Ego Nwodim
The One-Woman Wonder
Today’s episode is with the amazing comedian and actress, Ego Nwodim. Known for seven seasons on Saturday Night Live, where she created an indelible gallery of original characters, Ego is now stepping into a new chapter on her own terms. This episode is about the slower, less visible journey underneath her impressive résumé: the role Ego’s immigrant mother played in shaping her belief in herself, what comedy taught her about releasing perfectionism, and what it actually feels like to step off the ride after seven years and finally exhale.
Tune in for a meditation on creative courage, the art of not thinking, and why learning to enjoy an unpredictable journey might be the most valuable thing time can teach you.
Fig. 01 — From the episode archive
Guest Questionnaire
The Questionnaire
- Favorite work of art?
- Shelter by Danielle McKinney
- Favorite quote or mantra?
- “And you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.”
- Favorite book of yours?
- The Four Agreements
- Favorite time of day?
- Late at night when it seems the world is asleep
- Favorite movie?
- Man on Fire
- Album or musical artist you have on repeat?
- Trying Times by James Blake
- Favorite type of tree, plant, or flower?
- Cherry blossom
Three Questions on Time
Take Your Time Back
If everything on your calendar tomorrow was canceled, what would you do?
Watch Beef season two. I’ve never answered a question faster in my life. Also, it would have been nice to get a massage.
Time is the only thing you can’t fake. What’s something you could have only learned over time?
To enjoy the journey. When I look back and I think about some of my fondest memories in life, they are when I was in the grind. Really enjoying the fact that I have the space to be on a journey that’s unpredictable as opposed to resenting the journey. It’s something that’s taken me a long time to learn, and I’m still learning.
When does time stand still for you?
When I’m eating. Sometimes when I am eating something so delicious the chef has created, I am just like — I kid you not, this is God. The Bible says taste and see that the Lord is good. Sometimes I am like, yes, this is God right here, right now. The creativity it required, the care. This was made with love and I taste it and nothing matters.
From the Episode
Show Notes
In This Episode
- 0:00Intro & welcome to Take Your Time
- 0:15Introducing Ego Nwodim
- 1:08Three deep breaths segment
- 6:47How Dianna & Ego met as NYC neighbors
- 7:56Were we both waiting in line for our big breaks?
- 8:51COVID hits: Ego decides to hunker down in New York
- 18:58“I’m funny?” — discovering comedy through a roommate
- 19:03The path to improv & UCB’s “don’t think” philosophy
- 20:16Ego’s one-woman show: “Great Black Women and Then There’s Me”
- 22:46Finding the title first, building the show around it
- 28:10Siblings, growing up in Baltimore & family as first audience
- 32:20Ego’s Nigerian immigrant mom: “She’s following her heart”
- 43:027 years on SNL — the shift after leaving
- 46:05Marathon, not a sprint — running a half marathon & what it taught her
- 57:48What Ego is working on now (Netflix Little Brother, NSFW, Thanks Dad)
- 1:01:45Thanks Dad podcast & winning a Webby Award
- 1:05:14Take Your Time Back segment
In Her Words
- “I like to do things that make me uncomfortable. I also kind of like to be bad at things no one’s expecting me to be good at.”
- “As long as you’re having fun doing something — follow the fun.”
- “[Doing comedy] requires just being willing to play in its highest form without judgment.”
- “Because my industry is so not linear, you have to reignite that passion time and time again.”
- “Sometimes the thing you need most is rest.”
- “People see the moment and don’t see the work. There’s usually a story, and that story is kind of messy. It does take time. So take your time. We’re in a marathon, not a sprint.”
- “The belief I have in myself is just sort of ingrained in my upbringing. My mom was so big on speaking life to us.”
Mentioned in the Episode
Follow Along
Ego on Instagram: @eggyboom
Dianna on Instagram: @diannacohen
Take Your Time on Instagram, TikTok and Substack
