Top 10 Stars Who Need Their Own Talk Show

If you want a talk show host that is charismatic, funny and willing to ask hard hitting questions, then look no further than YouTuber, author and comedian Shane Dawson. He’s been entertaining the Internet with his sketch comedy routines and celebrity impersonations for years, racking up more than 5 billion views in the process. He’s since proven himself to be quite the chameleon, putting out a trio of documentaries about various Internet celebs. With a decade’s worth of experience under his belt and a willingness to interview anybody, anywhere, anytime, Dawson would be the perfect person to helm a late night talk show.

This bubbly, wisecracking actress and rapper killed it in 2018 with memorable roles in “Ocean’s 8” and “Crazy Rich Asians”. Prior to that, she was best known for her hilarious viral music video “My Vag” as well as her web series “Tawk”. In October 2018, she hosted “Saturday Night Live” (the first Asian woman to do so in 18 years) and was brilliant. Basically she can do it all, which makes her the ideal candidate to host a talk show. She has an overabundance of charisma and is always locked and loaded with enough quick wit to hang with any and all celebs.

She may have gained her celebrity status thanks to a strong supporting role on “Orange Is the New Black,” but Laverne Cox is far from a one trick pony. The Emmy winner is also an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and in 2015 made Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People. Cox’s willingness to stand up for her beliefs and her ability to effect positive change are exactly the kind of traits befitting of a successful talk show host. And when combined with her cross-genre appeal and magnetic personality, you have a seriously sweet recipe for success.

Have you ever heard and seen Anna Kendrick speak? She’s freakin’ adorable. Not to mention hilarious. Put those two qualities together and what do you get? An amazing talk show host, that’s what! She proved that she can belt out a sweet Jimmy Fallon-esque tune in “Pitch Perfect” and went toe-to-toe with Hollywood heavyweight George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (a role that also earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress). To be a good talk show host, you need to have a dynamic personality, one that you can rely on when it comes time to interview A-list celebs, like Kanye West and Scarlett Johansson. Kendrick has that and then some!

Tracee Ellis Ross has been making waves in the entertainment industry for more than two decades, first as the lead in the The CW series “Girlfriends” and later as matriarch Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson on the hit ABC series “Black-ish”. Her work has earned her numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy. While she often takes on comedic roles, she isn’t afraid to voice her opinion on more serious subjects, like the recent wave of sexual assault allegations brought on by the #Metoo movement. We think her mixture of comedy and backbone would be a perfect fit on a late night talk show.

As one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, it isn’t difficult to imagine Will Smith having his own talk show one day. We’re just suggesting that it happen soon rather than later! Boasting more than three decades of celebrity contacts and friendships, not to mention the ability to bust a rhyme and bring audiences to tears with his spot-on acting, Will Smith After Dark would be a guaranteed hit! Heck, he could even take a stab at the daytime or morning circuit and we feel confident that he’d knock it out of the park. Throw in the occasional guest appearance from Jada, Jaden or Willow, and you’d have one seriously addictive talk show!

This two-time Oscar winner has been one of Hollywood’s most consistent box office draws for decades thanks to his warm, down to earth personality. He brings a calming presence to many of his film roles and we think he’d do the same with a late night talk show gig. Imagine Forrest Gump, Woody and Robert Langdon interviewing celebrities on a nightly basis. The ratings would be through the roof! Hanks simply has “it”, that indefinable quality that makes you hang on to his every word. And if he decides to go with a co-host al la Andy Richter on “Conan,” we have the perfect suggestion: (Wilson!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaQa4ttIyNo)

Tiffany Haddish is heating up in a big way! In 2017, she appeared in the critical and commercial success “Girls Trip” and in 2018, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance on “Saturday Night Live”. If she can win an award for hosting a show once, imagine what she could do in a year! An actress, comedian, and author, Haddish is loaded with talent and doesn’t shy away from calling things as she sees them. This makes her perfectly suited to host a talk show. Perhaps her inclusion on this list will get the ball rolling…we’re looking at you, Hollywood.

Look up “multi-talented” in the dictionary and chances are you’ll find a picture of this guy’s face. Lin-Manuel Miranda is the man behind the critically acclaimed Broadway smash “Hamilton” and to date has won three Grammys, three Tonys, an Emmy and oh yeah, a freakin’ Pulitzer Prize! He can sing; he can act; he can dance; he can do it all! If that doesn’t make him a leading candidate to helm his own talk show, we don’t know what does! Be honest, The Tonight Show Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda just has a good ring to it!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Issa Rae

Liza Koshy

Aubrey Plaza

Drag queen, actor, singer, author, television personality…is there anything RuPaul can’t do? His ability to dazzle both in and out of drag means that his talk show would be doubly entertaining; and if his time hosting “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is to be any indication, it’s clear he’s not intimidated by the thought of helming a major TV production. He’s got Conan’s wit, Jimmy’s charm and James Corden’s singing ability. Add it all up and you have three qualities any talk show host worth their salt would agree are staples for success. This isn’t a question of if; it’s a question of when.