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Ayesha and Stephen Curry on Wanting to Host ‘SNL,’ the Theater Nerd in the Family, and Entertainment Aspirations
@Source: vanityfair.com
Vanity Fair: Both of you have been so committed to entrepreneurship. Can you talk about how that’s been a part of your life and why it’s been such a goal?
Ayesha Curry: I grew up watching my mom, a small business owner herself. She owned a salon for well over 35 years. I saw how hard she had to work, but I also saw that she was able to call the shots. It’s kind of just what the women on my side of the family have done forever. My great-grandmother was the town butcher in Jamaica, and so I knew that whatever I was going to be in my life, I wanted to be able to have a little bit of control over it.
Stephen Curry: When we first moved out here to the Bay and doors started opening for me, it was the idea of changing from doing endorsements to an entrepreneurial mindset, where you have more control of your narrative. You’re building things that have more meaningful impact and ownership in the long term.
Both of you focus on developing opportunities for underrepresented voices. Has that been a priority?
Stephen: We’re unbelievably blessed and fortunate to be in this position. It’s something that’s become a non-negotiable that we think about for every project. So the documentary we did for Peacock, Sentenced, is integrated into our foundation and the work we’re doing for childhood literacy.
Ayesha: For me, it comes from experiencing the void. Once I did find that group of people who said “yes” and gave me the opportunities, I was like, Well, I’m not going to go at it alone. It’s time to create a space where many people can come in and join and sit at the same table. I wanted to make sure that I uplift the people around me who are like me and experiencing the same things—whether it’s in business or within any arm of the infrastructure we’re doing.
Ayesha, how was it working with Lindsay Lohan on Irish Wish?
Ayesha: Lindsay is an old-Hollywood professional. She shows up on time, never late, a one-take wonder. She did a lot of hand-holding, and she was patient, and she was like, “You’ve got this. Like, let’s try it this way.” She just happens to be my friend too.
Can you talk about your organization, Eat. Learn. Play. and your commitment to the youth of Oakland?
Ayesha: Coming here, we were like two young kids in Oakland, and we started our family pretty young. First off, we noticed that the Oakland community really wrapped their arms around us immediately. When we started to do activations for other charities, we noticed there were huge disparities. So we started to peel the layers back to see why that is, and how we could change it, and what that would look like. It took us a really long time to actually put the pieces together to find Eat. Learn. Play. We started locally so that we could really wrap our arms around the issues in their entirety. Partnering locally with the Oakland Unified School District ultimately helps change the narrative and the statistics of what’s going on in a more impactful way.
Steph, for the projects that you decide to pursue for your company, what is it that makes something a “yes”?
Stephen: I think it’s about who you’re working with, first and foremost. I never thought I would be in front of the camera acting-wise. But Mr. Throwback checked all the boxes. One, you like who you’re working with. Two, it was a subject that we thought would work based on a fun take on my NBA world. And that’s the filters that we put everything through. Now we’re in a nice little groove.
Would you ever want to host SNL?
Stephen: We want to host SNL. It’s something we both love watching. Our kids, they love it. I think it’s hopefully in our future.
Ayesha: We watch SNL as a family. Everybody thinks [Steph is] like “super athlete,” but I actually think he’s a theater nerd like me.
Stephen: I think if I had more time in high school, I probably would have done school plays. I did a theater production class though. I was one of those black-shirt kids running around on the stage.
Ayesha: Wait, I never heard this before. How do I not know this? You were a stagehand?
Stephen: Chad Fair was my theater production teacher.
Ayesha: Mr. Fair was your theater teacher?
Stephen: It was an elective, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was kind of cool.
Why was Comcast NBCUniversal the right home for your production company, Unanimous Media?
Stephen: They have a proven track record producing the kind of content that aligns with what we want to do across all the different mediums. I have the Golf Channel on literally all day. When they had the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, I got to do some live hits with Mike Tirico, which was pretty special. Everybody’s talking about, down the road, “Do you want to be a basketball analyst?” But golf is definitely something I’m focused on.
What else do you watch as a family?
Ayesha: With the girls, we’re rewatching This Is Us from season one. So they’re putting me through that trauma again—where I’m sobbing after every episode.
Stephen: Our kids are on a big scary movie kick.
Ayesha: Our daughter wants to watch Smile.
Stephen: And the Scream franchise. I use that Common Sense Media site, and we literally go back and forth with her about what’s appropriate. Our favorite show to watch together was Game of Thrones.
Ayesha: Are you trying to create drama?
Stephen: I caused a rift.
What was the Game of Thrones drama?
Stephen: Well, we started the first three episodes together, and I could feel that she wasn’t necessarily feeling it. And I went on a road trip right after we started watching it, and I just took off. I think I came back from the road trip on season five.
Ayesha: And then years later the family’s like, “It’s the final episode! We’re going to have a watch party!” And I’m like, “I haven’t seen it. But I’ll take one of those special Khaleesi margaritas while you guys enjoy.”
Stephen: I have a Ned Stark sword in my man cave.
Is there anything you two fight about?
Ayesha: I don’t like that word. Disagreements. But I would say scheduling.
Stephen: I’m not as detail-oriented off the court as I am on the court. I have a general sense of what’s going on schedule-wise, but she’s very detail-oriented and wants to have a plan.
Ayesha: We only really fight about getting to spend more time together. So it’s not really a fight.
Steph, is chicken parm still your favorite dish that Ayesha cooks?
Stephen: It is. It’s because it’s a mix of nostalgia and it feeds the soul.
Ayesha: I’m capable of so much more. But chicken parm every time, every time. If it makes you happy…
Stephen: I love it!
Ayesha: If you like it, then I love it.
Hair, Sonia Cosey (Ayesha); makeup, Ashley Bias (Ayesha); barber, Yusef Wright; tailor, Dario Smith. produced on location by Portfolio One. For details, go to VF.com/credits.
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