Fans of Ziwe were in for quite the surprise during Sunday night’s episode of Succession, as the comedian made an “iconic” guest appearance on the popular series.
In episode 3, entitled “The Disruption,” Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) found himself dragged by fictional late-night comedian Sophie Iwobi, played by internet sensation Ziwe.
Roasting Kendall Roy with lines like “caucasian rich brain,” Ziwe’s fictional character is a fun nod to her own comedic style, which blew up during her popular Instagram lives in 2020. The comedian opened up to Variety about how she nabbed a role on what she calls her “favorite” series, and how it shifted once she was cast.
“I auditioned for it. I texted my agent, and I was like, ‘I love ‘Succession.’ It’s one of my favorite shows, and I’d love to audition for the show,'” she told the outlet. “So I sent in a self-tape. It was a late-night host character, but with a different name.
She continued, “I got the part and Jesse [Armstrong] called me. He was like, ‘We want to rewrite the character to be more in line with your vibe,’ and I was babbling on the phone. I was so excited. This is one of my favorite satirical writers of all time, one of the best writers in the country. It was truly such an exciting show to get to be a part of. It was like a career pinnacle for me, honestly.”
Fans were pleasantly surprised when they saw Ziwe appear on the HBO drama, with many taking to Twitter to share their excitement. One user wrote, “Ziwe on #Succession is the only thing that matters.” Another wrote, “I literally cannot believe Ziwe was on succession that was truly the best thing that could have ever happened. like Ever.”
Showtime renews ‘Ziwe’ for second season
Ziwe joins a slew of major guest stars appearing in the shows third season. Sanaa Lathan nabbed a recurring role on the series as Lisa Arthur, a well-connected lawyer the Roy family finds themselves turning to as they all vie for the family company, American conglomerate Waystar Royco.
Lathan opened up about the series’ improvisational style in an interview with EW. She shared with the outlet, “It’s so well written that you don’t have to do the improv, but they always give you a take where you can. It’s scary-slash-thrilling, but sometimes really great stuff comes out of it. The writing gives you a great springboard to come up with ideas. I wouldn’t necessarily want to improvise if the writing was s—.”
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