Tommy Davidson made a name for himself on the ’90s hit TV show “In Living Color.” The show introduced Davidson to a national audience and allowed him to prove himself to be one of the top comedians in the country.
He has since appeared in several films and currently serves as the voice of Cream Corn on Cartoon Network’s new series, “Black Dynamite.”
While on a stand-up comedy tour, Davidson sat down with rolling out magazine to discuss the new show and the possible return of “In Living Color.”
“Black Dynamite” has developed a cult following after only four weeks on the Cartoon Network. How did the cartoon come about?
It’s an adaptation of the movie. The movie got good feedback, but it wasn’t in many theaters. That’s another story, but you can’t stop something that’s good. We decided to animate it and it was picked up by Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. I watch it and it’s amazing to hear the feedback that we are getting.
The Michael Jackson episode was hilarious. For those who didn’t see it, can you give a brief synopsis?
My character, Cream Corn, saves little Michael Jackson’s life at Soul Train. However, Michael Jackson is an alien. He’s cruel and pimp slapping people. Black Dynamite comes and kicks a–. Michael Jackson changes his life and decides to save the children.
Did you get any flack from Michael Jackson’s fans?
I didn’t get any flack. It’s just comedy. I respect Michael Jackson and his family tremendously. I wouldn’t be doing comedy if it wasn’t for him. But it was just a spoof and America is use to spoofs.
‘In Living Color’ helped to launch the careers of so many great comedians. What was it like to be a part of that show?
In the early ’90s, a lot of talent came to Hollywood. But 10 years before that, Keenen Ivory Wayans and Robert Townsend laid the groundwork. It was a renaissance for comedians in Los Angeles. Kennen put us all together and it worked. It was a tremendous opportunity.
There were rumors that the show would be returning. Can you clarify what’s really happening with the show?
Kennen called me and he wants to do another show. But the business is so complex that we just have to wait until it gets done. I wish it could get done because I would love to get that type of comedy back to everybody. But you can go on YouTube and still see our stuff and what we’ve done. So the proof is in the pudding.
