Why Donald Glover Is Retiring Childish Gambino and More | The One with WSJ Magazine

Filming ‘Community’ - I've become a lot sweeter. Definitely, like a lot softer. I watched like "The Great Mouse Detective" at the beginning and I'm like (mimics crying) (Donald laughing) (cheerful music) - [Interviewer] What's the one role you'd like to redo and why? - I would like to redo Troy. - [Both] Troy and Abbot in the morning. - Not 'cause I would change anything. I was just like, it was just fun to do. - [Interviewer] You're revisiting him with "Community, the Movie". Is there one thing you're most excited for? - I'm most excited just to hang out with those guys again, really. I had so much fun on set and I really miss that kind of freedom. It's kinda like college, you have work to do but you're like, it's silly, it doesn't matter really. And that's how it kind of felt on "Community". We were dancing like no one was watching so it was really fun. Improv on set - [Interviewer] I know there was a lot of improv on that set. What's the best yes and you've ever done? - There was one time I just always remember I was like, oh this is a great second line. Someone was pretending to be like at a bar and like a beautiful woman and they were like, why don't you like buy me a drink? And I remember the first thing that came out of my mouth was like, 'cause I'm homeless (laughing) and the crowd was like laughing so hard. I was like, I can't really beat this second line. Like I was like, oh that's enough. Everybody was expecting one thing and we got such a good like ending where people were like, oh yeah, this is good. And I was like, that's enough. Sometimes you just gotta know when to end it. - [Interviewer] Do you have a trick for keeping a straight face? - The trick I use for keeping a straight face is usually I just think about the crew would being like, fuck is this. So we're out in the cold, you know like I usually just think about like all the people who would like to go home, but sometimes it doesn't matter and sometimes they're laughing too. Collaborating with your brother - [Interviewer] You also collaborate with your brother a lot, right? - I don't know if it's luck or what but like you know my brother is one of my favorite collaborators and it doesn't feel like work. We're like very similar people in a lot of ways. I'm named Donald after my dad. He's named Stephen after his brother who passed. He was like, you guys always had the relationship that we had before he died. So like it always feels really good to work with him 'cause it feels like we're honoring on some level, like a love story that got interrupted. - [Interviewer] It must be nice to work with someone who's seen you at every stage of your life. - Yeah, I think that's important. I think that's why we made sure that we had more than one kid. I feel bad for only kids just because I feel like, yeah, they get a lot more attention probably. But if you're like, is mom and dad crazy? And you have nobody to bounce that off with. Like you are like maybe, I don't know, are they? 'cause like that's what's helpful with brothers and sisters. They'll be like, no I remember that and this is what I remember and it helps. What your kids would say about you - [Interviewer] What's the one thing your kids would say about you? - I talk to myself a lot. I was at the grocery store with my son, my youngest, and I was talking to myself and he goes, what are you doing? It was like that "Fleabag" moment, but like, this is like season two where he is like, like, well where'd you go? - You just went somewhere. There. - I was like, oh, I was just talking to myself, is it annoying? And he said no. He's like, well it's weird and annoying. That's him in a nutshell. He is very truthful, in that sense, which is awesome. - [Interviewer] Is there one thing you wish you knew earlier about working with family? - I know there's bad things that come along with working with family and money and all this that they say you don't mix, but I have nothing to say other than like, I guess I'm just really lucky I get to work with like a best friend all the time and it's fun and when we hang out we work. Like that's the best part. It's like, well I'll go visit his like kids and like we'll hang out, but we end up talking about Lando and like breaking a story or something like that. Which is like, what else would you want to be able to hang out with your friend and be like, oh we're actually doing work too. Playing Lando in ‘Star Wars’ - [Interviewer] Is there one thing you wanna bring to Star Wars as Lando? - I just want it to be fun. Like, as a Star Wars fan myself, like I think it's important that there just needs to be more fun being had. It's very hard to have fun right now. It's tough because there are very serious things happening and those are the only things that connect us, weirdly. So I get why things are serious, but part of the human experience, I believe, is we have a responsibility to have enjoyment. And I just feel like we're lacking in that department. Star Wars, I love it but sometimes it be super serious. Sometimes it be like way too serious and it's like everything that has to do with the Skywalker is like so serious. Everything you've heard about me is true. Lando, I think the best part about him is he's a scoundrel, you know. And I feel like that people can relate to that and he's probably like, man, this war is like whack. I just, I need money, you know? Which I feel everyone can relate to. So, I want to just bring fun to Star Wars. I just want it to be fun. Filming ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ - [Interviewer] What's one relationship lesson you learned in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"? - Don't let a fear of a fight get in the way of, you know, a good thing. You're sitting underneath a shelter I made. I made this fire, I got you this fish. - I build shelter, food, fire, water. - Fights are part of things having a form. You need form in order for something to be beautiful. I get it. Like, you know, like who wants to fight? It's like uncomfortable. Be respectful but don't be afraid of it 'cause sometimes I think that makes it worse. - [Interviewer] You also cast your mom in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". Was she a natural in Hollywood? - I was very like impressed. Like, I actually feel really bad now 'cause like I didn't really run lines with her or anything like that. I was just like, here's the script, I'll see you on set. And she showed up and she knew her lines. I think over the years she's seen enough to know what's going on. When I first got started she was like, you know whose lines do you write, Alec Baldwins or Tracy Morgan? ‘Bando Stone & the New World’ - [Interviewer] What's the one way being a father has changed your work? - I'm a lot cleaner in my songs. (laughs) I don't curse as much. I think I've softened as far as like trying to like shock people to make them feel certain things. Yeah, my girl used to see the like my feed and be like, ugh. Like, how are you watching that? And I'd be like, oh it's fine. And now I can tear up at the drop of a hat now. Watch "Babe" or something and I'm like, okay, we gotta go to bed. Like, you know, that's just something that happens. - [Interviewer] You have a film paired with your album "Bando Stone & the New World". - Do know how to set a trap? (dramatic music) (animals growl) - I can sing. - You're useless. - [Interviewer] What's one survival skill you think everyone should learn? - I feel like knowing how to start fire is really, really helpful. Me and my wife have taken survival classes together. It's really fun. It's really cool to be able to make something from nothing. Also I watch a ton of "Naked and Afraid", so like, yeah, why don't they ever make shoes, guys? I don't know why they never make shoes first, but yeah, I know how to make shoes. Retiring Childish Gambino - [Interviewer] You're retiring Childish Gambino after this album. Was there one moment you realized you didn't need him anymore? - I think there was just a moment of like, I just don't want to have to do this. Me and fam always were like, oh this is a character that can die. He always talked about like the death of Superman and I like endings, too. So I was like, oh, that's a good way to like get rid of it. I just don't wanna be 55 doing "Bonfire". Not because I would hate it, but I would just be like, I just don't want to have to. I had that on like "30 Rock", where I was like, oh I don't want to have to do this. Even though I had a lot of fun there and I really liked that show and I really liked those people and I had a great time and I learned a ton. Yeah, that's life. - [Interviewer] What's one thing that distinguishes Childish Gambino from Donald Glover? - Childish Gambino has nothing to lose. Childish Gambino believes in first and last place and Don Glover believes in like fourth place, third place, fifth place. Criticism that has stuck with you - [Interviewer] Is there one piece of criticism that stuck with you? - Criticism-wise, I think we were doing a show at Berkeley, with Erykah Badu. I was really nervous 'cause it's Erykah Badu and then afterwards we're kind of talking and hanging out. She was like, so what are you, like what are you doing that you, you know, really love? I was like, right now I'm working on this album and I'm really nervous about it because like, I don't know how people can feel about it because I want people to understand this and I want people to kind of get this. And I was like, do you ever do that? And she's like, I make what I like and they eat it how they want to eat it. How they eat it, whether they eat it with a fork, fast or on the go or if they're sitting there listening to me. All that stuff changes it and that's not your concern. You make what you wanna make. And that definitely changed like my trajectory I think, from that point. That, and I can't remember like what her... Man. Do you remember her name, fam? Damn. Mary Clayton. (claps) - [Fam] Yeah. - She told me to sing. She said, I don't know about all this rapping stuff but sing and then she made me eat a fish sandwich she had already bitten into. Advice to younger self - [Interviewer] What's one piece of advice you would give to your younger self? - Simp hard for life. Like, you know, be a total simp and a total try-hard and like, you know, love that about yourself. (cheerful music)