Roy Wood Jr. Photo: Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images
Plan B is really important — whether it’s physical autonomy or dealing with the fact that Comedy Central doesn’t want you as host of The Daily Show. Roy Wood Jr. knows this and is quitting his job as a correspondent on The Daily Show. Wood held the role for eight years but is now stepping down after not being offered the permanent host position. “I can’t come up with a Plan B while I’m still working on Plan A,” Wood said on NPR’s Oct. 5 Morning Edition. “The correspondent’s job… it’s not really one where you can juggle several things. I think eight years is a good run.” Wood added that he would still consider it if Comedy Central offered him the big job. “If at any point in your life you are presented with the opportunity to host The Daily Show, you need to stop for a moment and think about it,” he said.
Wood later took to social media to offer further thoughts on his “decision to move on.” Quoting TV executive Doug Herzog, Wood suggested that workplaces are rented rather than owned, writing, “At the end of the day, you’re just passing through, no matter how long you stay there,” he added in a notes app opinion that he is grateful to Trevor Noah, Paramount and Comedy Central for the various opportunities he was able to pursue his “comedic and political curiosities” during his tenure at The Daily Show. “I look forward to finding more ways to work with them in the future,” Wood concluded. “Until then, I’m excited to develop new ideas and see what the future holds for me in the shifting sands of late-night television, scripted comedy and whatever else the comedy gods have in store for me in 2024 and beyond , has ready.”
“They don’t own these jobs. You rent them. They are not yours. Ultimately, no matter how long you are there, you are just passing through” – Doug Herzog
Thank you very much. pic.twitter.com/YFuomUUdIe
— Roy Wood Jr. – Ex-Jedi (@roywoodjr) October 5, 2023
“Roy Wood Jr. is a comedic genius and a beloved teammate,” a Daily Show spokesperson said in a statement. “His insights and humor helped us make sense of the 2016 election, the pandemic and countless hours of Fox News. We thank him for his time with us and can’t wait to see what he does next.” Now that Wood has left The Daily Show, perhaps he should swap it for another high-drama show with a similar name – The Morning Show. Does he want to go to space?
This post has been updated.