Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II says he starts mornings with 'It Is What It Is' with Mase and Cam'ron

Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II told The New York Times that he begins his day by watching "It Is What It Is" with Mase and Cam'ron, saying he has made the show part of his morning routine as he promotes the new Marvel series Wonder Man on Disney+. The interview was published Jan. 31, 2026.

He described the program as "basically professional barbershop talk with an unfiltered delivery," and said it mixes sports takes with pop culture conversations. "I watch the show every morning," he said, adding that it has been part of his routine for going on three years. Abdul‑Mateen discussed Wonder Man and its character Simon, calling him a struggling, misunderstood actor who is "enhanced" and carries a big secret.

In a video interview about the series, he laughed that "I don't know what I'm working on these days," and said he sometimes forgets amid a busy schedule. The article notes his career path from studying architecture to acting at Yale, his first television job on Netflix's 2016 series The Get Down, an Emmy for his role as Cal Abar in HBO's Watchmen and a Tony nomination for the 2022 Broadway revival of Suzan‑Lori Parks's Topdog/Underdog.

He also discussed personal habits and items he keeps close, including the Bible; Neil deGrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry; a Diptyque candle when on the road; a whiteboard for goals and ideas; a Porsche 911 he bought himself; and a puppy named Buddy.

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