'The Daily Show's Jessica Williams Is About to Become the Rom-Com Star of Your Dreams
🙌


The upcoming People Places Things, about a single dad dating (and failing at dating), is a different kind of rom-com. The kind filled with more Real Talk than we've come to expect from the genre—thanks, in part, to its star Jessica Williams. (You recognize her as the force behind every The Daily Show clip you email your friends—see: "The Unborn Ultimatum." (opens in new tab)) Here, a quick, candid chat.
Marie Claire: Does People Places Things tap into any universal truths about dating?
Jessica Williams: The movie presents a relationship a bit more realistically: People can take their role in a break up and people can own up to their shortcomings and their strengths. Also, there's interracial dating in the film—my boyfriend is white, and my last couple boyfriends have been white just because that's the way the cards were dealt, but race wasn't really the huge crux of our relationship. In the film, interracial dating is allowed to just exist, as opposed to being a major plot point.
MC: Are you a rom-com fan?
JW: Yeah, definitely—I can take it in small doses. I didn't grow up fantasizing about rom-coms, realistically. (I love films where women kicked ass, like Tomb Raider.) But I can really sort of dig into it when I want. I've seen all of them: 27 Dresses, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days…
MC: Is there one that's your go-to guilty pleasure?
JW: I love Mandy Moore films—I really love How to Deal a lot. Anything that's a teenager-y sort of rom-com. Oh, and A Walk to Remember; I really vibed there.
MC: Dream role—go!
JW: Any sort of superhero thing. That way, I could use this six-foot-tall Amazonian figure that I was blessed with. Plus, I really want to kick some ass.
A version of this article appears in the August 2015 issue of Marie Claire on newsstands July 21.
As deputy editor, Jen oversees Cosmopolitan's daily digital editorial operations, editing and writing features, essays, news, and other content, in addition to editing the magazine's cover stories, astrology pages, and more. Previously, Jen was a senior editor at Marie Claire. Before that, she worked at GQ.
-
Lawmakers, Activists, and Allies Are Reacting With Fury to 'Roe' Being Overturned
Thousands are taking to Twitter to express their grief and anger.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich
-
These Linen Suits Are Summer Staples
Sophisticated but not stuffy.
By Sara Holzman
-
The Best Skincare Routine for Acne, According to Dermatologists
Every product to include in your morning and nighttime regimen.
By Samantha Holender
-
Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Fiancé Riley Roberts?
AOC's husband-to-be is an "easygoing redhead" who lives with her in D.C.
By Katherine J Igoe
-
68 Times the Kardashians Posed Fully Nude and Owned It
And we mean fully nude—as in, not a shred of clothing.
By Bianca Rodriguez
-
Who Is Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles's Fiancé and NFL Player?
"The easiest yes!" Simone wrote about the couple's engagement.
By The Editors
-
Surprise! Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas Are Parents
They welcomed a baby via surrogate.
By Neha Prakash
-
Meghan and Harry Share First Photo of Their Daughter Lilibet Diana
The Sussex's holiday card is here!
By Rachel Epstein
-
The 50 Best Celebrity Couple Halloween Costumes Ever
Honestly, we're impressed.
By Charlotte Chilton
-
Alicia Keys Gets What She Wants
With her jazzy new album, Keys, the singer stopped worrying about everything except what matters: Her own opinion.
By Jessica Herndon
-
Brooke Shields on Reinventing Yourself, Making Friends in Your 40s, and More
The actress and CEO shared inspiring advice during a panel at 'Marie Claire's' "Power Trip: Off the Grid" conference.
By Rachel Epstein