New York, NY – September 9, 2024 – Headgum, the comedy podcast network behind shows such as We’re Here to Help with Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds, Senses Working Overtime with David Cross, Dead Eyes, and Newcomers with Lauren Lapkus & Nicole Byer, announces that Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live, Peacock’s Mr. Throwback), will join the network’s award-winning lineup of shows with her new podcast Thanks Dad. Additionally, ad sales for Thanks Dad will be through Gumball, the Headgum-owned marketplace for advertisers to buy host-read ads directly from podcasters.
Premiering September 9, Ego Nwodim invites guests to be her “Dad for the Day”—father figures including Bill Burr, her current ‘SNL’ castmates Kenan Thompson and Mikey Day, Tim Meadows, Adam Pally, Andy Cohen, among others—and has funny, heartfelt conversations with them about their experiences with their own dads and as parents themselves. Each episode wraps up with her getting practical advice from her guests such as how to get the best deal when buying a house, how to know you’ve found “the one,” and how to perfect your jump shot.
Inspiration for the show comes from Nwodim’s own lack of relationship with her father. “It doesn’t bother me the way movies and television want it to bother me, but I’m curious about it,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I recognize how much of my experience is a shared one, so I’d like to bring some awareness to that. But I also just love talking to people — I’m such a Pisces, and I love going deep immediately, like ‘Nice to meet you, tell me your greatest fear.’”
The first episode of Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim is available September 9th and features her Mr. Throwback co-star, Adam Pally. New episodes release every Monday and are available on all major podcast platforms. Upcoming guests this season include Kenan Thompson, Bill Burr, Ty Burrell, Hasan Minaj, Andy Cohen, Kyle Mooney, Tim Meadows, Harry Shum Jr., Mikey Day, Randall Park, Roy Wood Jr., Scott Aukerman, Paul Scheer, Kareem Rahma, Andy Dały, Matt Walsh, John Hodgman, and more.
About Ego:
Ego Nwodim is a celebrated actress, comedian, writer and producer, best known for her dynamic performances on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”. In 2021, Ego was recognized by Variety in their annual New York Women’s Impact Report as one of the women making an impact on the entertainment industry, prevailing under often challenging circumstances, and most recently celebrated by The Hollywood Reporter with a seat at the Off Script Roundtable and a spot on the cover featuring the most prominent female comedic talent of the time.
Ego can be seen in Peacock’s Mr. Throwback, where she stars as “Kimberly” opposite Stephen Curry and Adam Pally. The comedy series follows an unfortunate memorabilia salesman who hopes to find forgiveness by reconciling with NBA legend Steph Curry, a teammate from his sixth-grade years. The series is now streaming on Peacock.
In 2018, Ego joined the cast of SNL as a featured player and was promoted to a repertory player in 2020. Her standout performances and memorable characters have made her a fan favorite, earning her an NAACP Image Award nomination in 2024 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Her versatility as an actress and her ability to bring depth and humor to her roles have established her as a rising star in Hollywood. Her notable credits include the romantic comedy “Players” for Netflix opposite Gina Rodriguez and Damon Wayons, Jr, Lionsgate’s “Scrambled” which premiered at SXSW and received a SXSW Grand Jury Award, Narrative Feature nomination, Universal Pictures holiday comedy “Genie” for Peacock, starring Melissa McCarthy, the family adventure flick “Lyle Lyle Crocodile” alongside Javier Bardem, Constance Wu and Shawn Mendes for Columbia Pictures and the romantic comedy “Spin Me Round” for IFC Films, produced by the Duplass Brothers and starring Alison Brie. Ego also appears in the second season of HBO Max’s “Love Life,” the Apple TV anthology series “Roar,” and the fourth season of the HBO Max series “Miracle Workers.”
In addition to her work as an actor, producer and writer, Ego aims to help local Baltimore youth explore and embrace the possibilities of life via the Life Skills Improv Program in partnership with the Baltimore Curriculum Project in Fall 2023. Drawing from her own experience, when she first learned that improv was a professional path available to her, she and her brother Dr. Emeka Nwodim launched the first of several events between City Springs and The Center Stage to use improvisational theater and comedy as a tool to teach life skills. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Ego graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in biology before deciding to pursue a career in comedy. She honed her craft at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles, where she became a regular performer and quickly garnered attention for her sharp wit and unique comedic voice. After college, she was mainstage at the Upright Citizens Brigade. Her first ever one woman show, Great Black Women…And Then There’s Me, had a sold out run in 2017 at the UCB Theatre in Los Angeles.
Thanks Dad – Synopsis
Raised by a single mom, Ego Nwodim may have daddy issues, but she suspects you might too. On Thanks Dad, a new podcast from Headgum Studios, she invites guests to be her “Dad for the Day” and has funny, heartfelt conversations with them about their experiences with their own dads and as parents themselves. Each episode wraps up with her getting practical advice from her guests such as how to get the best deal when buying a house, how to know you’ve found “the one” and how to perfect your jump shot.
About Headgum
Headgum is an LA & NY-based podcast network creating premium podcasts with the funniest, most engaging voices in comedy to achieve one goal: Making our audience and ourselves laugh. The network produces hit shows such as Doughboys, Dead Eyes, Newcomers with Lauren Lapkus & Nicole Byer, We’re Here To Help with Jake Johnson & Gareth Reynolds, Senses Working Overtime with David Cross, and Not Another D&D Podcast.
About Gumball
Gumball is the marketplace for advertisers to buy host-read ads directly from podcasters. The platform enables advertisers to easily book impactful advertising campaigns through a modern and transparent buying process. It was created by the team at Headgum, an acclaimed podcast comedy centric podcast network established in 2015. To learn more about Gumball and the platform, visit https://gumball.fm.
Media Contacts: Marika Brownlee – marika@headgum.com
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