LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Deon Cole returns to host the NAACP Image Awards, the comedian-actor is focused on celebrating Black achievement and responding to a recent onstage disruption at the British Academy Film Awards.
Cole called the incident “terrible” and said the matter would be addressed at the 57th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, airing live across multiple Paramount networks including BET and CBS. The disruption occurred Sunday when a racial slur was shouted from the audience by Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson while “Sinners” stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting during a ceremony that had been prerecorded earlier in the day.
The NAACP Image Awards honor achievements in entertainment, culture and public service. This year’s ceremony will include tributes to Viola Davis, who will receive the Chairman’s Award, and Colman Domingo, who will be presented with the President’s Award.
Known for his roles on the sitcoms “black-ish” and “The Neighborhood,” as well as his stand-up comedy, Cole told The Associated Press that he is preparing for both celebration and the unpredictability of live television. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: You’re returning as host of the NAACP Image Awards. What excites you most about doing it again this year?
COLE: Just amping up the ante, man. Last year was phenomenal. We had a great time. And anything you do, you always go, “Man, what if we could have did this? We should do this and do that.” And so, this year we gonna do that. We just gonna go there, and just make it fun, make it exciting, spontaneous. It’s going to be a good look.
AP: The show honors legacy and achievement across entertainment, politics and community. As a comedian, how do you balance being funny while still keeping that tone?
COLE: It’s just about balance. It’s almost like cooking. You know how much seasoning to put in there. You know how long to let it cook. It’s the same thing when it comes to comedy, putting the right amount of seasoning in and knowing the right temperature and letting it cook for the right amount of time, and then knowing when to pull it back. I’m glad that they trust me to steer that ship.
AP: The show is live, and unexpected moments can happen. How do you prepare for that?
COLE: It happened last year. Kerry Washington went way off script, but it was so great, and it was fun. You can’t have these huge moments and expect people to really stick to the script. They’re gonna act the way that they’re gonna act. So it’s good to see that… My comedic mind is always like, “How do I piggyback on this? How do we make it even funnier, up the ante on it?”
AP: We recently saw that disruption at the BAFTA Awards where a slur was shouted from the audience. As someone who has hosted live shows, what was your reaction?
COLE: It was terrible. I felt like it was terrible. They never really gave an apology. An official apology straight to our brothers. So, tune into the award show. We’re gonna deal with that. We’re gonna touch on that.
AP: As a comedian you’re often dealing with uncomfortable moments. How do comics navigate that space?
COLE: We live in discomfort. That’s our job to make something uncomfortable comfortable, make you look at it a certain way, make you think of it a certain way. Every comic that’s on stage is talking about something that’s discomfort at some kind of level and trying to bring some normalcy to it. We live in that. We don’t live in everything’s amazing.
AP: Viola Davis and Colman Domingo are being honored. What does it mean to celebrate artists like them?
COLE: Viola is from another planet. We are blessed to have her. We don’t know what planet she’s from, but she’s from another planet. She is one of the most powerful actors we have in this game ever. Giving her flowers is everything. She’s winning. She’s so incredible. Colman Domingo is my brother. I’ve worked with him on several projects, and we have a brotherhood. I am so happy that my brother is getting his just due, getting his flowers and everything. He deserves it, and he has so much to offer. I just can’t wait for that moment.
AP: You’ve built your career across stand-up, acting, writing and hosting. What do moments like this mean to you personally?
COLE: It means a lot. It shows the versatility that one has. Being on television with certain TV shows, having success with at least four sitcoms that are still in syndication, I guess people know that I can handle network funny. It’s different than stand-up funny. It’s a whole different ball game. There’s no coincidence that Steve Harvey can do what he does on “Family Feud,” and then he can go over here and destroy a room if he wants to. It’s two different funnies. So for people to trust me to handle it, I appreciate it. I guess it shows that we can do it all.
