During last year’s Super Bowl, Girls Trip breakout star Tiffany Haddish was at a friend’s house getting, as she says, “wasted.” It’s safe to say this year will be a bit of an upgrade considering she’s starring as Groupon’s new spokesperson in their Super Bowl commercial. Even better: She’s actually attending the big game in Minneapolis. “I want to cry just thinking about how good [it’s all been],” Haddish tells us. “If you believe in yourself enough and put in the work, good things will happen.”
And good things are indeed happening for Haddish. When she’s not taking selfies with Beyoncé or getting jewelry from Ellen DeGeneres (yep, read about that below), she’s turning her biggest passion—saving money—into a side career. As one of Groupon’s top customers (she’s in the 1% of users), the worldwide e-commerce marketplace took note of her obsession after her Jimmy Kimmel Live! segment talking about the brand went viral. So before the big day, Haddish called us up to talk about all that and (way) more.
First, we have to talk about Groupon and the Super Bowl commercial. Do you remember your first Groupon purchase?
Tiffany: I want to say my very first Groupon purchase was to a pole dancing class. We were going to a Bachelorette party and wanted to take a pole dancing class, so everybody had to get this Groupon for like $15. I believe that was the first…no, wait, wait, wait, hold up. It might have been a necklace. [Laughs]
We just went from pole dancing to a necklace. [Laughs] That’s great.
Tiffany: Girl, the best thing I ever bought on Groupon was a bidet! [Laughs] Yeah, girl! They sell bidets on there, and that has been the best thing I’ve ever bought off of there. I don’t need no man when I got a bidet, you know what I’m saying? You’re always so fresh and so clean! I got mine for like $298, and it was the best one on there at the time. They probably have some even better ones now, and they have some really cheap ones too, but it’s really the best.
What was your your reaction when you found out Groupon wanted you to represent them in such a big way?
Tiffany: They called my agent, and when my agent told me, I was like, “Yeah!” I was doing the Nay Nay for five minutes, I was so happy. When they said I was going to do the Super Bowl commercial, I was like, “What?! OK!” And then I started thinking about all these ideas, and they were like, “Well, we already have some stuff planned out, so save that for later.” I was like, “OK, cool.” Their ideas were way better than mine. I only thought of mine in like four minutes. They obviously spent time on theirs.
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You’ve joked in the past that people think you’re making huge amounts of money now, but you’re like, “I’m glad you know my name now, but I’m still not making the big bucks.” Do you feel like you’re financially comfortable now, at least?
Tiffany: I’m definitely comfortable. I’ve been comfortable for a long time, because I spend money like I don’t have any money. That’s how I got into Groupon, and that’s how I’m going to be a multi-billionaire. I’m always living like I still have the Geo Metro, you know? I drive a Honda now. I’m not going bananas. I’m waiting until Tesla is ready to sponsor me and give me a car. [Laughs] If I talk about it enough, it will come!
I saw on Ellen that she gave you a Tesla rental for a week and a cardboard cutout of Oprah was in the back.
Tiffany: But they wouldn’t let me drive it off the [Warner Bros. lot]. They’re like, “Whenever you’re here for a whole week, you just give us a call and you can drive it,” and I was like, ‘Oh, man!’ But then the next day, Ellen sent a diamond necklace to my house, and it’s so beautiful. I was like, “Well, that makes up for everything.” She said she thought it would be inappropriate to give it to me on the air, so she gave me a necklace off air. I’m waiting for a fancy event to go to where I have to drive myself and then I’ll be like, “I’m ready for the Tesla because I have this fancy event and this fancy event and that fancy event, and I want to pull up in the Tesla.”
Can you even sum up what this last year has been like for you? Can you even put it into words what it has all meant?
Tiffany: To me, it’s like, you know something is going to happen, you just don’t know how it’s going to happen. I’ve kind of known this, and I’ve talked about it so much, but for it all to be manifesting now is the perfect timing. If this had happened in my 20s, I would have been a freaking mess. [Laughs] Now it’s just so perfect. I’m just so grateful. I’m not a perfect person, I’m going to make a lot of mistakes, but I’m just so happy. I just came back from Africa, and this is the first time in my whole life where I felt like a complete person. I want to cry just thinking about how good it…like, if you believe in yourself enough and put in the work and the main thing you have to do is really love and appreciate yourself.
It’s funny because one of my favorite quotes is from Oprah and she said, “You don’t get what you hope for, you don’t get what you wish for, you get what you believe.” I mean, how often do we wish for something or hope for something? But to believe it is an entirely different concept.
Tiffany: Yes!
And that’s why you and Oprah need to be BFFs.
Tiffany: I know, we need to be BFFs. I want to garden with her a few times. Come on, Oprah! Let’s grow some tomatoes!
Hey, maybe she’ll make you her VP if she runs for President in 2020. You never know.
Tiffany: Oh man, I don’t know if I want that kind of responsibility. That’s one thing I don’t believe. [Laughs]
I hear you on that. Do you ever worry, though, that the more success that comes your way, it’ll be harder to relate to the everyday things?
Tiffany: No, that never crosses my mind. Because I’m a human being. I take poops, too. [Laughs]
So now that you have been in this industry for a while and gotten a taste of fame over the last year, is there anything that surprises you?
Tiffany: You know, things that surprise me are when people want to meet me. That’s the thing that surprises me. Or when they say they want to work with me. It’s mind-blogging. Billy Crystal wants to work with me…I mean, what? Kate Hudson wants to work with me, and she’s invited me to her house. Are you serious? When I met Billy Crystal, it took everything in my power now to fan girl out because I’ve watched every one of his movies and studied him. I said, “Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get to host the Oscars and we can do it together!” Because I think he’s the best Oscar host of all time. He and Whoopi would pass me the torch, like, “Handle it, Tiffany.” [Starts screaming.] I believe that! I believe that.
What were you doing last Super Bowl, and what are you going to be doing this Sunday?
Tiffany: Last Super Bowl I was at my friend’s house getting pretty wasted, laughing at all the commercials. This Super Bowl, I’m actually going to go to the game, and this will be like the third time I’ve ever gone to a professional football game. It will be my very first Super Bowl I’ve ever attended, so I’m really excited.
What are you going to wear?
Tiffany: Well, I’m going to wear a big jacket that I got off of Groupon and some gloves that I got on Groupon because it’s going to be cold, and maybe my snow boots I got off of Groupon, too.
You should. Well, Tiffany, you’ve made my day and I can’t wait till you go gardening with Oprah. I believe it’s going to happen.
Tiffany: Oh yes, and I’m going to be crying like a baby and probably will roll around in her dirt.
Well, I’m going to go on Groupon and look into buying a bidet. If I could only buy a man on Groupon.
Tiffany: You know, Groupon had speed dating six or seven months ago, so hopefully they bring that back. Hey, they even have an adult section with the really good grown-up toys, you know the ones that are normally like $200-$300, and they’re like $99. You’ll get an incredible price!
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