Roy Wood Jr. is keeping busy. His new project is CNN’s ‘Have I Got News For You’
When Trevor Noah left “The Daily Show” last year, Roy Wood Jr. – who had been a correspondent on the show for eight years — hoped he’d land the desk job. When the network instead went with a series of guest hosts and then a rotation of correspondents, Wood, 45, decided to step away to figure out what he wanted to do next with his career, saying that the correspondent’s job was too demanding to give him time to fully explore other paths on the side.
Last week, Wood, who has three Comedy Central stand-up specials to his name, taped his latest special for Hulu. And on Sept. 14, Wood debuts as host of CNN’s new panel show, “Have I Got News For You,” a humor-based current events game show featuring Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black as captains of the two teams of guest stars each week. He also recently wrapped a movie with Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill, is writing a book, prepping a one-man show and working on two TV series. So he’s making the most of his newfound free time. Wood spoke by video recently about all his projects.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q. Your video screen says your name is “Fred Sanford.”
I did that as a joke one time and it won’t leave.
It’s funny until you are in a meeting with a Fox executive about notes for your sitcom, and they think you’re just being a jerk. And I want to say, “No, I’m not.”
Q. How did “Have I Got News for You” come about?
CNN reached out to me over the summer and I was intrigued because the British version has run for 30 years and they have a good production team. Plus, I like the idea of CNN wanting to try something different and taking a big bet with this show. That’s right up my alley. And I grew up watching CNN with my pops, watching “Larry King Live” together most nights.
I trusted Hat Trick Productions on things like who to hire as team captains. They’ve done this in England for decades, so I trust them. It was, “Whoever you think does the job, you’re the chef; I’m just your new maître d’ and I’m happy to help you present this meal to the masses.”
Q. You’re not going to do a British accent, right?
That would be funny. But no, we’re honoring the humor palette of an American audience. I’m not here to pretend to be more revered and refined in my delivery, but I’m also not going to be as loud and bombastic as I am in my traditional standup sets. I think that this is an opportunity to have dialogue and conversation about current events within the format of a fake game show.
Q. Do you want people to learn something about the news of the week or to laugh?
If people haven’t laughed, we haven’t done our job. Learning anything and making a point is secondary for this show. This is the stuff you’re already angry about or have cried about and hopefully now you can laugh at it. We’ll have opportunities to get to some truths about issues but the objective is not to make the bigger, deeper points. That’s one of the bigger differences in my role here compared to “The Daily Show.”
As host, I’m not going to have as much real estate to get deep into my opinions. I can quickly encapsulate what I believe to be the feelings of the viewers. Steve Harvey may give a reaction that you at home would’ve had too about some weird thing that a contestant on “Family Feud” said. So there’ll be places to crack a joke and say a word or two, but I’m not doing a Lewis Black kind of thing.
Q. Who do you want to have on as guests?
The wish list right now is Nikki Haley, J.D Vance, Eric Adams, Gretchen Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg.
Q. When you’re watching the news and you see Donald Trump talking about immigrants eating pets, do your eyes light up knowing you have good material for the show?
I try not to get too excited on a Tuesday for our Friday taping show. Stuff changes fast and come Friday night what was a big story on Tuesday may feel like two years ago.
Q. You just taped your next Hulu special. How did it go?
It was one of those times where every joke came together right on time. I definitely needed my sets in Peoria and Atlanta the week before to get the structure exactly the way I needed it. I took out pretty much all the political material and kept it strictly about human connections and loneliness. I can just stick those politics and policy jokes on YouTube.
Q. When we spoke in 2022 you were also talking about exploring your relationship with your father and with the men who filled his role after he died when you were a teenager. What’s happening with that material?
I sold a book called “The Man of Many Fathers” that will be out next year. It’s a semi-memoir as a letter to my son. Some of my stories though may not be right for the book and may fare better live, so I’m getting ready to do a one-man show. I’ve learned my audiences are grounded emotionally and are willing to go with me to darker and more sincere places than I would’ve ever imagined. So it’s allowing me to write a little deeper than what my standup muscle would’ve allowed — in stand-up, you can’t sit in an emotion because it slows down the joke momentum but if it’s a one-man show it’s supposed to be a little deep so we can be comfortable in some silence.
Q. You also were talking about creating a National Guard-related comedy with Denis Leary and and a medical drama set in Harlem. Are those still alive?
“National Guard” is still alive. And I’m working with NBC on something different that I can’t disclose. It’s good to have these other outlets. I don’t look at it as being too busy or being inundated with stuff. When I left “The Daily Show” I wanted to start putting things out there, like these shows. I just filmed a movie with Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill called “Outcome.” I just figured let me say yes to all of these things and work all of these different muscles.