--- description: Following the cancellation of Showtime's 'Desus and Mero,' here's a look at the duo's best interviews, from President Obama to Dr. Fauci. title: The Five Most Illustrious Desus & Mero Interviews image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2c9058a0c303d44/698a33d4b21a9c79455063de/desus-and-mero-interviews.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Five Most Iconic _Desus & Mero_ Interviews  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2022 4:57 PM CUT  Desus Nice and The Kid Mero with Denzel Washington in DESUS & MERO “Plain Slice”. Desus Nice and The Kid Mero with Denzel Washington in DESUS & MERO “Plain Slice”.Greg Endries—SHOWTIME  by [Cady Lang](/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 20, 2022 4:57 PM CUT After four seasons of hilarious interviews, impressions, and lots of laughs, [_Desus & Mero_](https://time.com/5567654/desus-and-mero-late-night-show-interview/ "undefined") has come to an end. The Showtime late-night talk show, which premiered in 2019 as a nightly show before transitioning to a weekly format, was hosted by the charismatic, wise-cracking duo of Bronx natives, [Desus Nice and The Kid Mero](https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718862/desus-mero/ "undefined") (real names Daniel Baker and Joel Martinez). The news was confirmed on Monday by the show’s official Twitter account, in a post that read: “Bodega Hive: The illustrious @desusnice and @THEKIDMERO will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward. #DESUSandMERO will not be returning to SHOWTIME. It’s been a good run, fam.” > [](https://twitter.com/SHODesusAndMero/status/1549163650367242242) The show’s cancellation also brings an end to nearly a decade of creative collaboration between Desus and Mero, who first met on Twitter in 2013 and kicked off their unique brand of humor with a Complex podcast called _Desus Vs. Mero._ The pair later parted ways with Complex and rebranded the podcast as the _Bodega Boys_, which led to a talk show with Viceland that premiered in 2016 and ran for two seasons (including a live 2016 presidential election special with [noted political pundit Cardi B](https://time.com/5548908/cardi-b-politics/ "undefined")), before taking their talents to Showtime. The end of _Desus & Mero_ comes amid internet speculation about drama between the two hosts, rumors that were fueled by a scathing Reddit post from Mero on a thread about the show, as well as cryptic tweets from Desus. > [](https://twitter.com/bodegaboysdaily/status/1548806818477985793) Their self-proclaimed “No. 1 Show in Late Night” was largely considered a cultural watershed, bringing a fresh perspective and sharp wit to [the genre’s very white and homogenous mainstream](https://time.com/4033750/vanity-fair-late-night-tv/ "undefined"). Desus and Mero would regularly riff on the cultural zeitgeist, roast celebrities both local and A-list (often complete with impressions), and discuss the news of the day. However, it was their candid and unfiltered interviews with “illustrious guests,” that set them apart in the late night space. Whether bonding over being from the Bronx with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or making David Letterman, whom they dubbed the [“Michael Jordan of Late Night,”](https://www.sho.com/video/70478/david-letterman-extended-interview "undefined") squirm, the pair had the uncanny ability to put their subjects at ease, allowing them to open up and share their hearts as they also shared a laugh. As viewers pour one out for the end of a truly beloved show, here are five standout _Desus & Mero_ interviews with some truly illustrious guests. ## Denzel Washington The duo kicked off their final season by interviewing iconic actor [Denzel Washington](https://time.com/6194873/biden-medal-of-freedom-biles-mccain/ "undefined") for the Season 4 premiere. While the two-time Oscar winner took the obligatory moment to discuss his impressive work in film, including his most recent movie [_The Tragedy of Macbeth_](https://time.com/6131022/the-tragedy-of-macbeth-review/ "undefined"), he was more than excited to discuss his favorite spots for a slice of pizza while riding the 2 train down from the Bronx. ## Dr. Fauci At the height of the pandemic-induced panic in March 2020, Desus and Mero scored a valuable interview with [Dr. Anthony Fauci,](https://time.com/5960529/anthony-fauci-profile/ "undefined") then a member of Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task force and now the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden. The interview infused the gravity of the situation with some much-needed levity, as Fauci offered practical advice, solid scientific facts, and a little reassurance. One of the more delightful moments of the interview, however, was when Fauci, a Brooklyn native, lit up talking about the New York Yankees with Desus and Mero, two of the franchise’s most vocal and devoted fans. ## President Obama Of all of Desus and Mero’s illustrious guests, President Obama just might take the cake. The 44th president spoke to the Bodega Boys in the Founders’ Library at Howard University, where he lamented not wearing “kicks” or a pair of Timbs to the interview, roasted Desus and Mero’s basketball skills and poked fun at himself for his oft-maligned tan [“Suitghazi”](https://time.com/4385206/hillary-clinton-benghazi-committee-report/ "undefined") suit. ## Michelle Yeoh Over the course of [Michelle Yeoh](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/6177759/michelle-yeoh/ "undefined")‘s impressive four-decade career as an action film star, she often faced sexism from her male co-stars, who underestimated her ability to do her own stunts, often forcing her to demonstrate her skills and set the record straight. The [_Everything, Everywhere, All at Once_](https://time.com/6163777/michelle-yeoh-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-interview/ "undefined") star charmingly recounted this experience during her interview with Desus and Mero, before Desus stepped in to help her recreate a scene, with hilarious results. ## Bernie Sanders [Bernie Sanders](https://time.com/longform/bernie-sanders-2020/ "undefined") sat down with Desus and Mero ahead of his campaign for the 2020 presidential election. While the interview covered plenty of political topics, from [marijuana legalization](https://time.com/5603016/marijuana-legalization-democratic-presidential-candidates/ "undefined") to AOC, it also gave us gems like revealing Sanders’ friendships with rappers [Killer Mike](https://time.com/4125665/bernie-sanders-killer-mike/ "undefined") and [Cardi B.](https://time.com/5638603/cardi-b-bernie-sanders-campaign-video/ "undefined") The highlight of the interview, however, might be Sanders’ utter and complete horror at discovering the high costs of sneaker collecting and flipping. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6198915/desus-and-mero-best-interviews/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6198915/desus-and-mero-best-interviews/"},"headline":"The Five Most Iconic Desus & Mero Interviews","datePublished":"2022-07-20T16:57:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T14:31:22.169Z","description":"From Denzel Washington to Dr. Fauci","url":"https://time.com/6198915/desus-and-mero-best-interviews/","keywords":["Television","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2c9058a0c303d44/698a33d4b21a9c79455063de/desus-and-mero-interviews.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2c9058a0c303d44/698a33d4b21a9c79455063de/desus-and-mero-interviews.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"desus-and-mero-interviews","caption":"Desus Nice and The Kid Mero with Denzel Washington","creditText":"Greg Endries—SHOWTIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6198915/desus-and-mero-best-interviews/","name":"The Five Most Iconic Desus & Mero Interviews"}}]}] ```