time.