Image via Netflix
Sam Jay is making her film debut in You Peoplehitting Netflix this week.
For those who aren’t yet familiar, Jay is already a pretty big deal in the comedy and TV world. She has written for shows like Saturday Night Live and The Damn Michael Che and has a Netflix standup special Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning, as well as her own shows Bust Down and an HBO late-night show titled Pause with Sam Jay.
Her standup special caught the eye of Kenya Barris—who is also making his film directorial debut with You People—and he reached out to the comedian to praise her work via social media. Soon, that conversation evolved into Barris expressing interest in her being part of his film as the character Mo, who is the straightforward and honest best friend and business partner to the main character Ezra, played by the hilarious Jonah Hill.
Mo helps Ezra navigate his interracial relationship with Amira (Lauren London) but they also work together to make their podcast a success after he quits his day job to focus on their dream. [Ed note: Look out for the Complex Networks shout-out at the end of the film.] There was a clear organic connection between Hill and Jay in the scenes they shared together, and working alongside a comedic genius like him made her experience even better.
“To be able to discover this character across from somebody as talented as Jonah Hill was the dream come true,” Jay tells Complex. “I’m a big Jonah Hill fan, a real fan, so I definitely was fangirling a little bit during the breaks. But he was super cool about it and he really helped me be comfortable, which I think really helped me succeed in the role.”
Image via Netflix
The director also seemed pleased with his choice to cast Jay during a previous conversation with Complex, where he said she was the film’s greatest surprise and that she transformed Mo into “the best role in the movie.” To say this when her castmates included industry vets like Eddie Murphy, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and David Duchovny, is quite a statement. But Barris was right, Jay is a pleasant addition to the story and more than holds her own in the film among the greats.
Working in television is much different than making a film, especially for someone like the comedian who is used to being involved in behind-the-scenes processes like writing and producing. Letting go of the reigns to bring someone else’s vision to life takes courage and patience, but her role in You People has piqued her interest in wanting to make more films—and maybe even star in some Marvel movies down the line.
“I’m just super open to what’s next, and excited about the limitlessness of the possibilities. When I first started, I put myself in a box, I think a lot of us do. ‘I’m a comic and I’m a standup, and that’s all I do and that’s what I am,’” she tells Complex. “The more I learn and grow, the more I’m like, ‘I’m an artist and I like to create things and I just want to be able to create things for as long as possible.’”
You People hit select theaters last week but it is now available for streaming on Netflix. Complex caught up with Sam Jay ahead of the film’s release and she talked about her experience working on the film, what she learned, and what her hopes are for the future of her career. Check out our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, below.
How are you feeling about You People being the place where you start your film career?
It’s a little surreal, to be honest. There are so many major players. It’s a big movie. So stepping into that and not really having any experience was kind of overwhelming at first. Movies are just different than TV. Everything’s just bigger. It’s also different because I usually write and produce everything that I’m in, Bust Down, Pause, my own special, so I have more control.
This one, I’m just walking in and giving myself to the process. That was a lot because I’m a control freak. But Kenya was so cool cause if I had any questions, he was always willing to answer me. He never was guarded so that really helped me. I’m just super excited for sure to see how people respond to it all and just to see how that next chapter feels.
Can you talk a little bit about how you got involved with the project?
Kenya reached out to me, and thank God because I’m so bad at auditions. I’m a weird little nerd, so I get all awkward. Kenya said he had this project and he was like, “There is this character and I just think it’s you. It sounds like, it feels like you, and if you’re into it, I’ll send it over and you can read it and then tell me what you think.” He sent me some pages and I read them. I was like, “Yeah, this does really feel like me.” And I was down. Then he told me who was all involved and I was nerve wrecked but in a good way.
Did you and Kenya know each other before that?
We knew each other. I think we may have met once and in passing. We had talked online. He hit me up after my special and told me how funny and good he thought it was. Then Pause came out and he really loved the show. So we’re kind of in each other’s atmospheres for sure.
When I talked to him, he told me, “The greatest surprise for a lot of people is Sam Jay. In some aspects, she’s almost got the best role in the movie. And you haven’t seen her do that in a way. I love her.” How is it to hear him say those things about you?
Validating. It was such a new experience and him, and Jonah [Hill] really took the time to try to usher me through it in a positive way. And to know that he feels the same way on the other end, I love that feeling. It’s just very validating.
As a writer, did the writing stand out when you first read the script?
For sure. I read this stuff and I was like, “This stuff feels solid.” Especially the relationship between Mo and Ezra. I really I appreciated that. We talked about it because Kenya was like, “This was originally written for a guy, but me and Jonah think you can do it.” They didn’t make me change anything about it so it came up very much how my relationships with my homeboys are. It just felt very natural and at ease. That has a lot to do with the writing. They really captured the essence of a real friendship.
Your character is Ezra’s voice of reason in a way. What was that like to play this role alongside Jonah? Is Mo similar to how you are in real life?
Yeah, I think I am that to a lot of my homeboys. I’m kind of like the beacon. I’m a plain dealing person and I’m very practical. It’s the Capricorn in me. I’m super straightforward and so practical. So a lot of times my friends, people, my homies always come to me for advice. But I also am a woman and I have a nurturing side of me that just is natural. I was trying to project all that through the character, the straightforwardness, and the lovingness.
To be able to discover this character across from somebody as talented as Jonah Hill, was the dream come true. I’m a big Jonah Hill fan, a real fan, so I definitely was fangirling a little bit during the breaks. But he was super cool about it and he really helped me just be comfortable, which I think really helped me succeed in the role.
There were so many other big names attached to this project. What does that feel like for you?
Sometimes things happen in this business and you can’t really believe they’re happening to you and you’re just like, “Is this for real?” You got to take the little kid in you down a notch when you walk into the space. You got to try to calm that down so you can come off as professional and not scare anybody. It was just such a great learning experience for me to be around that much talent and to just watch them at work, and see how they handle it all, how they throw to each other, and how they pray with one another in a space. It just gave me so much more information for moving forward with my own projects.
You People covers a lot of the conversations that people have all the time regarding interracial relationships, religion, and race. Do you think it’s important for a comedy to cover these sorts of topics and conversations?
A little bit. I think it is the job of comedy. I hate to say that in such a cliché way, but it’s the job of any artist to comment on what’s going on in society and bring a microscope to some of what is happening. Comedy has this real ability to play on honesty and directness in a way that sometimes other spaces don’t get to play. When it runs well, I think that stuff can really turn a needle or at least get some conversations going.
What are you hoping that people get from You People?
I hope they watch it and they go, “Sam is amazing and she should be a Marvel superstar.” And then they gave me $80 million to play Catwoman. [Laughs.] No. I try not to put any expectations on it. It helps keep me sane. So honestly, whatever you take away from it is what you were supposed to take away from it, like when you look at a painting. So if you walk away feeling this way, then that was what you’re supposed to walk away feeling. I hope people engage with it and it does something for them. I hope they leave feeling better, different, or more informed, or more empathetic than they were when they came into it.
Now that you’ve gotten a taste of the film side of things, are you looking forward to doing more in the future?
I’m open to whatever. I have some projects that I’ve been developing for TV. I’m a kid who was raised by the television—I was born in ‘82, I’m a TV baby. So there’s always just this love for sitcoms and TV that’s just in me. But I’m not opposed to anything. I’m in this place in life where I’m just super open to what’s next, and excited about the limitlessness of the possibilities. When I first started, I put myself in a box, I think a lot of us do, and I was like, “I’m a comic and I’m a standup, and that’s all I do and that’s what I am.” The more I learn and grow, the more I’m like, “I’m an artist and I like to create things and I just want to be able to create things for as long as possible.”
It’s also important when you’re good at what you do, other people start seeing other strengths, like Kenya.
Exactly, 100 percent. That’s like the community of it. Sometimes you need your community to shine a light on you. Because you’re not even paying attention to that part of your energy or your power.
You said you don’t want to be boxed in as just a comedian and you brought up Marvel. Are there other things that you are looking forward to in your career that are on your vision board?
Yeah, man, I’m going to write a book for sure. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid. I would write all the time and write little short stories. Eventually, that could possibly happen. The project that I have with Lena Waithe I’m just producing and I’m writing it, and I’m not even in it. That’s exciting to me because it’s a whole different space of casting people and making those types of decisions and being more separate from it.
Just knowing what it is to wear that hat when you’re not also going to hop in front of the camera, but you really have to give the product to somebody else, and hope that they run with it the way that you think it should be run with. And if they don’t, step in and give them the proper guidance to get it there. That’s exciting and a whole other stack of responsibilities. I’m really just down the clown. If it sounds cool and I’m into it, then let’s try it.