Like many celebrities, Tiffany Haddish experiences some crazy fan encounters from time to time. But the actress says one particular interaction stands out among the rest.
“My craziest fan encounter was when a woman drove all the way from Chicago, came to my house and started rapping into my Ring camera,” Haddish, 44, reveals exclusively in her 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “She said God told her that I could make her music career happen.”
While, unsurprisingly, that impromptu front door audition didn’t land the fan her big break, Haddish approached the situation with her characteristic sense of humor.
“I almost posted it, and then I was like, ‘No, because it’s going to bring more people to my Ring camera,’” she joked.
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With a career in comedy spanning decades, Haddish cites Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy as two of her role models in the industry. She discusses the history of Black comedy as a cohost (along with Chris Spencer and Ryan Davis) on Vice TV’s new series Black Comedy in America — including the legendary Marla Gibbs, whom she interviewed on the show.
“Black comedy has positively influenced our culture by showing people what it is like to be Black in America through humor,” Haddish told Us of the show, which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Vice TV. “Marla Gibbs is the first person I know who went from working for an airline to a star, and I am excited because I am talking with a person who helped lay down the blueprint.”
For more fun, personal facts from Haddish — including her surprising celebrity crush — keep scrolling:
1. I do rhythmic dance with ribbons, like I’m in gymnastics.
2. My celebrity crush growing up was Jaleel White — Steve Urkel, in particular. [White] came by my house once and the little girl in me was like, “Take him down now, nobody’s here.”
Jaleel White as Steve Urkel in ‘Family Matters’ ABC
3. My first car was a red, two-door 1995 Geo Metro.
4. I’m a mechanic and working on my 2012 Volkswagen Eos.
5. The most famous people in my phone book are Mariah Carey, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Queen Latifah and Will Smith.
6. My most starstruck moment was when I met Mayim Bialik on Celebrity Squares. I started to cry and I couldn’t stop. I was a huge fan of Blossom. I made the hat, wore the outfits. I mean, the stuff she was dealing with on the show I was dealing with too.
Mayim Bialik on ‘Blossom’ NBC
7. I would love to be a sex education teacher.
8. My favorite movie is Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
9. My favorite book is Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life.
10. My first official job was as an energy producer for bar and bat mitzvahs. I was 16.
11. My go-to fast-food order is Mel’s Fish Shack: red snapper, shrimp, collard greens, potato salad and crab seafood soup.
12. I love to collect teacups and tea sets.
13. Every time I hear Uncle Luke’s “It’s Your Birthday” I can’t help but smile. It’s such an inappropriate song, but baby, everytime I hear it I can’t help but smile and feel all this joy and freedom. It reminds me of getting a little freedom [when] my grandmother had custody of me. My friend had a car and we’d go to teenage parties and dance all night. We would dance from 8:00 to 2:00 in the morning, literally just drinking water or Sprite. I would get my hair done early in the day, have a beautiful silk press, and by the end of the night, I would have a full-blown afro and be so sweaty. I was so happy.
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14. To get into the zone to write, I play Hz tone music for theta activation so I can tap into my memories and share them in an entertaining way.
15. My fondest childhood memory is my grandma taking me to the L.A. County Fair without my siblings. One-on-one time with my granny.
16. The proudest moment of my career was when I did stand-up on The Arsenio Hall Show. I felt like I made it and I was so proud of myself. So many more accomplishments since then, but that right there was the big one.
17. In the past, my favorite karaoke song to sing was “Proud Mary,” but lately, it’s been “One Way or Another.”
18. My favorite place to vacation is Bermuda.
19. My best subject in school was drama — and that worked out well.
20. The comedians I looked up to when I was growing up were Carol Burnett, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.
21. My favorite workout is Pure Barre. It entails stretching, leg lifting, pushups, squatting on your tippy toes and little movements that are very painful.
22. My favorite meal to cook is gumbo. I’m the best at it, and ever since I started making money, I’ve been putting lobster tails in there.
23. My craziest fan encounter was when a woman drove all the way from Chicago, came to my house and started rapping into my Ring camera. She said God told her that I could make her music career happen.
24. YouTube is the one app I use the most. If I haven’t done something in a long time, I’ll watch a YouTube video and make sure I’m doing [it] right.
25. My favorite way to spend the weekend is on the couch watching old-school cartoons, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
