Jerrod Carmichael is sharing his “quest for love, sex, and truth” in new HBO series The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.
Whether that be unrequited romance… or the undeniable power of Dreamgirls.
As the gays know, there are some show tunes that demand to be sung at full volume. (“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” anyone?!)
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But the overwhelming diva-ness of Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson was nearly too much for the queer comedian to handle when he was closeted and dating women.
As the 36-year-old admitted in an interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, the singer’s voice was “so good, you almost sang me out of the closet.”
@jenniferhudsonshow Jerrod Carmichael has the best Dreamgirls story! #thejenniferhudsonshow #jenniferhudson #jerrodcarmichael #dreamgirls #jhud ♬ original sound – Jennifer Hudson Show
“I was on this date, I wanted to impress this girl,” Carmichael recalled.
“[I] took her back to her dorm and she [put on the] Dreamgirls soundtrack. I got to pretend I don’t know. I’m like, ‘No, yeah, put your little song on.'”
But when he heard Hudson’s character start to sing the absolute heartbreaker that is “Love You I Do” –– which scored an Oscar nod and won a Grammy –– his “cover” was nearly blown.
“At the end of the song is one of the greatest vocal runs of all-time,” he explained. “I’m like fighting it. Her arms are right here, she’s looking at me. And as soon as it got to the end, instead of kissing her, I’m singing along.”
Honestly, we understand completely! 💯💯💯
As Hudson told him, “I done heard a lot of Effie Dreamgirls stories, but never like this.”
Nevertheless, J. Hud was happy to play a small role in Carmichael’s coming-out journey, which culminated with a public announcement in 2022 stand-up special Rothaniel. (And earned him a Primetime Emmy Award!)
“Maybe I can sing it with you next time,” she quipped.
The hilarious story certainly speaks to Carmichael’s recent candidness, as well as his attempt to “self-Truman Show” himself in his new docuseries.
The brutally honest (and incredibly funny) show documents candid conversations with his family about being gay, as well as the trials and tribulations of LGBTQ+ dating.
“I never thought about responsibility in art until recently,” he told Hudson, adding, “I’ve started to make the things I wish I could’ve seen as a kid and I think that’s really affecting people in a way that’s meaningful.”
And Carmichael’s openness was on full display in the first episode, which premiered over the weekend.
In one scene, the Poor Things actor revealed that at one point, he had a crush on his “best friend” Tyler, the Creator. (“1 out of 10, don’t recommend,” he joked.)
“I knew I had to tell him … so I texted him … ‘I know you didn’t ask for this, but somewhere down the line I developed feelings for you and I don’t know what to do with that,'” Carmichael explained. “Then I immediately turned my phone off and went into therapy.” LOL!
Tyler’s response? A six-second voice note saying, “Hahahaha, you stupid b*tch.” Awkward!
Nevertheless, the most meaningful (and chaotic) moment came when the two men sat down for an on-camera interview and honestly tackled how the omission affected their relationship.
“I told you I had feelings for you, and we didn’t talk about it, ever,” Carmichael said, to which the rapper admitted he “brushed it off” and still didn’t “know how to respond.”
“When you told me that, I’m like, ‘Nah, I don’t know. Not like that. That’s like a brother. That man’s like family. Like true family,'” Tyler explained.
It was an uncomfortable but altogether moving and important discussion. And it has us even more excited to see what the rest of Carmichael’s series (which drops a new episode every Friday) has to offer.
As the comedian quips in the trailer: “Being honest is cool until you have a reason to lie.”
Watch him explain “twunks” and otters to his father in the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show trailer.
abfab
Good god that was a horrible day at the cinema.
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Barbara Rush played a small-town heroine in the 1953 science-fiction movie “It Came From Outer Space,” here shown in a promotional photo illustration.Credit…Universal Pictures, via Everett Collection
NYT
By Anita Gates
April 1, 2024, 1:56 p.m. ET
Barbara Rush, the supremely poised actress who rose to fame with supporting roles in 1950s films like “Magnificent Obsession” and “The Young Lions,” died on Sunday at her home in Westlake Village, Calif., in Los Angeles County. She was 97.
The death, in a senior care facility, was confirmed by her daughter, Claudia Cowan.
If Ms. Rush’s portrayals had one thing in common, it was a gentle, ladylike quality, which she put to use in films of many genres. She was Jane Wyman’s concerned stepdaughter in the 1954 romantic drama “Magnificent Obsession” and Dean Martin’s loyal wartime girlfriend in “The Young Lions” (1958), set during World War II. In 1950s science fiction pictures like “It Came From Outer Space” and “When Worlds Collide,” she was the small-town heroine, the scientist’s daughter, the Earthling most likely to succeed.
Kangol2
Jerrod Carmichael’s reality TV show is cringe with a capital C.
On a different note, Jennifer Hudson can sing like few others. When she joined Cher last night on the iheartradio Music Awards, she gave a little taste of her musical gifts. I give Cher credit for keeping pace with her. Meryl Streep joined them, making it three Oscar winners and superstars on that stage, the best moment of the evening.