Sign in to your Collider account
[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Clean Slate.]
Summary
- The Prime Video series 'Clean Slate' follows a car wash owner reconnecting with his estranged child, Desiree, and navigating their relationship authentically.
- Co-creators Laverne Cox and George Wallace discuss how the series evolved, highlighting the importance of love and representation.
- The eight-episode series tackles various issues with humor and emphasizes the power of laughter, diverse storytelling, and heartfelt moments.
The comedy series Clean Slate follows Alabama car wash owner Harry (George Wallace), as he reconnects with the estranged child who has returned after 17 years to reintroduce herself as Desiree (Laverne Cox). As they navigate what their relationship is now, Desiree just wants to live her life fully and authentically. And while Harry might need to learn exactly what that means, adding cash to the Pronoun Jar whenever he misgenders his daughter, he leads with love in the hope that maybe Desiree will stick around for a while.
During this interview with Collider, Cox and Wallace, who co-created the series with Dan Ewen, talked about how Clean Slate evolved, how much they learned from each other as they worked together, that the world is stronger for the presence of the trans community, what they’re each most proud of with this series, the dynamic between Desiree and Mack (Jay Wilkison, who plays Harry’s employee and single dad to daughter Opal), and sharing a particularly heartfelt father-daughter moment.
Laverne Cox and George Wallace Have Learned a Lot From Each Other While Making 'Clean Slate'
"This is a sign of the times, where we are today."
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
Collider: How did this project come about? What brought the two of you together on this?
GEORGE WALLACE: We started this project seven years ago. Every show was being rebooted and I thought, “Why not Sanford and Son?” Basically, I just wanted to hear the theme song because that made everybody happy. I said, “Let me go to Norman Lear, my friend for over 30 years. Finally, we’ll get to work together again.” And I said, “I wanna reboot Sanford and Son.” And he said, “You’re crazy as hell. That’s an iconic show. You can’t do that. But you can come back with a twist.” So, I went to a restaurant called Swingers with my friend, co-creator Dan Ewen, and we came up with the idea. Orange is the New Black was very hot. I don’t watch TV because I work every night on stage, but I heard so much about it and I heard so much about Laverne Cox. I didn’t know who she was, but I’d heard so much about it. It was Emmy nominated. I knew there had to be somebody better than me, so I went back with the idea of, “What if I had a child that lived in Alabama and moved up to New York to do his thing at that time, and 23 years later, we don’t talk. And then, I get an email that says, ‘Dad, I’m coming home tomorrow.’” And after she accepted this story that we thought that was pretty good, that’s how that’s how it came about. She accepted it, and the three of us came together and we made it come to fruition. That was seven years ago. Thank God, we didn’t come out when we thought it was gonna come out because the time is now. This is a sign of the times, where we are today. It’s been a pleasure working with this young lady. She’s taught me a lot and is teaching me a lot, and we’re still learning.
LAVERNE COX: I appreciate that. I learned a lot from you, too, about comic timing and listening. I’m still learning. Isn’t it great? You can be a perpetual student at any age.
Related
Laverne, just since you’ve made the show, things in the world have changed yet again. Does it feel like a series like this, that leads with love, is really more important now than ever?
COX: Absolutely. When I found out last year that we were being released in February, I started emotionally preparing, particularly after the election, to be as fortified as possible as we launched this show. I immediately realized that it was bigger than me. Hopefully, every day, I realize it’s bigger than me, but in this moment, having a show that is starring a Black trans woman who also executive produced and co-created the show, at a time when trans identities are being criminalized, stigmatized and delegitimized on a federal policy level, it feels like a miracle that we have this show, just because it’s really hard to get TV shows made. For trans people, even someone like me, who’s been in therapy for 25 years and who does a lot of work to love myself, have felt like these propagandistic messages have even made me have moments of questioning who I am. So, if I have those moments, I can only imagine younger trans people who, when they’re constantly being called horrible, awful things, might question who they are. And so, I need to be as fortified as possible to remind those trans people that we deserve to be here, that our identities are valid, and that we’ve been through this before. We’ve gone through it and we will get through it because of our ancestors and transcestors. We will be stronger and the world is stronger for our presence.
WALLACE: That’s what I was gonna say.
COX: Sorry I usurped you, George.
Laverne Cox and George Wallace Lead ‘Clean Slate’ with Love and Humanity
"The laughter is first, and the relationships, the stories and the humor come out of that."
Image via Prime Video
This is obviously a comedy series, but you do cover bigger issues. You cover various trans issues, dating, age, health, and more. What are each of you most proud of when it comes to what you are able to do with this TV series because you can wrap it in comedy?
WALLACE: This is all about love. The greatest asset in my life is people. I perform for people every night. I’ve wanted to be a comedian since six years old. I love people loving people. When I see happy people, it makes me happier. This situation that we have is bringing people together to laugh about an issue that we’re dealing with. This is real life, real stories, and it helps America because people are dealing with different issues. We’re gonna tackle every one of those, and we’re gonna put a twist on it and try to make people happy and learn as they listen. It’s all about l-o-v-e. Whatever we do, it’s about l-o-v-e, and then maybe l-a-f-f. Just making people happy and having fun is what this show is about. You’re gonna learn a lot about our lives, but at the end, they’re gonna have a smile on their face.
COX: There are a lot of things I’m proud of about this show. We’ve had a few interviews now and everybody has been reciting back lines to us from the show. Our writers’ room was so funny and hilarious and diverse. And the diversity is not just about race and gender. Our writers’ room was people of color, queer people, trans people, people from the South, and people who had experience in the Black church. What happens because of that are all these little nuances and all these little things from people’s lived experiences when we can laugh at our lives. And then, when the audience hears something that they know, the laughter comes from knowing. I’m proud of that. I’m proud of the election episode. It’s so insanely fun and so funny. There’s never a mention of the phrase voter suppression, or anyone that asks, “Why are these voting places closed? Why is there a line around the corner?” We never said anything about that, but the comedy out of what happens when people are in those circumstances is brilliant. You laugh, and then afterwards, you’re like, “Wait a minute.” So, the laughter is first, and the relationships, the stories and the humor come out of that. And then, there are lessons, but the lessons really are about how people are people and they’re gonna be flawed. The ways in which we struggle are really what we have in common, and those are the things that make us human.
WALLACE: I knew everybody [in the show] would be better than me.
COX: You’re wonderful in the show, George. You’re hilarious. We can feel your heart. My experience, with the comedians you love, is that you can feel their hearts. More than ever in [George’s] career, this show has given [him] an opportunity to be the funny, hilarious icon [he is], but also allow us to feel [his] heart.
WALLACE: I’ve been waiting for somebody to say that for a long time, and she just said it. Thank you.
COX: I am so good at telling men things they’ve been waiting to hear. I really am. If I ever choose to be with a man again, I know exactly what to do. I just don’t feel like doing. Anyway, that’s off topic. Sorry.
The Cast of 'Clean Slate' Genuinely Loves Each Other and Love Working Together
"We are a real family."
Desiree and Mack are so cute together. Even Harry and Mack are also pretty cute together. Why is Mack someone who wins them both over?
COX: Jay [Wilkison], who plays Mack, is just so wonderful and charming and just a sweet person in real life. He just has this quality.
WALLACE: He’s fantastic. Them together are fantastic. We learn something every time we do a scene, which I think is great. And my next door neighbor, Miguel, is awful. I hate him. That’s how good he is.
COX: You mean the character, or do you hate him in real life?
WALLACE: Yeah, that too. No. We are a real family. We all love each other, and that’s what’s great about working together.
Laverne, I was cheering on Desiree for finally getting to have that moment with Mack. How was it to figure out how you wanted that kiss to be?
COX: I’m an actor before I’m a comedic person, so for me, thinking about Desiree, there is a part of me that, as lovely as he’s presented himself to be in his steadfast, is reminded that he is a convicted felon. There’s a moment with Jazzmun, the bartender at the little dive bar, where she says, “Go and get what you want. You need it.” I wonder, is she settling? I think she’s just tired of fighting and she wants to find happiness, and there is clearly something there. It’s still complicated for me, as Laverne, and it’s still complicated for Desiree. She needs to feel something, and she knows he’s a good guy. She has treated him so terribly, and she knows he doesn’t deserve it. It’s complicated. But at the end of the day, when you love somebody and they are constantly there, even when you push them away, I know I wanna get into that love, as Laverne, and I think that’s where Desiree finds herself.
7:08
Related
‘Uglies’ Star Laverne Cox Used To Have a “Huge Crush on Keanu Reeves.”
Laverne Cox discusses her role in ‘Uglies,’ as well as working with Reeves and Jonah Hill, and helping create a new series.
I also really loved the moment with the two of you sitting on the couch and Dez having her father say that he loves her. That’s such a beautiful moment and one that we really don’t see between adults very often. What was it like to share that moment?
COX: For me, as Laverne, in my life with my mother, there have been many times, even as an adult, as a 40-year-old or as a 50-year-old, where I’ll feel 11 years old again with my mom and the dynamic reverts. And then, because of all the time we didn’t have together and that I didn’t have as my authentic self with my dad, there were many times, as the character, that I revert to being a little kid again who needs her dad. That was an intense moment. That was an intense day, just prepping to do that. The brilliant Zackary Drucker directed that episode, and she was like, “Girl, what do you need for this scene?” I was like, “May I have a knife please?” And she was like, “Girl.” And I was like, “No, it’s okay.” And then, one of our crew members brought a knife, and I was like, “Can I have a bigger one, please?” I was very calm. And then, mayhem started to happen behind the scenes, so I was like, “It’ll be out of frame, don’t worry.” There’s a line where she was crying, and I am not gonna fake cry. She went through a lot this season and with this episode, so it needed to be real for me. I did what I had to do. In that moment, he was my daddy.
WALLACE: That moment, she was so good. It was really touching. It was so touching that I was crying and she was crying. You can’t make me cry.
COX: Acting is reacting, so thank you for that moment. I didn’t grow up with a father, but something happened in that moment, so thank you for that. The wonderful thing about being an artist, and what I love, is when something happens in the scene that you didn’t expect. We had a lot of that.
WALLACE: We did.
Clean Slate is available to stream on Prime Video. Check out the trailer:
:quality(85):upscale()/2025/04/02/850/n/1922153/064d394267ed8f08b46472.75688194_.png)
English (US) ·