Jeff Ross is already thinking about who should face the roast stage next, following the success of The Roast of Kevin Hart.
During a recent interview, the longtime roastmaster shared several dream picks for future comedy specials, naming musicians among the celebrities he believes would make entertaining targets.
“A pop star or a rock star would be great. A rapper would be great. I could see Drake getting roasted and being a great one. One of my all-time favorite ideas is Stevie Wonder. I always say, ‘The Roast of Stevie Wonder: You’ve got to hear it to believe it.'”
Debuting on Netflix on May 10, The Roast of Kevin Hart is the finale of the Netflix Is a Joke Festival at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. It was a brutal, star-studded event where the comedian was in the hot seat while his pals Tom Brady, Dwayne Johnson, Chelsea Handler, Usher, and more took a swipe at his height, career, and personal life.
During Jeff Ross’ slot, he didn’t hold back on taking a dig at Kevin Hart’s late father and substance abuse, as well as his connection to Johnson.
“Your dad was a street hustler and addicted to crack cocaine. So, I guess being dependent on the Rock runs in your family.”
The roastmaster also made a Michael Jackson reference, drawing laughter from the audience.
“We’ve been friends a long time but the world first fell in love with you when Michael Jackson dangled you over that balcony.”
He took a pause, then declared:
“Tonight, live all over the world, we celebrate the crack baby that could. The preemie with a dreamy. The man who put the elf in Philadelphia. The great Eddie Smurfy.”
Jeff Ross reveals whose idea it was to bring in Katt Williams on The Roast of Kevin Hart
Following the star-studded event, Jeff Ross spoke to Variety, in which he revealed the joke that didn’t make it onto the show.
“One that I was saying all week that I wound up dropping was: Kevin, your dad sold crack, and you literally sell everything except crack. From his comedy to his tequila to his chain of vegan fast food restaurants, Kevin is always looking for new ways to make people throw up.”
When asked if there was any tension at the fete, Jeff Ross admitted:
“The only real tension I felt was when Katt Williams appeared out of nowhere and started going in on Kevin. Kevin definitely looked a little tense, like these guys may not have seen each other for a long time. But Kevin asked for the hatchet to be buried, and immediately the tension turned into celebration.”
Jeff Ross said that it was a “group brainstorm” that led to the decision of bringing in Katt Williams, with whom Hart had a years-long feud after the latter called him a “puppet” and accused him of stealing roles.
The Roast of Kevin Hart marked the end of their beef.
“Kevin is a great comic, but he’s also a really smart producer. He loves to follow the discomfort. If something is making him uncomfortable, it’s going to be great TV. I would say it was a group brainstorm of who would be a funny person to bring into this thing, and Katt Williams was game. He came out with a cape, like a villain, and he left like a friend.”
Edited by Gladys Altamarino