A version of this story about Nicole Byer first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine
There’s no such thing as being overworked if you’re Nicole Byer. But don’t worry, the comedian, television host, podcaster, guest judge, actress, voice actress, writer and executive producer, who is up for three Emmys this year, can somehow juggle it all.
“I can run on fumes,” Byer said during a break from filming one of her many projects. “I’ve been shooting two things concurrently — one is all night shoots, basically, and one is all 6 a.m. call times. Last week, there were two days where I wrapped at like 2 a.m. and then was back on set for a different thing at 6 a.m., and by the end of that, oh, boy, was I. Not. OK. That’s probably not healthy, but it will all get done.”
For the third year in a row, Byer received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition Series for the Netflix home baking show “Nailed It!,” which, as an EP, she’s also up for Outstanding Competition Program for the second time. And “Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo),” her Netflix comedy special, earned her a nom for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, which is especially meaningful.
“It’s hard to articulate, but so much work went into it,” she said of “BBW,” which she began work on before the pandemic and continually adjusted during lockdown, before testing the material on the road for months to perfect the set. “From top to bottom, I was just so proud of it. You put something out into the world and hope people like it, and to get the nomination was truly thrilling.”
“BBW” opens with Byer dancing around a stripper pole in a cheeseburger bikini (yes, her idea) before she hits the stage with a tight set that sees her addressing her dating and sex life, quoting Kelly Clarkson and finding similarities between the KKK and “Harry Potter.”
Similarly, on the set of “Nailed It!,” Byer has to spot comedic moments as they happen and come up with hilarious commentary on the spot. Byer serves as host and judge as some of America’s most not-great bakers try to copy a stunning culinary creation in cake, pie or even cookie form.
“If I think of something funny in the moment when I’m reading the prompter, I’ll say it,” she said. “But it is a lot of reacting in the moment and listening to what the contestants are saying, or listening to Jacques [Torres, pastry chef] and judge or the guest judges and reacting to it. I try to play, read the room, not be too harsh, and honestly, just have fun.”
Read more from the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue here.
