'Everybody Still Hates Chris' showrunner and executive producer Sanjay Shah and stars Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Tim Johnson Jr., Ozioma Akagha, Terrence Little Gardenhigh and Gunnar Sizemore chat with THR at San Diego Comic-Con. The cast and crew talk bringing the world of 'Everybody Hates Chris' into animation, reprising some of their roles and more.
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00:00Saw Deadpool Jesus
00:02It kind of hurt my heart I was a little bit like we're gonna start confusing everything now, it's gonna be Iron Man chapter one
00:11When Deadpool died on the cross
00:20Hey, this is Sanjay Shah, I'm the showrunner and executive producer of everybody still hates Chris
00:26I'm
00:29Here with the cast this is a reimagining of the iconic show everybody hates Chris
00:34And and we're here with the Hollywood Reporter at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
00:39Which parts of the live-action show have been translated to this animated version and which parts are entirely new?
00:46Well, we treated the original show as canon, but this is a
00:52Continuation of the original and what animation allowed us to do is really world build
00:58Beyond what was capable in a live-action show?
01:01so, you know the other, you know beauty of and bringing this world into animation is
01:06Being able to lean into the fantasy moments that this show is really known for so I hope that answers your question
01:12It's borrowing from the tone of the original and it's a continuation of the original while respecting the original
01:19But it's his own permutation of that show. It's a brand new fresh version of that show
01:25Terry and Tashina you both are reprising your roles from the original show. What made you want to come back to this world? Oh
01:33What made me want to come back to this world
01:36Was just everybody hates Chris was an amazing show with amazing people
01:43Not just in front of the camera, but behind the camera as well and we had a great synergy
01:48We had lovely time working with each other, but we actually were part of the process of these characters
01:55Create being created and and culminating throughout the years the five five years four years. We were on
02:03Amazing experience, but go ahead Terry
02:05No
02:05I gotta say this because it what was very important to me is that we picked up
02:10Picked up where we left off because I felt like it wasn't done
02:14When we were not last episode aired we didn't know that was it like we were just going oh, no like we would never
02:23You go 20 years and then to get the chance to do this again
02:28And when we read that script and I got to see all these people on our zooms together
02:34And I couldn't believe I said we picked up right where we left off. This is
02:40Everybody hates Chris, but the next iteration and everybody still hates Chris. It's beautiful. I've just done an amazing job at just
02:49keeping the
02:50no, honestly
02:52keeping the just the core the root the feel of what we already did and
02:59Going in the booth with him
03:01I was just very excited because he was very just very conscious of what we had already laid down
03:08As actors and here we are and it's very hard for me to try to do Rochelle without moving so
03:16Yeah, cuz I was my character was so you know used to being physical
03:20So I was a little challenged, but a challenge very very much
03:24You know accepted
03:27Well, I want to also add the fact that you know to Sheena and I let me tell you it changed my life forever
03:35Because this is the woman who actually taught me how to act. He loves me, but that's his wife over there
03:44And it was wild because she she hinted on this a little bit earlier, but we developed these characters
03:51these you know Julius and Rochelle came from our hearts and
03:56It's wild to me right now that I have grown
04:00Men and women who come up to me all the time fully bearded men and women
04:06Okay, that are like hey, I grew up on Everybody Hates Prison. I grew up on that show. I'm going what?
04:13And to see the impact over the years
04:17And then another thing I have to mention is that the state of comedy has changed in a lot of ways
04:23There were things we did on the show back there
04:26Well
04:28But in animation you can't
04:31Back in animation you could push it you could actually get more in-depth
04:36Into what the show is like and let me tell you this thing is it's bigger than us
04:43It represents so much more. I mean you're talking about Chris Rock his real family his real upbringing
04:51And the good thing is you know he becomes one of the most famous
04:55Superstars in the world so you could just be heartless when you when you go at him with comedy as a young man
05:02You know what I mean, and I have to give it up
05:05Everybody in this cast is so wild because as I hear it, and I'm going oh my god
05:11These are like the same it just feels the same in every way shape and form for the rest of you
05:18What has it been like stepping into this world?
05:26Oh wow um well
05:28I mean for one it's an honor because well like these you know
05:33Fully bearded grown men I as well grew up on that show
05:38So it's literally like a full-circle moment now to be on the next part of it
05:43It's it's an honor to be able to work with such amazing people
05:47It's a surreal thing and I can't feel anything, but bless it's just a blessing for real for real
05:52Yeah, I agree man. It's a blessing. It's crazy because this is one of my favorite shows
05:58It's so like this is like a dream come true for me. Just paying homage to the original but like we
06:04Go beyond that with look Chris being 17 and everything like that following his journey
06:09And so I'm just look I'm excited for y'all to see it. I'm excited
06:14I'm excited to get into the fun of it
06:16I mean the show in and of itself was always such and then it was it was
06:21Nostalgic too because it's like okay. That's that's exactly how I grew up like that's yes my dad all the jobs my mom crazy
06:30And then to you know to grow up watching it and then to come in and get to play in it
06:34And then you just share in this in this the this these legends these icons
06:40comic icon it's like
06:43I
06:46Mean
06:48Okay, okay, but this icon especially somebody who loves and enjoys doing comedy. It's it's truly amazing
06:56Yeah, it feels so great adding to the legacy of a show that I feel everybody needs right now
07:02Everybody still loves Chris man. No the show is
07:06it's one of the few comedies that pushes the boundary, but still has so much heart and
07:11You fall in love with the characters even if you're seeing them struggle you want to see them win
07:15and there aren't a lot of comedies that are
07:18Vulnerable like that so it's been fantastic feeling like we're adding to a great legacy Tim
07:25You are voicing young Chris have you gotten the chance to meet Tyler and did he give you any advice on taking on this role?
07:32I haven't got the chance to meet Tyler Tyler's the man
07:35He is the man look growing up watching him in the show he inspires me as a performer
07:41Just like watching him and look all the other projects, and you know he's killing it
07:45So you know I love that
07:48What do you know what he's doing and paying homage to him and what he's done?
07:53But yeah, I think it's really cool that I got to you know do my thing in this and you know have my interpretation
08:00And I'm reprising this way did any of you get to record in the voiceover booth together?
08:04Or did you do all your scenes separately?
08:08Separate
08:11You know we got together during the pandemic
08:14Our first time we actually read the first script together was all on zoom
08:18And to see you know a lot of people come back like Jackie Mazzarella
08:24Ernest Thomas was on there Jackie Harry
08:27Just you know there were there were a lot of established characters and beautiful actors and actresses
08:34That were all in you know that would have been a part of this world that came back in that zoom
08:40And I was just like I was really emotional. It was very very emotional, but
08:46We were just sitting there and talking like we all can we need to arrange where we can all get together and do it
08:51You know that way in person, but now
08:56Having done so many episodes, and we still have yet to actually look at everything
09:02You know what I mean, so you know we're gonna be seeing some things for the first time right along with the rest of the comic
09:08Con audience, which is very
09:11Since we are at comic-con. I want to have you answer some bucket questions from our Wolverine bucket
09:18You can just pull one out and answer it, okay?
09:21Okay
09:30What's the best costume you've seen so far at comic-con I
09:34Saw a costume, but I think I think he was a homeless man, so I don't know
09:42They dress nice over here, so that may take it that may be the best
09:47It's eccentric it's interesting
09:50Well first of all I've seen a lot of Deadpool's, but I I saw a Mecca Deadpool yesterday
09:56It was crazy this man like he had like like the prop guy written on the back of like his
10:03His suit and I was like this is most definitely a prop person thing, but like it was crazy
10:07He had these stilts on he like you could tell he detailed the mechanics of the legs these ginormous, so it was crazy
10:14he put I
10:16Can imagine he put many many hours into that costume, so I think I think that one that was probably the best
10:21Well, I don't know if it was the best, but it was definitely the most memorable. I saw Deadpool Jesus
10:28It kind of hurt my heart. I was a little bit like we're gonna start confusing everything now. They're gonna be Iron Man chapter one
10:36When Deadpool died on the cross oh man we all gotta stop now, you know I mean, I think we went too far
10:46Put it in idiocracy, too
10:53What is your all-time favorite cinematic universe
11:01That was the first big movie I saw like cuz yeah, I'm born in
11:061969 so Star Wars the first Star Wars was pretty big for us
11:12X-men it was X-men for me the old school done done done done done done done
11:19That's my that's my favorite for sure
11:23Avengers Marvel Avengers
11:25Cuz I remember I still remember the first time I went to the theater to see the first Avengers
11:30I remember they were all in a circle and that music was playing
11:34dun dun dun dun dun
11:38It was like half the man was like Avengers
11:41Assemble and they just went off
11:50Me
11:52See, this is not a universe
11:54But anything spider-man. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah anything spider-man
11:59Mine is a drumline
12:00it's not a universe at all, but I wish they would make it one because my son's a drummer and I would like him to
12:07To have that everything Matt Groening the Simpsons Futurama all that was like my childhood
12:12It's a big reason why I do voiceover because that like made that I still watch the Simpsons on repeat
12:18We are so happy to be in this room and be at comic-con
12:21Because it's just a wonderful world to be in we get to be in the studio and just create create but not just physically
12:28But through our voices and if you think about a sound is heard everywhere
12:33So, you know if you don't see us, you'll always hear us
12:35So it's fun a lot a lot of fun and it's cool to be a part of this new world
12:39This is new. This is my first comic-con. So I'm very excited