Michelle Buteau is the kind of comedic force who doesn’t just make you laugh — she makes you feel something additionally profound while you’re laughing. The actress and stand-up powerhouse rose to fame with her bold, unfiltered wit and honest storytelling, becoming a staple in both the comedy world and the cultural conversation. Plus, her Netflix series, “Survival of the Thickest,” a show loosely based on her real-life early days navigating love, career and self-discovery in New York City, became an absolute hit among audiences.

The show is one of a kind — unapologetically centering a plus-size Black woman’s story while spotlighting healthy queer relationships, unpacking masculinity and creating space for Black men to express vulnerability. In a world that often feels chaotic and divided, “Survival of the Thickest” reminds us that while our identities may differ, our desires for love, truth and connection are deeply universal.

REVOLT’s Ty Cole sat down with Michelle to talk about everything from her headline-making comments on Dave Chappelle’s jokes about the queer community and her own comedic boundaries to what she’s learned from working with Tasha Smith on set. Check out the exclusive chat below!

Comedy has evolved — some say for the better, others claim it’s “too sensitive.” As someone who balances humor with heart, what’s a comedic boundary you refuse to cross, and what’s one you’re actively pushing?

I mean, actively pushing for inclusivity. When people say you can't say anything anymore, I say it's a two-part answer really. You can't say stuff anymore and thank God for that. That means we are evolving. Don't you want to evolve? Do that, please. Also, there are some things you can talk about — you just have to make it funny. You just gotta do the work. I can't speak on what that line is for everybody else because I don't know their lived experience. I know mine, and I know my community, and I know what I would like to see the world be. I wish more people would know what is good for them. Don't just show up and phone it in. Just make something good.

You called out Dave Chappelle’s jokes about the transgender community during your Netflix special — what’s a smarter, sharper way for comedians to engage with different identities without punching down?

Whatever their journey is, like, I want them to speak for themselves. [When we are] working on material that's gonna actually be hilarious and uplifting someone, we don't have to punch down, especially to, like, marginalized communities. You’re in this community, too. I don't know who told you [that] you weren't. Whether it's having somebody open for you or putting somebody on your show or sitting down and talking with somebody or doing a version of “Comedians in Cars” with people you would never talk to or even meet. Whatever it is, we can find ways to be creative and truthful and hilarious and thought-provoking. I don't think you really make any strides unless you do that. We are not promised tomorrow — say something and say something good.

Tasha Smith is known for bringing out the best in actors. What was the most unexpected note or lesson she gave you on set that changed the way you approached your craft?

Tasha's such a great director because we've had a whole season together, and we had an episode on “First Wives Club” Season 3 that her note was like: Do your thing. A lot of directors will come in and be like, “I see it like this.” She knows that I've actually been in the room writing this for months, and that, like, I am a crazy person with five different ideas [of] the way this can go. She wants everyone to share their ideas and then she’ll share hers, too. She's like an actor's director and a director's actor. She’s also a crazy triple threat, too. To be excited and to do something new and different is where it's at.

What’s one theme you were dying to explore in “Survival of the Thickest” that shook things up in Season 2?

Mavis is trying to use her power for good and, you know, taking somebody to task and calling them out by name. You could really end your career doing that or you can make something special. Also, the wedding with Peppermint... [that’s] where the world needs to be. I think also a woman in her late 30s, about to be 40, just for the first time really exploring sex, casual sex, and what that means to her is a conversation we don't have very often. I think it's exciting for someone to own their sexuality because sex with somebody you love is very different from casual sex that's casual.

People assume success means happiness, but what’s one thing about being at the top that actually feels isolating?

I think once you get over your fear of rejection and you start pitching stuff and then you get stuff made, like, I had a little anxiety starting Season 1. I'm just like, oh, I've been on TV sets before where everybody talks about the number one on the call sheet in a way that's unsavory. I really wanted to create a very safe space for my cast and crew and have them feel uplifted and full and whole when they leave. I don't want you to feel depleted because we are the company we keep, whether it is our family, whether it is the person we're with or the people you work with. So, everyone should know that I put together a really well-curated crew. No a**holes policy. I think the biggest lesson and takeaway from me putting myself out there fully as a boss and an actor is I don't have to show bad people that I'm a good person. I'm a do me and keep it moving.