The last time the Film Independent Spirit Awards departed its longtime Santa Monica Beach tent, the ceremony was held on the rooftop of a parking garage at LA Live in downtown in 2010. For those of you not familiar, that’s the complex where Staples Center, er, Crypto dot Com and the Peacock Theater are locatd. We remember having a lot of fun, Eddie Izzard sadly sort of bombing as the host, and a great on site afterparty. Because of 2028 Olympic Games construction, this year’s ceremony has moved indoors and to a proper venue, the legendary Hollywood Palladium. And the organization has recruited the one and only Ego Nwodim to host. To say she’s excited it’s not in the often chilly Santa Monica, is an understatement.
Nwodim is the seventh “SNL” veteran to host the ceremony after Sarah Silverman, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aidy Bryant, who wrapped up two fantasic back-to-back gigs. She won’t reveal whether any of her popular characters will make an appearance, but Nwodim will know if her monologue is ready by the reaction of the production staff in dress hearsal.
“I love a distracted audience,” Nwodim says. “I want my casting director to be eating a tuna fish sandwich in the middle of my audition because if I get their attention or I get the laugh, you go, ‘O.K., well, that’s tried and true.’ So, I think it’ll be nice to be in the venue and running some of these jokes to an audience that couldn’t care less about what I’m saying. And if I catch their attention, that’ll be telling.”
Hollywood, Nwodim’s undeniable comedic energy, a climate controlled venue and Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Regina King, Tessa Thompson, and, former emcee, Kumail Nanjiani, among the presenters? We can’t wait.
____
The Playlist: I might be wrong, but I don’t think you’ve emceed anything, any guild ceremony or any other events like this before, have you?
Ego Nwodim: Greg, I don’t think I have either. And I’m not trying to be funny when I answer that way. I don’t believe I have either. And so I’m very excited. If I have and we find that I have, everyone forgive me to the previous thing I may have MC’d, please forgive me. But I think this is my first time doing an award show.
When they came to you, was it an immediate yes? Did you have to think about it for a minute?
No, I didn’t. It was an immediate yes. I was so excited. I’m genuinely a big, big fan of independent films myself. And because I’ve never done an award show to my knowledge, I was like, absolutely. This is such an honor. Yeah.
Have you ever gone to the Spirits before?
I’ve never been to the Spirit Awards. Never. So, I’ve heard all the lore of this tent in Santa Monica. I’ve heard about it. I’m really delighted that I’ll be indoors at the Palladium. [Laughs.] I’m excited for myself and all the people in attendance that we’re going, we’re back to Hollywood, return to Hollywood.
Return to Hollywood! And I don’t know if you know this, but about 15 years ago, it was actually downtown on the roof of a parking garage at LA Live. Have they told you this?
They haven’t told me that. They kept that from me.
There were two years where they tried to make it a night event, and they did it in a tent on the roof of a parking garage right outside of Staples Center.
Listen, trying new things! I mean, listen, they’re trying me as host. So, I commend them for trying new things. [Laughs.] I’m really, really glad we’re not in a tent. We’re not on a rooftop in a parking lot. And I’m honored that they would give me a try. They’re trying new things, and I got to commend them for that.
Talking to the producers, obviously, they’ve done the show before. Is there any new energy you all want to bring to this Hollywood version?
I’m not sure on the production end what the differences will be because I am very much letting the producers produce. But I know that they’re very excited about this return to Hollywood, as am I, but it’s quite the change. And most people I’ve spoken to remember the Santa Monica days. And I just think this will be very special to be back at the Palladium because the Palladium is such an iconic venue.
I’m assuming some part of the show will include a monologue. Have you been working on jokes? Have you tested anything out? Is that important to you, or do you want to go with your gut?
It turns out I’m probably going to be going with my gut. I wrote my monologue with Patrick McDonald and Asha Ward. And between the three of us, our comedic sensibilities are different, but they intersect, and I think that’s very exciting. I trust their comedic sensibilities as well. So, between the three of us, I have just sort of been like, “O.K., I’m going to read it. And what we all respond to and laugh at, I feel relatively confident about.” It’s always a gamble doing a monologue and doing any sort of comedy. And so I’m gambling. I’m not a gambler financially, but I’m gambling on comedies.
You gamble in comedy, but not in front of them.
Yes, exactly! And some might argue there’s more to lose because I’m gambling in comedy. Some might. We’ll see.
In that context, are you leaving room to change anything last-minute over the next couple of days to add to the monologue, to change jokes?
Yes, and honestly, once I get it on its feet and in dress rehearsal and in the dry run, I think that’ll be incredibly telling too for us in terms of what we want to keep, what we want to tweak, what we want to lose. I love the distracted audience, by the way, at a dress rehearsal or at even a dry run of staff setting up chairs. I love a distracted audience. I want my casting director to be eating a tuna fish sandwich in the middle of my audition because if I get their attention or I get the laugh, you go, “O.K., well, that’s tried and true.” So, I think it’ll be nice to be in the venue and running some of these jokes to an audience that couldn’t care less about what I’m saying. And if I catch their attention, that’ll be telling.
Has there been time to record any bits? Are you pulling any popular characters, Lisa from Temecula, and Ms. Eggy, anybody? Or is that a “Nope, that’s ‘SNL,’ that’s a whole other thing”?
I’m not going there. I just feel people have to tune in and see. I can’t give it away. I can’t give it away. You and I, Greg, we’re just at our first meeting here. Imagine me telling you all my secrets.
I have too many secrets too. Yeah. Got to keep the secrets. You did say you love independent film, though. Out of all the nominees, are there any films you were super a fan of?
Thankfully, because I had been so busy myself, I’d seen parts of some of the TV shows, at least several episodes of some of the TV shows that were nominated. But then, in preparation for the award show, I started watching a lot of the films and I’ve been so delighted, and I’m like, it’s just as satisfying as I remember it. There are films that absolutely stood out to me this season, but you don’t want the host to not name your film. So if I start naming films, I want to be a good mom. I didn’t birth these films, but I want to be a good steward here of my responsibilities.
Your responsibilities! Are there any added responsibilities to the job you weren’t expecting? Have they said to you, “Hey, can you make a phone call and try to get someone to present for us?” Have there been any other side requests you weren’t expecting?
When I tell you, no, there have not been. It has been just the most delightful experience thus far, but there’s still time. [Laughs.] It could get weird between now and Sunday. But right now, I’m just like, it’s been delightful, and it’s been very supportive. And we have felt my collaborators, Patrick, myself, and Asha have felt very independent, if you will, in our endeavors too, because they’re sort of like, “We trust you and do your thing and here are some guidelines and then just make this hosting gig yours.” And so that feels really good and exciting. But they haven’t assigned me any chores thus far that are like, “What? I didn’t agree to this.”
After so many years of going live on “SNL” and all the comedy performances you’ve live, are you more or less nervous than normal going into something like this?
I’m going to say the latter in that it’s so rare that I get nervous, and I don’t say that from a haughty place. It begs the question: Does she have a pulse still? [Laughs.] I don’t really get nervous. It’s very rare. But as far as this is concerned, I’m mainly just excited. And in my mind, I’m like, it can’t be much different than hosting some of the other things I’ve hosted, which were not award shows to my knowledge, but I think it’s going to be fun. And they have been so fun and supportive that I feel I’m going to just have a ball. And whether anyone else is in on that ball, TBD, but I’m looking to have a good time.
My last question for you is, what are you most excited about? Is it the monologue? Is it going into the audience, potentially talking to stars? Is it just having a drink afterwards, chilling with people? What are you most looking forward to?
Ooh, that’s such a great question. Most looking forward to, I think afterwards, when everyone is still in celebration mode, at least the winners are, very much in celebration mode, I will have just completed the monologue, all of the segments in between, hopefully keep the energy up, and then I get to crash out and have a sweet treat at the end of the night. A sweet treat and maybe an alcoholic beverage. That’ll be really nice. And for my friends, Patrick and Asha, who helped me write this, for us to feel like, “O.K., we did something together, and it turned out hopefully well,” I’m excited to just see the response to that.
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Bluesky
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Threads
Follow Gregory Ellwood on Instagram
Sign Up For The Breakdown Newsletter
