Chelsea Handler is standing with the WGA strike — “obviously.” The comedian told TheWrap as much during an interview promoting her “Little Big Bitch” comedy tour, which will see Handler headlining the the Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver on May 10 for SeriesFest.
“Obviously, I stand with the writers, absolutely, and the WGA,” Handler said. “It’s unfortunate that it has to come to this.”
To Handler, sharing profits and offering better deals to writers seems like an “obvious move” for large corporations that “make tons of money.”
“The trickle-down economics don’t necessarily work. So I think it’s the only fair thing to do, and hopefully it’ll be over sooner than later,” Handler said.
The actor and writer also spoke about potentially taking over “The Daily Show” after Trevor Noah left the late-night show in December. Comedy Central has since cycled through guest hosts on a weekly basis, with Handler hosting in February. Shortly after her stint on the late night staple, Handler told The Daily Beast’s “The Last Laugh” podcast that she loved “every aspect of it” and that she wanted to host again.
Handler confirmed to TheWrap that she’s still interested in taking over as host.
“It has been an ongoing conversation. There’s interest on my end, so I’ve let them know that aspect,” Handler said. “But nothing to speak of, there’s nothing to report. I’m definitely interested. I like that job.”
Handler’s resume certainly makes her an ideal choice to take over “The Daily Show.” From 2007 to 2014, the comedian hosted the talk show “Chelsea Lately” on E! Often composed of a monologue followed by a roundtable discussion with guests, the series gained a cult following partially due to its good eye for rising comedy talent. Fortune Feimster, Dany Levy, Ali Wong and Whitney Cummings were all regulars on the series years before they headlined their own projects. After “Chelsea Lately,” Handler hosted another talk show for Netflix — the short-lived “Chelsea.” She also starred in a four-part docuseries for the streamer, titled “Chelsea Does.”
Chances are also high that Handler may be high on the “The Daily Show” list for permanent hosts. In an expansive interview with Paramount president of entertainment Chris McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Paramount head has a short list of “Daily Show” replacements, which includes three guests hosts. “Two people came in and exceeded my expectations, but I had high expectations, and then somebody else just blew me away,” McCarthy said. The executive, who will be relying on input from showrunner Jen Flanz, plans on waiting until late spring before announcing his decision.
For all of TheWrap’s WGA strike coverage, click here.
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