After seven seasons, Ego Nwodim left Saturday Night Live last year. And while fans of the long-running series may have had to say goodbye to Lisa from Temecula, they can still get plenty of Nwodim: the 38-year-old comedian hosts the podcast Thanks Dad and is set to appear in Hulu’s upcoming series Not Suitable for Work and Netflix’s Little Brother.
Clearly, Nwodim is still putting herself—and her talent—out there. But she’s also being intentional about what she takes on, resisting the urge to say yes to every opportunity or weigh in on every conversation simply because her career has given her the platform to do so.
"I've learned that I get tired of my own voice and not in a self-deprecating or self-abusive kind of way. I'm just like, we don't need to hear you talk all the time," Nwodim says of what she's learned from podcasting on the latest episode of "Nice Talk."
Nwodim explains that this way of thinking extends outside of her podcast, too.
"Just because I've been given opportunities and people do ask me to show up places, doesn't mean that I should. Not because I'm like, 'I need to have a boundary'—though those are good, too. But namely, just because people will give me a microphone now and allow me to show up and talk, doesn't mean I need to. I don't have to comment on everything."
She's also aware that stepping aside could mean making "the room for someone else," because "someone else might have something better to say at the time."
When it came to leaving SNL, Nwodim, similarly, didn't want to be a "ball hog."
Reflecting on being part of the legacy of Black women on SNL—of which there have been very few—Nwodim says that she's "very grateful" that she got to "showcase some of [her] sensibilities.
"I definitely thought about representing for Black women on the show, and I was excited to do that and honored to do that. And leaving the show, I'm like, there are so many talented Black women out there who are so funny," she continues. "Someone else go play. I don't need to be a ball hog."
The Hoppers actor recognizes that not everyone will agree with this approach.
"Listen, it's a hard thing to get a job in this industry, and if you want to hold on to that ball, I respect it," she says. "I just know that I was like, oh, someone else can come play."
For more from Nwodim—including why she finds improv "meditative" and what she considered the best part of SNL—check out this week's installment of "Nice Talk." The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.