thanks to himsh. thanks for watching, goodnight! this is "nightline." tonight daring duo. the famous wallendas in pursuit of new hights, now challenging gravity in a death defying stunt in the heart of new york city. a feat never attempted, marciki the siblings return to the road. plus, breaking barriers. >> do you want to stay alone forever? >> what am i supposed to say, hey, can i get your father's number? >> the comedy superstar shaking up two worlds, a millennial muslim. now sitting down with the actor

sparking communication about community and self. and? >> the pelicans select zion williamson. >> scoring a big win on draft night. but first the "nightline" five.

good evening. thanks for joining us. challenging gravity seems to be in the wallenda family blood line. now siblings nik and his sister are returning after a horrifying practice fall just two years ago. here's my "nightline" co-anchor, byron pitts. ♪ >> reporter: the whole world knows times square. you make it new york can you make it anywhere. this weekend, high above the center of the world, nik wallenda will attempt to make history again. alongside his sister and fellow daredevil leanna. they will walk on a wire over times square in new york city. 1300 feet on a cable no thicker than a garden hose, hanging for more than 250 feet above the earth. >> to do something that's literally going to leave my finger print on the city is pretty exciting. >> reporter: a come back for the

gravity-defying siblings, just two years after a horrifying fall that changed their lives. >> it is permanently instilled in your brain, imprinted in your brain. you can't make it go away. in it was a miracle that leanna's alive. >> reporter: that come back happening with the entire world watching. >> the analogy of getting back on the horse. for us it's about getting back on the wire. it's a guy walking on a cable. we can all relate to walking. >> reporter: walking, yes, but walking where birds fly. for nik wallenda, it isn't simply where he makes his living, his life, a chapel in the sky. a wire walker defying death is in his blood. one wrong step means certain doom. >> it's what we were born to do, what we love. >> reporter: whether teetering on the edge of the grand canyon, walking blind foilfolded along

chicago skyline. >> his 26th minute of the walk. >> sprinting to the finish! >> reporter: this matters a great deal to you and the family. wallenda became an international phenomenon in new york. >> my family's first performance in the united states was in 1928 in madison square garden in new york city. >> reporter: the wallenda family known famously as the flying wallendas trace their roots to european circus performers all the way back to the 1700s. challenging death in their dna. a showcase in this 1963 documentary for the cbc. they are seventh generation wire walkers. their family has been performing mesmerizing feats of athleticism for decades. >> my mom was walk beiing the w when she was six months pregnant with me. for me being on the wire is alive. there's something extremely serene and peaceful.

some find peace by going on a jog or reading. >> reporter: but in that peace there is the constant risk. the family has not been immune to the danger. several wallendas have died or been injured in high wire falls. in 1978, fell to his death in puerto rico at 73 years old. this video skap toured by a local news team showing his final harrowing moments. it's a terrifying truth nik and leanna know all too well. take me back to 2017. >> it was february 8th, about 10:30 in the morning. as we made our way out on that wire we lost our balance and the pyramid collapsed. by the grace of god i caught the wire. my cousin caught the wire.

another gentleman stayed on the wire but five of my family members and friends hit the ground. >> i broke a rib, punctured my right ear canal, broke through my left humerus. but the big one was every bone in my face. >> the trauma doctor said when we first got the call, he said the fear in the voices of the paramedics, he said i was certain we were going to have fatalities by the time they got to the hospital. but ten days later, leanna's going home, so. >> reporter: to this day, the family has agreed not to watch the video of the fall. >> it's just hard to relive it over and over again. it's weird when something that dramatic happens to you. every single step of the way, i mean, that's why i'm emotional because i'm there again. falling from over 28 feet, the reality is i think it's a 60% chance of living. people say why would you return performing? it's your passion, it's what we

love. we live by the words never give up as a family. and we have for generations. there's something about closure, about getting back on that wire. i know my sister for a year as she was recovering struggled, because she wanted to get back on the wire. she wanted to close the circle left open by the accident. >> i'm a little nervous because the wire moves more than anything i've been on. >> reporter: at their practice facility in florida the weight of being on the wire is palpable on leanna's face, but she works through it one step at a time. >> she has had to overcome hurdles. >> i knew i'd get back on the wire. >> reporter: the wallendas have set up a massive practice wire, 50 feet high and 500 feet across, which they practice on daily. trying to mimic what they will face on the day of the walk, preparing their bodies and their minds for the lights and sounds of new york city. >> i'm looking down and trying to visualize those light-up signs flashing.

taxicabs moving, horns honking, police, sirens, all that. and then there's a lot of training. >> reporter: high above the ground the two will walk towards each other, meeting smack-dab in the middle. the most dangerous part of the performance where nik will step over leanna before they continue the rest of the way. but while the physical training prepares them for life on the wire their warrior ethos is rooted in a higher power. >> reporter: you mentioned praying. like over niagara falls and it was like going to a church service. >> praise you jesus. >> my faith plays a huge role in who i am. and people ask how you stay calm and collected in stressful situations and the reality is by my faith. i have a lord and savior that's looking out for me. and i know he's there with me. i will say this. i have to make the right

decisions in training and preparation. i don't believe god holds me magically on that wire. can he? absolutely. i don't believe he does. it's up to me to use my mind, knowledge and experience to train and prepare properly for every walk i take. >> reporter: they have spent days laying down hooks and wires. everything overseen by nik and his family. >> the rigging has everything to do with success or failure. it has to be absolutely right. >> in terms of difficulty, this is probably the worst case that i've been up against. there's been nothing like this. >> reporter: while nik and leanna will be wearing a safety line during their walk, their lives ultimately depend on just a few hooks and cable. >> i'm so blessed to have an opportunity to hopefully inspire people that because nik wallenda can make it across the grand canyon or niagara falls with his sister, if they're able to do

it, so can i. >> reporter: you have a wonderful family. you've had a terrific career. why -- >> ask tiger woods why he golfs. same reason. it's my passion. it's my love. >> reporter: if tiger woods misses a shot, the worst that happens is he misses a shot. >> the reality is when it's your time, it's your time. a lot of people hold back from their dreams because of fear. fear is a liar. it holds you back from your greatest successes in life. i encourage people, do not accept the fear put in your mind. overcome that fear. >> wow. our thanks to pbyron. up next, the breakout comedy star bridging two worlds as a muslim and millennial. she's doing it again. (vo) no cover up spray here... it's the irresistibly fresh scent of febreze air effects. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors, burying the smell in a flowery fog.

switch to febreze air effects! febreze eliminates even the toughest odors from the air. and it uses an all-natural propellant to leave behind a pleasant scent you'll love. use anywhere odors can spread. freshen up, don't cover up. febreze air effects. at red lobster. featuring three new dishes that are planked to perfection. feast on new cedar-plank lobster & shrimp. or new colossal shrimp & salmon with a citrusy drizzle. tender, smoky and together on one plank. but only till june 30th, so hurry in. "csaid alice.d curiouser," but only till june 30th, "the rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way." "i've seen a cat without a gri, but a grin without a cat." hey, mercedes, end audio. change lighting to soft blue. the completely reimagined 2020 gle. with intelligent voice control and available third row. your adventure awaits. visit your local mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional lease and financing offers. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing.

it's how we care for our patients- like job. his team at ctca treated his cancer and side effects. so job can stay strong for his family. cancer treatment centers of america. appointments available now. cancer treatment centers of america. what sore muscles? what with advpounding head? .. advil is... relief that's fast. strength that lasts. you'll ask... what pain? with advil. and i don't add trup the years.s. but what i do count on... is boost® delicious boost® high protein nutritional drink has 20 grams of protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals. boost® high protein. be up for life.

we like drip coffee, layovers- -and waiting on hold. what we don't like is relying on fancy technology for help. snail mail! we were invited to a y2k party... uh, didn't that happen, like, 20 years ago? oh, look, karolyn, we've got a mathematician on our hands! check it out! now you can schedule a callback or reschedule an appointment, even on nights and weekends. today's xfinity service. simple. easy. awesome. i'd rather not.

ramie yusef is having a moment. the breakout comedian drawing from his experience as a muslim and millennial growing up in the u.s. the pit falls of balancing two often misunderstood worlds. here's zachary kiesch. >> reporter: it's a friday night at the comedy cellar.cellar.cel. new york city's premiere place for standup. and rahmy yusef is about to take the stage. >> if you have a girl problem -- >> i grew up in a family that didn't talk about sex at all. i'm muslim, and it didn't come up at all. any muslims here? oh, yeah? did you guys talk about sex? >> reporter: a jersey boy and son of egyptian immigrants,

rahmy is here to flip the script. >> i believe all the women. none of them have a reason to lie. the other reason i believe them is men? yeah, we're not good. >> reporter: it's been a breakout year for the comedian. >> it's azy. >> reporter: first known for making a splash in the late show with stephen colbert and "mr. robot." now he has his own series coined rahmy in a new hbo special. >> we're not trying to provide answers. i don't think that's job of film or comedy. i think the only job we have or i have is to disrupt the context. >> reporter: the hoe show is loy based on his life, a millennial muslim with the drawn desires of growing up in american society. >> this is the perfect time for people to see this family, absolutely. if anything, the timing is too

late. i think we've been talking around what it means to be muslim but never actually talking to muslims. never actually talking to arabs. >> reporter: it's a look into the nuanced american experience, in a way that very few shows have dared to go. from speaking arabic. >> please, soft on the driving. >> reporter: to attending the mosque to daily prayer. >> it was really important to show arabic being spoken, to show prayer in this show, because the way that our language has been framed in media and in this country is devastating. >> reporter: ramie said getting people to buy in wasn't easy. >> when we first tested our pilot and our show started at a mosque with people speaking arabic. and for the first ten minutes they thought the show was about terrorism and a drama in the vein of "homeland". it took them almost to the halfway point when i was on a date with a girl named chloe for them to say oh, maybe this sh a

comedy. >> reporter: for rahmy, one key was featuring his childhood best friend steve way. way has muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes massive muscle loss. the two invited me to their high school stomping grounds in rutherford, new jersey. this is where it all started? >> yeah. >> reporter: the real connection between you? >> it really started here. >> my first project, we worked on it together. >> with a small, 13-inch tv. >> i borrowed it from the school and i broke it. >> rahmy's freakin' out. >> reporter: came out with a bang, huh? >> just tell them i knocked it off. >> that was the beginning of steve taking the fall for everything. >> reporter: and that's continued, huh? >> yeah, all the time. >> because you can't get mad at steve. >> yeah, he knows. >> reporter: diversity on the show didn't mean just showing his own truth, but showing

steve's as well. >> i miss you so much, man. >> [ bleep ]. it made me feel comfortable during that show is that rahmy was very adamant at making sure everything i did was specific to me. like the end of episode three, with the mom when she grinds up my pain pill. that's exactly how my mom would do that. >> she's not my vibe. >> [ bleep ]. >> reporter: steve says beyond the laughs, the opportunity was a chance to break down barriers for his community. >> you don't really see people like me on television. or, if you see someone who is supposed to be me, they don't look like me. and their stories are not truly what we go through. when you see rahmy, you see me, my character, and you think, oh, he's a jerk, just like me. if it wasn't for rahmy pushing for me, who knows what would

have happened. >> reporter: at the end of the day, it's just two friends with undeniable chemistry, living out their childhood dream. what's it mean having this guy around, having your best friend around on the set? >> it's amazing just getting to make something with your friend. >> it was weird. >> we've been doing it since high school. it's just cool to do it with bigger cameras. >> reporter: oh, how things have changed. in addition to their work together, rahmy is preparing for the launch of his standup special "feelings". >> i get really upset every time i get a white uber devastated. like i look down on my phone. i see the little white face. and i'm just like [ bleep ]. i'm going to be late. >> so much of it is just about asking questions. that's the work that we do, and that's the thing that i'm most excited about is to just have

anyone who watches it be a little less convinced or convicted in whatever stance that they hold. >> going to stop at every stop sign. >> reporter: back at the comedy cellar, a rising star. >> i get so mad. >> there is a correlation between what you do here and what we see on your show. >> there's a huge correlation with what happens in these rooms with only a couple hundred people and what ends up being on tv. it's really exciting to link the two. >> i was talking to this woman, she found out i was muslim, and she goes right away, why do you make them wear that? and i was like, who? where what? i was on a date with a woman in new york in january. it was 7 degrees. fahrenheit. and she was wearing the shortest dress that i've ever seen. and we got out of the car, and we were like two blocks away, and she's like where is it? i'm like it's over here.

she was shivers. she was so cold. she couldn't move that fast because her heels were slowing down. and i was like, man, why do they make her wear that? thank you guys. >> reporter: for "nightline," zachary kiesch in new york. >> up next, the dream come true for the young basketball prodigy. i'm mildly obsessed with numbers. so, i started with the stats regarding my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. like how humira has been prescribed to over 300,000 patients. and how many patients saw clear or almost clear skin in just 4 months - the kind of clearance that can last. humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to symptoms. numbers are great. and seeing clearer skin is pretty awesome, too. that's what i call a body of proof. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including

tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your dermatologist about humira. this is my body of proof. just between us, you know what's better than mopping? anything! at the end of a long day, it's the last thing i want to do. well i switched to swiffer wet jet and its awesome. it's an all-in-one so it's ready to go when i am. the cleaning solution actually breaks down dirt and grime. and the pad absorbs it deep inside. so, it prevents streaks and haze better than my old mop. plus, it's safe to use on all my floors, even wood. glad i got that off my chest and the day off my floor. try wet jet with a moneyback guarantee the best way to hit the beach? with neutrogena® beach defense® sunscreen.

helioplex® powered, uva, uvb strong. beach strength protection for the whole family. for the best day in the sun. neutrogena®. stop fearing your alarm clock... with zzzquil pure zzzs. a drug-free blend of botanicals with melatonin that supports your natural sleep cycle so you can seize the morning. zzzquil pure zzzs. have the fastest internet and now the best mobile network too? yeah and get them together and save hundreds on your wireless bill. wow, that's great. oh, and this looks great.

are these words for sale? no. go, go, go, go, go. now the fastest, most reliable internet can help you save on your wireless bill. that's simple, easy, awesome. taxi! should i have stopped her? save hundreds of dollars a year when you get internet and mobile together. plus ask how to get $250 back when you switch to xfinity mobile. ♪ ♪ this is how driving should feel. the tech-advanced nissan leaf. the best selling electric vehicle of all time. this is nissan intelligent mobility. ♪ it's a revolution in sleep. the sleep number 360 smart bed is on sale now during our lowest prices of the season. it senses your movement, and automatically adjusts

to keep you both comfortable. it even helps with this. so you wake up ready to hit the ground running. only at a sleep number store. it's the lowest prices of the season. the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is now $1,299. save $400. only for a limited time. sleep number. proven, quality sleep.

and finally, rolling out the red carpet for the new nba hotshot. zion williamson, scoring his biggest win at the nba draft. >> with the first pick, in the 2019 nba draft, the new orleans pelicans select zion williamson. from duke university! >> and tonight he gave an emotional thank you to his first coach, his mom. >> my mom sacrificed a lot for me. i wouldn't be here without my mom. she did everything for me. i just want to thank her. >> and his message for his new team? >> let's dance.

let's dance. >> that could be a victory dance. congratulations. that's "nightline." you can always catch our full episodes on hulu. good night, america.