When large alternatives come your manner, it’s laborious to say no. Hasan Minhaj was already booked as one of many visitor hosts for “The Daily Show” the week of February, twenty seventh. Then the prospect to host the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 4th got here his manner. Even with simply sooner or later to get from New York to Los Angeles and to prep in-between, it was one thing he couldn’t flip down.
Speaking to The Playlist earlier this week, Minhaj says, “When they asked me, I was like, ‘Timing’s not great, but I got to do it.’ The Film Independent Spirit Awards I think is one of the funnest awards shows out of the gamut of award shows that I’ve seen, in the sense that it’s really fun and silly and irreverent and wacky, and that part of it really intrigued me.”
If anybody may pull it off, it’s Minhaj. The Orange County native has been the keynote speaker on the White House Correspondents Dinner, received two Peabody Awards (sure, two), and starred in an off-broadway one-man present, amongst different achievements, all earlier than turning 38 years outdated. Oh, and he’s nonetheless hitting the basketball court docket as he participated in his third NBA All-Star Weekend celeb recreation this previous weekend.
Those subjects, and the query of whether or not he’d be up for changing Trevor Noah completely at “The Daily Show,” have been simply among the topics mentioned throughout our dialog earlier this week.
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The Playlist: I do know you have been simply on the NBA All-Star weekend for the Celebrity Game. Was this your second or third time doing it?
Hasan Minhaj: This was my third time doing it.
I missed watching it dwell however the highlights made it appear like it was one of many extra bodily aggressive celeb video games in a very long time.
The NBA celeb recreation was extra intense than the precise NBA All-Star recreation. It was so intense. I performed with DK Metcalf. I don’t know if you happen to’re a soccer fan, however DK Metcalf is likely one of the most naturally gifted, proficient human beings on earth. And yeah, if you happen to simply go to ESPN, you may simply see him sledgehammering on civilians. It’s fairly loopy.
He was going for laborious bodily blocked pictures. I’m like, “Is this a flagrant? What’s going on?” Do you assume the opposite individuals who received concerned have been shocked it was a more durable recreation than they thought?
There’s two camps within the recreation. There’s folks which might be taking part in for 10-day NBA contracts, after which there’s folks which might be making an attempt to not blow out their ACLs. I used to be within the latter.
Is that weekend enjoyable?
Oh, it’s a blast. Yeah. For me, as a child who grew up watching the NBA each weekend, the NBA on NBC, rising up throughout the form of MJ period, the NBA was most likely probably the most defining sports activities group in my life. And to me, it’s like my one weekend a yr the place I actually get to be a child and only a fan. And attending to see and hold with all of the gamers and the followers is simply wonderful. It’s surreal.
You’ve received a really busy couple of weeks since you are additionally internet hosting “The Daily Show” subsequent week for 4 days after which internet hosting the Spirit Awards. Which did you conform to first and are you regretting doing each over six days?
Yeah, I believe “The Daily Show” timing got here in first, after which we booked the Independent Spirit Awards. But once they requested me, I used to be like, “Timing’s not great, but I got to do it.” The Film Independent Spirit Awards I believe is likely one of the funnest awards reveals out of the gamut of award reveals that I’ve seen, within the sense that it’s actually enjoyable and foolish and irreverent and wacky, and that a part of it actually intrigued me.
Have you ever been, by the best way?
I’ve by no means been, however I’ve watched numerous them from the earlier years they usually have been all implausible. They’re all so nice, particularly once I would watch the opening monologues.
What’s kind of wonderful about it is vitally few folks bomb the Spirit Awards, and I don’t know what it’s. Because I’ve been there, after which I’ve watched the footage again, not inebriated, and it’s nonetheless humorous.
So you inform me, why is everybody having such a very good time and simply goofing? Everyone’s in a very good vibe.
I’ll be actually sincere, I’ve solely seen two folks bomb. I’ve gone for 15 performances in a row. Well, there was the digital one, which was Melissa Villaseñor I believe?
Yeah, Melissa.
Yeah, she killed it contemplating the constraints. But Steve Coogan? Utter bomb, simply beautiful. The room, everybody was excited for him. He bombed. And then final yr’s hosts didn’t have the perfect run. But basically? I don’t know, it’s in the course of the afternoon. It’s sunny. It shouldn’t work, however it does. You’re doing a present the place you don’t have to fret about commercials, proper?
No, in no way.
So in idea, it needs to be completely releasing. Do you’re feeling that going into it?
Yeah. I don’t really feel stress in any respect. I really feel prefer it’s going to be so enjoyable. And the giveaway was yearly I’ve seen it, once they do the cutaways and the bits with the viewers, the viewers is in on it. They’re like, “Sure, you can roast me. I have no problem with that.”
Yeah, nobody there I really feel like is taking it tremendous severely in anyway. And if they’re, they most likely shouldn’t be there, regardless that it’s a prestigious award. But you’ve received “The Daily Show,” it’s a must to prep for that, are you doing all your Spirit Award stuff early? What’s the plan?
Yeah, I’m doing each in tandem proper now. So it’s like half my day is “Daily Show” stuff, half my day is these things, which is basically, it’s simply, it’s enjoyable.
Have they informed you the way a lot time it’s a must to really do bits?
There is a breakdown of the present, however what’s actually cool is as a result of we don’t have these conventional industrial breaks, the pliability of: would you like the monologue to go longer, would you like these interstitials to be shorter? We get to find out how we need to form and curate the entire thing, which is nice. Trust me as an individual who, once more, I got here up on “The Daily Show,” half hour, seven and a half minute act one, eight-minute act two. I’m so used to taking part in to and writing to the industrial break that having this freedom is superior.
Is there a objective this yr to ensure the present isn’t three hours or three and a half or 4 hours as a result of there aren’t any commercials?
I assume the objective might be, I’m not going to gentle anyone prefer it’s a comedy membership. But I believe if the stream is sweet, if the vibe is correct, if folks really feel good, like, “Hey, let’s just go with the flow.” I don’t assume anyone likes bombing. So, I really feel fairly assured we’ll run up a comparatively tight ship.
Do you sing? Could there be a musical quantity? Will you may have an Aubrey Plaza or Ariana De DeBose second?
I do know that Aubrey Plaza did a musical quantity. I can’t high that, so I’m going to lean into my strengths. Yeah, so we could use screens and we could use props.
Have you watched any of the nominated movies? Do you even really feel like that’s vital?
No. I’ve watched the nominated movies. And there are actually good ones. What’s actually cool is, it’s not simply movies. It’s TV reveals as nicely and simply the sheer gamut of genre-defying, genre-pushing work between “Abbott Elementary,” which is clearly on a community, “The Bear,” which is unimaginable, “Mo,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Tar”. There are simply so many several types of movie and TV tasks, it’s simply so cool. It actually does really feel like a celebration. It’s not confined even to at least one kind or model of movie or TV present.
I do know you don’t need to spoil something. Have you been capable of recruit any of the nominees to report something with you? Or is it too tight with you being in New York first?
We’re nonetheless actually early and we’re placing out the asks proper now, so we’ll see who’s recreation and who’s not. But I believe everybody’s going to say sure.
I hope they are saying sure. Before I allow you to go, I simply wished to ask, I do know you’ve been a part of “The Daily Show” earlier than and so many individuals have been guest-hosting the previous few weeks. Do you realize if this an actual audition? Or are they in search of somebody outdoors of all these folks?
I really feel like what the present is doing brilliantly is displaying the probabilities of what’s potential behind that desk and actually invigorating pleasure behind the model. Leslie [Jones] did an incredible job. She made it her personal. Wanda [Sykes] did as nicely, Chelsea [Handler], Sarah [Silverman], D.L. [Hugley], and now I’m coming in. So, it’ll simply be actually nice to see how, as folks proceed to do their visitor weeks, what’s potential behind the desk. And the one factor I’ll say that’s been actually cool to see is you don’t know what you’re going to get as a result of each week it’s altering. So you definitely have that tune-in issue. You’re like, “I don’t know what Leslie Jones is going to do. Wait, what’s Hasan going to do on Monday?” I don’t know. We’ll see.
But is it a gig that you’d take into account taking in the event that they supplied it full-time?
I believe it’s a dialog value having. It’s definitely been one of the defining components of my profession. But I’ll say this, I really like that establishment a lot, I simply need to see it do nice. Sincerely, once I was there and Jon was the host, you pour your all into it, when Trevor was the host and we labored collectively, you pour your all into it. This subsequent iteration of it will be nice, and I’m right here to assist in any manner that I probably can. I imply that sincerely.
The 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards might be held on Saturday, March 4 at 2 PM and broadcast dwell on Film Independent’s YouTube channel.