Tommy Davidson Says He Could ‘Always’ Return to ‘Poppa’s House’

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Poppa’s House Season 1 Episode 10, “Elevator Friend.”]

In Living Color stars Damon Wayans and Tommy Davidson played men who didn’t get along in the Poppa’s House February 3 episode, an episode that also saw a similar struggle (and another TV reunion) with Damon Wayans Jr. and Lamorne Morris of New Girl. In real life, these four are close friends. But does Wayans’ Poppa and Davidson’s Jarnold not hitting it off in “Elevator Friend” mean that Davidson’s guest spot was a one-time gig? The short answer is no.

Davidson debuted as Jarnold, a previously anonymous worker in Poppa’s (Wayans Sr.) old office building. They only interacted in elevators when playing pranks on other workers. After Poppa’s best (and only) friend died, he went back to the office to find Jarnold and ask if he was interested in getting to know each other. Davidson’s character was anxious but scrappy, ultimately deciding to see if there was a friendship to be found with Poppa. The men couldn’t be more different, but they got into some funny antics that let the sketch comedy experts show of their comedic duo skills.

There’s “always” a chance that The Proud Family star could come back to cut it up with his longtime friend on Poppa’s House, Davidson tells TV Insider, “because I’m good at what I do and my strongest point is that I know how to add something to something good. I can go in and make something good better. And I’ll ask you how. You don’t have to tell me. I’ll ask you, and then what you ask I’ll do. It’s just straight service work.”

One thing he was asked to do was come up with some quirks for Jarnold. The Poppa’s House creative team, which includes writer/director/producer Kim Wayans and writer/producer Shawn Wayans (both In Living Color alums), asked Davidson to do some improvising for Jarnold knowing he could be trusted to make something good. “They gave me that room,” he says, noting that it’s been 15 years since he felt perfectly “fulfilled” by an acting job.

“I finally walked onto the set with people who know what I do, and so I felt fulfilled,” Davidson shares. “It’s frustrating leaving somewhere knowing you could have done a better job.”

Robert Voets / CBS

The CBS comedy knew they wanted Davidson’s specific style of humor for this role. Once he was on set, they let him play. Jarnold’s nervous ticks gave Davidson the chance to throw more physical comedy into his scenes (which were primarily shared with Wayans Sr., but he did get to connect with Jr. and Morris during filming — more on that below). Davidson raves that when you work with the Wayans, they give you “the right sidewalk to walk on, no cracks.”

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“I just took what they said about him and brought it to life, and I got a lot of suggestions from Kim Wayans and Shawn Wayans who just brought a lot of the stuff back that I used to do” on In Living Color, Davidson explains. “‘Why don’t you give him a tick? Why don’t you do some of that stuff you do with your mouth? Add that to him.'”

Being back on set with the Wayans — and being on a well-run comedy ship like the one he says they lead — wasn’t like riding a bike, Davidson says. He has a better metaphor for the feeling. “It’s like a Ferrari, man. You turn the key, you can hear [the engine revving]. I’m ready to go,” he says. “It was a great opportunity for that.” He was still “nervous as hell,” the actor admits. “I just really wanted to do a good job for them. I wanted to give them everything I had.”

Davidson and Wayans Sr. are the seasoned pros with many years onscreen under their belts, but Wayans Jr. and Morris are getting to that point as well. Davidson watched Wayans Jr. grow up and says that seeing him run Poppa’s House with his father was an “emotional” experience, one Davidson’s own son, Jerzey, got to witness as well when he visited the set during filming. While Davidson didn’t share any scenes with the New Girl stars, he’s “so proud” of them and learned a lot about the comedic chops of the younger generation through watching them work.

Morris “kills” in the role, Davidson exclaims. “He’s so good.” The Fargo Emmy winner played Junior’s (Wayans Jr.) best friend from college, Todd, in the episode. Todd had made it big in Hollywood, something he and Junior dreamed of doing together, and he was trying to convince Junior to be a second unit director on his next film. All of this came with resentment for Junior’s wife, Nina (Tetona Jackson), whom Todd believes is holding Junior back. Junior chose his family over working with someone who would want him separated from his wife and kids, but the window for Morris to return to Poppa’s House remains open as well.

Robert Voets / CBS

Davidson says Morris and Wayans Jr.’s comedy is much “smarter” than his generation’s. Morris “was mesmerizing to watch,” Davidson says. “The older I get, the better young people are. I’m like, what the heck? But it’s been a long time since I was in the practice of that steadily. So to pick back up where I was is kind of a hard thing to do because I was working that year after year, day after day. So I’m not in the practice of it because life’s different. I do standup comedy, travel with music, do all this other stuff. TV I haven’t done like before. So give me a couple of episodes and I’m right back on the bicycle. But watching them is like, whoa, whoa, whoa, I’m really glad that we didn’t have all those words to say.”

“Damon Jr. thinks different,” Davidson adds. “The younger generation is, their comedy is a lot smarter. “They can clearly express ideas through comedy where we could express funny through comedy … It’s just another level. And I’m so proud of them.”

Being back with Wayans Sr. onscreen through Poppa’s House reminded Davidson just “how serious [the Wayans] are about the business of doing entertainment. Systematics very solid. Homework done. Due diligence, natural because it’s practiced. The ability to adjust, minute to the second. And then, bedside manners all around. I’m not here to judge you, for I be judged. I give you kindness and love and understanding so that you can work better and not feel like you have to prove anything. You’re here because we love you and we want you here. That goes for the craft service. That goes for the makeup artist. That goes for everyone. And I hadn’t seen that since In Living Color.”

Who wouldn’t want to come back over to Poppa’s House?

Poppa’s House, Mondays, 8:30/7:30c, CBS

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