Spoilers ahead for the April 24 episode of The Masked Singer on Fox.
The Masked Singer is a great show where a shocking reveal is never too far off, and suffice it to say the latest elimination was a surprise. To see Miss Cleocatra unmasked as actress Jenifer Lewis was a real treat, especially considering her participation might never have happened. Lewis agreed to the show while recovering from a near-fatal accident (and on morphine for th pain), but she didn't let that slow her down.
Lewis, who was just featured on the recently canceled So Help Me Todd a couple of weeks ago, spoke to CinemaBlend about her run on The Masked Singer. Not long into our interview, the actress mentioned how doing the show was a little more difficult than agreeing. She was still unable to walk following a near-fatal accident in Africa, but worked with the show anyway to find ways to be a part of the fun:
I had such a good time. Let's just say I was convalescing when they called and I still couldn't walk. So Masked Singer said, ‘Well, how can we do this?’ And I said, ‘Well, if you make me Cleopatra, they could bring me out in a barge. They could sit me on the throne, and the muscle men could escort me because that would be covered and they did, they put a harness on me because I still can’t walk. They bolted me to the floor. So when I sang ‘Stormy Weather,’ I had a harness. If you look at one shot, I saw it on one shot. Uh, nobody else would know. But it's when they get me from behind, and I'm leaning over. You can see this thing around my waist. So that was kind of cool.
For readers unfamiliar, Jenifer Lewis was on vacation in Africa when she fell from a balcony ten feet onto rocks and stone. The actress had only gone public about the accident back in March, telling ABC News she didn't want to talk about the incident until she was sure she could recover from it. It seems like The Masked Singer was a test for Lewis to prove she could still do what she loves, and she found a way to make it happen.
Not only did Jenifer Lewis make it happen, but she outlasted Afghan Hound, who was one of the worst singers the franchise ever had. Even so, to do that with all the hurdles and work she had to do while recovering was very impressive and something I guarantee I wouldn't be up for after an injury like that. Actresses must just have that X factor, considering Kate Flannery told us she carried on after taking a big tumble in her costume.
Apparently, if readers use their Hulu subscription, they may be able to spot some of the devices used to keep Lewis upright during her performances. The actress noted a specific scene she spotted one of the devices and talked about having to be on pain medication during the show:
And the second song, you'll notice I never let go of the mic stand because it was bolted down to hold me up. So they really, yeah. No, they really worked with me, and I was still in pain. I was, but like my friend said, ‘Get up out of bed. Go do what you love to do.’ I was still on a little morphine. So a little trivia, I'm sitting on the throne and you'll see the little cat head go out like this. I was. still a little dopey uppie. I didn't even know what was going on when they were going, ‘Take it off.’ I was like, ‘What's going on? Take what off?’ But it was just fun to do.
And here I thought it was trippy for Savannah Chrisley to compete on The Wizard Of Oz episode, having never seen the movie. Doing the show while on morphine had to be quite an experience for Jenifer Lewis, and she's done quite a few wild things in her career. For now, she's settling back into Hollywood following her recovery and even reprising her role as Mama Odie from The Princess and the Frog for Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Disney World.
Season 11 of The Masked Singer is still rolling on without Miss Cleocatra, though it still has one major problem. I'm still waiting on one of the contestants to blow me away, and with only two more group finals to get to before we move on to the final stretch, I'm wondering if this season may just not have an outright frontrunner.
Catch new episodes of The Masked Singer on Wednesdays on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET. After seeing Jenifer Lewis go home, I hope the rest of the competitors can step up.
