Netflix Bizarrely Wanted to Roast Paul McCartney, Who Rightfully Turned It Down

The live roast of a famous person has become a part of the Netflix Is a Joke Fest tradition, with Tom Brady sitting in the hot seat in 2024 and Kevin Hart getting the “honor” in 2026. Before Netflix settled on Hart for this year’s celebrity roast, however, another name came up: Sir Paul McCartney of The Beatles.

Variety reports that McCartney was approached by Roast producers, with executive producer/”Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross confirming. “We did ask Paul McCartney at one point,” he told Variety. “To me, that would be a fantasy roast. Paul McCartney doesn’t need anything, but a Paul McCartney roast would be good for the world. It would be so funny to me because he is so loved.”

McCartney, to be clear, turned down the offer. Perhaps wisely, because who aside from Ross actually wants to see that? Will Smith was also considered for this year’s roast, per a Puck report in 2025, as a potential opportunity to reclaim some star power after his fall from grace following the 2022 Oscars. Meanwhile, Ross told Variety that he’s hoping to tackle someone from the music world next, suggesting ideas like Drake or Stevie Wonder: “I always say ‘The Roast of Stevie Wonder: You’ve got to hear it to believe it.’”

This year’s roast of Kevin Hart was a pretty contentious one, with Chelsea Handler and Shane Gillis sparring and Pete Davidson dropping a Charlie Kirk joke. The special is streaming now on Netflix.