Plus, Minhaj reveals the advice Chris Rock gave him about joining a drama.
WhenThe Morning Showreturns for its second season, things are going to look a little different.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you come to joinThe Morning Show?
Hasan Minhaj and Reese Witherspoon on ‘The Morning Show’.Apple TV+
HASAN MINHAJ:It’s kind of a wild story.
It was the weekend of my sister’s wedding.
Are you a fan ofThe Morning Show?"
I said, “Of course, I loved season 1.”
Can you sing and dance?"
I was like, “Not really.”
You’re grading it entirely on effort alone.
So I thought to myself, let me lean into the circumstances.
How wouldMichael Strahanopen a segment where he’d have to sing or dance?
I asked my sister, “Will you read these sides with me?”
She’s like, “Are you insane?
We’re getting ready to go to my reception dinner, ask Mom.”
My mom was really into it.
We had to sing “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
We played the music off my iPhone while we were getting ready for the wedding.
I’m wearing my wedding suit.
And we put it on tape and I got cast.
So then on the actual day, what went into filming the number?
Did you have much rehearsal time?
I took it really seriously.
I was doing the body rolls in my room.
Because Reese is No.
1 on the call sheet.
She’s got like 50 things to do.
When she came in I was like, “Okay I’m going to teach you the steps.”
I’m singing and dancing with America’s sweetheart, I have to take this seriously.
She came in, we blocked it together.
The whole number was like three and a half minutes.
We also sang the song.
We had to go to the studio and lay down vocals.
There’s like this secretMorning ShowHasan Minhaj-Reese Witherspoon Christmas album that hasn’t come out yet.
Outside of this number, how was Eric described to you?
What made you want to take the role?
I just loved that he was coming in to shake things up on a well-established institution.
That’s what speaks to me.
I just love that I get to do scenes where I piss off both Reese Witherspoon and Jen Aniston.
It’s pretty cool.
Had you been looking to join a drama?
This seemed like a really fun world to play in, and the cast this season is just crazy.
It’s like I died and went to the bar at theGolden Globes.
Were you nervous at all?
Before I shot my scenes I calledChris Rock.
I was like, “Chris, I’m really nervous,” because he was doingFargo.
I go, “Chris, we’re out of our element here.”
And he’s like, “Listen, man, you already look like a news anchor.
You look like someone who should be telling me what the five-day forecast is.
Everybody else on that set actually has to act.
Reese Witherspoon has to act.
No disrespect, bro, but they’re movie stars.
They have to act.
I’m like, “You’re so right.”
Even if I mess this up completely, it will all look natural.
Funny enough, my first day or wardrobe I just brought in all my suits fromThe Daily Show.
I was like, “Just replicate these.”
