The Only Royalty John Oliver Recognizes Is His Lion King Co-Star Beyoncé

Last Week Tonight might currently on break, but host John Oliver made an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk a bit about how the HBO show condenses a week of terrible news, Oliver’s upcoming role as Zazu in the live-action Lion King, and an unexpected mention in People’s Sexiest Men list. 

The two bond over the notion that comedy “writes itself” in the age of Trump, as Oliver explains how Last Week Tonight approaches their comedy and what has already been said on television:

“It’s easy to do bad comedy because you just need to repeat what he says, and that’s not a joke that’s repetition. Whereas comedy, especially if you want to try and do something that’s not just happening online all the time, is an effort. I’m not telling you something you don’t already feel with every fiber of your exhausted being…5:30 on a Thursday. At that point, you have dealt with the fire-hosable shit to the extent that you can, at which point the depressing relay baton is put over to us. So from Thursday 5:30 onwards, it’s our turn to open our mouth and take that fire hose in.”

Big news that Meyers was eager to ask Oliver about was the royal engagement about which Oliver is mostly…..indifferent (the host has poked fun at royalty a few times on HBO). While his thoughts to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were pretty lukewarm, however, his reaction to being asked about working with Beyoncé on The Lion King were completely different. “I would drop to my fucking knees,” says the host, “Don’t look at me Queen!” (Same.)

Oliver also added that he thinks his casting as Zazu is both ideal and perfect. “I have a birdlike quality, facially”, he says.

(image: screencap)

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