The Christmas-themed family comedy is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
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00:00 Christmas is love, right?
00:01 And love and family, and when those things come together,
00:05 you're really, really happy.
00:07 (dramatic music)
00:10 - I can explain.
00:14 - It's magic!
00:17 - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
00:20 - High stakes as neighbors compete
00:22 for best decorated house on the block.
00:24 - I think this is the house to be.
00:26 - It's magic!
00:28 - Wow.
00:29 - I'll see you on Christmas.
00:30 - Wish.
00:31 - I just wanna win this thing.
00:34 I'll take it.
00:38 - Hi, Ola, how are you?
00:40 - What's up?
00:41 - I'm good, how you guys doing today?
00:42 - Good.
00:43 - Good, man.
00:44 - It's a pleasure to be speaking with you today.
00:45 Eddie, so my first question's actually for you, my brother.
00:48 You've starred in several family-inspired films
00:51 throughout your career, the next, which is "Candy Cane Land."
00:53 Why do you feel as though you gravitated
00:55 to these family-friendly films,
00:57 and do you think fatherhood played a role
00:59 in those decisions?
01:00 - Well, I've always tried to do all different types
01:04 of movies, and I do think that being a dad pushed me
01:09 to wanna do different types, wanna make movies
01:13 that everybody could wanna go see,
01:15 'cause that's when I, around the time I started doing it.
01:18 But I've done it for years and years.
01:20 This was something that I was like,
01:21 yeah, I could bring my whole family to see.
01:23 And I hadn't done any, had never done a Christmas movie,
01:25 even though I've done family movies,
01:27 I'd never done a Christmas one.
01:28 - Well, we're definitely looking forward to it, man.
01:30 Reginald, so you and Eddie, y'all came together
01:34 over 30 years ago on "Boomerang."
01:35 Can you speak to me about your excitement
01:37 and being able to work with him again?
01:39 Why has it been so long since y'all got together?
01:41 - The gap in the years has been an ongoing crime.
01:44 I'm glad that that's over.
01:46 (Eddie laughs)
01:47 We had a great time doing "Boomerang" together,
01:50 and it's just like everything's gotta fall apart,
01:52 where, oh, here's the right script,
01:54 oh, we both like it, okay.
01:56 Everything's, all the pieces have to come together.
01:58 And it was weird 'cause, I mean, we would talk,
02:01 and Eddie would have ideas.
02:02 I'm like, that's fantastic.
02:04 And things would or wouldn't happen.
02:06 And this one, everything happened so fast and so easy.
02:11 It was like, well, clearly this is meant to be.
02:14 Mainly because I was dying to make a Christmas movie,
02:16 he wanted to make a Christmas movie.
02:18 We had the right script, and it was a go.
02:23 And it's odd 'cause when we did "Boomerang,"
02:25 they were like, okay, you have to make this movie.
02:28 Here's the release date.
02:30 You have to make this release date.
02:31 - Oh, interesting.
02:32 - So we had the same situation again,
02:34 where it's like, we wanna make this movie.
02:37 You have to make this release date.
02:39 Move fast.
02:40 I'm like, great, I can do that.
02:43 - So Tracy, for several seasons,
02:45 you were amazing on "Black-ish,"
02:47 and now you have the role of Carolyn in "Candy Cane Lane."
02:50 - Yep.
02:51 - How important has it been to reinforce
02:53 these positive reflections of black motherhood
02:55 and black families in your roles in our film and television?
02:58 - I just think it's important to reflect humanity
03:01 and what I see in the world that I live in,
03:04 the kinds of women that I see.
03:07 It's so funny, I remember,
03:08 this is not a flex, it's for a point,
03:10 but when I was nominated for the Emmy for the first time,
03:13 they said it had been 30 some odd years
03:15 since a black woman was nominated
03:16 as a lead actor in a comedy,
03:18 which is a failure on the industry's part
03:20 because as I look around, I see black women
03:23 that are the leads in their lives everywhere.
03:26 And so the roles that I choose,
03:30 whether they are on the page or not,
03:32 that's what I bring to it because it's who I am.
03:34 But I love, you know, someone asked me last night,
03:36 they're like, how can you be a mother of another family?
03:38 I was like, I'm an actor.
03:41 I can be a mother of many families, many children.
03:44 I have none in real life and I just harbor them on screen.
03:48 So this was a treat and a joy, and I really,
03:53 I enjoyed leaning in and then getting to work
03:55 with such a gift that is Eddie Murphy.
03:57 I mean, you guys know him the way I knew him
04:00 as this wonderful talent, and then you get to work with him
04:03 and what he is is a generous actor
04:05 who really is wonderful to work with.
04:07 And then, you know, joining a duo
04:10 that has made such brilliance as "Boomerang"
04:13 and then to come and sort of be a part of that was a joy.
04:16 I think we just have to continue sharing our humanity.
04:19 I know it's a shock to everyone.
04:22 For some reason, but this is who we are,
04:24 just wonderful people.
04:26 - And you know what's a shock?
04:27 Is when you play somebody's parent
04:30 and then you see them years later.
04:31 - Oh no, it's insane.
04:32 - And they're a grownup and it makes you feel really old.
04:34 - But it's happening right now.
04:35 I mean, I just finished "Black-ish" two years ago
04:37 and I ran into Marseille and I was just like,
04:40 what's happening?
04:41 Like, what is, like, when does this occur?
04:44 - And Yara, I played Yara's dad.
04:46 - Yes, you did. - She was just a little baby
04:47 and now she's a grown woman.
04:49 - Very strange.
04:50 - That was weird 'cause I did the pilot
04:51 for "Everybody Hates Chris"
04:53 and then I was producing this little indie movie
04:55 and the daughter is this, playing a kid in college.
04:58 I'm like, no, you can't watch.
05:01 - But it's really strange because when you're a kid,
05:04 10 years is the longest time.
05:05 So like, you know, we're adults or you're 20
05:07 and you're looking at a kid.
05:09 As you get older, 10 years is not a long time.
05:11 Like Eddie, you keep saying that you're a little older
05:14 than me, but we're in the same age range.
05:15 You know what I mean?
05:16 - But I've been doing this long enough
05:17 that I've had people with gray hair come up to me and say,
05:20 "Hey, you was my dad in that thing."
05:22 (laughing)
05:24 - I was your dad in what?
05:26 - Shut up!
05:27 (laughing)
05:28 Don't tell anybody.
05:29 - But that's a reoccurring thing,
05:31 the fact that like you've got a Dorian Gray thing happening.
05:34 Somewhere there is a portrait of you that is aging
05:37 because you do not age.
05:39 - Oh yeah, I do.
05:40 (laughing)
05:42 - But here's the thing, but again,
05:44 but I look at some of the earlier films
05:46 and there's no way to get away of saying this.
05:48 You look better now.
05:49 You're aging extraordinarily well.
05:52 - I think you just got used to me.
05:55 (laughing)
05:57 - I'm sorry, did you have another question?
06:00 - I wanna go back to you, Eddie.
06:02 You have a big family, 10 children, I believe.
06:06 - 10.
06:07 - Yes.
06:07 So what's your process like when you shop for Christmas?
06:10 (laughing)
06:12 So what's your process like when you're shopping
06:18 for Christmas gifts for your family and your children?
06:21 Like are you more hands-on?
06:22 Do you have a point person?
06:24 Like what's that process?
06:25 - Do you have a point person?
06:26 - We have a point person that does most of the shopping
06:28 and stuff and she gets all the,
06:31 Sharice does all the shopping.
06:33 - Okay.
06:33 - And she gets everybody's requests.
06:36 - They write their notes to Santa.
06:38 And then they say Santa.
06:40 - And I just pay for everything.
06:42 (laughing)
06:44 - And then on the inverse,
06:47 do you think you're easy or difficult to shop for?
06:50 - Oh, I'm for sure hard to shop for.
06:53 But I don't need gifts.
06:56 I'm such a specific person.
06:58 - See, I would get you like some type of olive treat
07:02 or something salty.
07:04 - That, you see, that'd be good.
07:06 Eddie listens.
07:07 The truth is I'm not a material person.
07:09 I get really charmed by the smallest little thing.
07:15 You could give me a rock and tell me, you know,
07:17 you found this rock and it reminded you of that time.
07:22 - So if somebody gave you an olive treat and they said,
07:26 and you know how--
07:26 (laughing)
07:28 - You know this is going wrong.
07:29 - You know I grew these olives.
07:31 (laughing)
07:32 That would really touch you.
07:33 - I would be so touched.
07:35 If you do that, I will not be touched.
07:38 (laughing)
07:39 Sharice.
07:40 (laughing)
07:42 I'm gonna put in a request.
07:44 It's not gonna be for an olive treat, okay?
07:46 (laughing)
07:48 - Reggie.
07:49 - Yes, sir.
07:50 - I know a question is asked for you.
07:51 Being at the helm of this soon to be classic film,
07:55 can you tell me what does the holiday season mean to you
07:58 and why is it so special?
07:59 - Now my daughter is in college.
08:02 She's a freshman.
08:03 Well, the house is one third, one quarter quieter now
08:06 and it's really disturbing.
08:07 You know, my wife openly mourns her loss,
08:10 which means I can't express any feelings.
08:12 - You guys can't both express feelings?
08:14 - No, no, no.
08:14 - That's not the way that works?
08:15 - No, 'cause then there's just a meltdown.
08:18 It doubles her feeling, right?
08:21 - Note to self for when I'm in marriage, please go.
08:23 - Right, so she was home for a week for Thanksgiving.
08:26 We were just so happy.
08:28 I was like, can I talk to her today?
08:31 How's it going?
08:32 (laughing)
08:33 And then she left, but now she's gonna be back
08:35 for like a month for Christmas.
08:37 And we're just so excited.
08:40 I remember you were talking about, you know,
08:42 your daughter coming back and how excited you were.
08:46 - Yeah, my 21 year old moved back in the house.
08:49 I've been, I was, so I've been happy all year.
08:52 - Right, and that's the thing.
08:54 Christmas is love, right?
08:56 And love and family.
08:57 And when those things come together,
08:59 you're really, really happy.
09:01 We love decorations.
09:03 I love Christmas music.
09:04 I have a nine hour Christmas playlist, all that stuff.
09:07 But it's family and love that really like,
09:10 yeah, this is Christmas.
09:12 - Slam dunk.
09:13 - Well, Tracy, Eddie, Reginald, thank you so much.
09:16 I really appreciate you.
09:18 I look forward to the family.
09:19 Thank you for your time.
09:20 - Thank you so much.
09:21 Happy holidays.
09:22 (upbeat music)
09:24 (upbeat music)
09:27 (upbeat music)