The veteran comedian is riding a wave of renewed momentum after one of the most talked-about performances at Netflix’s Roast of Kevin Hart.
After delivering what many online considered one of, if not the, funniest stretches of the night, the Emmy-winning comedian is now set to headline her own Netflix stand-up special, has signed with Creative Artists Agency, and is preparing to release a memoir titled I’m Fat Because of You.
Underwood was among the most talked-about performers of the roast, holding her own against some of comedy’s sharpest voices while navigating deeply personal material with grace. Comedians took aim at the death of her husband, who died by suicide early in their marriage, but Underwood neither flinched nor broke character. “A lot of people felt bad for me because they were talking about my husband’s suicide,” she said in a conversation with Netflix’s Tudum. “But those jokes were written so well that they made me laugh. I believe the line is the intention of the comedian and the construction of the joke.”
Her composure and sharp rebuttals won over the live audience and viewers at home, and caught the attention of some notable names in the room. “At the end, The Rock talked to me about what could happen next,” Underwood recalled. “He said, ‘Sheryl, you did your thing. What do you want to do after this?’ For somebody to notice you, you want to be seen, heard, and respected. That night, I was seen, heard, and respected.”
The Netflix special will mark a return to the platform and a major step in what Underwood describes as a rediscovery. Best known to many audiences as the longest-running co-host of CBS’s The Talk, where she earned five Daytime Emmy Awards, Underwood originally rose to prominence through stand-up appearances on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and BET’s Comic View. “People knew me first as a comic, then as a daytime talk show host,” she said. “Now I’m being rediscovered.”
The memoir, I’m Fat Because of You, promises to be candid and unflinching. In a conversation with Don Lemon, Underwood offered a preview of what readers can expect. “I’m going to tell all the stories of my life, my disagreement and life with my mother who gave birth to me, the things that happened in my career,” she said, adding that the book will also address the moments she chose to say no to certain opportunities in the entertainment industry, and what that cost her.
Beyond the special and the memoir, Underwood is also continuing her live podcast experience Politics and Punchlines, touring alongside the I Need a Job! national comedy tour with Kyle Erby, and remains active as CEO of Pack Rat Productions, Inc. She is also the founder of Black Radio Solidarity, which has organized national civic radiothons covering voter engagement, HBCU fundraising, and public health campaigns.
Underwood’s attorney is Larry Turner of Lawrence J. Turner and Associates. She continues to be represented by Innovative Artists for personal appearances.
“I’m ready to go to work,” Underwood told Tudum. “That’s all I want to do, work, help people feed their families, spread joy and laughter, and make content.”