Roy Wood Jr. is working it. The comedian, 44, has forged a stellar career that finds him guest-hosting “The Daily Show,” helming the Webby Awards, developing his own projects and now, appearing as the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Wood, who grew up in Birmingham, will command a national audience on Saturday, April 29, at the Washington Hilton in D.C. He’ll follow President Joe Biden on stage during the televised event, and Wood’s speech is certain to be closely watched by folks who follow politics and entertainment.

But first, Wood spent about 45 minutes on the phone with AL.com. The comedian — cordial, whip-smart, thoughtful and focused — answered every question on our list, assessing his “Daily Show” performance earlier this month, explaining his approach to the Correspondents’ Dinner, reflecting on his home state and more.

(The interview below has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Your week as guest host on “The Daily Show” is in the rearview mirror, and you’ve had some time to think about it. So, how did it go?

Roy Wood Jr: I’m happy with everything we did, right down to the two charity mentions. We had three charity mentions at the end of the show, and two of them were Alabama-based charities. Even, like, slipping that in — even the other one, which is something Desmond Meade does with his Florida group, that’s also something that’s kind of near and dear to my heart.

I’m happy with everything. I think in a weird way, Trump’s indictment created an atmosphere where I didn’t need to — it gave me less to think about, in terms of the jokes, and it took away some of the anxiety of doing it for the first time. It’s like, “OK, yeah, that helps.” But, you know, it definitely was a situation where I feel like, I can’t really identify anything that I wish I could have done better or different or whatever. A lot of it was just morning radio coming back to me. Great TV is radio.

If you had to give yourself a report card, what would your overall grade be?

Oh, now, see, don’t do that. I don’t think you’ll ever find a comedian who’ll ever give themselves more than a B+. Any comedian who ever said they did something perfect is delusional. They’re downright delusional. I think I’d give myself a B+ or A-. I’m sure my mom would give me a C, just because she’s my mom, and that’s how moms are.

Was your mom (Joyce Dugan Wood) backstage or in the studio audience?

No, my mom didn’t travel for the taping, because at Miles College, they’re right in the thick of getting ready for graduation and everything. It’s weird how so many of my career achievements just happen during the school year. I never have summertime milestones. So, you know, like even the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, it’s like, OK, I don’t even know if she can come to that, because that’s literally the week before graduation at Miles.

So your mom says, “Honey, I’m working.”

Yeah, it’s “Hey, the kids.” She’s been there 30 years, she can miss one … nope, she can’t. But showing her picture or whatever (on “The Daily Show”), I think that’s like, I don’t know, a nice little homage to her.

(See Wood acknowledge his mom, a longtime college administrator, in the video below.)

Alabama popped up quite a bit when you were hosting “The Daily Show.” Cory Booker came on and mentioned the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, you gave a boost to the Troy-Tutwiler Garden Program and more. When you were going into your “Daily Show” week, were you determined to include Alabama in the mix? Or did it just happen naturally?

No, I think, you have to remember that, for me, this is not just guest-hosting. I’m still introducing myself to an audience who doesn’t really know me. As a correspondent, you might know me, but you only know me as a silly person. So I think in that regard, it was important that I do a couple of things or say a couple of things that just, while in the course of conversation, also inform you of who I am and things I’m about.

You know, Cory, of course, I couldn’t predict that he was going to say the things he said, but yeah, making mention of things that people are doing in the state, or something that’s happening in the state, that’s cool. We’ll see if I can get another opportunity guest- hosting. We’ll see what happens that way.

The ultimate would be one day to try to get Kay Ivey on the show. But I know the default with somebody like Governor Ivey’s going to be, attack, attack, attack. But I think there’s a lot of good stuff that happens in the state, and I’d like to highlight it. I think there’s still a conversation to be had amongst powerful Southerners on the good things that happen in the South, and I still think the South, by and large, especially Alabama, is misrepresented on a national scale.

And so, a lot of what I try to do is to highlight people that are doing good in the state. And in this case with Governor Ivey, it’d be cool to have a conversation just about, what is the stuff you do that people aren’t mad about. And start a conversation there.

And not just with her, Bo Jackson would be a dope Alabamian to get on the show. Once we get closer to the Olympics again, I think there’s a conversation to be had with Vonetta Flowers, that we couldn’t have on (radio station) 95.7. You know, I have to wait for her to have the Winter Olympics.

If I got “The Daily Show,” my first week, if I could help it, would just be all guests from Alabama, just all up the line.

(See Roy Wood Jr. interview U.S. Sen Cory Booker on “The Daily Show” in the video below.)

You’ve been short-listed as the next full-time host of “The Daily Show,” now that Trevor Noah is gone. Are you sick of people asking: Do you want the job? You’ve answered that question several times.

I don’t think anybody reasonable should be turning down an opportunity to host a late-night television show, period. To me, the bigger question isn’t do I want to host it, it’s what would I do with it? What would be my creative evolution of the show? Craig Kilborn came, and it was something lighthearted and fun; Jon Stewart took it and made it serious and relevant, at times when it needed to be. Jon Stewart gave it gravitas, you know. Trevor Noah gave it an outsider’s perspective and then used a lot more sketch and social media as a vehicle for disseminating comedy.

I am not Jon Stewart; I’m not Trevor Noah. So what would my version of “The Daily Show” look like? And I think that’s the bigger question that I’m not yet prepared to answer, because if they do offer me the show, Lord knows I’m going to have that answer figured out. That I have to have figured out, for sure.

Can you tell us something you wouldn’t do with it?

I don’t know. I like the fact that we do a lot of sketches, I still like that we have correspondents. I just wish that there was a way, somehow — and maybe it’s just more man-on-the-street stuff — but I really enjoy the show when we’re talking to the voters and when we’re talking to the constituents. You know, that part of it is pretty funny. It’s hard to say, because, to me, so much of the show has to be based in how people get their comedy and how people get their news. The show is only as funny as it matches up with the way news is being delivered in the present day.

I think there would have to be a deep examination first: What are the popular avenues for people getting information? And it may always not just be cable news anymore. And just looking at what those outlets are, what those channels are, what those socials are, and then having something that matches that a little bit more.

Did the taping of “The Daily Show” go by fast for you — zoom! — as the host?

Yeah, the entire day goes by fast. I only checked my phone three times that day, and I probably only responded to two emails. From the time I walk in that door at 9 a.m., until 7 p.m. when I walk out that door, it’s just news, information … everything.

During your interviews with guests, did you have enough time? It felt like you were just getting started with Cory Booker or Cedric the Entertainer, and you had to cut if off because the show was over.

Yeah! Because we cut from 45 to 30, when Trevor left, we went back to 30 minutes, yeah.

(See Roy Wood Jr. interview Cedric the Entertainer on “The Daily Show” in the video below.)

Tell us about bringing Waffle House to feed “The Daily Show” staff when your week as guest host was done. Why did you want to do it, and why Waffle House?

You’d have to talk to my assistant, she’s the one who worked that magic.

I think Milo’s is going to be jealous: “What, Waffle House?”

Well, Milo’s doesn’t have a truck. You just can’t have a guy show up with hamburgers in a bag and carrying sweet tea on his back.

The Waffle House thing, it was kind of twofold. One, there was like, what’s my comfort food after a stressful gig? And when I was on the road, I would go to Waffle House if I had a big audition or a long night or whatever. That was like the scene in one of the “Avengers” movies, where at the end in New York City, they’re all eating shawarma in a trashed-out bodega or whatever. That used to be me, a lot, after a show night on the road. And I thought, OK, this seems fitting.

So we made some calls, and the Waffle House truck has never been this far north before, either. It was actually kind of a really secretive thing, because I didn’t want the truck to cause some sort of — I don’t want to say disturbance, but you know, Waffle House in New York, someone’s gonna notice. So the truck comes in, it’s laying low in Brooklyn, in a parking lot and everything. And then on the day, I was telling the staff, don’t post any of this to social media until the truck is gone. Because it’s not for the public, and the last thing you want is for the general public showing up, and then streets get blocked, and the truck has to leave.

I took it as a little thank you, because Trevor and I did the little Waffle House fight — the little fight in front of a Waffle House — and I know the corporation, that’s not something they really want to be known for. So I did it, and I just want to make sure that they know Trevor and I made a joke, but we’re still a fan. I remain a fan of the brand. So why not spend a little money and make sure that the staff becomes a fan of it, too? They were really nice; they brought a ton of merch and syrup and shirts. Oh, man, they hooked us up.

(See Roy Wood Jr. and Trevor Noah’s Waffle House brawl in the “Daily Show” video below.)

What was the staff reaction? Did they love it?

Over the moon. So many East Coasters in that building who literally never had Waffle House before. They just never had it.

Did you make any recommendations on what they should order?

No, we actually kept it to breakfast — pretty much all-star territory — all-stars, and for the vegans, the vegetarians, they could just go with pancakes and hash brown bar. We couldn’t bring the whole Waffle House menu, now, T-bones and patty melts, that’s just unreasonable.

So next up is the Correspondents’ Dinner. We bet that your dad, who was a broadcast journalist, would be proud. What do think your father’s reaction would have been?

I think my father would be riled up for me to cuss out everybody in the room. He would remove every joke from my speech, you know. My father, he’s just me without punch lines. Yeah, my dad dealt in undistilled truth. I am trying to give you a little bit of a joke or two as a chaser, with a shot of truth, you know, like a kicker. I don’t know, I’m sure he would be proud.

I think the question becomes: What is it that I have to say? I think that would be more of his thing. My mom, as well. Events like this, I know my mom’s clocking articulation and the point I’m making, more than comedy. Where I’m going to be is strictly: Please, Lord Jesus, let these people laugh.

To be the featured entertainer at the dinner has to be stressful. The world is watching, and tradition says you roast the president, but you don’t eviscerate him. Can you share any thoughts on what you’re going to say at the event?

The thing is, if people aren’t there, you can’t talk about them. Why? Why can’t I talk about people who aren’t there? I’m pretty sure Clarence Thomas isn’t going to be in attendance. Am I not to mention that he’s getting flown around the country like an Instagram model? We’re just going to ignore that a justice on literally the most powerful court in the country is just out here doing tequila shots? With people who don’t want anything in return. C’mon, man. There’s people bribing me, and I’m on Comedy Central. I get offered bribes every week.

You know we want to hear more about that. What are they bribing you with?

People try to give me money to mention their thing on TV. Or, “Hey, here’s my alcohol, can you make sure to have it in the background of your next …” Oh, yes, I’ll make sure, when I’m talking with this person about gun laws, that they know that your rosé is available. You know, everybody wants something.

So I don’t think of the Correspondents’ Dinner as the sole roast of the president anymore. I think it has evolved into what I believe it should be, which is an accountability session for our country’s lawmakers and media members. It is a comedic accountability session, to me. That’s what it’s gonna be. And that doesn’t just fall on the president. There’s a bunch of people in that room blocking the president from doing the stuff he wants to do. And there’s a lot of people in there, real choosy about what they choose to report on.

So I’m going to ignore all of that and do a bunch of “Joe Biden is old” jokes? No, thank you. That’s lazy.

Can you tell us about your process leading up to the dinner? Are you writing ideas on scraps of paper or recording ideas on your phone?

To me, the creative process is different from standup. What point am I trying to make? OK, now how do you make that point funny? And we just start there. You know, it becomes an issue of themes. You know, Donald Trump showed that country that we love — it’s not a coincidence that of all the documentaries on Netflix, so many of them are about scams and crime, stuff that people got away with and pulled off. We love a good scam in this country, so now, we transition from political culture to scam culture.

So some politicians are lying, or have false intentions, and people just don’t care, because so much of politics has gone from “What can I do for you?” to “How do I make you feel?” A politician with the ability to connect with someone emotionally, it really doesn’t matter what the policies are to most voters. Because you make them feel good. You make them feel inspired. So they’re not going to notice all of the other stuff that’s going on within your policymaking. People just don’t care. And that’s a really smooth scam to run. It’s not an easy thing to do.

Do you think of the Correspondents’ Dinner a super-important gig? Or important, sure, but just another link in the chain of your career?

I don’t think any comedian regards anything thinking that it’s more. Certain gigs require more preparation than others, so yeah, this is an important gig. But I don’t think sink or swim, for the rest of my career, is going to rest on this. The people who have done this, and done well, have gone on to, you know, been able to climb higher, push their career to a higher altitude. But I don’t think anyone’s crashed the car.

When I go back and look at the lineage of people, and the names that I’m following, they’ve all had, as far as I can tell, pretty good careers. So I don’t think you can look at this as more of a “You must do well this day, or else.” You have to treat it like a regular gig, or else the pressure becomes too much.

Worst come to worst, even if I suck, you know, everybody will just think I’m Anthony Anderson. If I suck, I’ll just tell everybody I’m Anthony Anderson and let him deal with it.

Can you handle a shallow fashion question? What are you wearing for the Correspondents’ Dinner?

I still don’t know what I’m going to wear. I’m still working with a stylist on that, figuring out the exact tuxedo and all of that. Trying to see if there’s room for a lapel pin of sorts.

Will you slip an Alabama reference into your speech?

Somewhere I’ll have to figure out an Alabama reference. It has to be more about what’s happening in Alabama, other than mumbling “Roll Tide” under my breath or something silly. Something more relevant than “Roll Tide.”

Maybe that’s how you start the speech: “First of all, Roll Tide!”

I’d be more likely to say “Go, Blazers!” I root for the underdog.

When the Correspondents’ Dinner is over, will you take a deep breath and go on vacation? Or are there other projects that need your attention right now?

No, there’s no vacation, there’s no resting. The dinner thing, and then on May 15, I’m hosting the Webby Awards, which is live-streamed in New York City, which is essentially the internet. It’s the Emmys for anything that’s broadcast on the internet. That’s a big deal, and that’ll be kind of the pressure release, because that show is a million percent silly. That show is properly silly. So that’s kind of where I am with things right now. Then I’m back on the road.

Anything else on the horizon that’s important?

In June, at some point, I’ll revisit my “Tribulations” show. I just did one a few weeks ago in LA. Anonymous audience members confess what they’re going through, and then, myself and another comedian, we break down the problems. And then a licensed therapist comes on stage and actually straightens us out.

We’ve had everything from people, you know, a 35-year-old divorcee trying to reset his life after 12 years of marriage, to people who are coping with the death of a parent and having to clean out their childhood home, which was like such a sense of finality to a part of your life. And then we also had a guy whose car was stolen by a one-legged man, and he knows where the man works, and should he go fight him?

The “Tribulations” show, that’s the one thing if I could really walk it back onto television, at some point, I would love to do that.

Some people think hosting a TV show is the apex for a comedian. But there are many ways to have a major career in comedy: Standup, sitcom, movies, podcasts, producing … like puzzle pieces you can put together. How do you see yourself assembling a career?

I’ve never thought about — like in baseball, when you’re running at first, you’re not thinking about second until you’re almost at first. This concept of circling the bags, like they say in baseball, you want to make sure your trajectory at first base, you run forward to base in such a way that your momentum is carrying you toward the next base. So as you’re approaching second, you start curving out to think about running to third, but you’re still prepared to stop.

But at no point when you’re running to second, are you thinking about getting to home plate, because you’re not even at third base yet. And so it’s just one base after the other in my career, so everything has been able to lead to the next thing and the next thing, and that’s been a blessing. But, you know, I’ve never really thought about the larger, bigger career I could take.

Even now, with “The Daily Show,” OK, if they don’t hire me this summer or this fall to host the show, all right, I have in my head what type of show I would like to host, so maybe I try and do that. I’m also blessed enough to have opportunities to self-film TV shows. So I may just go do that, and leave late-night television altogether. So it’s all things to think about and consider.

You’re on Twitter pretty regularly. It seems like a good outlet for comedy, with quick hits, quips and interactions with people. What if Twitter implodes and goes away? Do you care?

No, people are going to find somewhere else to congregate. People act like Twitter’s been around since the beginning of the telephone. It’s 10 years old. Twitter’s roughly the same age as the iPhone. So relax. Wherever will we get news? Well, do it the old way, we’ll go back to Craigslist as a family and reset. And then we’ll circle back.

If you watch: The White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be televised on C-SPAN on Saturday, April 29, at 7 p.m. CT.

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