‘Mr. Throwback’ Star Ego Nwodim Says Steph Curry Was Off-Book Before She Was: “He’s Good At Everything”

With 6 successful seasons on Saturday Night Live under her belt, Ego Nwodim has established herself as one of comedy’s brightest stars. Looking to spread her wings beyond Studio 8H, Nwodim and her team were on the hunt for her next big project. Enter Mr. Throwback , created by David Caspe, Daniel Libman, Matthew Libman, the team behind the cult comedies Happy Endings and Champaign, ILL . The six-episode series centers on Danny Grossman ( Adam Pally ), a messy sports collectibles store owner who gets himself in trouble that only his childhood best friend Steph Curry (who plays himself) can get him out of. After the two reconnect, Danny tells a lie that soon spirals out of control.

Nwodim plays Kimberly, who was also best friends with Steph and Danny growing up and now runs the NBA superstar’s media company, Curry Up And Wait. One of the aspects of the role that Nwodim was most excited about was that Kimberly is based on a real person in Curry’s life: Tiffany Williams . “I’m getting to portray a real person, which is not something I’ve done in a narrative series yet,” said Nwodim. “Even though I didn’t get to meet her until we were knee deep in things, we’re sort of kindred spirits.”

Nwodim was “impressed” by Curry, who is “good at everything.” The four-time NBA Champion proved himself to be a formidable comedy presence. “Steph came in and was ready,” remembered Nwodim. “He was off book and I was like, ‘oh my goodness. Steph’s off book. I better get even more off book!'” With Pally (who also executive produced the series) in the mix as well, Nwodim said the trio’s chemistry was “really, really special.” “During filming, Steph, Adam and I discovered we are all Pisces,” said Nowdim. “I’m not crazy big into astrology, but maybe there’s something to that.”

Nwodim spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to talk about the project, working with series director/comedy legend David Wain, and breaking down Stephenomics.

DECIDER: Ego, I love you on SNL , but I have been dying to see you in a comedy series like Mr. Throwback . How did this all come together?

EGO NWODIM: I’m so excited. My manager sent me the pilot script for Mr. Throwback , and I took it with me to dinner for one at a bar. I was like, “I’m going to read this at dinner and really take my time.” I read so many sketches at SNL that I really wanted to slow down the script reading process and see if it was really going to click or sing to me. I think I was finished reading it in 20 minutes [laughs]. It was so good. I was laughing out loud at the bar by myself, and I was like, “okay, not only do I look like a loner, I also look like a lunatic.”

So I texted my manager that I wanted to be part of this. Let’s make it happen however we can make it happen. Luckily, the Libman brothers and David Caspe and Adam Pally were willing to have me. Kimberly is based on a woman named Tiffany Williams, who is a big part of Steph Curry’s life. She takes care of all things to make sure he stays on track. I’m actually getting to portray a real person, which is not something I’ve done in a narrative series yet.

‘Mr. Throwback’ Star/EP Adam Pally Reveals The “Humbling” Pointer Steph Curry’s Trainer Gave Him On His Jump Shot

Did you get to shadow Tiffany at all?

I didn’t get to shadow her beforehand because everything moved very quickly. We started shooting while I was still in season at SNL . There was a lot of going back and forth between Chicago and New York for me. I got to meet Tiffany once we started shooting, but not on set. I met her at a conference in Ojai. She was on set when we wrapped later that week in San Francisco. Steph did tell me after we met that he thought Tiffany and I were “eerily alike.” Even though I didn’t get to meet her until we were knee deep in things, we’re sort of kindred spirits.

I think by describing Danny, Kimberly describes the show perfectly: it’s a redemption story that’s also a train wreck. Do you think that’s accurate?

It’s accurate. It’s interesting because you see my character be pretty reticent about Danny Grossman’s return into Steph’s life. At some point, she softens to the idea. However, there’s also all this drama and catastrophe going on that she’s just not privy to. This show is taking you on one ride and then, at the same time, another ride is happening. She, if I may say so myself, did describe what’s going on pretty succinctly.

Some of the projects Kimberly is working on—the faith-based prank show with Steve Harvey, Teen Steph , the Danny documentary—are really wild. With big swings like these, do Kimberly and Danny have more in common than she realizes?

They do have similarities. The common denominator between Kimberly and Danny is Steph. They all grew up together. There’s a love there—or a love/hate thing—for better or worse. They both are trying to find their own way and their own voice while their best friend Stephan Curry has gone on to become this phenom. However, they’re both going about finding themselves quite differently. There is definitely something a little chaotic about both of them.

New Shows & Movies To Watch This Weekend: Netflix’s ‘The Umbrella Academy’ + More

I was really impressed by Steph Curry’s comedic chops as the resident golf pro on Holey Moley , but I didn’t know he had a performance in him like the one he gives in Mr. Throwback .

He’s good at everything. He’s a great golfer too.

Were you impressed by him, comedy-wise? Did you give him any guidance?

Steph came in and was ready. He was off book and I was like: “oh my goodness. Steph’s off book. I better get even more off book!” I was really impressed. I had done a sketch with Steph for the ESPYs two years ago that came together very, very quickly.He came in and was amazing right off the bat. I think the chemistry among Steph, Adam and myself is really, really special. I think that connection among the three of us helped the entire project feel more grounded. I did ask Steph if he had an acting coach, and he was like, “my kids.” His kids are really funny. I mean, Riley is a legend. It all made sense.

I know Adam Pally’s a big fan of yours, and it’s always nice to work with a fan. What was it like working with him?

It felt like we’d been working together for 15 years. Some people you just connect with. During filming, Steph, Adam and I discovered we are all Pisces. I’m not crazy big into astrology, but maybe there’s something to that. Anyways, Adam does an excellent job of making people on set feel welcome and important to the project. From day one of shooting with Adam, I felt like I was working with a friend who I’d worked with a million times over. He has such a warmth to him, which comes out in his performance as Danny. He’s such a generous performer. He wants you to score and shine. That’s conducive to a successful ensemble of any sort. Adam’s just got that juice.

CLICK HERE TO GET EMAILS FROM DECIDER

In Episode 3 “The Slump,” Kimberly compares Steph Curry to a small country with its chief export being “buckets.” What was like it filming the sequence where Kimberly breaks down Stephenomics?

Breaking down Stephenomics was as complicated as it looked. The Libman Brothers, Caspe and our director David Wain did such a good job of making it as easy as possible for me to get through that sequence. Part of the charm of that moment is going through it very quickly to show that Kimberly knows Stephenomics like the back of her hand. It needed to be delivered that way. The production put all the right safeguards in place and allowed us to cut at places and jump to others that made sense. There was some choreography with the whiteboard and writing the right thing. The continuity team was making sure I was starting in the right place on the whiteboard. I love those little challenges, those little dances. That’s exciting to me.

You mention David Wain, whose comedy legacy includes The State , Stella and Wet Hot American Summer. Is there anything that stood out to you about his directing style?

He comes prepared in a way that you expect all directors to come prepared. However, they don’t all come prepared [laughs]. I was so remarkably impressed with his working style. He would know exactly what he wanted and what he hoped to achieve, but he would allow us to play and do our thing. Then, he would offer ideas for us on how we might elevate a moment or just try a different texture in a scene. It was this perfect balance with him. He was in charge of the ship, but he still allowed us some freedom. He helped make this show special on so many levels.

How much of the show is scripted vs. improvised?

I have to sing the praises of the creators and David Wain. Everyone involved was game for improv. I’m so passionate about improv, in case that isn’t obvious [laughs]. It’s cool and very difficult to write a comedy show that’s actually funny, but the secret sauce oftentimes is improv. During filming, once we got the scene down as scripted and understood what the moment was supposed to be, we were truly able to play freely.

That’s part of what makes the show so strong. A lot of the funniest moments were improv’d on set but born of the script that the writers’ room provided. The writers, who did such a phenomenal job, were on set a lot of the time to help with alts. It was a remarkably collaborative process. Everyone got to bring the best of their skills to the table and pour them into every scene.

All 6 episodes of Mr. Throwback are available to stream on Peacock.

For more entertainment news and streaming recommendations, visit decider.com