Tiffany Haddish does not have a podcast of her own — and it’s hard to see how she’d find the time, what with all her stops on other people’s podcasts. The comedian and actress’ ability to fill airtime with unfiltered, off-the-cuff anecdotes as hosts sit back and cackle has made her one of the most in-demand guests in the business. In the past year, the Afterparty star has graced the mics of more than a dozen shows, including four Ambies nominees. “She’s just entertaining,” says Nicole Byer, host of Why Won’t You Date Me? “Her voice is entertaining. She’s got this infectious personality.” Haddish regularly guests on shows by her former comedy-circuit comrades, such as Chinedu Unaka and Candice Thompson of Nosy Neighbors. “You can never say you were bored listening to her,” they say via email. “She always delivers.”
Perhaps Haddish’s most memorable podcast appearance this year was not on a comedy show but on A Slight Change of Plans, hosted by the cognitive scientist Maya Shankar. “Tiffany was remarkably present in our conversation,” recalls Shankar, “pushing herself to revisit painful aspects of her childhood.” Haddish shared in detail the story of how, when she was 8, her mother suffered a brain injury that changed her from a loving parent into a violent tormentor; in the years that followed, Haddish cycled through the foster care system and was temporarily homeless. She tells Shankar, “If I hadn’t gotten through all the stuff that I’ve been through, I would not be funny at all.”
This story first appeared in the March 2 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
