Tina Fey Says Donald Glover Was a Diversity Hire on 30 Rock

In a new interview, the actor and rapper Childish Gambino, told GQ that Tina Fey told him he was a diversity hire on her show 30 Rock when he first worked there in 2006. The actor claims he was hired to help the sitcom look more diverse, but he said he has “no animosity” with Fey or the show.

According to the publication, Glover landed the writing gig on the show in 2006 when he was living in a dorm. Despite getting good reviews, the comedian and musician felt like an outsider.

As Glover explains in the GQ interview, Fey removed several of his jokes, which led to him gaining backlash from the audience and fellow writers.

Afterward, he says that he became more determined to prove himself as a stand-up comic and got some opportunities he thought he might not have been able to get before. He even credited Jordan Peele for helping him get Liam Neeson on Atlanta to make fun of his past controversial interview comments.

When GQ’s current editor-in-chief, Josh Welch, took over in January, he saw a need to redefine what a men’s magazine could be. He wanted to help readers, no matter who they were, with their personal evolution. He relaunched the publication with a November issue that included a beauty section, a cover story with Pharrell and other male stars sharing their views on what it means to be masculine today.