TheDaily Showveterans career has brought him to this moment.
If only there were the perfect job opening.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Roy Wood Jr.knows he couldve hired painters.
Instead, hes loading up a cart while navigating the aisles of the Home Depot on West 23rd Street.
Im gonna do all of these in matte.
Theyre dating around, Wood says, as we circle around the cleaning-supplies aisle.
I am focusing on the shit that I can trust and control.
Wood has been a road comic since his 20s, and he still loves that part of his career.
Withthree hour-long Comedy Central specials under his belt, hes been thinking about ways to push his stand-up forward.
In that tension, Wood sees catalysts for new directions in his work.
What is the evolution?
Considering his experience, its not hard to understand why people believe hes perfect.
Its even easier to see whynowin particular feels like his moment.
Its an approach deeply grounded in his experience, pragmatism, and ability to pause and reflect.
It will further round out a resume that seems custom tailored for theDaily Showpost.
I dont fucking know!
I would love to know too!
Back on the street, Wood slings the vacuum over his shoulder to head down 23rd.
As Noah recalls, Neal said, Theres this comedian everybody should know but most people dont know.
After just a single show, Noah wanted to offer Wood a spot as aDaily Showcorrespondent.
Hes been on the road forever.
It seems like this boundless joy when hes performing but theres a lot of thinking.
Brennan says that when he recommended Wood to Noah, it was because he has sturdy, well-designed premises …
He has well-structured bits, and its about the thought, not just the sauce.
Hes very energetically approachable.
And he looks like the dad fromFamily Matters.
I know the next three hours I want to build, he says.
In his head, these are separate hours, but as he talks about them, they run together.
Wood is recently separated from his sons mother, but he is clear about how much he respects her.
We both understand what were trying to do here, which is to raise a well-rounded human being.
Were in lockstep on that one, he says.
She remains the most important woman in my life.
1 on the depth chart.
Thats what Im interested in.
That was hard-hitting journalism in my daddys suit!
he tells the audience.
They keep stepping into his lane.)
There are few comedians in this industry who dont have a Roy Wood Jr. story, Noah says.
I meet young comedians all the time and theyre like, Oh, you know Roy!
Theyll tell me some amazing, nice thing he did for them.
Im like,Does this dude ever sleep?
I remember being on the road and worrying about money and food, he says.
You cant focus on the jokes.
If money and a plane ticket do that, cool.
Because if youre funny and nice enough, youll get opportunities.
Its white-peopleShowtime at the Apollo, he says.
A few weeks after that, hes hosting theWebby Awards.
At some point amid all that, he may learn whats happening withThe Daily Show.
His fear is that the web connection might have a go at stretch theguest-host approachinto the shows new normal.
And comedy takes time to find itself.
And so he waits, in motion.
This summer feels like those periods again.
I feel like Tom Hanks at the end ofCast Away, he says.
Im just standing in the middle of the road, just … which way to go?
Its a beautiful last shot.
*This story has been updated to clarify Woods approach toThe Daily Showduring his week as guest host.
Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism.
