The Rebirth of Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson is back in the field. Only this time, the veteran actor and comedian is running the show and calling the plays. It's a late morning in August, and Davidson is gushing about The Varnell Hill Show , the new TV series centered around his scene-stealing foil to Martin Payne on Martin Lawrence's iconic Martin sitcom.
Billed as a workplace comedy, The Varnell Hill Show marks Davidson's first turn as a bona fide leading man. He's largely starred in buddy comedies and ensemble projects over the past few decades, but is taking on a starring role in the series, which premieres Sept. 1 exclusively on Paramount+.
"I've been on television shows and movies my entire career, but I haven't singularly starred in anything since Strictly Business ," said Davidson, whose credits include roles in In Living Color , Bamboozled, Booty Call, and The Proud Family .
Famously appearing as TV talk-show host Varnell Hill on the second season of Martin , Davidson's character was first introduced on the series' "Hollywood Swinging" episode. Hill, a former WZUP deejay and radio personality, upstages Martin during a homecoming visit to Detroit, motivating Payne to quit his job to pursue his own career in Hollywood.
Davidson teases that Lawrence will make recurring cameos on the series, suggesting that the tables have now turned between the rivals, as the series is set in the present day and accounts for Lawrence's own star power.
"The tables have turned now because Martin's back. He's got a movie career. He's got all these things going, and it's a whole different situation. He's got his own show. Martin shows up in multiple characters. I'll put it this way, and this will get you excited: It's like In Living Color meets Martin meets Arsenio Hall."
Davidson reveals that Lawrence, who is on board as an executive producer of The Varnell Hill Show , came on board at the suggestion of hip-hop legend Christopher "Kid" Reid of Kid 'n Play. Reid famously appeared on the first season of Martin . "Kid called me one night," Davidson recalls. "He said, 'Hey man, Jimmy Fallon and the other Jimmys, the late-night talk show host said they ain't got no fly talent on there.' It's like, how are we going to get our people in there and turn the stuff out?"
He said, "I got an idea, man. Why don't you call Martin and ask him, 'Why don't we put Varnell Hill on late-night? That way we can spin off all the people that we want on there, and it's a show.'" I called Martin, and Martin said, "Yeah, that'll work."
Tommy Davidson attends Los Angeles Premiere Of Amazon MGM Studios "This Is Me…Now: A Love Story" at Dolby Theatre on February 13, 2024 in Hollywood, California.
According to Davidson, the opportunity to work with Lawrence, a fellow DMV representative, was first presented "several years" ago, but was the product of divine timing. "Martin and I knew each other from back home in D.C.," he said of his longtime contemporary. "We both moved to L.A. around the same time. I got my show, and he got his show. I got my movie Strictly Business , he got Do the Right Thing . We've basically been on a parallel [journey] for all those years. Now we finally have a chance to work together. Did you miss me?"
In addition to Lawrence, Martin writer Bentley Kyle Evans also joins the fold, alongside fellow The Varnell Hill Show executive producers Davidson, Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, Stacy Lyles, Mark Greenberg, Robert Lawrence, Andrew Horne, and Rae Proctor. Main cast members include Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Chris Williams, and Emmanuel Hudson, with special appearances by October London, Ms. Pat, Deon Cole, Mike Epps, Damon Wayans, Yo-Yo, Omarion, Kirk Franklin. Doug E. Fresh, and more.
Running eight episodes, Davidson teases that The Varnell Hill Show 's first season will be an experience like no other, giving viewers a mix of comedic bits, interviews, and live performances.
"They haven't seen that before," he says of the series' premise. "It's a day in the life of the show, and then at night, it's a real talk show. Imagine that. They're going to get some of the stuff that the audience in the '90s got spoiled by because we had no limits at all. None. They're going to get an opportunity to laugh like they never really laughed."
Davidson continued, pointing to his longevity and recapturing the magic he's built alongside legends and sharing it with a new generation of viewers. "I'm one of those people who's gone through all those eras, " he said, referencing his '90s heyday. "I've worked with everybody, Tupac, Snoop [Dogg], whoever. You name them. Now, they're going to get exposure to that at the same time."
Tommy Davidson attends 2025 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Despite his strong resume and reputation as one of the greater comedic talents of his generation, Davidson remains unsung in certain regards. He himself admits that he's yet to take the reins in the capacity he has while creating The Varnell Hill Show . The veteran comic likens the creative control he's been granted to a second-string quarterback being entrusted to lead the team.
"It was an opportunity to finally have my own TV show," the 62-year-old says. "For me to be behind the helm, it's pretty much like a quarterback finally getting a start. I'm like Michael Vick; I can run, pass, whatever you want. That's the difference, and it blew me away. It blew me away from day one. I've always been a team player on anything I do, so it's an opportunity for me to have my own team and to have the attitude that we're all in this together and our success is unified. That's what makes me happiest."
With nearly four decades of dues paid, Tommy Davidson remains optimistic about the road ahead. He concurs when asked if he compares this stage of his career to a rebirth or second coming.
"In a way, it does," he says. "But when your time comes, your time comes. It was just one of those things where I've always worked hard, and I've worked hard to work hard. I've always been focused on exactly what I'm focused on. If you take the eight years that Michael Jordan wasn't winning, and then he finally got on a streak, that's what it's about. It's about [the] work creating work for you."
More from VIBE.com
Best of VIBE.com
Sign up for Vibe's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
