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Paul McCartney Declined Opportunity for Netflix Roast

Sources indicate Paul McCartney was offered a Netflix roast before Kevin Hart, as producers sought another "GOAT" following the successful Tom Brady event.

Variety Music·May 12, 2026·via Variety Music

Paul McCartney Declined Opportunity for Netflix Roast

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May 12, 2026 9:45am PT

Paul McCartney Turned Down His Own Netflix Roast (EXCLUSIVE)

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Ethan Shanfeld

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Who wants to beat up a Beatle?

Before Kevin Hart took the hot seat at this year’s live roast on Netflix, the spot was offered to none other than Paul McCartney , sources tell Variety .

In an attempt to follow up 2024’s blockbuster Tom Brady roast with another “GOAT,” the producers at one point approached the greatest living songwriter and rock star. McCartney, of course, decided to let it be.

Comedian Jeff Ross, the “Roastmaster General” and executive producer of the franchise, confirmed to Variety , “We did ask Paul McCartney at one point. 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.”

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Netflix declined to comment. A representative for McCartney did not immediately respond to Variety ‘s request for comment.

Netflix stand-up comedy chief Robbie Praw told Variety ahead of the Netflix Is a Joke Fest that the company had “thrown around a lot of names” for a potential roast. According to a 2025 report from Puck, one of those names was Will Smith. Sources indicated to Variety that the roast could have helped Smith rehabilitate his image by becoming the butt of the joke after his Oscar slap.

Netflix’s roast franchise started in 2024 with a skewering of NFL champion Brady, which was hosted by Hart and was nominated for an Emmy for live variety special. While the format is reminiscent of the long-standing Comedy Central roast series, the idea was to make the Netflix offerings more eventized with true superstar subjects.

“There are a lot of B-list celebrities who want to get roasted. I want it to be like the Super Bowl of roasting,” Ross told Variety in November. “Tom Brady I held onto for three years. He retired, unretired, got divorced, then we decided to do it at the Netflix festival. To get a whale sometimes takes a while. We have another festival coming up in May, and I’m pretty confident we’ll have a roast in the spring.”

Recapping “The Roast of Kevin Hart” in an interview with Variety on Monday, Ross teased who he’d like to see in the hot seat next. “A pop star or a rock star would be great. A rapper would be great,” he said. “I could see Drake getting roasted and being a great one. One of my all-time favorite ideas is Stevie Wonder. I always say ‘The Roast of Stevie Wonder: You’ve got to hear it to believe it.'”

Hosted by Shane Gillis, “The Roast of Kevin Hart” took place Sunday night at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles and streamed live on Netflix. The battering featured Chelsea Handler, Pete Davidson, Regina Hall and surprises including Hart’s “Jumanji” co-star Dwayne Johnson and longtime rival Katt Williams.

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_Originally reported by [Variety Music](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/paul-mccartney-turned-down-netflix-roast-1236745448/)._