Late night legend David Letterman has a super-stacked line-up for the upcoming fourth season of his Netflix chat show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction… Most tantalizingly, the roster includes Will Smith, though the streamer was quick to shut down any suggestion that the Oscar-winning King Richard actor would be addressing his stage rush attack on comedian Chris Rock at this year’s Academy Awards.
“Smith’s episode was taped pre-Oscars, so it doesn’t address ‘the slap,” read a release announcing the season. The good news is that in addition to Smith, Letterman has lined up chats with Billie Eilish, Ryan Reynolds, Cardi B, Kevin Durant, and Julia-Louis Dreyfus. “All of Letterman’s guests welcome him to their homes with open arms, and Season 4 finds the late-night legend doing a little surf casting, making homemade pizzas and visiting Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential library,” the release continued . “The in-depth conversations find Letterman full of humor and curiosity as he quizzes guests about their lives, talents and creative processes.”
The Letterman series has been a triumphant third act for Letterman, who has embraced the long-form sit-downs mixed with some remote shoots format as he’s dug deep with everyone from former President Barack Obama, Jay-Z and Tina Fey in season 1 to deep-dives with Kanye West, Ellen DeGeneres and Tiffany Haddish in the second season and, on the pandemic-affected third season, Kim Kardashian, Dave Chappelle, Lizzo and Robert Downey Jr.
Smith has not spoken publicly since the March 27 incident, which resulted in a 10-year ban from him attending any Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences events; Smith also resigned from the Academy in the wake of the incident.
The new season of My Next Guest premieres on May 20.
Let’s get back to conversation. New season of My Next Guest drops May 20 on @Netflix. pic.twitter.com/s6MLcbnsdq
— David Letterman (@Letterman) May 5, 2022
