Wanda Sykes had a hilarious reason for joining Kevin Hart’s new animated series, Lil Kev—she simply wanted the chance to yell at him.

“I get to yell at Kevin all the time,” she joked. “That’s it.”

This kind of humor sets the tone for Lil Kev, an adult animated series streaming on BET+. While inspired by Hart’s childhood in 1990s North Philadelphia, the comedy is designed for grown-ups, offering a sharp and subversive take on his early years.

Hart revealed that the show was born from reflecting on the humor that filled his home growing up.

“As an adult, looking back on those times and going down memory lane, I thought, ‘How funny would it be to tell these stories through this lens?’” he shared.

In Lil Kev, Hart voices a younger version of himself, while Sykes takes on the role of his mother. The cast also features Deon Cole as his Uncle Richard Jr. and Cree Summer as his best friend, Gerald, along with several celebrity guest appearances.

For Hart, Sykes was the only choice for the role of his mother.

“No other options—I say that with my hand on the Bible,” he said. “It was always Wanda. We just hoped she’d be available.”

Luckily, she was.

“It was an easy yes for me,” Sykes said. “The writing was brilliant. It has so much heart—it’s a love letter from Kevin to his city, his family, and his upbringing. He brought humanity to these characters from urban communities.”

Both Hart and Sykes have prior experience in animation, but Hart emphasized the unique challenge of bringing a character to life through voice acting.

“There’s so much fun in creating a character this way because your voice influences their movements and expressions,” he explained. “At some point, the animated figure actually starts to adopt your own mannerisms.”

As for Lil Kev himself, Hart confirmed he’s a true reflection of his younger self.

“That little kid is totally me—always looking up at people, reacting with a ‘Huh?’ It’s hilarious to see it come to life.”