Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters

I'm sure you've noticed that Lando has feelings for me

which makes working together difficult

because I do not feel the same way about him.

Right.

I got so much flack by people like

was he really [beep] them robots?

Cuz I don't think Lando would do that.

I was like, maybe he would.

Let's like, I don't know.

But also I stand by, I'm like

there's lots of things to [beep] in space.

[upbeat rock music]

Wednesday.

I'm sorry.

What was the word? No.

Community.

I'm locked outta my old kingdom.

You're not, you see what I'm saying?

You're saying I could be a lawyer.

I'm saying you're a football player.

It's in your blood.

That's racist

Your soul.

That's racist.

Your eyes.

That's gay?

That's homophobic.

That's black.

That's racist.

Damn.

My whole career has been moments

that I didn't realize until afterwards were like special,

which I think is exactly how you want them to be.

Like, you don't want to realize that.

In Community, I honed a lot of skills

that I didn't know were like valuable.

We must have changed like sound crews

like every, I'm not joking, like maybe every six weeks.

I don't know why.

Like, it just happened that way.

So I would have to ADR

and I would ADR entire episodes.

And I thought that was normal.

Same thing with the improv thing.

I thought that was television.

I thought that's just what you did.

They would be like, yeah,

and then Donald says something funny.

I am the truest repair man.

And I was like, okay, that's Hollywood.

So I would just, I think the first season

I was like really nervous about it,

but once I realized like,

oh, you can do this again and again and again

and it'll be fine.

It really let me like be loose.

And also I was like friends with those guys

so I didn't feel like nervous,

like we were always trying to make each other laugh,

but he was like, you know,

Dan's kind of like a story expert,

so he really understands story.

So sometimes we wouldn't get the scripts until like,

the day of.

I don't memorize scripts at all anymore.

I haven't memorized a script since maybe college.

But like now I get the script,

like even stuff I write or whatever,

I will get it and I'll learn it in the like makeup chair.

And then, so I think all of that stuff,

I was just lucky that I thought

that's what you had to do.

We really appreciate you doing this.

Sure.

And 3, 2, 1.

[Both] Troy and Abed in the morning.

And we're back.

Look who's here?

Jeff Winger.

Jeff, how do you stay so fit?

Diet, exercise, genetics.

We had no clue that like people were watching Community.

NBC made it very clear.

They were like, this is a bomb.

This show belongs in the garbage.

They were like, I mean like,

well it wasn't that.

It was just like, you know, we weren't like the cool show.

Like everybody was like,

Parks and Rec has all the cool people.

We were kind like,

oh I guess we're like kind of the misfits.

And like, you know, I had friends on Parks and Rec

and I was like, oh I guess we're just kind of like,

you know, this silly show.

Like no one kind of cares about.

I swear to God, it wasn't until I got to Canada.

I did like a show in Canada

and people were like going crazy.

Like people were walking,

they were like, oh.

Everybody wanted me to do the handshake with them.

It was very intense.

Like me and Danny went out for dinner

at Pine and Crane like, I guess a week ago.

Shit was wild.

Like, I was like, people acted

like they like saw a fuckin' Pokemon.

I didn't realize people cared that much.

I mean, I guess we went to Comic-Con once

and it was a little crazy.

But I was like, that's Comic-Con,

that's like nerd central.

So like I was expecting people to like

be into it like that.

But it is strange now,

like where I'm like, oh yeah people watched the show.

Especially now with like, it being on like streaming,

you know, people watch it in a weekend.

Not cool, not cool, not cool, not cool.

Hey buddy, hey.

It's coming back in January.

Six seasons and a movie.

Six Seasons and a movie.

The Community movie.

We're supposed to be, there's some progress on it.

We're supposed to be shooting it soon.

Haven't seen the script.

Don't know and in true Dan fashion,

we'll probably get it on the first day,

but yeah, I mean like, it's supposed to be happening

but I know just as much about it as you do.

[upbeat rock music]

Solo.

Captain Lando Calrissian.

Han Solo.

Looks like you're having a good day.

I'm a lucky guy.

Can I ask you a question, Captain Calrissian?

Anything, Han.

It's Han, but that's okay.

First black man in Space, bro.

Lando, first black man in space.

I guess does Star Trek have any black people?

I mean yeah, like, I guess Star Trek does.

I guess like Star Trek has like a very multicultural

like crew, which I guess was a big deal back then.

But Lando, I guess for some reason like

people feel like this is a real black person in space.

I don't know why.

You might wanna buckle up baby.

I remember my dad showing me Star Wars

and being like, yo this is Lando.

And he's, you know, he also feels pulpy.

The rest of those, you know, the whole Skywalker family.

You can't really fuck with the cannon.

You can have a pulpy, kind of like,

shitty, Lando novel

that feels like outside of the Star Wars universe,

but still in it.

And I think that's why people like him.

He's the most elastic of the characters

cuz you don't know where he is from

or who he is or whatever.

There's only really those like three little books.

So yeah, man, it was dope to play him.

It was really fun.

The Calrissian Chronicles chapter five, continued.

Personally, I wasn't all that impressed with the Sharu,

no sense of humor or style.

Nonetheless, their L3 and I were deep in their sacred temple

and that's when we saw it.

[distant shouting]

Always something.

I met Billy Dee right before I played him.

I remember that day really...

We met at Little Dom's and he was like, really,

you know, just a funny guy.

Like he didn't talk,

like we talked about a bunch of other stuff.

Like I wanted to know like, what did you feel like?

All that kind of stuff.

I wanted to really get into it

cuz I really didn't wanna let anybody down.

And I remember he was talking about like Kauai,

he was like, oh, you've been to Kauai?

I got married on Kauai.

Yeah, I got married, that was like my second one.

He was talking about, he had all these great stories,

but I kept being like yes sir, but sir,

like what do I do to play?

And he literally goes like, just be charming.

Like, he was like, just be charming.

He was like, that's pretty much it.

And he's like looking around.

He's like that's the secret.

and I was like, okay.

And I guess he's right, like he's kind of like,

Lando is like charm incarnate,

which, you know, he's kind of a maverick,

which I don't think there's a lot of anymore.

Like, you know, it's hard to be

like the smooth talker nowadays, you know,

cuz like where's the line?

But I think that's also where the danger is.

It's like, how close can you get without tripping over it?

I mean, I would love to play Lando again.

It's a fun time to be him.

It just has to be the right,

it just needs to be the right way to do it.

I'm all about like, now it's like, you know,

like time is precious.

I think everybody's like, you know,

in the past couple of years this pandemic shit, like,

really,

had people experience time

in a way where they're like

well why am I?

I should be around oranges.

Like, and people, you know, like people kind of realize

like their time is valuable, you know, you only get so much.

So like, I'm not interested

in doing anything that's just gonna be

like a waste of my time or just a paycheck.

I'd much rather like, you know,

spend time with people that I like, enjoy.

So it just has to be the right thing

which I think it could be.

I mean like Lando is definitely somebody

I'd like to hang out with.

So yeah, I mean we're talking about it.

That's as much as I can say, you know,

without Kathleen Kennedy like, hunting me down.

[upbeat rock music]

White Lotus. [laughs]

I'm laughing cuz you're just like,

oh fuck, you really do have to say it though.

Atlanta.

I know you probably think I'm pretty responsible,

but I'm working on something

that I think could be really big for me, and you.

You know, I guess like, you know,

you just gotta be really specific.

I think at the end of the day,

like, we were really trying to portray

like what it felt like to be us specifically.

Like me and Steven have like a very, like, we're brothers

so we had a very common thread

but we also were seeing different parts

but we always sort of felt like,

we were like the whole show was supposed to feel like,

whatever, like a little bit.

Cuz that's how it felt to us anyway growing up

where it was like, oh that happened.

Like, and we gotta keep moving, whatever, like a little bit.

And I feel like we kind of captured that.

Hey man, chill, chill.

Congratulations.

For what?

I choose you,

you're my sacrifice.

My brother has my mother's sense of humor,

like even more so than me.

Like, I feel like I have like maybe 60 my dad, 40% my mom,

but he has like maybe 60 my mom, and 40.

And it's a very dark sense of humor.

There's like a video of, like a guy who had all

of his teeth taken out by the dentist

and he's like, I'm gonna look like a freak now.

Honest to God.

And he starts crying and I was like, whoa.

And I like showed my brother that,

and my brother must have laughed for a week.

Like, he's like literally like, he'd be like

and I'd be like, what is so funny about this?

He was like, it's so horrible.

I was like, yeah, like that's us a little bit

where we're like, yeah, this shit is horrible.

So it's kind of funny because all of this is like

unnecessary in the end, not to get like too sardonic

or like, you know, but I think that is

like our humor is like, this didn't have to happen.

She said kidnapping when she called, okay.

Kidnapping's serious. You know that right, Willie?

[Willie] I must kidnap that bitch in 1974

cuz she ain't been a kid in 45 years.

She in there?

No. And don't go in there.

The alligator is in there.

What?

Vibes.

There were a lot of guest appearances.

Cree.

I love Cree.

I just love her and she's kind of like the blueprint

for like crunchy black kids.

So like I feel like, I just love her essence

and she's just like such a subtle part

of everybody's childhood because she did all those voices.

Suzie.

I was just happy to hang with her.

Between you and me, I still fuck with Taken.

Shit, man. Look, it's good to know that you,

it's good to know that you don't hate black people now.

You know?

What? Nah, no, no, no.

I can't stand the lot of ya.

Well, now I feel that way

because you've tried to ruin my career.

The Liam Neeson one was like...

yo, shout out to Jordan Peel for making that happen.

Yo shout out.

I was like, yo, I have this idea.

And, you know, obviously Liam was like, I don't know,

you know, like I just don't, you know,

cuz he felt a lot of shame,

you know he's like, I don't, he's like,

I was trying to do the right thing.

I was like, yeah, like,

and in the writer's room we had talked about,

we were like, is that really the message that we want?

Is like, you know, when people actually go out on a limb

and go like, I was wrong to like shit on them.

We were like, we just thought it was kind of a funny,

like, thing.

And also I was like, cuz the lesson he's gonna learn

from this is like, yeah, I'm never telling the truth again.

So we were like, that's really funny.

You think we could get him to do...

And what I love about that episode and about him is like

that episode doesn't work without him.

There is nobody else.

Like maybe homie from Seinfeld.

Yeah, like maybe him being like,

that we were like, but that's not as relevant.

And it's not the same.

It's like Liam, it's a different feeling.

So we were like, we thought that would work

and like shout out to Jordan Peele

who actually put us in contact

and shout out to Liam's son who allowed that to happen.

So I felt like that was a super iconic moment.

Marshall Johnson?

Yes.

You've been served.

I'm sorry, what is this about?

My name is Sheniqua Johnson

of the St. Louis Johnson's.

Your family owned my great-great grandmother

and father for 12 years.

You owe me money.

People are gonna hate this. [laughs]

That's what we thought.

But I think at the beginning of season three,

we have a big whiteboard in the writer's room

and like the beginning of season three,

when we all came back,

I remember writing down in front of everybody,

so we remembered.

I was like, do what others cannot.

I was like, we're the only show that can do this.

And I was like, that's what's gonna make us special.

Because by that point, like, you know, honestly,

the thing that I remember now

that was in the back of my head was like,

you know, remember Rage Against the Machine?

Like I remember their first two albums

I was so into them and then their third one, like,

they kind of like, I see what it now what it was.

It was like they kind of went back

to like the hip hop roots of it.

But I wasn't, I was like, I'm not feeling this as much,

is my thing.

And I remember talking to my dad about it

and he was like, well everybody else

is kind of doing the rap-rock thing now.

So like they have to like be themselves more

and to differentiate themselves.

And I felt like that's what I kind of wanted to do.

Like I was like, I just wanted to tell stories.

At the end of the day,

like all of this really is about like, you know, stories.

Like I'm like, who can tell the best story?

Who has the best ideas?

And I was like, yeah, like there are some good...

It's not like the show Atlanta that people wanted

but it's the point of view of Atlanta

and I stand by...

I was like, man, I think that might be...

Even after season four, which people are like,

this is like a perfect, but I'm like season three is,

I still think my favorite.

Like, I love the black and white episode.

[flames roaring]

I love so much about that season

cuz it doesn't make you feel,

like it's not a warm hug.

It's like, it's the feeling

of your friend, who's never left Atlanta,

going to like San Francisco or Paris

and being like, I like it back in Atlanta.

Like, it's like I want to go back home.

Like, that is the feeling.

And I think a lot of people reacted that way.

They were like, where's Atlanta?

I want to go back home.

There's a great story of like Chief Keef

going to like Paris recording with Kanye

and the whole time he was like, this ain't it.

He was like, this ain't it.

And I'm like, yeah, like that is why you are the way you are

cuz you are so tied to your home.

But when you come back,

those chicken wings don't taste the same

cuz you've experienced something else.

Like my brother always used be like,

J R Crickets is the shit,

and then when he comes back, he's like,

these taste different.

It's like, yeah, you experienced something else.

So I'm like, yeah,

that's probably why people like season four a lot more.

Cuz it's like, yeah you're back home

but you've kind of outgrown it.

[upbeat rock music]

Childish Gambino

♪ Don't be mad 'cause I'm doing me ♪

♪ Better than you doing you ♪

♪ Don't be mad 'cause I'm doing me ♪

♪ Better than you doing you ♪

Alison Brie introduced me to Ludwig.

Ludwig was doing the music on Community.

I remember very, it was weird like, you know,

it was almost like love at first sight type moment

where I remember he was in the food trailer

and she's like, Donald you gotta meet Ludwig.

And he was wearing like purple pants

and he was like cutting a green apple.

And he goes,

Hey, how are you?

Oh cool.

He's like, I do the music.

Cool. And I was like,

I'm working on this kind of music thing we should meet up.

And it was very, I mean it was very organic.

I don't know why that happened.

Honestly, like, I mean like

on most shows you don't usually meet the composer.

Like, it just doesn't happen.

Like you're not,

in most movies you're not meeting the composer.

So like, he just happened to be around

and I think we were both just interested.

I was like, I love music.

I was like, oh cool.

Like, you should take a look at my music.

It's just a lesson to people where I'm like,

yeah like, it's not about like chasing opportunity.

It's like, don't be afraid of like yourself.

I feel like if I was like,

oh no one should listen to this music.

I was like, no you should.

I was like, you should check this out.

I want to know what you think.

And that's kind of what happened.

And then like, you know, we just have really, really,

me and Ludwig have like amazing chemistry.

I don't, that's the only way I can put it.

Like, he's like such a weirdo in the best sense.

♪ If you want it ♪

♪ You can have it ♪

I wish you guys could hear the first version of Redbone.

It was so weird.

Like, it was such a weird...

I was actually listening to it the other day.

I was like, what a weird song this was.

And then we like cleaned it

and we were like, oh yeah.

This is America.

♪ We just wanna party ♪

♪ Party just for you ♪

♪ We just want the money ♪

♪ Money just for you ♪

I'm just be real.

Like we did, you know, time is the oven

that makes something special.

But we did a lot of work.

I had that idea like three years before

and I told Hiro the idea.

He's like, I wanna do that.

He's like, I really wanna do that.

And I was like, cool.

And I had the song and I swear to God like

it started as a...

The idea for the song started as a joke

to be completely honest.

Like, this is America.

Like that was all we had was like that line.

♪ This is America ♪

♪ Don't catch you slippin' now ♪

♪ Look how I'm livin' now ♪

And it started as a Drake dis to be honest.

As like, a funny way of like doing it.

But then I was like,

this shit sounds kind of hard though, you know?

So I was like, let me play with it.

So we just had that for a long time.

I told Hiro the idea and he was like,

oh let's do it.

And honestly, we studied Thriller for a long time

because I was like, how do you make something?

How do you make people care about anything anymore?

There's just so much shit.

Well, you have to have a moment in real time.

Which was like SNL.

Which like Fam and Chad, Wolf & Rothstein,

were like, okay, we're gonna do this SNL thing,

we'll drop it at midnight.

Also like the feeling of like what was happening

at the time, it informed...

Like, because you know,

of all the uprisings and riots that were happening,

like it really informed like my writing and stuff

and then I was like, oh I really, you know,

I was like having sessions with like, you know,

Thug and all these people and I was like,

hey, would you want to get on?

And I was like, you know,

like making it like a We Are the World, like for Trap.

I was like, it just became something where I was like,

yo, it needs to feel like all of it's...

To me culture is just compression of information.

So I was like, all of it

just needs to be compressed into this moment.

So what was happening,

needed to feel like it could only be happening right now.

We shot it on film.

That was deliberate.

Like, we were like,

oh, two takes like kind of literally one shot.

Like we were like, let's just do it

like two, because it's really three shots.

It's like that first half,

that second half, and then the running.

We were like, it needed to feel continuous

cuz it needed to feel like a moment.

Because moments,

I feel like the internet kind of robs moments.

So that was really the work that we put in.

I feel very...

It's interesting that it worked.

I didn't, we were like,

it probably wasn't gonna work.

But we really just studied Thriller a lot.

We studied how that became iconic

and I was like, oh, well, you know,

you have to do a lot of things the first time.

And I was like, but Thriller was like a big important part.

You know who I did a lot of research on

that people don't probably think I did

but I actually watched his moves a lot

to make sure I didn't do the exact same thing?

Was like Robbie Williams.

I actually watched him a lot

because like I saw him get a lot of hate

and he's not necessarily an actor, actor,

but like, you know, multidisciplinary like people,

you know, I call it a vent.

You need a vent.

You need some steam to like let something off

because people like,

you know...

Stevie Wonder, amazing, genius,

but people are like, but he's blind, so that's the vent.

You know, like same thing with Prince.

He's like, oh, but he's short.

Like it's like, oh but he...

Like there's something where, you know,

you want to give people a vent to be able to...

and I knew that wasn't gonna be easy,

but also I was like,

but also I think there's an older generation,

I think a lot of things have changed because,

it used to be about access,

so it'd be like, if you had access to be able to make stuff

and then you happen to be good, it was different.

Now everyone has access,

and it's way easier to make all these things.

It's way easier to make music.

You know, we're always racing towards very good ideas.

That's all it matters at the end of the day.

And I think the idea of like,

this person not being great at other stuff

is an old idea of just like, yeah,

Elvis couldn't be a great, necessarily actor, necessarily,

because he was focusing so much.

Making music took a lot more

but now it's like all that stuff is happening,

all those things are the same anyway.

So I feel like, yeah, like somebody had to do it,

and it wasn't like I was like, I'm the one to do it.

I think I honestly just,

I didn't want to stop doing that other stuff.

It was like way too much fun.

And I had learned like, yo, if you're like living

for other people, you're probably gonna end up being sad.

Which is like, what's the point?