W. Kamau Bell talks with actress and filmmaker Nava Mau about Baby Reindeer, her short films, being a trans woman in Hollywood, and the pull of Oakland.

Kamau opens up the show by giving Nava her flowers, praising her performance in Baby Reindeer, her advocacy, and her public presence.

He warmly reviews All The Words But The One, a short film she wrote, directed, and acted in, which hit the festival circuit right when she broke out in Baby Reindeer. It's a work that delves deep into past traumas and relationships.

Nava discusses growing up in Mexico City and San Antonio, her struggle with body image, and the importance of seeing trans actors of all shapes and sizes on screen. She also reveals her childhood alter ego, the fabulous "Christina Escalante".

Kamau and Nava talk about the current state of the entertainment industry and the brief period of time when Hollywood seemed open to trans, queer, and brown representation. They vent about the confusion and cost of streaming consolidations, including convoluted app structures, free‑trial cancellations, and sports fans needing multiple services. They also touch on Dave Chappelle's insistence on writing jokes about trans people.

The topic turns to Oakland, a place where Nava feels at home and has experienced some of the best years of her life.

Support Level Ground, an artist incubator supporting black, brown, queer, and trans voices at levelground.co, and support the TransLatin@ Coalition at translatinacoalition.org 

Chapters:

(00:00) Flowers for Nava

(09:44) All the Words But the One

(21:23) Representation, Identity, and Visibility

(30:18) Post-Baby Reindeer Entertainment Industry

(45:42) Dave Chappelle and Accountability

(01:00:31) Oakland and Finding Home

(01:05:55) Charity Shout Outs

Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

W. Kamau Bell talks with actress and filmmaker Nava Mau about Baby Reindeer, her short films, being a trans woman in Hollywood, and the pull of Oakland.
Kamau opens up the show by giving Nava her flowers, praising her performance in Baby Reindeer, her advocacy, and her public presence.
He warmly reviews All The Words But The One, a short film she wrote, directed, and acted in, which hit the festival circuit right when she broke out in Baby Reindeer. It's a work that delves deep into past traumas and relationships.
Nava discusses growing up in Mexico City and San Antonio, her struggle with body image, and the importance of seeing trans actors of all shapes and sizes on screen. She also reveals her childhood alter ego, the fabulous "Christina Escalante".
Kamau and Nava talk about the current state of the entertainment industry and the brief period of time when Hollywood seemed open to trans, queer, and brown representation. They vent about the confusion and cost of streaming consolidations, including convoluted app structures, free‑trial cancellations, and sports fans needing multiple services. They also touch on Dave Chappelle's insistence on writing jokes about trans people.
The topic turns to Oakland, a place where Nava feels at home and has experienced some of the best years of her life.
Support Level Ground, an artist incubator supporting black, brown, queer, and trans voices at levelground.co, and support the TransLatin@ Coalition at&nbsp;<a href="http://translatinacoalition.org">translatinacoalition.org</a>&nbsp;
Chapters:
(00:00) Flowers for Nava
(09:44) All the Words But the One
(21:23) Representation, Identity, and Visibility
(30:18) Post-Baby Reindeer Entertainment Industry
(45:42) Dave Chappelle and Accountability
(01:00:31) Oakland and Finding Home
(01:05:55) Charity Shout Outs
Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network.

Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people’s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.

Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast, Who’s With Me? Inspired by Kamau’s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. 

In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply—a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So… who’s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday. 

Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people&rsquo;s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.
Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast,&nbsp;Who&rsquo;s With Me? Inspired by Kamau&rsquo;s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who&rsquo;s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times.&nbsp;
In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply&mdash;a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So&hellip; who&rsquo;s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday.&nbsp;

Who's with Me? with W. Kamau Bell

Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. 

W. Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people’s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.

Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast, Who’s With Me?

In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply—a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs, who is all of that in one body. So… who’s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday. 

Who&rsquo;s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times.&nbsp;
W. Kamau Bell is known for embracing uncomfortable conversations that acknowledge differences, confront embarrassment, and change people&rsquo;s perspectives. Throughout his career, Kamau has talked with everyone from KKK members to Oprah Winfrey to strangers on the streets. Each time, Kamau fills these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, showing that a simple conversation can lead to surprising revelations and spark change, one person at a time.
Kamau brings all that and more to his new weekly podcast, Who&rsquo;s With Me?
In every episode, Kamau addresses what has caught his attention in the current cultural or political landscape. He also sits down with someone he admires deeply&mdash;a time for Kamau to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place. Kamau will talk to celebrities, his fellow comedians, his fellow Oaklanders, activists, and sometimes he will talk to someone like Daveed Diggs,&nbsp;who&nbsp;is all of that in one body. So&hellip;&nbsp;who&rsquo;s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday.&nbsp;

Nava Mau on the Visibility and Vulnerability of the Trans Community

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a9aa5f98-9caf-471a-9f24-b47300317491/transcript