Walter Latham Looks Back at The Kings of Comedy, 25 Years Later
Walter Latham still remembers the night the idea that would change comedy forever came to him in a dream. He woke up in the middle of the night with the words “Kings of Comedy” on his mind, though he had no idea what it meant at the time. Within weeks, the vision began to take shape as he reached out to comedians he had worked with before—Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, Bernie Mac, and Steve Harvey. Instead of theaters, Latham saw something bigger. He imagined arenas filled with fans eager to see comedy presented on the grandest stage possible.
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What was first planned as a single weekend of shows quickly became a cultural wave. Bernie Mac, who always had a way of cutting straight to the truth, told Latham that if tickets went on sale, people would show up. He was right. The Kings of Comedy tour sold out across the country, proving that stand-up could be just as powerful and unifying as music concerts. The movement grew so large that Spike Lee brought it to the big screen in 2000, giving the Kings an even wider audience and securing their place in history.
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For Latham, one of the greatest joys was watching Bernie Mac perform. He never stuck to the same material, and every night was different. The cast and crew would gather around the monitors, waiting to see what Bernie would come up with next, often amazed by his unpredictability and brilliance. Rickey Smiley, who was there to witness those moments, still treasures the memories of eating with Bernie and watching the Kings bond off stage. He recalled looking at them together, smoking cigars and enjoying each other’s company, and dreaming of one day having that same kind of success and camaraderie.
When asked whether there could ever be another Kings of Comedy, Latham acknowledged the possibility but admitted it wouldn’t look the same. Comedy has changed, with social media reshaping how audiences discover and crown their favorites. He believes another movement could happen, but the magic of the original four can’t be replicated. What made the Kings so special was not just their talent, but the atmosphere they created—arena shows that felt like historic cultural events where people dressed up and shared in something much larger than themselves.
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Even twenty-five years later, the impact of the Kings of Comedy is undeniable. The film, the jokes, and the chemistry between Steve, Cedric, D.L., and Bernie remain etched in memory, and their influence continues to shape the landscape of comedy today. Rickey Smiley credits his time performing alongside them as life-changing, saying the exposure opened doors and helped him reach new heights in his career.
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Despite the enormous legacy, Latham stays humble about his role in bringing it all together. In his words, it wasn’t about his power or intelligence—it was something greater. “It was a God thing,” he said, reflecting on how the dream that woke him up one night turned into a phenomenon that still resonates a quarter century later.
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Walter Latham Looks Back at The Kings of Comedy, 25 Years Later was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
