August 24, 2026 • 7 mins
The hilarious Tommy Davidson talks new 'Martin' spinoff 'The Varnell Hill Show', comedy shows and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are fun with Mario Lopez's up you old Mario
Lopez joining me right now? Act in comic Hilarius, Tommy Davison.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Man?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
An old friend?
Speaker 1 (00:11):
That's right, an old friend. Always good to see you
and this is exciting.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Congrats was a spin off of Martin debut in September
first on Paramount Plus, based.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
On your character from the show That's so cool.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
How did this come about? Actually, kid from Kid in Play. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
He called me middle of the night and he says, Man,
I'm tired of Jimmy and Jimmy late night because we're
not seeing a lot of talent. You know, they're just
picking who's hot or whatever. We need some good performances
like Arsenna used to have, you know. Yeah, So he said,
why don't you call Martin and asked Martin to reboot
(00:50):
Varnel Hill is a late night talk show?
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Do it like Larry Sanders? Oh wow, Cliver, right dude.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, So he said, you know, it'll be a late
night it'll be a show about a late night talk
show that's really a late night talk show.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
And everybody could be on it. Oh, we know everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, little Larry Sanders esque.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Right, yeah, and it happened. Man, Wow, what a trend.
It's working just like that.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
That's so cool. And and Martin's in the show was
out as well, right.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah, you know, you know it's ideal because I'm Tommy Davidson,
but I played characters in a Living Color.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
He's Martin Lawrence. He played characters on Martin. Yeah, right, so.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It's unlimited, yeah, you know. And then the guest stars.
We man, we got all the hot people that want
to be on TV, that want to do it. Yeah,
the storyline is great.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
That is so cool. And speaking of a lat Color,
I hear Damon Wayne's is in it too.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh, Damon, Damon. Damon is doing a sketch with Martin
on the freaking show.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Oh that's great.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
You know, so we have the capacity to have people
coming and do guest star spots, but sketches too.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Oh that's funny, man, that is great.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
And you guys, you and Martin, we're actually friends long
before you all started working together and everything.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Right, Oh yeah, oh yeah, man, we moved out here
from DC, not together but different times.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh we're both from DC.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah okay, yeah, and me him and Chapelle met at
the same club the same night.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Oh wow, what a trip.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yeah yeah, so we all moved out here eventually, and
we're the only young ones out here. It was Eddie
and all the rest of them but me, Chris Rock
and Chappelle and Martin were new you know.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that did all.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
We just took the baton from there.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Well, congratulations, man, I can't wait
to check that out. And and Tommy you you also,
of course voice a character on the Disney show Proud Family,
Louder and Prouder. Oh yeah, fourth season just premiered. That's
got to be a lot of fun, right. Voice work
is so much fun, a lot of work.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Though. I don't have to worry about how I look
in voice work, so that's cool.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, you know berg you know what I mean, either look,
try to look handsome or nothing, and I can just
let it all hang out, you know. But you know,
it's it's just and you know this, Mario, you know this.
You know, we come across something.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
That we really love.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
To do with what we do, and it's it's like
a gift. You know, it's like a gift. You know,
we know how to work right now. We know how
to act, we know how to read stuff, we know
how to narrate, we know how to do all this stuff,
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
But once in a while, something comes.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Along that you want to do, right, you know what
I mean, and we go around going, man, I'd.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Love to do that, I'd love to do this. I
love to do this.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
But when it comes you're just like, I don't have
any comments, man, I just want to get to work.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
That's what we love, what we do too exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Oh that's the best man I'm having for you.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah, man, And a lot of people may not know
this about you, but you're also a singer and your
new song heart Mine is Old just won an award
for Best Jazz Song, right.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like John.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I feel like John tesh Man, you know, because everybody's
going like, oh, yeah, really you're doing it and I
don't care, you know. It's it's it's really good stuff.
I got I got stuff with Earth Winding Fire.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Wow, that's awesome, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
And it's just a payoff of how hard we work, yeah,
and how often we're around people that do the same
thing we do.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, yeah, you know, I love the versatility though, because
I'm obviously uh acting and you're singing and still doing
stand up man, hitting the road and in hitting uh
in hitting comedy shows across the country.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
What what are you talking about on stage right now?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I talk about things I've always talked about us, you
know everyone.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I talk about dogs, man, I talk about you know, uh,
don't be too hard on my latinos. I talk about
everything that I think people are thinking. They're thinking in
the same things I'm thinking, but don't have a way
to say it without offending nobody. Yeah, I can. I
can say it in a way that it's taken to heart.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
I can see that. Of course.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
How much how much singing do you incorporate into the act?
You do impressions with this?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
It depends, it depends, It depends on It depends on
on that audience.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
You know, I can You know, I can get away.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Cause I remember You're Sammy Davis was my favorite package.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I can get away with that, you know, at that
like a fundraiser.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
You know, right, whether I'm hit, whether I'm wrong, No
cat's gonna borrow this ebony star from singing my song.
I always say that I'm Sammy is Ai.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yeah, yeah, all the best, that's the best.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Thank you that Oh my gosh. And now you mentioned
it before but in Living Color.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Man, in a few years, it's gonna be the fortieth
anniversary of that show.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
That is wild.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
And the fact that you're still working with the guys
and still homies. Man, that time goes about like this,
huh to.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
That make me bro right? Do what I bothe you
know what I mean. But we're still here.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
We're still here. That's what's important.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
That's the most important part. And we did it and
we can play it. Pay a mortgage, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Try that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Hey, I'm so happy to hear that everything's going well
for you, brother, and you're killing it out there. And listen, everyone,
be sure to check out Tommy's new show, The var
Nell Hill Show, premiere on September one on Paramount Plus.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Thank you so much for checking in.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Man, got it. Man. How's your daughter? How is she?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
She's doing well, she's fifteen, she's fifteen, Okay, okay, yeah,
she's fifteen, man, God, best you man, Thank you brother.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
When she came along.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Man, yeah you've heard that, yeah, exactly, You've.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Done so well.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Man.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I love you so much. Thank you brother, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I hope I get to see you soon.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Take care, you got it man
Speaker 1 (07:00):
With Mario Lopez
We are fun with Mario Lopez's up you old Mario
Lopez joining me right now? Act in comic Hilarius, Tommy Davison.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
What's going on?
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Man?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
An old friend?
Speaker 1 (00:11):
That's right, an old friend. Always good to see you
and this is exciting.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Congrats was a spin off of Martin debut in September
first on Paramount Plus, based.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
On your character from the show That's so cool.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
How did this come about? Actually, kid from Kid in Play. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
He called me middle of the night and he says, Man,
I'm tired of Jimmy and Jimmy late night because we're
not seeing a lot of talent. You know, they're just
picking who's hot or whatever. We need some good performances
like Arsenna used to have, you know. Yeah, So he said,
why don't you call Martin and asked Martin to reboot
(00:50):
Varnel Hill is a late night talk show?
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Do it like Larry Sanders? Oh wow, Cliver, right dude.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, So he said, you know, it'll be a late
night it'll be a show about a late night talk
show that's really a late night talk show.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
And everybody could be on it. Oh, we know everybody.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, little Larry Sanders esque.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Right, yeah, and it happened. Man, Wow, what a trend.
It's working just like that.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
That's so cool. And and Martin's in the show was
out as well, right.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah, you know, you know it's ideal because I'm Tommy Davidson,
but I played characters in a Living Color.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
He's Martin Lawrence. He played characters on Martin. Yeah, right, so.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It's unlimited, yeah, you know. And then the guest stars.
We man, we got all the hot people that want
to be on TV, that want to do it. Yeah,
the storyline is great.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
That is so cool. And speaking of a lat Color,
I hear Damon Wayne's is in it too.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh, Damon, Damon. Damon is doing a sketch with Martin
on the freaking show.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Oh that's great.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
You know, so we have the capacity to have people
coming and do guest star spots, but sketches too.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Oh that's funny, man, that is great.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
And you guys, you and Martin, we're actually friends long
before you all started working together and everything.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Right, Oh yeah, oh yeah, man, we moved out here
from DC, not together but different times.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh we're both from DC.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah okay, yeah, and me him and Chapelle met at
the same club the same night.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Oh wow, what a trip.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yeah yeah, so we all moved out here eventually, and
we're the only young ones out here. It was Eddie
and all the rest of them but me, Chris Rock
and Chappelle and Martin were new you know.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that did all.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
We just took the baton from there.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Well, congratulations, man, I can't wait
to check that out. And and Tommy you you also,
of course voice a character on the Disney show Proud Family,
Louder and Prouder. Oh yeah, fourth season just premiered. That's
got to be a lot of fun, right. Voice work
is so much fun, a lot of work.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Though. I don't have to worry about how I look
in voice work, so that's cool.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, you know berg you know what I mean, either look,
try to look handsome or nothing, and I can just
let it all hang out, you know. But you know,
it's it's just and you know this, Mario, you know this.
You know, we come across something.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
That we really love.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
To do with what we do, and it's it's like
a gift. You know, it's like a gift. You know,
we know how to work right now. We know how
to act, we know how to read stuff, we know
how to narrate, we know how to do all this stuff,
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
But once in a while, something comes.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Along that you want to do, right, you know what
I mean, and we go around going, man, I'd.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Love to do that, I'd love to do this. I
love to do this.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
But when it comes you're just like, I don't have
any comments, man, I just want to get to work.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
That's what we love, what we do too exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Oh that's the best man I'm having for you.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Yeah, man, And a lot of people may not know
this about you, but you're also a singer and your
new song heart Mine is Old just won an award
for Best Jazz Song, right.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like John.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I feel like John tesh Man, you know, because everybody's
going like, oh, yeah, really you're doing it and I
don't care, you know. It's it's it's really good stuff.
I got I got stuff with Earth Winding Fire.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Wow, that's awesome, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
And it's just a payoff of how hard we work, yeah,
and how often we're around people that do the same
thing we do.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, yeah, you know, I love the versatility though, because
I'm obviously uh acting and you're singing and still doing
stand up man, hitting the road and in hitting uh
in hitting comedy shows across the country.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
What what are you talking about on stage right now?
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I talk about things I've always talked about us, you
know everyone.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I talk about dogs, man, I talk about you know, uh,
don't be too hard on my latinos. I talk about
everything that I think people are thinking. They're thinking in
the same things I'm thinking, but don't have a way
to say it without offending nobody. Yeah, I can. I
can say it in a way that it's taken to heart.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
I can see that. Of course.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
How much how much singing do you incorporate into the act?
You do impressions with this?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
It depends, it depends, It depends on It depends on
on that audience.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
You know, I can You know, I can get away.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Cause I remember You're Sammy Davis was my favorite package.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
I can get away with that, you know, at that
like a fundraiser.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
You know, right, whether I'm hit, whether I'm wrong, No
cat's gonna borrow this ebony star from singing my song.
I always say that I'm Sammy is Ai.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yeah, yeah, all the best, that's the best.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Thank you that Oh my gosh. And now you mentioned
it before but in Living Color.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Man, in a few years, it's gonna be the fortieth
anniversary of that show.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
That is wild.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
And the fact that you're still working with the guys
and still homies. Man, that time goes about like this,
huh to.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
That make me bro right? Do what I bothe you
know what I mean. But we're still here.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
We're still here. That's what's important.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
That's the most important part. And we did it and
we can play it. Pay a mortgage, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Try that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Hey, I'm so happy to hear that everything's going well
for you, brother, and you're killing it out there. And listen, everyone,
be sure to check out Tommy's new show, The var
Nell Hill Show, premiere on September one on Paramount Plus.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Thank you so much for checking in.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Man, got it. Man. How's your daughter? How is she?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
She's doing well, she's fifteen, she's fifteen, Okay, okay, yeah,
she's fifteen, man, God, best you man, Thank you brother.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
When she came along.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Man, yeah you've heard that, yeah, exactly, You've.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Done so well.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Man.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I love you so much. Thank you brother, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
I hope I get to see you soon.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Take care, you got it man
Speaker 1 (07:00):
With Mario Lopez
Host
Mario Lopez
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