Since its triumph at Sundance in 2021, Questlove’s documentary Summer of Soul (… or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) has enjoyed success after success. The film was picked up by Searchlight and has gone on to snag wins at the PGAs, BAFTAs and Spirit Awards, among other encomiums. When asked by THR to pinpoint his most meaningful moment or encounter of the film’s run thus far, Questlove didn’t hesitate.
After his Sundance win, his phone was lighting up and he barely checked the number before answering. “The phone rings and I’m wondering where my Postmates guy is with my food. So [the caller] is like, ‘Hello?’ And I was like, ‘Yo, come [to this] floor, I’ve been waiting for you.’ He’s like, ‘Huh? Wait.’ I said, ‘Postmates?’ ‘This is Barry. Wait, do you think I’m your Postmates?’ And I was like, ‘Huh?’
I looked on my phone and there’s all these [texts saying], ‘The president’s going to call.’ I totally missed that. I had a belly laugh.”
During the same Questlove conversation, on the blue carpet at the recent Spirit Awards, the multihyphenate also shared dish on another surprise encounter. “Last night, I went to one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall sushi spots, and, one by one, each member of the cast of Euphoria walked in,” he detailed, not specifying actors by name. “I was like, ‘Yo!’ I was doing my best to not freak out. After a while, [Dominic Fike] turned around. He’s a musician I really respect, so I kind of eased my way over to the cool kid’s table for half a second.”
Questlove loved the moment because he’s such a big fan of Sam Levinson’s HBO hit. “It’s a painful watch,” he said, joking that it’s probably the world’s best birth control. “But it’s really important. … It’s like anything that emotionally involves you to that level — [you] really cherish it because good art is few and far between.”
A version of this story first appeared in the March 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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