Desi Lydic Wants to Be in Central Park, Listening to Chappell Roan

In one of her auditions for “The Daily Show,” the comedian and actress Desi Lydic did an impression that, as she put it, “was kind of going for that ex-lawyer, four-time beauty pageant winner and overqualified but leggy Fox News blowhard.”

It worked, and in 2015, Lydic joined the satirical Comedy Central news show as a correspondent.

Then, in 2023, Trevor Noah left as host and Jon Stewart returned to the role he’d originated, but for only one night a week. That left three remaining slots at the desk. Lydic’s hand shot up before she had even really thought about it.

“Having him back at the show is pretty awesome for the rest of us for a million reasons,” she said of Stewart. “One of them being that it’s a master class in real life every single week to watch him throughout the day and to learn by just kind of absorbing.”

Although she initially thought hosting would overwhelm her with anxiety, Lydic said, “it’s more excitement than sheer panic.” The show won the Emmy for best variety talk series earlier this month.

In a video call from her parents’ home in Louisville, Ky., Lydic — who lives in Manhattan with her husband and 8-year-old son — talked about clouds in her coffee, finding the funny on “Friends” and the thing she looks at every time she goes onstage.

These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

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‘Bird By Bird’ by Anne Lamott

It talks about the struggle of being a writer, and she’s so brutally honest about how torturous it can be: “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” It’s the absolute best guide for not only creative endeavors, but for life. It also acts as a solid parenting manual.