Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
Stephen A. interviews “The Black Mother of Hollywood,” stage and screen actress Jenifer Lewis about her award-winning career, the recent presidential election, surviving a ten-foot fall, and her latest role in the Netflix animated film, “Spellbound.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
What's up, everybody. Welcome to the latest edition of The
Stephen Asmith Show, coming at you at the very least
three days a week over the digital airways of YouTube
and of course iHeartRadio. I hope everybody had a phenomenal Thanksgiving.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of talking to
my next guest. She's been called the national treasure and
the black Mother of Hollywood. With over three hundred film
(00:32):
and television credits, She's best known as outspoken grandmother Ruby
Johnson on a hit ABC comedy Blackish. She's joining me
to discuss her latest project, the Netflix animated film Spellbound
and more. But I gotta tell you something, there's a
lot more to her than this upcoming animated film. This
woman is something special. She's incredibly candid, and that was
(00:54):
before she had a life altering experience that just has
shredded fear from her soul to make her even more candid.
That she has ever been more direct and unapologetic than
she has ever been, which obviously makes for a very
interesting interview. Whether it's about her, it's about the industry,
(01:15):
it's about her phenomenal work over the years, it's about
Kamala Harris and the latest presidential election. It's about Donald
Trump himself or various other things that were on her mind.
This woman does not hold back. It is very rare
that I find myself a bit transfixed on someone to
the point where I actually forget to ask a damn
(01:37):
question at on some occasions. But that's the kind of
a fact that she had on me. By the way,
in the process of all of that that I say
that I remind you that she is absolutely positively hilarious
and fabulous, because if I didn't, let me tell you
she's fabulous and hilarious. Her name is Jennifer Lewis, and
(02:00):
she's here up next, right here on the Stephen A.
Smith Show. Please trust me on this. Don't go away. Okay, everybody,
you know what Tom it is. It's Tom for Steven
a Sports Picks. Everybody knows I'm a sports junkie. And
if you love watching this show, that probably means you
are too. Probably also means you want to be part
(02:22):
of all the big time game action. But how do
you solve that? Exactly? I'll tell you how. You use
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(02:45):
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Now let's look at my winning picks today. I'll be
choosing from some of college football's biggest rivalry games happening
(03:05):
this Friday and Saturday. First up, Texas Longhorns single signal
caller Quinn Ewers facing in state rival Texas A and
M more or less than two hundred and thirty seven
and a half passing yards. It's yours, It's Texas all right.
One of the top ranked teams in the nation. Okay,
I'm going with them. I don't like what I've been
seeing from Texan A and N from time to time. Okay,
(03:26):
that's just me. That's how I feel about it, all right.
Yours is a big Tom bawler, and I know Manning's
waiting in the background, had a couple of good starts
and all of that stuff. He was coming back and
performing the way that he did, there's a lot to
be said about that. I respect the brother. I think
he'll have a big game against Texas A and M.
I think he's gonna do his thing. Next up, Georgia
Bulldog's quarterback Carson Beck facing the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets more
or less than two hundred and sixty three and a
(03:47):
half passing yards. Now, here's the thing. I think Beck
is gonna get more than the two hundred and sixty
three and a half passing yards. What I don't believe
is that he's gonna have a great game. He makes
some mistakes. He's made a lot of mistakes this year.
I expected better from mine. I know he came back
from twenty to nothing deferences against Alabama, almost beat them
before they ultimately can't escape with that victory. Right, But
I've watched him, Okay, I watched him against I watched
(04:08):
him against Texas, all right, you know, I listen, they
handled their business there, but they got smacked around a
couple of times this year. And I still am suspect,
especially this old miss. I'm still suspect on him. So
I again, he'll have more. I just don't know how
good his numbers are gonna really equate to when it's
all said and done. Finally, one of the biggest rivalries
(04:28):
in all of sports we have, ohiuse date Buckoy's quarterback
Will Howard playing the Michigan wolver Raines more or less
than twenty and fifty three and a half pass the yards.
I'm gonna go with more, But it's about default. I'm
not liking Michigan this year. They clearly miss Harbor. Harbor.
I mean, more is not Harbor. We get all of that,
which will explain why he was crying a little bit
when he won that game when Harbaugh was out being suspended,
(04:49):
and he you know, he filled in for a game
last year or what have you. But it's not that
he can't coach. I think the guy's got potential. I
think he could do some things at Michigan, but I've
been very, very disappointed with what I seen from them
this year. I expected more, I expected better, and that
has not been the case. I think Ohio State there's
a big game. Obviously, to me, this game is more
about Ryan Day than anybody. Harbor's not there any longer.
(05:10):
Now Michigan has smacked you around the Ohio State over
the last three years. What you're gonna do about it?
Ryan Dare, You're gonna go out there and lose some
more too? You better not. You're better not okay, because
as great as it, except as you are as a
head coach, you ain't won a national championship. And by
the way, you haven't beatn Michigan in years. People ain't
gonna go for that. Now that Harball's going gotta handle
your business, gotta handle your business. I'm gonna go with
(05:32):
more on this. But guess what, there's more to the story.
Get that like that. I switched that up. That's what
I do for prospects all day, every day. My guest
has been called a national treasure and the black mother
of Hollywood. With over three hundred film and television credits.
(05:56):
She's best known as the outspoken grandmother Ruby Johnson on
a hit ABC comedy Blackish. He latest project is the
Netflix animated film Spellbound. Please welcome the one and only,
the incomparable Jennifer Lewis. What an honor and a privilege
it is to see you. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
How are you doing? Handsome? I'm doing great? How are you?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I'm doing wonderful, especially since I get an opportunity to
talk to you. First of all, how is life treat you?
I want to know first thing. How's life treating you?
How's life? How's the working world? How is life period?
How are things going with you?
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I gotta tell you, and I'm gonna be real honest
with you. I walk around in a state of bliss now,
and it's just simple as that. It took a lot
of years to be able to say that. I know
a lot of word people don't use that word bliss.
But that's the kind of work I've done, and I'm
real proud of myself for doing it. You know, I
was diagnosed with bipolar disorder many many years ago when
(07:00):
I was thirty three. I'm sixty seven now, and I
went and took care of myself and That's mostly what
I'm proud of, and that's why I'm able to enjoy
the fruits of my labor. I don't know if you know.
I had a horrible accident in the Serengetti and Tanzania
two years ago. Down there to this day, so I've
(07:20):
been celebrating my two year anniversary.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
And Stephen, when I tell you.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
The things I learned in recovery, I gotta say that
bitch is bad. I am walking, talking, laughing, singing, and
I can even do my high kick.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Now, that was a hit.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
That high kick back, Jenny, You're gonna be all right.
It was an insane It was epic, a saga that
could only happen to me and my dramatic ass. I
fell ten feet off the balcony of my hotel in
pitch into pitch black. Unbeknownst to me, wild animals were
(08:07):
surrounding me, my girlfriend. I was able to wake up
my traveling park partner, whose room was you know, far away,
but everybody knows I'm a singer. I'm very loud, I
live out loud, and I was able to wake her up.
She saw that I was broken on the ground with
her flashlight, unable to move. She caught the mass I
(08:30):
warriors because they were the only ones they could come down.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
There with the wild animals. They took me back to
the main building. Jesus.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I was air vacked out of the Serengetti to Kenya.
I had a twelve hour surgery in Nairobi, six days
in ICU and a two year recovery. Yeah, Pampers, you
know a wheelchair walker, King and Baby, when I tell you,
(09:03):
I worked into the wee hours of the morning, Stephen,
the bitch is back.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I don't play that shit. Nobody over thirty.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
It's supposed to come back with this injury without a limb. Now,
while I was on the ground, the last thing I
heard before I passed out, because I've been on Safari
before was a lion rule And my last thought was
(09:34):
what a headline?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
The King the Queen. But I did.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Thank God that didn't happen, Kilda and I'm back. Thank
God that didn't happen. The word and that you know,
your loved ones and everybody else obviously would have been
a devastating loss. Would have been a devastating loss for
the world as well, because you're just that wonderful as
far as I'm concerned. I got to ask you, going
back to the bipolar disorder that you you said that
you know you were diagnosed with at the age of
(10:02):
thirty three or so. When you talk about taking care
of yourself, could you educate folks when you take care
of yourself, what does that mean? And how is one
to take care of themselves? Because you said you take
care of yourself?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Now, yes, well, first of all, we have one weapon
in this world. One We have one job, self care,
self care. The only weapon we have is know thyself.
(10:40):
No matter what's going on, you gotta be ready. You
gotta be ready to stand as Maya Angelou told us
and steal our rise. That's what got me up off
the massage table, off the floor, out of the wheelchairs
and still I rise. But see, because I had done
(11:04):
so much work on myself, which was to go to
talk therapy and allow myself to medicate, because it took
her five years to get me to medicate, because I
was like, oh, it's gonna take away my edge, and
my edge is who I am. But that's not true.
And one thing I want to say to people who
(11:26):
feel that a relative or they themselves have a mental
illness where they're depressed and over the top with the mania.
Go and get help. There are eight billion people on
the planet. Somebody will say yes to you. Somebody will
help you. So go and take care of yourself once again, Journal,
(11:49):
that's a huge tool to take care of yourself. Exercise, walt,
people move because we you know, there's so much trash
that we eat, and diet is everything.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Don't get it twisted.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Stop eating all that fried food and carbs, so many carbs.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jennifer. I just said some wings
last night. I'm sorry. You gotta be feeling guilty by
eating the wigs.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Everything in moderation, baby boy, everything operation, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
But y self care, everybody self care.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Come on, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta tell you.
I mean one of you know a couple of my
favorite movies. When I think about when I think about
the brothers you were in that movie, I think about
I think about you with Regina Hall and Kevin Hard
and and and and the crew and and and and
and playing the mother to my man Terrence j. He
(12:52):
was you know, that's my brother right there. And I
think and and I love the scenes where you're with
the women. Be a Gabrielle Union Wade, it could be
a Taraji p Henson, It could be a Megan Good,
it could be the list just goes on and on.
To see them with you. They defer to your wisdom
and your experience. When you're around young ladies, particularly young
(13:18):
Black women in this day and age, knowing the challenges
that they face in this world today. What are the
kind of things that you say to them and what
kind of obligation do you feel to say whatever it
is that you choose to say at this moment in
time of your life.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Well, first of all, they all come to me when
somebody's acting out, you know, being the mother of Black Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
You know, they called me for Kanye.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
They called me for anybody that's sinking, that's depressed, that's
acting out, that's shooting.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
A gun out in the street.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
This, oh God, that's depressed and crying in interviews, that's
too thin, ought I sit them down, Stephen. They hear
my interviews, they hear how blatant, bold and honest I am,
(14:20):
and they come to me, all of them. I'm telling you,
you know, Brandy, Taraji, Wow, Queen Latifa. Yes, all of them,
I said, all of them. They come to me, Jleb.
(14:40):
I sent them down, and I tell them what I know.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
I tell them the.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Elevator to success is broken. Take the stairs. I tell them,
if you sit and shit too long, it stops smelling.
I tell them love yourself so that love will not
be a stranger when it comes. I tell them what
I know. I tell them to sit still and listen.
(15:08):
When you break your body like I did in the Serengetti,
when a lion roars in your ear, that loud enough
for you. Jennifer, you think you're gonna retire and go
sit down.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Drink red wine, smoke cigarettes and get a pie.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Is that what you think you're gonna do, Jennifer, when
I've molded you for sixty five years. I'll tell you
one thing, Steven. After the fall, I don't do nothing
no more. And my life is of service service. What
can I do? Where can I go? And who can
(15:49):
I help? But I tell people you take care of
yourself first, so that your arms are strong when the
people you love fall. Yes, I didn't know how not
to come back. I didn't know how not to come
back from that injury.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Because the me.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I had made before I fell got me up. I
woke up one night, Stephen, and I was in so
much pain because I got off the pain medication. I said,
if I can feel it, I can fix it. Let
me feel it, because that pain medication shit.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Is a lie. Those opioids. Morphine, that's a lie.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Morphine's temporary oxycodon lies to you and tells you there's
no pain. No baby, let me feel the pain, because
it ain't nothing but pain. You ain't gonna die from pain,
you see. So I tell them what I know.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Why should not?
Speaker 4 (16:52):
I got everything I wanted, you know, I always say.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I always say, baby, I conquered a dream and I'm rich, bitch,
but don't ask me for the money.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I mean, excuse me. I loved you before I was
talking to you. You understand that I've loved you for years.
You ain't got to worry about that. The love is
gonna always be here from me to you. I know
who I'm talking to. I gotta ask you a sensitive question, though,
with all of this positivity that you oose, particularly emanating
from your experiences, how are you feeling when Kamala Harris
(17:34):
lost the election? Well, I imagine you were. I was
told you were a big supporter.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Of hers, huge, huge, huge, if only to stop that
thing from doing whatever he's planning to do. But I've
got to tell you something I told the kids, and
still are runs. We know how to fight. It's not
(18:01):
new to us. And when I say us, I'm talking
about the world. Because here's a song I wrote.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
We gonna be all right if we stand as the people.
We gonna be all right if we trust we're the people.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
God right, if we right.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
As one people. And I believe that Kamala Harris would
have done that. This thing is device, is cruel and evil, insane.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Narcissistic, and he's a sociopath. But honey, we are THEO
and we're not gonna allow this dictatorship.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
I call everybody, you can be scared, but we must
be unafraid.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Now, how do you fight?
Speaker 3 (19:12):
You go to your city council meetings, you go to
your zoning meetings, so and you'll know who's raising your rent.
And you kate yourself because you're losing your rights. And
I'm talking to the gen zs and the millennials.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Now, you ain't gonna have no pension if you don't fight.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
You ain't gonna have social security or health healthcare if
you don't fight. So learn how to fight. Listen to
smart people people. Listen to Steven, Listen to Stacey Abers.
Listen to Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Maxine Waters.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Listen to them, Listen to who knows what roads to
take now? Because this Republican Party ain't playing.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Let me ask you this, What about what they've said
in terms of black particularly black men and Latinos supported
him more than they have in the past. Why do
you think that is? And what do you have to
say to black men and Latinos who were not in
(20:25):
favor of supporting Kamala Harris.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Oh honey, oh honey, When your favorite niece and your
thirteen year old daughter is raped by your alcoholic brother
or the next door neighbor and she tries to abort
that baby inside of her from a rape, you're gonna
(20:54):
regret that they want to keep women in their places
so disgusting. I can't even put words to them voting
for her. They didn't vote for her, Excuse me, didn't
vote because she was a woman.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
They didn't care that she.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Was smart and powerful, educated, beautiful, kind, joyful, fearless.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
She would have taken care of this country. She would
have propected the people. She would have surrounded herself with
great minds. But keeping women.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
In their place was more important to them.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
And black men that was just shocking, because honey, he's
gonna give the military and the police permission to shoot
you in your back and there will be no immunity.
So baby, y'all donefucked up. You took every right, every
(21:55):
right from your children once again, there would be no
social cere security and pensions and whites, this thing has
said you will never have to vote again.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
If you're gonna be in charge of the military. We
have fun up enough story.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
You don't think it was a simple situation of looking
at the economy, looking at inflation, looking at crime, and saying,
excuse me, providing and protecting as men, that's what we want.
And as a result of that, I mean I voted
for her. I wasn't vote for him. But speaking to
men who felt differently, they didn't think about Roe v. Wade.
They didn't think about stuff. They thought about the economy,
(22:42):
money in their pockets and safety in the streets. It
couldn't have been as simple as that.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
First of all, do you see women breaking in people's houses?
Speaker 2 (22:54):
You see what you're shooting each other in the streets.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
They voted because they have They voted for Trump because well,
I hate saying his name. They voted for him because
they hate themselves, and they see this thing is powerful,
that he's gonna move mountains for them and make them rich.
And unfortunately, black man, they want a man. They were saying,
(23:22):
I'm voting for the man. Well, we gonna see about that.
And don't think we're all not at fault, all of us.
We went to our jobs and came home and sat
on the sofa and watched movies of destruction, Superman, Batman,
the end of this armageddon. Well, all of that social
(23:47):
consciousness has brought us here. So now, like I said,
Lex Luthor is finally in the fucking White House.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
What are you gonna do about it?
Speaker 1 (23:57):
So let me transition back to you from this perspect
because despite whatever it is that you feel, and you've
articulated it quite eloquently, I might add, in the end,
you're saying, there's always a silver lining in life, and
you got to take care of yourself. And I bring
that up because you Will received the twenty and twenty
(24:19):
five Martin Luther King Junior Beloved Community Award in January.
Tell me what that means to you.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
You know, when the president of my alma made called
and asked me to do the commencement speech to send
eleven thousand students out into the world, and wanted to
give me an honorary doctorate. When they called me from
the White House and said we want to honor the
Congressional Black Caucus wants to honor you. I've got so
(24:50):
many trophies in my house there's no room for them.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
But when doctor Bernie's King caught.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Me, take your time, take your time.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Wow, I told her I'm not gonna say.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
I don't deserve this, but there's so many others that
do more than me. Well, baby, she sat me down.
She said, I've watched you over the years. You've made
(25:42):
us think, you've made.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Us laugh, You've comforted many with your wisdom.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
And she saw me with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.
She said, you have a great testimony. Not many people
can pull themselves out off the ground of the set
and get.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Ah. She said, So you hush now and let us
honor you, and I must say to you, Steve, it
is the greatest honor of my life to become a
part of the king family.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Wow, congratulations. I had to bring that up because I
knew what I could. I could only imagine what that
must mean to you, and you couldn't have put it
any better than that. It's well deserved. Your work has
been phenomenal throughout the years. I'm a huge, long, long,
long time fan. I've been watching you for decades. I
(26:50):
always and I couldn't believe when I read the research
and they called you the black mother of Hollywood, because
that's what I always called you, even before I do.
Other people will call you that.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
So play everybody's mama, I said, honey, I'll play the daddy.
I want to say something because i've I've shown a
lot of anger or the results of the election.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
We're all still processing and yes, but I do want
to say to everybody, Hm, to hate the tyrant is
to become the tyrant. Stay aligned in your joy, Don't
(27:43):
let this take you down so low that you don't recover.
Don't stay mad too long you hurt yourself. Just rise
up and take care of what's right. In front of you,
love your neighbor, try to stop judging people, be kind
(28:08):
to one another.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
We'll get through this.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
I'm not I'm not letting you get out of here
without bringing up this Netflix animated film spell Bound, because
your voice, Minister Nasara, if I remember correctly, that's your
gonna be your voice in this. I actually did animated
film years ago myself. I love this kind of stuff.
What is this like for you? And tell me about
your role.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
You know, she's minister. She's Minister Nasara, and she's the
counsel of the Kingdom of Lumbria, and she keeps the
princess focused on everything that's going on. Her parents are monsters,
but they have the journey to come back, and you know,
(28:55):
it's not.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
A typical fairy tale.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
The princess has to realize she can't fix everything, she
can't make her parents love each other, and she comes
to a profound understanding that.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
She just can't fix everything. And I am her counsel
to help her do that.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I have a great song written by the great Alan
Macon and John Lithgow, and I do a tango wow,
and we say, Okay, I'm really proud of this because
I'm in Cars, I've done. I'm doing thirteen animations right now,
in thirteen different voices, everything from Mickey Mouse Found the
(29:43):
House to rug Rats to Big Hero six and of
course Mama Odie are from Princess and the Frog and
flow from the Cars franchise.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
So animations mean a lot to me.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
And I'm able to go in the stud udeo and
do a different kind of you know, the levels and
the colors that you have to give to these voices,
and it's a challenge for me, but I love doing it.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
And by the way, Stephen the movie. The movie is good.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
It takes you on a journey, very colorful, and it's
for the whole family.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
And I'm not just saying that it's for the whole family.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Mama Jennifer, I'm gonna call you that affectionately. Mama Jennifer.
I got news for you. You don't do bad work. It
just doesn't happen. It just doesn't happen. Okay, I know this.
I do miss Blackish a lot. Anthony Anderson is a
personal friend of mine. I love that brother. I think
the cast, I think I'm a longtime fan of the
(30:56):
greatness of Lawrence Fishburne. And his artistry as an actor.
Think it was a great cast. I actually thought that
the show wasn't going to succeed when I first met
Anthony Anderson because of the title. I said, Blackish. I'm worried.
I don't know if that's going Is America going to
(31:16):
embrace that? And sure enough they did, And y'all did
y'all thing. Y'all really did.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
And Kenya Barish at the Helm. It was.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
And it was a time in our country and in
the world that they needed that education.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yes we are a part of it all.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yes we've got something to say, and yes we did
build this country contrary to popular beliefs. And I always
go back January sixth when I think about Blackish. What
they didn't take under consideration was the the quality of
(32:01):
the windows in the Capitol were not the same quality
of the windows in their trailers. They didn't know they
were gonna have to go get a police barricade made
of steel to break those windows while somebody filmed your
stupid ass.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
We built that building, right, and we built this country.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Jennifer Lewis, it is such an honor. I mean, I
really love talking to you. We could, we could, we
could talk forever. I'm going to see you soon hopefully.
Can't wait to give you a big hug, wishing you
nothing but the best. So happy to hear that you
see rather that you're alive and well and thriving and
doing what you do. Keep on keeping on all the
best of you, okay, and I hope to run into
(32:46):
you in a very near future.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
I am a big fan of yours.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
You tell it like it is, and give Anthony Anthony
and just and my love and telling me he's an
asshole and I loved him.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
More than.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
You imagine. Will make sure to do it.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Can you imagine working with that fool for eight years?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Oh my god, you did it, You did it.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
He won my heart, Anthony, So give him a bill right.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
And you know I'm a fan of Allis Ross too,
because she's she's phenomenal. She did a phenomenal job as well,
so let's not.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Forget her insane cast in sec.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
All the best to you. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
You take care of yourself, ID speed love.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Let me just take a second to make sure everyone
out there knows I play the win and if you
anything like us here at the Steven A. Smith Show,
you do too. And that's why we've decided to team
up with Prize Picks. Remember because number one fantasy sports
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Pick more, pick less. It's really that easy. Oh my goodness,
My thanks to the one and only Jennifer Lewis. Spell
Bound and streaming on Netflix, so make sure you check
it out. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, I want
you all to continue to enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend. Live
(34:57):
it up, have a good time, eat as much as
you can't, Try to be as healthy as you can't.
Get yourself in the gym, workout, take care of your body.
What you put in it is what you get out
of it. Okay, Remember all of that as you march
forward and move forward and again, give hugs and kisses
to your loved ones. Let them know your love them,
Love them know how much you appreciate them, Let them
know how thankful you are to have them in your life.
(35:19):
Because I'm very, very thankful, not just to have the
people that I have in my life on a personal basis,
but to have you as my audience in my life.
Nothing about this show would be possible without your love
and support. Please don't ever think that I take that
for granted for one second, because I most certainly don't.
(35:39):
Bigger and better things are coming on coming your way
down the pike courtesy of this show. I'm going to
see to that, and I'm thankful to all of you
for making it happen. On behalf of the staff, on
behalf of everybody associated with the Stephen A. Smith Show.
Yours truly saying goodbye, have a wonderful week end and
(36:00):
I'll see you next week. Until then, peace and love everybody,
Happy Thanksgiving weekend,
What's up, everybody. Welcome to the latest edition of The
Stephen Asmith Show, coming at you at the very least
three days a week over the digital airways of YouTube
and of course iHeartRadio. I hope everybody had a phenomenal Thanksgiving.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of talking to
my next guest. She's been called the national treasure and
the black Mother of Hollywood. With over three hundred film
(00:32):
and television credits, She's best known as outspoken grandmother Ruby
Johnson on a hit ABC comedy Blackish. She's joining me
to discuss her latest project, the Netflix animated film Spellbound
and more. But I gotta tell you something, there's a
lot more to her than this upcoming animated film. This
woman is something special. She's incredibly candid, and that was
(00:54):
before she had a life altering experience that just has
shredded fear from her soul to make her even more candid.
That she has ever been more direct and unapologetic than
she has ever been, which obviously makes for a very
interesting interview. Whether it's about her, it's about the industry,
(01:15):
it's about her phenomenal work over the years, it's about
Kamala Harris and the latest presidential election. It's about Donald
Trump himself or various other things that were on her mind.
This woman does not hold back. It is very rare
that I find myself a bit transfixed on someone to
the point where I actually forget to ask a damn
(01:37):
question at on some occasions. But that's the kind of
a fact that she had on me. By the way,
in the process of all of that that I say
that I remind you that she is absolutely positively hilarious
and fabulous, because if I didn't, let me tell you
she's fabulous and hilarious. Her name is Jennifer Lewis, and
(02:00):
she's here up next, right here on the Stephen A.
Smith Show. Please trust me on this. Don't go away. Okay, everybody,
you know what Tom it is. It's Tom for Steven
a Sports Picks. Everybody knows I'm a sports junkie. And
if you love watching this show, that probably means you
are too. Probably also means you want to be part
(02:22):
of all the big time game action. But how do
you solve that? Exactly? I'll tell you how. You use
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the land, with over three million members with prize picks.
You just choose two, three, or even up to six
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Anthony Edwards, and Travis Hunter all in the same entry.
(02:45):
And if you sign up right now when you use
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Now let's look at my winning picks today. I'll be
choosing from some of college football's biggest rivalry games happening
(03:05):
this Friday and Saturday. First up, Texas Longhorns single signal
caller Quinn Ewers facing in state rival Texas A and
M more or less than two hundred and thirty seven
and a half passing yards. It's yours, It's Texas all right.
One of the top ranked teams in the nation. Okay,
I'm going with them. I don't like what I've been
seeing from Texan A and N from time to time. Okay,
(03:26):
that's just me. That's how I feel about it, all right.
Yours is a big Tom bawler, and I know Manning's
waiting in the background, had a couple of good starts
and all of that stuff. He was coming back and
performing the way that he did, there's a lot to
be said about that. I respect the brother. I think
he'll have a big game against Texas A and M.
I think he's gonna do his thing. Next up, Georgia
Bulldog's quarterback Carson Beck facing the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets more
or less than two hundred and sixty three and a
(03:47):
half passing yards. Now, here's the thing. I think Beck
is gonna get more than the two hundred and sixty
three and a half passing yards. What I don't believe
is that he's gonna have a great game. He makes
some mistakes. He's made a lot of mistakes this year.
I expected better from mine. I know he came back
from twenty to nothing deferences against Alabama, almost beat them
before they ultimately can't escape with that victory. Right, But
I've watched him, Okay, I watched him against I watched
(04:08):
him against Texas, all right, you know, I listen, they
handled their business there, but they got smacked around a
couple of times this year. And I still am suspect,
especially this old miss. I'm still suspect on him. So
I again, he'll have more. I just don't know how
good his numbers are gonna really equate to when it's
all said and done. Finally, one of the biggest rivalries
(04:28):
in all of sports we have, ohiuse date Buckoy's quarterback
Will Howard playing the Michigan wolver Raines more or less
than twenty and fifty three and a half pass the yards.
I'm gonna go with more, But it's about default. I'm
not liking Michigan this year. They clearly miss Harbor. Harbor.
I mean, more is not Harbor. We get all of that,
which will explain why he was crying a little bit
when he won that game when Harbaugh was out being suspended,
(04:49):
and he you know, he filled in for a game
last year or what have you. But it's not that
he can't coach. I think the guy's got potential. I
think he could do some things at Michigan, but I've
been very, very disappointed with what I seen from them
this year. I expected more, I expected better, and that
has not been the case. I think Ohio State there's
a big game. Obviously, to me, this game is more
about Ryan Day than anybody. Harbor's not there any longer.
(05:10):
Now Michigan has smacked you around the Ohio State over
the last three years. What you're gonna do about it?
Ryan Dare, You're gonna go out there and lose some
more too? You better not. You're better not okay, because
as great as it, except as you are as a
head coach, you ain't won a national championship. And by
the way, you haven't beatn Michigan in years. People ain't
gonna go for that. Now that Harball's going gotta handle
your business, gotta handle your business. I'm gonna go with
(05:32):
more on this. But guess what, there's more to the story.
Get that like that. I switched that up. That's what
I do for prospects all day, every day. My guest
has been called a national treasure and the black mother
of Hollywood. With over three hundred film and television credits.
(05:56):
She's best known as the outspoken grandmother Ruby Johnson on
a hit ABC comedy Blackish. He latest project is the
Netflix animated film Spellbound. Please welcome the one and only,
the incomparable Jennifer Lewis. What an honor and a privilege
it is to see you. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
How are you doing? Handsome? I'm doing great? How are you?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I'm doing wonderful, especially since I get an opportunity to
talk to you. First of all, how is life treat you?
I want to know first thing. How's life treating you?
How's life? How's the working world? How is life period?
How are things going with you?
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I gotta tell you, and I'm gonna be real honest
with you. I walk around in a state of bliss now,
and it's just simple as that. It took a lot
of years to be able to say that. I know
a lot of word people don't use that word bliss.
But that's the kind of work I've done, and I'm
real proud of myself for doing it. You know, I
was diagnosed with bipolar disorder many many years ago when
(07:00):
I was thirty three. I'm sixty seven now, and I
went and took care of myself and That's mostly what
I'm proud of, and that's why I'm able to enjoy
the fruits of my labor. I don't know if you know.
I had a horrible accident in the Serengetti and Tanzania
two years ago. Down there to this day, so I've
(07:20):
been celebrating my two year anniversary.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
And Stephen, when I tell you.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
The things I learned in recovery, I gotta say that
bitch is bad. I am walking, talking, laughing, singing, and
I can even do my high kick.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Now, that was a hit.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
That high kick back, Jenny, You're gonna be all right.
It was an insane It was epic, a saga that
could only happen to me and my dramatic ass. I
fell ten feet off the balcony of my hotel in
pitch into pitch black. Unbeknownst to me, wild animals were
(08:07):
surrounding me, my girlfriend. I was able to wake up
my traveling park partner, whose room was you know, far away,
but everybody knows I'm a singer. I'm very loud, I
live out loud, and I was able to wake her up.
She saw that I was broken on the ground with
her flashlight, unable to move. She caught the mass I
(08:30):
warriors because they were the only ones they could come down.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
There with the wild animals. They took me back to
the main building. Jesus.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I was air vacked out of the Serengetti to Kenya.
I had a twelve hour surgery in Nairobi, six days
in ICU and a two year recovery. Yeah, Pampers, you
know a wheelchair walker, King and Baby, when I tell you,
(09:03):
I worked into the wee hours of the morning, Stephen,
the bitch is back.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I don't play that shit. Nobody over thirty.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
It's supposed to come back with this injury without a limb. Now,
while I was on the ground, the last thing I
heard before I passed out, because I've been on Safari
before was a lion rule And my last thought was
(09:34):
what a headline?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
The King the Queen. But I did.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Thank God that didn't happen, Kilda and I'm back. Thank
God that didn't happen. The word and that you know,
your loved ones and everybody else obviously would have been
a devastating loss. Would have been a devastating loss for
the world as well, because you're just that wonderful as
far as I'm concerned. I got to ask you, going
back to the bipolar disorder that you you said that
you know you were diagnosed with at the age of
(10:02):
thirty three or so. When you talk about taking care
of yourself, could you educate folks when you take care
of yourself, what does that mean? And how is one
to take care of themselves? Because you said you take
care of yourself?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Now, yes, well, first of all, we have one weapon
in this world. One We have one job, self care,
self care. The only weapon we have is know thyself.
(10:40):
No matter what's going on, you gotta be ready. You
gotta be ready to stand as Maya Angelou told us
and steal our rise. That's what got me up off
the massage table, off the floor, out of the wheelchairs
and still I rise. But see, because I had done
(11:04):
so much work on myself, which was to go to
talk therapy and allow myself to medicate, because it took
her five years to get me to medicate, because I
was like, oh, it's gonna take away my edge, and
my edge is who I am. But that's not true.
And one thing I want to say to people who
(11:26):
feel that a relative or they themselves have a mental
illness where they're depressed and over the top with the mania.
Go and get help. There are eight billion people on
the planet. Somebody will say yes to you. Somebody will
help you. So go and take care of yourself once again, Journal,
(11:49):
that's a huge tool to take care of yourself. Exercise, walt,
people move because we you know, there's so much trash
that we eat, and diet is everything.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Don't get it twisted.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Stop eating all that fried food and carbs, so many carbs.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jennifer. I just said some wings
last night. I'm sorry. You gotta be feeling guilty by
eating the wigs.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Everything in moderation, baby boy, everything operation, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
But y self care, everybody self care.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Come on, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta tell you.
I mean one of you know a couple of my
favorite movies. When I think about when I think about
the brothers you were in that movie, I think about
I think about you with Regina Hall and Kevin Hard
and and and and the crew and and and and
and playing the mother to my man Terrence j. He
(12:52):
was you know, that's my brother right there. And I
think and and I love the scenes where you're with
the women. Be a Gabrielle Union Wade, it could be
a Taraji p Henson, It could be a Megan Good,
it could be the list just goes on and on.
To see them with you. They defer to your wisdom
and your experience. When you're around young ladies, particularly young
(13:18):
Black women in this day and age, knowing the challenges
that they face in this world today. What are the
kind of things that you say to them and what
kind of obligation do you feel to say whatever it
is that you choose to say at this moment in
time of your life.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Well, first of all, they all come to me when
somebody's acting out, you know, being the mother of Black Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
You know, they called me for Kanye.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
They called me for anybody that's sinking, that's depressed, that's
acting out, that's shooting.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
A gun out in the street.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
This, oh God, that's depressed and crying in interviews, that's
too thin, ought I sit them down, Stephen. They hear
my interviews, they hear how blatant, bold and honest I am,
(14:20):
and they come to me, all of them. I'm telling you,
you know, Brandy, Taraji, Wow, Queen Latifa. Yes, all of them,
I said, all of them. They come to me, Jleb.
(14:40):
I sent them down, and I tell them what I know.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
I tell them the.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Elevator to success is broken. Take the stairs. I tell them,
if you sit and shit too long, it stops smelling.
I tell them love yourself so that love will not
be a stranger when it comes. I tell them what
I know. I tell them to sit still and listen.
(15:08):
When you break your body like I did in the Serengetti,
when a lion roars in your ear, that loud enough
for you. Jennifer, you think you're gonna retire and go
sit down.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Drink red wine, smoke cigarettes and get a pie.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Is that what you think you're gonna do, Jennifer, when
I've molded you for sixty five years. I'll tell you
one thing, Steven. After the fall, I don't do nothing
no more. And my life is of service service. What
can I do? Where can I go? And who can
(15:49):
I help? But I tell people you take care of
yourself first, so that your arms are strong when the
people you love fall. Yes, I didn't know how not
to come back. I didn't know how not to come
back from that injury.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Because the me.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I had made before I fell got me up. I
woke up one night, Stephen, and I was in so
much pain because I got off the pain medication. I said,
if I can feel it, I can fix it. Let
me feel it, because that pain medication shit.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Is a lie. Those opioids. Morphine, that's a lie.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Morphine's temporary oxycodon lies to you and tells you there's
no pain. No baby, let me feel the pain, because
it ain't nothing but pain. You ain't gonna die from pain,
you see. So I tell them what I know.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Why should not?
Speaker 4 (16:52):
I got everything I wanted, you know, I always say.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I always say, baby, I conquered a dream and I'm rich, bitch,
but don't ask me for the money.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I mean, excuse me. I loved you before I was
talking to you. You understand that I've loved you for years.
You ain't got to worry about that. The love is
gonna always be here from me to you. I know
who I'm talking to. I gotta ask you a sensitive question, though,
with all of this positivity that you oose, particularly emanating
from your experiences, how are you feeling when Kamala Harris
(17:34):
lost the election? Well, I imagine you were. I was
told you were a big supporter.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Of hers, huge, huge, huge, if only to stop that
thing from doing whatever he's planning to do. But I've
got to tell you something I told the kids, and
still are runs. We know how to fight. It's not
(18:01):
new to us. And when I say us, I'm talking
about the world. Because here's a song I wrote.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
We gonna be all right if we stand as the people.
We gonna be all right if we trust we're the people.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
God right, if we right.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
As one people. And I believe that Kamala Harris would
have done that. This thing is device, is cruel and evil, insane.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Narcissistic, and he's a sociopath. But honey, we are THEO
and we're not gonna allow this dictatorship.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
I call everybody, you can be scared, but we must
be unafraid.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Now, how do you fight?
Speaker 3 (19:12):
You go to your city council meetings, you go to
your zoning meetings, so and you'll know who's raising your rent.
And you kate yourself because you're losing your rights. And
I'm talking to the gen zs and the millennials.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Now, you ain't gonna have no pension if you don't fight.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
You ain't gonna have social security or health healthcare if
you don't fight. So learn how to fight. Listen to
smart people people. Listen to Steven, Listen to Stacey Abers.
Listen to Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Maxine Waters.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Listen to them, Listen to who knows what roads to
take now? Because this Republican Party ain't playing.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Let me ask you this, What about what they've said
in terms of black particularly black men and Latinos supported
him more than they have in the past. Why do
you think that is? And what do you have to
say to black men and Latinos who were not in
(20:25):
favor of supporting Kamala Harris.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Oh honey, oh honey, When your favorite niece and your
thirteen year old daughter is raped by your alcoholic brother
or the next door neighbor and she tries to abort
that baby inside of her from a rape, you're gonna
(20:54):
regret that they want to keep women in their places
so disgusting. I can't even put words to them voting
for her. They didn't vote for her, Excuse me, didn't
vote because she was a woman.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
They didn't care that she.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Was smart and powerful, educated, beautiful, kind, joyful, fearless.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
She would have taken care of this country. She would
have propected the people. She would have surrounded herself with
great minds. But keeping women.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
In their place was more important to them.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
And black men that was just shocking, because honey, he's
gonna give the military and the police permission to shoot
you in your back and there will be no immunity.
So baby, y'all donefucked up. You took every right, every
(21:55):
right from your children once again, there would be no
social cere security and pensions and whites, this thing has
said you will never have to vote again.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
If you're gonna be in charge of the military. We
have fun up enough story.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
You don't think it was a simple situation of looking
at the economy, looking at inflation, looking at crime, and saying,
excuse me, providing and protecting as men, that's what we want.
And as a result of that, I mean I voted
for her. I wasn't vote for him. But speaking to
men who felt differently, they didn't think about Roe v. Wade.
They didn't think about stuff. They thought about the economy,
(22:42):
money in their pockets and safety in the streets. It
couldn't have been as simple as that.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
First of all, do you see women breaking in people's houses?
Speaker 2 (22:54):
You see what you're shooting each other in the streets.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
They voted because they have They voted for Trump because well,
I hate saying his name. They voted for him because
they hate themselves, and they see this thing is powerful,
that he's gonna move mountains for them and make them rich.
And unfortunately, black man, they want a man. They were saying,
(23:22):
I'm voting for the man. Well, we gonna see about that.
And don't think we're all not at fault, all of us.
We went to our jobs and came home and sat
on the sofa and watched movies of destruction, Superman, Batman,
the end of this armageddon. Well, all of that social
(23:47):
consciousness has brought us here. So now, like I said,
Lex Luthor is finally in the fucking White House.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
What are you gonna do about it?
Speaker 1 (23:57):
So let me transition back to you from this perspect
because despite whatever it is that you feel, and you've
articulated it quite eloquently, I might add, in the end,
you're saying, there's always a silver lining in life, and
you got to take care of yourself. And I bring
that up because you Will received the twenty and twenty
(24:19):
five Martin Luther King Junior Beloved Community Award in January.
Tell me what that means to you.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
You know, when the president of my alma made called
and asked me to do the commencement speech to send
eleven thousand students out into the world, and wanted to
give me an honorary doctorate. When they called me from
the White House and said we want to honor the
Congressional Black Caucus wants to honor you. I've got so
(24:50):
many trophies in my house there's no room for them.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
But when doctor Bernie's King caught.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Me, take your time, take your time.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Wow, I told her I'm not gonna say.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
I don't deserve this, but there's so many others that
do more than me. Well, baby, she sat me down.
She said, I've watched you over the years. You've made
(25:42):
us think, you've made.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Us laugh, You've comforted many with your wisdom.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
And she saw me with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.
She said, you have a great testimony. Not many people
can pull themselves out off the ground of the set
and get.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Ah. She said, So you hush now and let us
honor you, and I must say to you, Steve, it
is the greatest honor of my life to become a
part of the king family.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Wow, congratulations. I had to bring that up because I
knew what I could. I could only imagine what that
must mean to you, and you couldn't have put it
any better than that. It's well deserved. Your work has
been phenomenal throughout the years. I'm a huge, long, long,
long time fan. I've been watching you for decades. I
(26:50):
always and I couldn't believe when I read the research
and they called you the black mother of Hollywood, because
that's what I always called you, even before I do.
Other people will call you that.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
So play everybody's mama, I said, honey, I'll play the daddy.
I want to say something because i've I've shown a
lot of anger or the results of the election.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
We're all still processing and yes, but I do want
to say to everybody, Hm, to hate the tyrant is
to become the tyrant. Stay aligned in your joy, Don't
(27:43):
let this take you down so low that you don't recover.
Don't stay mad too long you hurt yourself. Just rise
up and take care of what's right. In front of you,
love your neighbor, try to stop judging people, be kind
(28:08):
to one another.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
We'll get through this.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
I'm not I'm not letting you get out of here
without bringing up this Netflix animated film spell Bound, because
your voice, Minister Nasara, if I remember correctly, that's your
gonna be your voice in this. I actually did animated
film years ago myself. I love this kind of stuff.
What is this like for you? And tell me about
your role.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
You know, she's minister. She's Minister Nasara, and she's the
counsel of the Kingdom of Lumbria, and she keeps the
princess focused on everything that's going on. Her parents are monsters,
but they have the journey to come back, and you know,
(28:55):
it's not.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
A typical fairy tale.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
The princess has to realize she can't fix everything, she
can't make her parents love each other, and she comes
to a profound understanding that.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
She just can't fix everything. And I am her counsel
to help her do that.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I have a great song written by the great Alan
Macon and John Lithgow, and I do a tango wow,
and we say, Okay, I'm really proud of this because
I'm in Cars, I've done. I'm doing thirteen animations right now,
in thirteen different voices, everything from Mickey Mouse Found the
(29:43):
House to rug Rats to Big Hero six and of
course Mama Odie are from Princess and the Frog and
flow from the Cars franchise.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
So animations mean a lot to me.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
And I'm able to go in the stud udeo and
do a different kind of you know, the levels and
the colors that you have to give to these voices,
and it's a challenge for me, but I love doing it.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
And by the way, Stephen the movie. The movie is good.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
It takes you on a journey, very colorful, and it's
for the whole family.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
And I'm not just saying that it's for the whole family.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Mama Jennifer, I'm gonna call you that affectionately. Mama Jennifer.
I got news for you. You don't do bad work. It
just doesn't happen. It just doesn't happen. Okay, I know this.
I do miss Blackish a lot. Anthony Anderson is a
personal friend of mine. I love that brother. I think
the cast, I think I'm a longtime fan of the
(30:56):
greatness of Lawrence Fishburne. And his artistry as an actor.
Think it was a great cast. I actually thought that
the show wasn't going to succeed when I first met
Anthony Anderson because of the title. I said, Blackish. I'm worried.
I don't know if that's going Is America going to
(31:16):
embrace that? And sure enough they did, And y'all did
y'all thing. Y'all really did.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
And Kenya Barish at the Helm. It was.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
And it was a time in our country and in
the world that they needed that education.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yes we are a part of it all.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yes we've got something to say, and yes we did
build this country contrary to popular beliefs. And I always
go back January sixth when I think about Blackish. What
they didn't take under consideration was the the quality of
(32:01):
the windows in the Capitol were not the same quality
of the windows in their trailers. They didn't know they
were gonna have to go get a police barricade made
of steel to break those windows while somebody filmed your
stupid ass.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
We built that building, right, and we built this country.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Jennifer Lewis, it is such an honor. I mean, I
really love talking to you. We could, we could, we
could talk forever. I'm going to see you soon hopefully.
Can't wait to give you a big hug, wishing you
nothing but the best. So happy to hear that you
see rather that you're alive and well and thriving and
doing what you do. Keep on keeping on all the
best of you, okay, and I hope to run into
(32:46):
you in a very near future.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
I am a big fan of yours.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
You tell it like it is, and give Anthony Anthony
and just and my love and telling me he's an
asshole and I loved him.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
More than.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
You imagine. Will make sure to do it.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Can you imagine working with that fool for eight years?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
Oh my god, you did it, You did it.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
He won my heart, Anthony, So give him a bill right.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
And you know I'm a fan of Allis Ross too,
because she's she's phenomenal. She did a phenomenal job as well,
so let's not.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Forget her insane cast in sec.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
All the best to you. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
You take care of yourself, ID speed love.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Let me just take a second to make sure everyone
out there knows I play the win and if you
anything like us here at the Steven A. Smith Show,
you do too. And that's why we've decided to team
up with Prize Picks. Remember because number one fantasy sports
app with over three million members, tell turn all your
sports knowledge and it's some big time cash you see.
Prize Picks is a daily fantasy app where you choose
(33:54):
just between two and six players from your favorite sports
teams and then pick more or less on their projected
status for the game. You like Brock, Perty pick them,
You like Wimby, pick him too, you like Clay pick
all three and get this. With Prospects Flex Friday promotion,
you can opt in for a protected play. That's right,
(34:14):
Every Friday, Prospects offers a protected play to each of
their members, so you win or your cash back. And
that's not all. Sign up with Code says and Prospects
will give you fifty dollars instantly when you play your
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(34:37):
Pick more, pick less. It's really that easy. Oh my goodness,
My thanks to the one and only Jennifer Lewis. Spell
Bound and streaming on Netflix, so make sure you check
it out. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, I want
you all to continue to enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend. Live
(34:57):
it up, have a good time, eat as much as
you can't, Try to be as healthy as you can't.
Get yourself in the gym, workout, take care of your body.
What you put in it is what you get out
of it. Okay, Remember all of that as you march
forward and move forward and again, give hugs and kisses
to your loved ones. Let them know your love them,
Love them know how much you appreciate them, Let them
know how thankful you are to have them in your life.
(35:19):
Because I'm very, very thankful, not just to have the
people that I have in my life on a personal basis,
but to have you as my audience in my life.
Nothing about this show would be possible without your love
and support. Please don't ever think that I take that
for granted for one second, because I most certainly don't.
(35:39):
Bigger and better things are coming on coming your way
down the pike courtesy of this show. I'm going to
see to that, and I'm thankful to all of you
for making it happen. On behalf of the staff, on
behalf of everybody associated with the Stephen A. Smith Show.
Yours truly saying goodbye, have a wonderful week end and
(36:00):
I'll see you next week. Until then, peace and love everybody,
Happy Thanksgiving weekend,
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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