Dave Chappelle opened up to podcaster Joe Rogan Friday, talking freely about his career and the state of the world over three hours.
The podcast covered Elon Musk on SNL, cancel culture, the global pandemic, gay rights, the post-Trump America, and in one special revelation, buying weed from Idris Elba. The full interview can be heard on Spotify.
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Chappelle brought up Elba while talking about how to treat service people with kindness, because you never know what the future has in store for them. He then used Idris Elba as an example.
“Idris Elba, the famous actor, used to be a security guard at [comedy club] Caroline’s …” Chappelle said. “I used to buy weed from him.”
Other highlights:
On Elon Musk’s guest hosting on Saturday Night Live:
Chappelle admitted he was puzzled by all the fuss.
“No one is woke enough,” Rogan said. “They can’t appreciate the fact that you’re dealing with one of the most brilliant men that’s ever lived.”
Chappelle recalled his interactions with the Tesla CEO, describing him as “incredibly kind.”
“I teased him about being the richest man on earth, and he took it with good humor,” Chappelle said. “What’s funny, I had hung out with him years ago, after I quit Chappelle’s Show. … We hung out on a tour bus, and he says to me that night … ‘I met you before.’ I’m like, ‘Well, I have no recollection.’ He looked kinda hurt.”
Chappelle suggested he understood why some people were put off by Musk’s behavior.
“Like you said, no one can be woke enough,” the comedian said. “I’m torn, because I like a warrior for a good cause, but I’m really into tactics. You’re not gonna nag people into behaving … In fact, if you continue with this tone, even if you’re right, you’ll be very hard to hear.”
On why he walked away from $50 million at the height of Chappelle’s Show:
“What was so remarkable when I walked away from the show is that it was against incentive, so people couldn’t understand it at the time,” he told Rogan. “‘It was so much money. How could you do that?’ Blah, blah, blah. But you know, if I had taken that money and finished the show, I would’ve gotten the money, but might’ve never been the same.
“I never seen these things before; I didn’t see anyone else do this and get back up … it was a wild experience,” he continued. “The way people close to you react to it, like I… failed or ruined my life. And, you know, when you’re cold, that phone don’t ring that often, and I had over a decade of sitting in that choice but I didn’t languish in that experience. I started doing stand-up for much better reasons than making it.”
On gay rights and the fight for equality:
“It’s not like these things (violence and injustices) happen less often because—people had to do things to make these things happen less often [change],” Chappelle said. “It didn’t happen organically just like, ‘OK, man, that’s enough murder for us.’ People had to do some shit. Gay marriage—people had to be made aware of how people were struggling. One of the great things of that movement is when everybody started coming out of the closet and everyone realized, ‘Oh, like, five of my best friends are gay’ … and you realize you like this person more than you like whatever prejudice you carry around.”
On Kevin Hart:
“First of all, who the f**k works harder than that guy?” Rogan said.
“Nobody. Not me. Fuck that …” Chappelle said, before Rogan highlighted Hart’s ever-growing list of projects. “And he’s relentlessly kind, and everyone that works with him looks elated and happy. He’s not a tyrant. He’s like hanging out with a self-help book or some shit. He just makes you feel good … It’s impossible not to like him. And, in fact, in my mind, he’s a great case scenario that a good person can do well in life, because there are some cynics who believe they can’t.”
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