Keeping It 100
Racism, politics and Donald Trump... Larry Wilmore calls bullshit on it all
Juana Summers
"Like Jon says, if there's bullshit, we want to call it out."Larry Wilmore inherited the 11:30 late-night spot this year, and he's using it to real talk America. On set of The Nightly Show, Wilmore appears unafraid to eviscerate or crack wise about anyone or anything — whether he’s delivering powerful commentary on black fatherhood, or comparing the 2016 elections to Game of Thrones. Wilmore, who used to be The Daily Show's "senior black correspondent," has stepped out of Jon Stewart's shadow and is building an identity that he describes as "solidly underdog." Off set, Wilmore is as quick with a joke as he is when he’s seated behind a desk on the show, even laughing at himself sometimes. Only there’s no writer’s room backing him up. It’s just Larry. He is smooth, but self-reflective — at one point pushing himself back from going into a tangent about identity politics. And he rejected the notion that he, as a black man commanding an audience in late-night, had any sort of civic responsibility to talk about race. But a comedic one? That’s a different story.
"People always think it's a mystery. It's not. Just do it. If you want more female directors, hire a female director. It's very simple." - On hiring a diverse staff
"I call him the sleeper candidate because all he does is put me to sleep." - On Ben Carson
"My prediction is that Joe Biden will be in the race, and it's going to be very interesting."