The Kids Are Alright

As NBC Celebrates its 100th Anniversary, Rising Stars Precious Way, Mary Shalaby, Kahyun Kim and Emma Meisel Prove the Next Generation of Female Comedians is in Good Hands.

It’s hard to imagine a more poignant representation of female autonomy in an overly male-dominated comedic field than when Amy Poehler laid down the law in the writer’s room at Saturday Night Live. Fellow comedian Tina Fey captured the early 2000s scene in her autobiographical stunner, Bossypants, forever sealing the moment in stone. According to Fey, Poehler was new to SNL when the gang found themselves huddled together in the overcrowded room, telling raunchy jokes to one another while waiting for their read-through to begin. Poehler had done something vulgar to make Seth Meyers laugh, and Jimmy Fallon responded to her working blue with a snooty, “Stop that! It’s not cute! I don’t like it.” Suddenly, something came over Poehler, and as she wheeled around toward Fallon, she responded with blackened doll eyes, “I don’t fucking care if you like it.” In that instant, Poehler not only made it clear that she was not there to cater to her masculine counterparts, she also inadvertently coined a battle cry for womankind – especially those bold enough to chase after a position in the industry.

Flash forward to 2026, when the powers that be seek more than ever to silence female voices: one of the bravest and most essential things that a woman can do is stand up and be heard. With NBC gearing up to celebrate its centennial this year, the network is featuring a slew of female-led showstopping programs, and the future of comedy looks brighter than ever before. From a facetious spin on old noirs in the highly anticipated Sunset P.I., to an oddly charming hospital mockumentary stationed at St. Denis Medical, a heartfelt show-within-a-show redemption arc in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, to a love story blossoming between two late bloomers in Newlyweds – if you’re looking for your new favorite show, you’re pretty much covered.

BUST was fortunate enough to speak with a handful of these fiercely fresh female leads, including Kahyun Kim, Precious Way, Mary Shalaby and Emma Meisel. Effortlessly funny, eloquent, and endlessly watchable, these hilarious heroines blissfully illustrate how the next generation of talking heads will honor the shoulders of the giants upon which they reside.

NEWLYWEDS – Emma Meisel

Hitting the small screen on Friday, October 23rd is Newlyweds, a brand new show that leading lady Emma Meisel describes as “what happens when people who already have these fully formed lives decide to build a life together,” which she adds is “funny, because nobody comes into a relationship with a blank slate. How do these puzzle pieces fit together? And I mean, from my character’s perspective, her mom is suddenly entering this completely new chapter, and she’s having to figure out how she fits into that.”

In the show, Meisel plays the daughter of Téa Leoni’s Jamie, who marries Tim Daly’s Tony later in life. This coupling happens much to the chagrin of Tony’s ex Claudia, played by the renowned Jamie Lee Curtis, who also serves as a writer and executive producer. Although Meisel and Curtis have grown close after working together on the show (“[Jamie] came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, I just wanted to let you know that you sparkle in the pilot. You did such a good job, and you were so funny,’” Meisel tells me with a smize. “I wrote that down and it’s on a sticky note on my mirror. Because, I mean, shit, can you get a better compliment than that?”), there was a time when working in Hollywood felt like a long shot.

An ode to the multi-camera sitcoms of years past, Meisel hopes that viewers will come to think of their new program as an old cozy friend, and find comfort in its familiarity. “I mean, the world is dark right now, lots of heavy shit is going on,” she says. “You just want to put on something that makes you feel lighter. And I think it’s so cool that I get to be a part of the medicine that is comedy.”

Despite the fact that none of her family works in the industry, Meisel feels strongly that acting has always been in her blood. “I did my first play when I was in kindergarten, and I was always a really shy, reserved kid, ironically,” she remembers. “But whenever I was able to perform, or be on stage, it felt like a light bulb went on.”

An army brat, Meisel’s upbringing might have dragged her all over the country, but her heart was always waiting for her in Los Angeles. “My dad was in the military, and then he went into medical sales, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom, and we traveled a lot for his work,” Meisel recounts. “But I grew up going to theater camps, and I ended up going to a performing arts middle school, and high school for acting. It was something I always loved, and there was really no plan B.” 

Meisel credits a lot of that determination to how she was raised. “I’m so glad I got to have my childhood and my upbringing in Colorado, doing crazy stunts, and rock climbing, and skiing with my dad,” she reminisces. “I feel like that has influenced who I am too, because my dad would always make us climb 14,000 foot mountains every summer.”

Much like the fight to earn a position in television, Meisel learned at an early age the value of persistence. “In the morning I’d be like, ‘I don’t want to go.’ And he’s like, ‘Come on, you’re going. Let’s go.’ I’m so glad he made me do it, because he taught me that I can do hard things, and that you can’t give up. You’re going to make it to the peak. You’re not going to start and not finish this.” She jests, “He took the metaphor a little too literally, but I’m grateful for the life lesson.”

Striving full steam ahead, Meisel attended drama school to attain her BFA, but struggled to figure out her next step. “My dad was the one who was actually like, ‘Hey, I’m going to L.A. for the weekend for work. Do you want to come, maybe try to meet some agents?’” Meisel met with two agencies, and one clicked immediately. Shortly thereafter, she ended up booking a Nickelodeon guest star. “That was like, ‘I’ve made it. I’m in Hollywood. Let’s go.’ I ended up staying here, and I never went back. The stars just aligned.”

Now, Meisel finds herself striding down streets covered in stars, with a vocation to follow in the footsteps of legends. “I can’t believe that I’m a part of it,” she says with bright eyes. “It’s always been my dream to do comedy, and to be able to get paid to do this is insane.”

Having a thriving career in this difficult profession is one thing, but even at Meisel’s youthful age, she’s well aware that real wealth lies in staying grounded, and believing in her own power. “I’ve learned to trust my instincts, because I’ve had imposter syndrome throughout my career, but especially here, because I’m with such goats,” she reveals. “I’m with the best of the best, and a lot of times I’m like, ‘What am I doing here? Is what I’m doing right?’ That kind of thing. And I think through this process, I’ve learned that I can trust myself, and that what I’m putting into the world is good, and funny, and relatable, and light.”

THE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS – Precious Way

When a disgraced former football player named Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan) tries to rehabilitate his image, he hires award winning filmmaker Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe) to direct a documentary detailing his comeback. Hoping to finally make it into the hall of fame, he brings his ex-wife and forever collaborator Monica Reese-Dinkins (Erika Alexander) and his current fiancée Brina (Precious Way) along for the ride. 

Although Brina is younger and less experienced than Dinkins’s previous partner, Way believes that her character’s involvement with the retired athlete is only on the up-and-up.

“I know the natural thing is everybody’s like, ‘Oh, this young girl, she’s a gold digger,” the actress muses, “But we find out that she has her own ambitions. We understand why they’re together, because he’s so supportive of her, and she’s so supportive of him. It was super important to me to show different sides of her, because we’re all so dynamic, so why wouldn’t she be?” In most timelines, Brina and Monica would be pitted against each other, with Reggie triangulating his love interests as amusement. Thankfully, showrunners Robert Carlock and Sam Means sought better for their depiction of these women. “They wrote me this beautiful relationship with Erika Alexander and Monica,” Way beams. “It wasn’t that typical wife is fighting with the new young fiancé. We bonded, and my character has so much admiration for her, as do I in real life.”

Brina contains multitudes and multiple streams of income. One of those side hustles happens to involve music – a trade with which actress Way is very much acquainted.

For those paying attention to the show’s theme song, they might hear a voice that they recognize. “I just remember when I auditioned for the show, there was this small bit where she sings, and I just went for it, I belted it out.” says Way. “Later on, [the producers] asked if I would like to go to the studio and do some things, like ‘little bips-and-boops’ is what I call it. I had no idea that it was going to be the theme song. When we got picked up to series, they were like, ‘Precious, you sound so great in the theme song.’ I said, ‘What?’ I was so excited!”

Musicality is a tether connecting the actress and the vivacious woman she portrays onscreen, but as Way puts it, that’s only the beginning. “I was reading the character breakdown and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I know this girl.’ I instantly felt so connected to Brina, and I played her as serious as can be, because I genuinely feel like that’s the way to comedy anyway,” interprets Way. “We’re all living in our truth, and somebody else finds it funny.” 

In the show, Morgan’s character Dinkins tarnished his reputation by openly placing bets on his own games while he was still in the league. Now, he’s determined to salvage his public persona, and with Brina’s help, be fully vindicated. 

“We all get it wrong at some point,” Way reflects on the sentiment felt by fans of the show. “Especially in today’s world, it’s so easy to count people out for one thing they said, or one mistake they made. It is easy to point the finger at them, but we forget that we’ve been in that space in one way or another ourselves. That’s what I like about it, and that’s what I hope will resonate with people. We all deserve a second chance.”

When it comes to creatives, it’s easy to make assumptions. Many are quick to judge an ‘overnight success story’, because outsiders rarely get to see the late nights, lack of sleep and countless hours of endless devotion to one’s craft that it took to achieve such humbling results. The word ‘nepotism’ is thrown around a lot these days, but the truth is that none of the women who spoke with BUST for this article have any family members in the entertainment industry. 

“I have no nepo, nothing,” Reggie star Way says casually. “I wish. Oh God. I wish. No, I had to get it out the mud, unfortunately. But you know what? That’s good. It builds character. But if I wasn’t at all, I’d be proud of that too. Ain’t nothing wrong with that either. Your parents worked hard so you can have it – I just auditioned like everybody else, and I put my all into it, and hoped for the best.” Way goes on to explain how even though she had no connections to the industry, she still felt a calling to the project. “I was determined,” she grins. “I called my manager. I was like, ‘I’m getting this,’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, just manage your expectations.’ I’m like, ‘That’s fine, but I’m booking this.’ Later on, I found out I booked it.” On a day like any other, Way found herself suddenly tapped for a higher purpose. “I always tell people, I was in a Wing Stop parking lot or something. Once I got that call, I didn’t even go in and order my food. I was full.”

While standing in the spotlight of emerging talent on screen, Way finds herself overwhelmed with emotion. “It’s an absolute honor to even be in the same space with these women,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “Like, wow, the incredible things that they’ve created – and even as far as being able to create a career that makes opportunities for people like me is an honor. I only hope that one day, I can do the same.”

ST. DENIS MEDICAL – Kahyun Kim

Centered around an eclectic team of emergency responders, St. Denis Medical plays like an antidote to the typical heavy handed hospital drama. Underfunded yet determined, this small but mighty task force made up of jaded doctors, overworked nurses, and stubbornly resilient executive directors try their hardest to provide the best possible care for their plethora of patients, and in the midst of all the chaos, care for each other, as well.

“Humor comes from realness,” comments Kim, who plays Serena, a candid registered nurse, on the beloved series. “I think the reason our show is so great is because these all feel like real people with real situations. We’ve all been there, even if we’re not necessarily in the medical field. It’s not always about what the patient is going through. It’s human to human. Somebody’s going through this, and you still have a friendship with your coworkers. That’s something people can relate to. Just being present in the moment, as cheesy as that sounds, really playing that realness, is what makes the situation funny.”

She expands, “Honesty really makes me laugh. I think that’s why I love Serena so much, because she’s just so blunt and honest, and says what everybody’s thinking. I find that funny. I have a very fun time playing this character.”

The St. Denis star comes from a typical academic family. Her mother is a doctor, and her father who was a lawyer, now teaches law as a professor. Her mother is currently retired, but not necessarily from keeping her offspring keen. “My mom loves that I play a nurse on TV, let me tell you,” Kim quips. “No, they’re very happy. My mom was just so unaware of the path of an artist. There’s a very limited space for diverse actors in Korea, because they have a type. To be successful, you have to be a celebrity, basically.” Kim’s mother understood that by encouraging her daughter to move to America to pursue her acting dreams, there would be more opportunities for her to succeed. “Once I got into Juilliard, [my parents] were like, ‘Oh, I know that school name!’”

Kim’s mother was equally supportive, if not a little brash – but that’s to be expected, according to the actress. “No one will give it to you like an honest Korean mother,” she laughs. “I’ve always wanted to be an actor since I was a kid. I’m from Korea. I was born and raised in Korea. I started dancing and my mom was like, ‘Well, I don’t think you have a body type for a dancer.’ And that’s okay. We love an honest queen.” Kim’s newfound revelation steered her toward musical theater, but in the spirit of her mother’s veracity, she faced herself: “I realized I don’t really have the talent for voice. The only thing left was acting.”

Growing up in Korea, Kim watched Friends religiously on TV, and the American sitcom actually helped her acquire a new language – two, actually, if you’re counting sarcasm. “It’s truly mindblowing every time I think about it,” says Kim, who now appears in a leading role on the much beloved workplace comedy series St. Denis Medical. “That’s how I learned English, really. It’s why I always wanted to be in a mockumentary, because of Friends.”

The idea of following in the legacy of her favorite friends has Kim starry-eyed. “I can’t think about that because if I do, I start crying,” she says. “It’s actually insane. They’re who I’ve been watching since I was a baby. It’s crazy. It means a lot, especially being an Asian woman in that space. I feel very honored, and I wanna do my best.”

In the first two seasons of St. Denis Medical, viewers watched as newbie nurse Matt (Mekki Leeper) fell head over heels for Serena while they worked together day by day, saving lives in the midst of figuring out their own. “I think a lot of people are wondering what’s happening between me and Matt, which I can’t say much, but something is happening,” Kim teases. The first season saw Matt pining endlessly over Serena, but when she initially rejected his advances, Matt respected her boundaries. However, in season two, Matt discovers that his feelings might not be so unrequited after all. The duo share a sweet embrace after a friendly round of laser tag, and the beginnings of a relationship linger in the air like perfume when the season ends. “The scripts are so fun,” says Kim. “I just hope people are excited to have fun.” 

Season three premieres on November 2nd, and audiences can be sure to expect many more hijinks with their favorite quirky hospital staff. 

SUNSET P.I. – Mary Shalaby

Like a foil to The Maltese Falcon’s Samuel Spade, Mickey, played by Jake Johnson, conveys a hardboiled detective who makes all the wrong choices on Sunset P.I. Starring alongside the New Girl alum is Mary Shalaby’s disinterested receptionist Raya, who spends more time with her head up in the clouds than down in the gritty streets of the city of angels. “She just marches to the beat of her own drum,” says Shalaby about her character. “She’s kind of living in a different dimension. I like that about her.” 

Fresh on the scene, the series marks Shalaby’s biggest role to date. “The night before the table read, we did a pre-table read. I was like, ‘Why the hell are we doing a pre-table read?’” Shalaby was unaware at the time that the pre-table read acts more as a buffer before the big show. It gives the cast a moment to work out the kinks, and make last minute adjustments to the script before they are joined by the higher-ups for a more of a performative and highly populated table read the following day. “I was really nervous,” the actress admits. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s a lot of pressure. I could get fired potentially. They could hate it.’ I didn’t say that out loud, but I think Jake could tell. He texted me and was like, ‘You’re going to crush it. You got this. Let me know if you have any questions going forward.’ That meant a lot to me. He could tell that I was anxious, and wanted to reach out, and be a nice guy, and look out for me.”

According to the up-and-comer, every person in the cast and crew has been extremely welcoming. “Jane [Levy] especially,” Shalaby coos. “Jane is the coolest woman on planet Earth. That girl just oozes with cool.” The actress excitedly follows this up with an anecdote about Levy inviting her new co-star to join her for a cocktail after the first taping. “I was like, ‘Holy crap, that’s so cool. Jane Levy wants to have a martini with me. Maybe I’ll even drink it and pretend like I like it.’” 

Held to a higher standard since birth, Shalaby comes from a background of heightened expectations. “My dad’s family are Egyptian immigrants, and very much have that mentality of, ‘You can be a doctor or a lawyer.’ My dad’s two brothers are doctors, and he didn’t get the smart genes. Neither did I.” Seeking to play to her strengths, Shalaby announced to her family that she was going to be an actress. “They’re like, good luck with that, bro,” she says. “But they’ve always been very supportive after I said that I wasn’t gonna do anything else. They’re really proud of me.”

Society loves to paint Gen Z as incompetent shut-ins who can’t handle making a phone call, let alone speak with an unfamiliar face, but that’s actually exactly how Shalaby spends her spare time. When she’s on the hunt for creative fuel, the actress hits up a treasured local haunt.

“I love characters, I love going out on the streets and talking to strangers,” shares Shalaby. “I just love the way that people live their lives. I go to the laundromat a lot for inspiration. When I lived here for summer, there’s this guy who would come in and watch old Kiss music videos on this TV that he would set up in the laundromat.” She continues, “Literally this week, there was this other guy, epic chain around his neck, all of this jewelry. He was ripped out in sports merch, and he had headphones on, and he was just like going nuts dancing, waiting for his clothes to dry. I was like, ‘He’s fucking sick.’ I loved him.”

When faced with the notion of continuing the legacy left behind by the trailblazers before her, following in the footsteps of such comedic titans like Mindy Kaling, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Shalaby feels a deep sense of gratitude.

“It makes me emotional,” she gushes over the passing of the torch.“I love those women more than anything, and I’ve read all of their memoirs.” Her eyes narrow: “I’m not even joking. I’ve always been obsessed with their lives, and their trajectory, and how they got where they are, and I’m like, I’m not worthy. They are everything to me.”

PHOTOGRAPHY
JSquared Photography, @j2pix

STYLING
Elana & Dina Solomon at Honey Artists, @stylishlysolomon and @honeyartists
Styling Assistant 1: Priscilla Natalina, @priscillaxns
Styling Assistant 2: Alex Richard, @_alexrichh

Emma Maisel: Farah Bunch (Hair and Makeup)

Precious Way: Aaron Paul for Exclusive Artists using Dior Beauty (Makeup) and Sophie Rose for Exclusive Artists using Color Wow (Hair)

Kahyun Kim: Anh Co Tran (Hair)and Allan Avendaño for A-Frame Agency (Makeup)

Mary Shalaby: Hair by Maciel Anyssa Represented by Highlight Artists and Makeup by Jenny Ventura Represented by Highlight Artists

COVER PHOTO STYLING
Mary Shalaby, Top: Princess Polly. Skirt: Outcast Clothing.Earrings: Bibi & Kim. Bracelets: YOJANI, JLUXLABEL via deFIANT. Anklet: By Mademoiselle Jules.Rings: Bibi & Kim.
Precious Way, Dress: BCBGMAXARIA via deFIANT. Earrings: Bibi & Kim. Bracelet: Caitlyn Minimalist. Rings: Bibi & Kim. Heels: SHEIN.
Kahyun Kim, Dress: MANNATT GUPTA via GB.PR. Earrings: Agapée. Rings: Bibi & Kim.
Emma Meisel, Dress: JJ’s House. Earrings: Bibi & Kim. Rings: Bibi & Kim, Agapée.

 

NBCU PR / PRODUCTION
Margaret Crane, @margaretcraneirwin
Allie Hall, @alliehall22
Malika Horton, @merelymalika
Summer Sanchez, @xoxo_sasanchez