Kym Whitley on Marla Gibbs Saving Her on Set, Getting Bruised on Next Friday, and Why She Owes Her Career to Gerald Levert

Join the Inner Circle.  Crazy Crew, it’s time to level up. Get closer to the show, unlock exclusive content, and stay connected with us beyond the mic. Tap in below: - Join On YouTube Memberships: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/youtubemembers - Join On Patreon: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/patreon - Subscribe to Email & SMS: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/jointhewesoundcrazy-emailandsms Listen on your favorite podcast service: https://pods.to/wesoundcrazy Stream songs from the episode on our official We Sound Crazy playlists: https://lnkfi.re/8I8Drkfz The We Sound Crazy family rolls out the red carpet this week for the one and only Kym Whitley: actress, comedian, podcast host, and certified scene-stealer whose career has touched four decades of unforgettable film and television. Joining hosts Philionaire, Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony of Louis York, and Tamone Bacon, Kym pulls back the curtain on a Cleveland-to-Hollywood journey built on fearless hustle, hard-won mentorship, and a refusal to ever let the business turn her cold.The conversation winds through her earliest brushes with stardom, starting with the 1994 Pringles commercial that she famously lip-synced, the trailblazing Oh Drama! talk show that quietly set the template for every female-led panel that followed, and an iconic Parkers run alongside Mo'Nique that lit a fire under her own work ethic. Kym opens up about the wild-child energy that powered her onto a Soul Train taping on Gerald Levert's dime, into the 227 studio audience without a ticket, and into a fateful encounter with Marla Gibbs that turned a green Cleveland girl into a working actress overnight. The story of Marla pulling her into a closet on set to protect her during her power struggle with Jackie Harry is one for the books, and Kym tells every drop of it.From there, it's pure tea. Kym revisits the Next Friday slap from DC Curry that left her bruised and bleeding because no one told her she could speak up, the dominatrix scene she didn't realize was being filmed in full, the Curb Your Enthusiasm improv prep sessions with Katt Williams, Buddy Lewis, and Dave Kirchner, and the lifelong sisterhood with Sherri Shepherd that powers their NAACP Image Award winning podcast Two Funny Mamas. She shouts out the upcoming Two Funny Mamas live show at Detroit's Soundboard on Mother's Day weekend, drops gems on the late great Gerald Levert, and reflects on why the older she gets, the more profoundly grateful she is for the mentors who didn't have to put her on but did.Kym also sits in for a lively celebrity Kim showdown (pitting Lil Kim, Kim Kardashian, Kim Burrell, and Kim Fields head-to-head), helps the crew crown the legendary Marla Gibbs with this week's Esther Rolle Award of Black Excellence (The ERBE), and leaves us with what might be the unofficial Kym Whitley life motto: "You don't learn unless you ask." Now without further ado, hit that play button and jump into this episode! We Sound Crazy is your backstage pass to all things music and culture. Special thanks to our We Sound Crazy team!  Director: Malachi Fuller Director of Photography: Neither Camera Op: Andrew Meyers, Derek Reed, Malachi Fuller, Neither Gaffer: Tyler Holmes Set Design: Gina Dorsey Producer/A2: Jerel Duren Editor: Hyyer Creative Producer:  Lamont Baldwin, Aaron Walton Show Producer/Remixer: Michael "Roux" Johnson Assistant: Brittany Guydon Talent Producer: Micha "ML6" Logan Photography: Kirk McClain   PA: Keylon Hall, Jonaye Anderson, Ryan Lee  Thank you to all of our listeners and watchers! Special thanks to Kym Whitley! Subscribe to We Sound Crazy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your favorite podcast. Follow We Sound Crazy on Social Media:  ~ Facebook: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/wscfacebook ~ Instagram: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/wscinstagram ~ Twitter: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/wsctwitter ~ TikTok: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/wsctiktok Subscribe to We Sound Crazy on YouTube: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/wscyoutube-subscribe Visit the official We Sound Crazy website: https://wesoundcrazy.ffm.to/officialwebsite #WeSoundCrazy #KymWhitley  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices