Jon Hamm on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone. Welcome to another

episode of Good Hang. We have our old

dear wonderful friend John Ham joining

us today and we are so excited to have

Ham Bones here today. We are going to

talk about so much good stuff. We're

going to talk about auditioning. We're

going to talk about the best position in

baseball. We're going to talk about Bad

Bunny. We're going to talk about what he

thinks Don Draper would be doing now.

and we're going to talk about uh season

two of his hit Apple show, Your Friends

and Neighbors. John is just such a dear

tenderoni underneath all that Superman

muscle. And um so we're going to get

into it today, but we're going to start

um our episodes like we always do by

talking to somebody who knows John. And

uh we've got a great one today. We have

Roger Sterling himself, John Slatterie,

an incredible actor,

director, writer, wonderful person who

is like kind of one of John's chosen

brothers. So, let's see what he has to

say. Um, and get him on Zoom. Hi,

Slatterie.

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All I ever wanted.

>> Hi.

>> Wow.

>> Well, we're doing it. Slattery. I'm

going to talk to Ham about this, but I

just finished a Mad Men rewatch, by the

way.

>> Whoa.

>> Wow.

>> How long did that take you?

>> A couple months. God, Roger Sterling is

such an incredible character. such a

complicated

guy that you just cannot help but love

and half the time you're like why do I

love this guy?

>> Although I mean not just him I think

everybody had despite their

wrongheadedness or whatever moment like

just when you thought well this is just

somebody who thinks like this

they're do something incredibly human or

funny or touching or whatever. I mean,

he's that, you know, that thing those

all those characters had that.

>> Okay. So, did you and Ham know each

other before you worked on Madmen?

>> So, you met when

>> I auditioned for his part and they said

and I I remember call I called my agent

back and was like, "Are you sure this is

their part?" Cuz you know, I was beyond

that age and they were like, "That's

what they want." So, I did all my

homework and went in and read. And then

Matt and um Allan Taylor were there and

then they said, "Okay, so here's the

thing. We already have this guy."

>> And I said, "Excuse me?" And they said,

"Well, your part isn't really visible so

much in the first episode, so there

wasn't much for you to read. We didn't

think you'd come in." And um I was a

little like And then, you know, he said,

"But I promise you this will be a great

part." So then I met him and I was like,

"Oh shit." You know, well, they

certainly do have that guy. Like I

realized, you know, oh that's what that

guy looks like. Of course.

>> Yeah.

>> And then day one, he just sent me a

picture the other night,

two nights ago of the of his TV some

wherever he was and and it was him at at

the desk and me sitting across with a

drink. And I said and I could tell from

the suit and like my hair was diff

something and I said, "Is that day one?"

And he said, "Yeah,

>> no way."

>> Yeah. I mean, what's so satisfying about

your relationship from afar is that the

relationship you had on the show felt

very brotherly. It really felt like big

brother little brother energy. And if

and is or is your relationship like that

too? It feels like it.

>> I think our relationship is more sort of

equal like our age doesn't really come

into it so much.

>> Um

>> and also he's such a competent person.

It isn't like I have anything to teach

him. It's often the other way. I was

thinking about like well what would I

ask him? What would I And it was um who

does he look to for answers cuz

sometimes I actually think what would

Ham do like in a certain situation or

whatever cuz he's just is you know he is

good at most everything he puts his hand

to and smart and accomp all that stuff

and you kind of so so our relationship

was more just kind of you know brotherly

but not like a a

older, younger, like it is in the show.

>> What do you think makes John so

competent in your words, like so good at

so many things,

>> you know, you have to be smart

emotionally to be that funny and as you

know, you know, you have to be observant

and you have to listen and you have to

so all that stuff

goes into being good at very different

things. I mean, he's it makes sense that

he's as good at drama as he is at comedy

because it's it's something that he's

paid attention to

for a long time. I mean, when I was a

kid, I couldn't I would stand in front

of the television. I wouldn't even sit

down. I would just stand there with the

clicker and go from Oscar Madison to

Derek Jacabe to, you know, just get a

chunk and then click go to get another

one and see what I just get a piece of

this and a piece of that. When it got

slow or commercial, I'd go off to some

other, you know, just like

just a you know, a civ open just just

wanting to I don't know why. I don't

know what it was, but I just like

wanting to to absorb everything. Wow,

that's such an interesting and true

observation is that when I watch TV, I

watched it like what I imagine athletes

do when they watch sports where they're

watching for,

you know, same. I watched performances

unconsciously or subconsciously

to get an idea of how to do it.

>> My mother was a big movie fan. My dad

was too, but my mother would she'd go,

"Come in. You have to watch this." this

and I'd have my coat on on my way out. I

was like in high school or whatever and

she'd go come and watch you have to

watch this and I Sunset Boulevard or

whatever some and I'd go like I have to

go and she'd go just 5 minutes just

watch. And then an hour and 20 minutes

later I'd be sitting on the couch with

my coat on next to her watching movie. I

said I watched at her funeral I was

saying I watched more movies with my

coat on because I was you know sucked

in.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Well um Slatterie I love

seeing you. I I'm

>> You, too.

>> I hope we get to hang out in some real

way again. We We got to be on a We got

to do a um a couple scenes together once

on a silly show called Wet Hot American

Summer in on Netflix. We got to perform

together and it was really fun. So, I

hope we get to do something again

someday soon.

>> Me, too. You know, I remember being so

impressed that

the difference between my own ability to

sort of improvise and yours, which was

like, oh, that's how that's a person who

knows how to improvise on story, like

not just

divert and use some nugget that you have

saved up or something, but like that you

could do stuff

that had to do with the actual action of

the scene. And I was just sort of you

and John early. I was watching this

thing and I was thinking, man,

>> these people are

>> this is this is this is different.

>> Well, when you don't quote remember your

lines, you have to you have to have a

trick.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, you have to you have to be

like, look over there.

>> Well, Slatterie, love you. Love seeing

you. Give lots of love to Talia. Please

give her my love.

>> Will do. And um thank you so much for

this and I'm sure Ham will be so happy

that we talked.

>> Have fun. Say hi to Ham.

>> All right, buddy. Thank you so much.

Okay, talk to you soon. Bye.

>> All right, listen up. Ralph's King

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You look great.

>> Boy, winning a Golden Globe really

changed you.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have two of them,

but

>> Yeah.

>> So do I.

>> Yeah.

>> Two times.

>> And when you have two,

>> it makes the first one that much more

special.

>> It really does.

>> You know what you made me you're making

me think of that I feel like we should

start with immediately is that you and I

started something.

>> Losers Lounge.

>> Yeah.

>> Immediately.

>> Losers Lounge, baby. Welcome to the

First of all, John Ham is here. John

Ham,

>> hi. Oh my god. Okay,

first of all, I'm so deeply deeply happy

to see you.

>> Same, buddy. Same.

>> I can't It's been way too long. I

haven't seen you in forever.

>> Yeah. But I've been watching your

podcast as I do for uh all my friends.

But you I just love what you've done

with the place and this it's I remember

doing

>> with Nick Offerman a million years ago,

Smart Girls at the party. And I knew

then

>> you did

>> that you had your finger on the pulse of

something very very special and cool.

And I'm glad that this is the further

extension of that because it makes me

very happy for you.

>> Thank you for saying that. God, you've

done so many favors for me. Um, but you

did a you and Nick and a bunch of people

did a

>> I made you have a baby. That's like

>> we have so much to talk about. I

literally was not pregnant when the week

started.

>> I know.

>> THAT WAS CRAZY.

>> AND THEN BY THE END

>> that was crazy

>> having a baby.

>> Well, and also you know what's amazing

about that is that there is a physical

marker of that time.

>> I know. And it like we have known each

other now for we're getting up on the

>> 20 years.

>> 20 years which is

>> which seems crazy. It seems impossible.

It does. Everything that I think is 10

years now is 20 years. You

>> know, pandemic really threw a whole

weird thing in that.

>> And the 80s to us are the 80s to our our

kids are what the 20s were to us.

>> Yeah, exactly. They're like, "Oh, the

roaring 80s when everybody wore

tuxedos."

But I want to start John Ham.

Um, the last time we saw you, you were

getting on a hot air balloon on this

podcast.

>> Yes, I was I was on I think was I was on

a hot air.

>> You were shooting on a hot air

>> medius rest

>> and I hope you heard both the Adam Scott

and Paul Red episode because we talked

about you a lot

and

you know we have talked about you on

this podcast and that like early

grouping of guys and it does feel very

fun and magical to talk about it not

only because everybody was young and

like just beginning but it is feels kind

of wild that you all met. Yeah, it's

crazy. I mean, it's it's absolutely

crazy. Through Paul, honestly,

>> um here's how it started.

>> Tell us the how the Avengers assemble.

>> Yes, truly. At this point,

>> um Paul went to

>> Paul's an Avenger, right?

>> Is an Avenger. Ant-Man.

>> Okay, that's an Avenger

>> apparently.

>> Yeah.

>> Avenging what? What? Why? Why you so

angry?

>> Cuz you have superpowers.

>> You got a shitty superpower. You turn

into ants. What the Come on.

>> Come on, dude. Wrap it up. You did it.

Grow up.

>> Grow up. Literally

>> Ant-Man.

>> The next The next movie is Grow Up.

>> Grow up, Antman.

>> Okay.

>> Anyways, um Paul is from Kansas City,

Missouri. Yeah,

>> I am from St. Louis, Missouri.

>> Right.

>> Paul went to the University of Kansas.

My dear friend Preston Clark was his

roommate freshman year at the University

of Kansas.

>> Paul would come back with his roommate

Preston to visit St. Louis, holidays,

long weekends, what what have you.

>> Um, and we that's when we got to know

one another. I was probably a a senior

in high school and he was a freshman in

in college.

>> So that makes sense because there is

this big brother energy that Adam and

Paul have with you where you where you

feel like they're big brother. You're

only

>> weird two or three years older.

>> No, younger. I'm I'm younger than Paul

and older than Adam.

>> Oh, really?

>> Yeah.

>> But RD gives

>> Paul also doesn't age and He has made a

deal with the devil.

>> There's there's a very terrible painting

somewhere that is just really rough.

>> But he gives you a lot of big brother

energy in the way he talks about you.

It's interesting. Why do you think that?

>> I don't know. I don't know why. I mean,

I think I've always You probably have

had this experience with me, too. I've

always represented older than I am.

>> Yeah, I've heard you say that.

>> Even when I was like a little kid, I was

not little kid, but like when I was a a

teenager, they were like, "You're buying

the beer." Is it cuz you know cuz you

look kind of old. I'm like what? Thanks.

>> Is it cuz you were tall?

>> Tall. I have a deep voice. I I got a I

got a beard early. Like I was just I

don't know what it was. But it was it

was very much that

>> Yeah.

>> I played all the adult roles in co, you

know, like the

>> high school and college,

>> the real fun dad roles,

>> you know, great,

you know, and then like who's afraid of

Virginia Wolf when I'm like 19. like

>> you should talk to Paula Pel who also

talks about she always did the old like

>> same same thing same energy there was

something there I don't know

>> I mean I I don't know but anyway so

that's that's how I met Paul this and

we're talking like 1989

>> right

>> maybe

>> so you're in Missouri when you know each

other and you do you say to each other I

want to be an actor so do I

>> Paul uh decides he wants to be an actor

he transfers from the uh University of

Kansas to uh the American Academy of

Dramatic Arts in Pasadena That's where

he meets Adam,

>> right? I see. Adam's a California kid

that

>> California kid who came down from Santa

Cruz.

>> Um, and then we all then this would have

been in the early '9s. I graduate

college. I come out here in '94, '95,

something like that. And we all there's

this little percolating group of friends

that nobody has a job. Um,

>> well, that's what I'm kind of

>> except Paul. Paul was already famous

like he he had gotten

>> early success with whatever it was. Um,

>> Romeo and Juliet maybe. Yeah. Clueless.

>> Clueless and Romeo and Juliet kind of

were back to back.

>> But what's fascinating is you unlike

some other people who like go through a

pipeline before you start working like

you know the like the a Giuliard

Conservatory or like Second City or

whatever, you kind of go cold into LA.

Come in, arrive.

>> I knew one person, Paul.

>> That was it. And I had an aunt and uncle

that lived out here, so I had a I had a

a place to to stay.

>> Yeah. Um, and then I moved, you know, I

found found an apartment, found a house

to live in out in Silver Lake, which was

very, you know, urban pioneering back

then. Wasn't cool. I mean, it was cool,

but it was very out on the edge.

>> Yeah. The swing you took to come out

here is very impressive to me because it

is like, did you grow up knowing any

actors?

>> Did you know anyone that was an actor?

>> No.

>> And did you when you were in high school

and like like when did you did you do

plays? Were you like were you like the

jock that did plays? Yeah, my high

school was one of those magical places

that you were just encouraged to do

everything. You weren't siloed. If you

were a jock, you weren't just that.

>> Yeah.

>> And it was small,

>> but everybody kind of knew each other.

My graduating class was 95 kids.

>> Yeah.

>> So, I knew everybody in my class, and we

we were kind of all friends. Like, you

were friends with the violin kid, and

you were friends with the

>> weird uh beautiful artist, and the kid

that could sing opera somehow at 16, you

know. There was a lot of talented kids

there. And in fact,

>> from my school,

>> Ellie Keer,

>> yes.

>> Was one of my students when I went back

to teach.

>> I know. So great.

>> Uh Heather Golden Hirs, who was Tony

nominated actress. Um Stephanie Sandits,

uh Leslie Stevens, all these kids that

uh Sarah Clark, who was in my class, who

was on 24,

>> um who dated Paul Rudd, believe it or

not. Um,

so we had this kind of weird

concentrated energy that was very

creative, but we were encouraged.

>> So it was I I didn't know any actors,

but I I thought, well, why not me?

>> And they were like, we need a Willie

Lman. We need We need a tired salesman.

>> We need an 18-year-old Willie Lman with

the weight of the world on his

shoulders.

>> Ham will do it. Do you ever feel though

that you like could have been a Were you

ever good in a sport enough that you had

like dreams like every

>> I thought I was going to be a I thought

cuz also the other half of my growing up

was my best friend John Simmons's dad

was a professional baseball player.

>> Ah

>> so I was like a professional baseball

player I didn't know a professional

baseball player and I was like man one

of these days me and me and John Simmons

we're going to be we're going to play

for the Cardinals together probably.

>> Uh what position did you play?

>> I was a catcher. You were catcher. Yeah.

>> I always think of the catchers as the

the little

>> stocky guy. No, I was kind of the I was

always I was always this shape. I was

always lanky.

>> Mhm.

>> Um

>> lanky.

>> Yeah. Right. Would you say I'm lanky?

Kind of lanky.

>> I mean, I don't want to describe your

body back to you, but I wouldn't use

lanky.

>> I I feel lanky.

>> Yeah.

>> Maybe. Am I using that word wrong? Well,

>> kind of long limbmed and

>> but I feel like you got shoulders. I

feel like Lang to carry the weight of

the world.

>> You need it for your briefcase.

>> All the both of the

>> sample cases that I Oh god.

>> Okay. So, catcher, which I have to say

in all I used to play softball and all

the positions I my two favorite

positions were catcher and second base.

>> Interesting.

>> Catcher because I felt like catcher

catcher. Yeah. You're in every play and

you're just like you're kind of like a

coach in a way. Yeah, a little bit.

You're telling everywhere to go and

you're running the running the room.

That's what I liked about it, too.

>> And second base for almost the opposite

reason, which is you're like, I I don't

I thought you had it

>> like second base is a little bit like

over here.

Like, you know, you're just like I

>> And honestly, in the hierarchy of who

gets to call like a popup, second base

is like the last.

>> Yeah. Second base is like I wanted to

get it. I just it was over I thought

>> closer to you.

>> But you can chat, you can chitchat a lot

in second base

>> and a short throw. short to first.

>> Oh yeah. I mean, I didn't have the arm.

I never had the arm, but I had the

mouth.

>> Okay. So,

>> so there was a party that was like, I'm

going to catch for the Cardinals. And

then

>> Yeah. And then I But here's here's what

it really was is that I realized

probably even when I was still in in

high school, I was like, "Oh, there's

people that are way better than me at

this." Like like way way way better than

me at this.

>> Yeah. And so I kind of like I was early

disabused of that notion. Very very just

I was kind of like

>> eh.

>> And also I realized that

>> and I have a lot of friends now that are

that are professional athletes and

you're like it's a job.

>> Yeah. Big time.

>> It's 24/7. Even in the offseason you're

training, you're training. So you better

love it.

>> I know.

>> And I was like I like it.

>> Yeah.

>> I don't love it.

>> I know. And with sports, um,

when I watched sports or when even when

I played sports, I was I didn't feel

like I was playing or watching to like

know how to do it for life.

>> You were enjoying it.

>> Yes.

>> It's like a hobby.

>> But with television and film, I

definitely watched it very intently.

>> Oh, me too.

>> Yeah.

>> So, to to put a point on the end of that

story of like not loving not loving it

enough to want to do it professionally,

I love what I do now.

>> Yeah.

>> I mean, I really do. Yeah.

>> of a career that you can look back on

and go, "Man, I'm I'm pretty proud of

that stuff."

>> Yeah.

>> I love that.

>> You did Shakespeare in Do you Sh Do you

did Shakespeare in theater?

>> Yeah. In college. Yeah.

>> Do you understand Shakespeare? What's

happening there?

>> I thought it was pronounced Hamlet.

Apparently, it's Hamnett.

>> Yes. I just found out it was Hammet.

>> Uh, no. I I I did I I really loved sh of

reading.

>> This is part of when when I kind of

figured out maybe I was going to be an

actor

>> is that I would read plays as a little I

read like a bananas weirdo when I was a

kid

>> because I was a single a single mom.

>> Yeah.

>> And an only child.

>> Yes.

>> So there was that was it. There were no

internet. There were no phones.

>> Uh video games were rudimentary.

>> Yeah. Uh, so it was about reading and we

had tons of books everywhere and I had a

library card. Um, so I would go to the

library, I would check out books and I

would check out comedy records.

>> Yes.

>> Those are the two things that I got.

>> What did you check out? Do you remember?

>> I mean, it was bananas that I was a

seven-year-old boy and I had like

Richard Prior records.

>> Yeah.

>> The name of which I will not say out

loud, but you can find out what it's

called.

>> Yeah. Um, and

but but also like Steve Martin, Bob

Newhart, George Carlin, like just the

stuff that was whatever was there.

>> And what were your series? What books

were you reading? Like what kind of

series did you love as a kid?

>> I read there wasn't really I don't I

don't remember there being like um YA,

you know, stuff like that. It wasn't

really like

>> I mean I I feel like Little House in the

Prairie was for us kind of

>> kind of which I didn't really read. It

was kind of for girls.

>> No, it was for girls. Um, but I read

>> it's for boys, too.

>> It is for everyone. It's a lovely story.

By the way, I did I did read I did read

those.

>> Um, I read plays

>> and it was it was something that I would

I don't know why I was attracted to them

or whatever. I think I was

>> you said earlier about watching TV and

like watching it to learn about it. And

that was what I thought the plays were.

And I would read them and I would read

them out loud to myself.

>> Yeah.

>> So my mom was like, "You're a weird

kid." Um, but it was I would that was

the f looking back I think that was the

first time I would think, "Oh, maybe I

want to do this for real."

>> Um, your mom passed away when you were

young when you were 10. What was she

like?

>> She was a a professional secretary.

>> She was a very accomplished lady. She

was the oldest of six kids.

>> Um, she was I don't know. She was just

she was my mom, you know. It was like

one of those I loved her.

>> We had an amazing relationship.

>> Um it's I say this to people all the

time. There's never a good time to lose

a parent. It stinks. It just does.

>> I lost my mom when I was 10, my dad when

I was 20,

>> but I have friends that are our age now

that just lost their parents that are

just as devastated.

>> Yeah.

>> So, it was um it was brief, but it was

significant.

>> Yeah. uh my relationship with her and

and I still have probably the closest

family member in my life is my aunt, her

younger sister,

>> who was the cool aunt cuz she moved out

here to California.

>> Yeah.

>> And that's who you lived with when you

came out here.

>> Yeah. My aunt Sue.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Because I mean I feels like

Hambones the the um theme of a lot of

your work and the things you do is like

like finding your family like collecting

them, choosing them, making it like and

you're in a you're in a business that

does that too.

>> Yeah. you kind of, you know, it's like

the circus comes to town and you make

new friends and

>> um, you know, being on a show as we both

were for an extended period of time,

>> you definitely you definitely forge

relationships that are that are pretty

solid, you know, and and and don't

really

>> uh dissipate once the once the circus

moves on.

>> Yeah, I know. If you're lucky.

>> If you're lucky. If you're lucky. And

that's the that's the thing you were

talking about, I think, with the people

part of it is like,

>> you know, you meet

>> we're all kind of crazy weirdos, you

know, with different talents, but boy,

you when you see when certain people

come through your orbit and you're like,

man, that that person's amazing at that.

>> Well, you must feel that way about

people, too, because

>> I mean, do you ever get this feeling? I

get this feeling a lot where like I meet

somebody and I'm like, oh, I you know,

we've known each other before in another

way

>> some a lot. And and I kind Am I wrong

that Slatterie feels like that for you?

>> Yeah, that's my big brother. If I if I

had a big brother, it would be him.

Yeah,

>> I was um

I was just watching I had I have not

watched Mad Men Back since uh

>> I just finished and I've been and I I I

think I say sometimes on this podcast

the best thing about knowing other

actors is sometimes you get to text them

and be like, "I'm watching your show

right now. You're so good." And I think

I just did that to you recently. You

watched it. Well, that must have been

the impetus for me starting it because

Anna, my wife Anna and I had hadn't

really wa I hadn't watched it back.

>> Wow.

>> Since the first time and um so we're on

like episode five or six now and I and I

text immedately texted

>> what happens. Don't tell me.

>> Um I texted slide took a picture of it

and texted Slattery and was just like

remember this day? It was the first day

we shot and I just remember all that

stuff and it was wild. It was very wild.

Obviously, that was 20 years ago, 15

years ago. Um, 20 years ago.

>> Well, we um I don't usually bring this

up early in the in the in the podcast,

but I will now because it makes sense.

So, you know, we do this thing where we

talk well behind somebody's back before

and we talked to Slatterie today

>> and he's the best and and he loves you

and

>> we talked about just that about and it

was funny because I said, "Do you feel

like a big brother to John?" And he said

in a very big brotherly way. He was

like, "I feel like we're equals. I feel

like I learn as much from John as he

learns from me. I feel like I'm not

teaching him things. I just feel like

we're um" But that's also a very big

brother thing to say, by the way.

>> Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, part of it was,

you know, it's funny for me, too,

because I remember the first couple

episodes or the first season of shooting

the show, and his son Harry was six, as

was Kieran, who played my daughter on

the show, Sally.

>> And now they're 26.

>> Yeah. this lightning and bottle thing

that just all of a sudden happens. I

point to mad men and and think like I

worked very hard to get in that room.

>> Well, I think a lot of people know this.

You worked hard and you grind you were

really grinding

>> for sure.

>> Like you you were working probably for

10 years in different in a lot of

different things and

>> not quite 10 but but but a solid six or

seven years a as as a working actor on

stuff that nobody watched. Mhm.

>> Um

just

>> did you ever get close to stuff where

you were

>> everything? I was I was the other guy

>> in every thing. And in fact,

>> the year I I got madman, I had I had

tested when we used to do that seven

times.

>> I'd gone to the network the last step

before you get hired.

>> Seven times

>> for seven different projects.

>> Seven different projects. 047.

>> What do you do? Do you remember what

some of them were? I don't really

>> like sitcoms and

>> stuff, you know.

>> Yeah.

>> That you know, and and in the old days

now it just feels like everything gets

gets produced.

>> In the old days it was like they do a

pilot, they'd test it, they'd see if it

worked, maybe you'd get fired, which I

did on several occasions.

>> Um and and it's it's such a bananas way

to do it, but that was the that was how

it was. And the Mad Men audition process

you've talked about many times, but it

was arduous.

>> Arduous. It started I started at the

very very bottom. The first

>> audition was a a pre-eread just reading

with the casting directors. They didn't

know my work. Not that they would. And

it was in Santa Monica and I lived in

Silverlake.

>> So it was like an hour and a half to get

across town in the rain on a Friday. And

I met them and there was another kid

sitting in the waiting room and he was

like it's like a 16 17 year old kid and

I was like in the right place like

what's he goes are you here for the

toothpaste dad? I go what? Uh no. Then I

was like what what toothpaste?

They're looking for somebody

>> an older guy the world on his shoulders

team

>> and it was literally they were casting a

the other room was a casting a

commercial and then this was they were

like no no no we're in here hi sorry

sorry and I was like hi nice to meet you

>> wow

>> the next day was another one of those

few days later was then more and more

people are in the waiting room then you

start to see people that have signed up

you're like

>> I recognize that guy's name he was on

sports night he'll probably get it Yeah.

>> Um, and it was that that that that

>> six, seven, eight times. And then they

finally I got to New York. They flew me

to New York

>> on somebody's miles.

>> Wow.

>> And uh

>> when you went in for that last one, did

you

>> The last one was was was meet the

executives. And Matthew Winer, to his

great credit, he goes, I I go, do I have

this job? Like what's happening? You're

flying me to New York.

>> Yeah. He goes, "I'm going to walk you

around the production office and I'm

going to introduce you as Don Draper and

you're going to act like you have the

job."

>> Oh god, that's giving me

>> and he's like, "Hey, we this is our Don,

you know, it's John. Say hi to the cat

the the costume designer and the hair

and makeup and we're going to do this."

And he's walking me around this whole

thing. And I'm like, I've not heard

officially from anybody anything.

>> Oh my god.

>> So then we go to to meet the executives

from AMC who are these four very young

executives.

>> Yeah. AMC was a young company. Brand

new. Hadn't done anything. And we go and

we have drinks and we're having a drink

and I'm with Matt and Scott Hornbach are

the two producers and and and the the

three executives and kind of holding my

drink and I'm like, "What what are we

what is this? What are we doing? Is this

this is if this is a prank?

>> This is the most elaborate, meanest

>> prank." Yeah.

>> And so we're having drinks and they're

like, "Here's to the show." And I'm

like, "Yeah, here's to the show."

And I drink the drink and we go and and

and and uh and I'm like we get it into

the elevator. They still haven't said

anything. And and uh and the lady who's

in charge finally turns to me. She goes,

"You know you got the job, right?" I go,

>> "Oh my god,

>> no, I didn't.

This would have been way more fun

earlier when we were having drinks to

toast." And I said, "No, we didn't." And

been and we go down the elevator and the

elevator doors open up. There's a

million paparazzi in the in the in the

lobby of the Maritime Hotel. And I'm

like, "Oh my god." Like, "Wow, that's

that was fast." Like, "Holy shit." But

they're all speaking German. I'm not

making this up. Uh in the elevator with

me was a very famous German football

player named uh France Beckenbower or

one of the like lions of the German

Bundesliga, what have you. And I was

like, "Oh, I was there for him. Never

mind.

>> GUYS, GUYS, GUYS, I'M NOT GIVING

INTERVIEWS YET.

>> Not yet.

>> Let me get some.

>> Let me just

>> Oh, in German. It's Yeah, that's him.

>> Okay, just a few madman questions. I

know you know the show is I just John.

>> I

>> that part you, that writing, that show,

that show is Hall of Fame.

>> Thank you.

>> And Hall of Fame performance.

>> I don't disagree. I think it's a it's a

great show. I was I was I was pleasantly

surprised watching it back to to to not

be mortified.

>> I'm so happy to hear that cuz it is just

pristine. And your performance is so

good, so measured, so controlled, and it

like all the characters in the show

starts to unravel in the perfect way.

>> It does pay off. That's what's really I

think really nice about the show is that

as it as it does unravel, it kind of is

a satisfying payoff for for kind of

everybody

>> thematically. This idea that like

The character of John Draper is being

presented in this way which we like

project all this stuff on him just like

we would any ad any version of like a

person and then we realize he is a

person like we all are like but

>> heavily flawed.

>> Heavily flawed but yet what I love about

the show is people change but not a lot.

Yeah.

>> So there's never like

>> Matt Matt has said and I think it's a

great way to describe it. He said, "I

want people to realize that the the

characters are are going to be just a

little bit better at the end. Just a

little bit."

>> Yeah.

>> You know, just a little change. And and

Don,

>> my god, you know, the the whole arc of

the final season is him sort of shedding

everything, his family, his job, his

stuff, his and he ends up on the end of

the continent.

>> Yeah.

>> At the very end of the continent. And

that's kind of when he realizes like,

"Oh, wait. I'm really good at this job.

I should probably just go back and do

the job that I'm really good at.

>> And my question to you is having

rewatched and I don't know if you

remember, but at the end you're uh Don

lets everything go, can you just tell me

about the scene in the group uh the

group therapy scene where that wonderful

day player, sorry I don't know his name,

actor

>> breaks down because he feels invisible.

Can you tell me about that day and

reading that because that's a big scene

to do at the end of seven seasons with

someone who's not

>> you don't know.

>> I don't I don't That was the whole last

half of that season for me

>> was being away from everybody that I had

spent

>> That's right.

>> 90 other episodes with.

>> That's right. That's right.

>> Slatty and I did our last scene. It's

kind of a It's kind of a weird little

nothing scene. It was just us in a bar

talking about something. And I said,

"You know, this is our last scene

together."

>> And he goes, "What?"

Cuz it was like three episodes before we

were done. He's like, "No, it isn't." I

go,

>> "Wow."

>> He goes, "No." I go, "Yeah."

And it was it's kind of great that it's

just that that moment. It's just that's

what it is. And then you don't see that

guy.

>> So, there was a lot of that stuff for me

and a lot of a lot of It was

tremendously difficult. Yeah,

>> cuz I was handling a lot of personal

Mishagos in my life. A lot of craziness.

And just being on a show for that long

>> is a lot.

>> And saying goodbye to it.

>> Saying goodbye to it. It's a grief. It's

a grieving process. You know it very

well.

>> Um, so that particular scene and we were

we we shot out of order. That wasn't the

last thing we shot obviously, but we we

were on location. We were up in Big Su.

>> Yeah. So we were even physically

separated from uh most the stages, all

the stuff

>> um our trailers. I was living in a hotel

like it was it was so it was like four

or five days in a row

>> up there

>> and it was heavy. It was super heavy

work.

>> Yeah.

>> Um

>> you I very much felt the weight of the

end of the show

>> and and the responsibility of like

>> don't this up. You can

anything else up, but you cannot

this up. This is the end of a very,

very, very long story, and if you

the bed on this, it's not going to that

will be what you are known for. Um, but

I do remember that thinking that this

kid is killing it. It was wonderful. And

um, everyone in the there were a lot of

like writers, interspers,

>> for those people that have never watched

Mad Men, don't listen to this part.

But it is there is a moment not to give

too much away for people that haven't

seen it but I mean it has been 20 years

but where past the spoiler part John is

like gone basically to like an eelin

like like retreat and to basically like

to your point he's lost everything and

he's in what is

>> an early version of group therapy and

the closest he's ever had to actually

really truly sitting in his feelings and

a man

>> another man who he doesn't know is

expressing this thing that John

understands really well.

>> Deep dissatisfaction, deep un un um

>> what's the right word?

>> Unworthiness. Unworthiness. Yeah. Maybe

not being loved.

>> Invisibility you said earlier that whole

kind of thing and there's a refrigerator

and all this. It's like it's a beautiful

piece of writing.

>> Um and it's it's an incredibly emotional

moment not only for this man but for

Dawn. And there's a there's a connection

that they have and

>> Okay. Well, I want to slow it down

because,

>> you know, I like to talk to the TV.

>> By the way, I did not know that, but I I

can imagine that. I'm an old lady. I can

imagine.

>> I also am an old person in in a young

younger person's body.

>> But I paused in this moment and I was

just like, this is John Ham. Like I was

like, this is like the the moment when

you approach and hug that man.

is such good acting. It's so you're it's

like John. It's so so good.

You you did stick the landing. You

nailed it.

>> I felt very very good about what I did

on the show.

>> And it was like it was like masculinity

which a lot of the show is about and we

are all like look like John Draper, John

Ham, Amy Polar. We're all like living in

a patriarchal world and trying to figure

it out. and suffering in different ways.

That moment when like two strangers, men

of that generation are hugging, it is so

moving.

>> Well, and it's because you don't really

Don gets there on under such duress and

it's such a strange journey that he ends

up there and he's he's lost this

connection with his his job, his his

family, his his everything. It's really

the Sedarta kind of moment of just shed

everything and to discover who you

really are. And there's a moment and of

course

>> the the opening sequence of the show is

this man falling out of a building and

everyone's like this is where he does

it. He's going to jump off the cliff.

He's going to kill himself. This is the

end of the show. He's going to die,

>> right?

>> And it's it could have gone that way. I

think there's a version of this story

where Don doesn't get it and doesn't

allow himself to understand it and is so

overcome with his emotion and his

feeling of inadequacy and failure and

what he's what he has failed at

>> as a as a husband, as a friend, as a

father, as a fill in the blank that he

does do that.

>> Y

>> but he doesn't.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> He kind of takes it in, takes the

moment, feels the feelings for real, and

has the moment of clarity where he goes

like, you know, and it's beautifully

rendered with Coke, the Coke ad, and the

iconic kind of moment of this, and he's

like, this is who I am. I'm an ad man.

>> So, he go, do you think he goes back?

>> Yeah.

>> And

where what do you think happens for the

rest of his life? Like, how what is the

what is the last act of Don's life? What

do you think it is?

>> Lung cancer.

>> Um,

>> yes.

>> I mean, for sure. Uh, I I think he goes

back. He is a successful advertising

executive and I think he finds happiness

and peace. I think he connects with his

children.

>> Yes.

>> Um, as we know, Betty passes away. Yeah.

Um,

>> you and January,

>> you and January, you and Lizzy, you and

Slatterie, you and

>> Christina, incredibly, incredibly lucky.

My one of my favorite scenes in the

whole show is the the the scene between

I can't remember. I think it's season

five, season 4 where we see Don and Joan

kind of go out on a night on the town.

>> It's incredible. I mean, Don and Joan

never had enough scenes together as far

as I was concerned.

>> That's what kind of made it great was

that there were like two or three.

Everyone in that show is just pitch

perfect. And and you brought up the

smoking. What did you have to smoke?

>> They were like those fake herbal

cigarettes,

>> but I think somebody did somebody

watched the pilot just to watch how many

cigarettes I smoke. And I think it was

something like 80

in a one-hour pilot.

So, uh, Parks and Recreation and Mad Men

were on at the same time.

>> We were in We were We were fellow

travelers.

>> We were fellow travelers. And we shared,

um, uh, you and I shared two things. We

shared a production designer and Dan

Bishop who did your show and did we used

to brag like, "Oh, the bullpen of um,

you know, the offices of Parks and Wreck

were designed by the same guy that did

Madmen." And people were like, "Cool."

Um,

>> I can tell

>> that was a big brag. We were like, um,

and he's a love. Yeah, he's a great guy.

And, um, the other thing is that you and

I were at award shows many, many times

>> on the losing end.

>> On the losing end. And so, uh, I got to

get to Slatterie's question. Sorry, I'm

all over the place, but I got to get to

Slatter's question. But before that,

let's talk about Losers Lounge, which

you mentioned in the very beginning.

What was it?

>> The Losers Lounge was a thing that we

decided to do after being fed up with

losing. Yeah.

>> Like, let's take let's turn this frown

upside down.

>> Yeah.

>> Let's not live in the

>> we're not losers, we're winners.

>> We're winners.

>> Only losers lose.

>> Only losers lose. And we are not losers.

>> No way.

>> So, we decided that and I I still think

this is a great idea. I think we should

have patented it and I think it should

have been permanent.

>> Yeah.

>> That because also any awards night

there's way more people that lost than

one.

>> Oh, yeah. So, we decided that there

should be a celebratory place for the

losers to hang out, the losers lounge.

And if you wanted to come and you were a

winner and you had a statue in your

hand, you had to pay.

>> Yeah. You had to pay up.

>> You had to pay up

>> to charity.

>> To charity. It was all a charity thing.

It was a lovely char. Worldwide Orphans,

I believe it was.

>> That's right.

>> Um, and the rest of us could get in and

have a good time for free. And it was a

fun party.

>> We So, we threw a party a couple years

in a row.

>> Soho House, I think it was a couple

different places.

>> We had a dance off. We had a pants off,

dance off

>> and everybody wanted to get in. And the

highlight for me was I think I told you

the story. The highlight for me at the

Emmys was the great my hero idol Francis

McDorman won for I believe it was maybe

Olive Kiddage or one one of the many

incredible things she done. She won and

as she was walking up the aisle with her

Emmy, she turned me and she goes, "Does

this mean I can't go to the losers

lounge?"

>> And you said, "Yeah." And I was like,

"Yeah, you're gonna have to pay."

>> And I was like,

>> she did.

>> She did. She came and paid.

>> She came and paid.

>> Um that time of like being at those

places together and losing was so fun

because of course who cares. And also

the everyone's work was so great.

Everyone was such a fan of everybody.

>> We were all doing great stuff cuz Tina

was on 30 Rock at the time. You were

doing Parks.

>> I was doing Mad Man. We had that one

crazy fun night. I broke my toe.

>> Well, you broke your toe.

>> Uhoh.

>> And we were like you and me and Tina and

Claire Danes and we were all like

>> dancing dancing like insane people like

it was the last night on earth.

>> Yeah. And I was Tina had to get on a

plane the next day and like describes

like getting on a plane and like looking

at the floor and there's like a pile of

hair.

>> She was like, "What happened?"

>> I'm going to beat that. I had just had

my second child.

>> Oh my god. I know.

>> And I flew in for the weekend cuz I was

Well, yeah. I must I forget. I was in

New York and I flew I flew to California

for the thing.

>> I broke my toe on the banquet dancing.

I'm a mother of two.

>> I can't very young children.

>> I can't walk in the airport. I'm like I

wake up the next morning. I'm like I

can't walk.

>> Oh boy.

>> I have to get on a plane. I mean, I I

put like a hat on and sunglasses and

like tape my toe and like try to walk to

the And I'm like, I can't get a

wheelchair. This is like too much. So,

I'm like walking and I hear Amy. And I

look and it's Bradley Cooper.

The lovely Brad goes, Amy. And I'm like,

hey. And I look at my husband AND HE'S

LIKE,

>> "NO, it's not Amy.

>> So hung over." And I'm like, "Hey,

Bradley." He's like, "Are you okay?" And

I'm like, "Nope, no. very very bad. I'm

very very bad. And so he has to hold me

like an old like talk about old lady

like hold my elbow while like we shuffle

in. I got a little escort.

>> I got a I got an A-listister escort.

>> Wow.

>> That was a fun night.

>> Amy,

>> the last thing you want the last word

you wanted to hear.

>> Oh, but but worth it. Worth it.

>> I will never forget that night. Lauren

was Lauren was uh there and and moving

and grooving. We had a time.

>> Loves to dance.

>> We had a time.

>> Okay, let's talk about you hosting SNL,

though. And I mean, you're Are you a

fivetime?

>> Four. I just had my fourth. I I took I

did three in two years.

>> Mhm.

>> Took a 15-year hiatus.

>> Yeah.

>> And and came back this last uh this last

year. It's been said and I think I've

been listening to Seth's thing with Andy

and the boys, the Lonely Eye thing.

>> Oh, you were on it too, I think. Right.

Yeah,

>> that was an amazing your time there was

an amazing time. Every They're all

great.

You you you can't you literally can't

stack them up against another cuz

they're all different and they're all

great. But it was so fun to be there

with you,

>> with Maya.

>> Mhm.

>> Bill, Fred, Will, Kristen.

>> Yeah. I mean, Seth, those guys, you guys

were

I felt like we were just talk about

speaking the same language. It was like

I felt so comfortable

>> there.

>> Mhm.

>> Which was,

>> you know, part of part of it was you're

a guest in somebody's home,

>> so you don't want to be too comfortable

>> where you're kind of being shitty.

>> Um,

>> but I really did feel welcomed there. I

mean, cuz first of all, I'm sure you've

told this story, but pitch on Monday, my

first time hosting, you guys all roll in

in costume.

>> Oh, that's right. Let's tell that story.

So,

>> madman costume.

>> We all decide to dress up as the people

from for

>> 60s gear for pitch Monday night, which

is

35 people in a room, maybe a little bit

bigger than this.

>> Yeah. So sitting on the floor, on the

sofa, everything, everyone is in 1960s

period gear.

>> Yeah.

>> Hater was in drag.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Lutz was in drag as Joan.

>> Lutz was Joan. John Lutz, writer.

>> Paul, yes.

>> Had a cigarette taped to her finger

because she didn't know how to smoke. So

she's like, I just tape it. And then she

and she would pitch like this.

>> I And I was I didn't know this wasn't

normal,

>> right? I was like, "This is okay." Wow.

I really really do it on Mondays. I

thought it was a whole thing. Okay.

Well, nice. This is so fun.

>> And that was the beginning of a

wonderful relationship, not only with

that show, but with so many of you guys.

Um,

>> sitting around that whole week shooting

with Jim Signarelli.

>> You're 95 months pregnant.

>> Yeah. And we've told the story a million

million times, but the fast version is

Friday. I was supposed to do the show on

Saturday and then give birth.

>> And there was no doubt in your mind that

you were not having this baby before.

You were like, I'm it'll be fine.

>> Women listening, it's, you know, your

first kid. You assume you're going to be

a at least a few days late. I was

weirdly feeling good.

>> I was told you're not going to be giving

birth on before your due date. No way.

Go finish your last show. kill it on

Saturday, put your feet up.

>> Yeah. My first lesson in mothering,

which was like,

>> nope, nothing goes the way you think

it's going to go.

>> And I really did think I would do the

show on Saturday and then give birth on

Sunday.

>> And Friday night, we were shooting

Friday night. And um we were doing like

a pre-tape and I got a call from my

OBGYn

>> office of your OBGYn's office. my

beloved OBGYn passed away that night.

And so,

you know, for people who don't know,

when you get really connected to your

doctor and you kind of think about your

birth plan and you think about how it's

going to go and all of a sudden, you

know, you realize, well, you realize two

things. One is that a lot of people can

deliver a baby.

>> Yeah.

>> And two, um,

>> Seth had one in a lobby.

>> That's right. Seth Seth had his in the

lobby. That's right. But he didn't have

it.

>> No, he didn't have it.

>> Very true. He didn't have it. He wore

the same jeans that day that he wore the

next day.

>> Um, no. But, um,

>> yeah, a lot of people can do this.

>> And the end of the world got the news

that my OBGYN died. I started to cry.

>> I mean, heavy sobbing,

>> right? Which is horrifying. A giant

pregnant woman crying. It's not It's

really scary.

>> And Ham leaned in and said,

>> "I know this is hard for you. I'm

really, really sad. But this is a big

deal for me. So you better you

better pull your together.

And that's the face she made immediately

which I was like talk about in the world

of big swings. That's a big one.

>> That to me is and I've written about it.

>> That's why you had the baby. That's

something happened because you laughed

that hard.

>> I think so. I think a big hard laugh.

>> I was I was like please let this go.

Please let this go. Well,

>> and to me, the crying to laughing

switcheroo, that's like we get about we

get a few in our life where we're really

really deeply sad and then someone says

something to make us laugh and that

those two against each other feels like

I I think it extends your life.

>> Friday night was like cuz everybody's so

punchy by then.

>> It was and I was I wouldn't you couldn't

drag me out of that studio. I was having

the greatest time.

>> Yeah. I mean it it now it brings me to

Slatterie's question which is which I

thought was just such a sweet question

which is and kind of back to what we

were talking about about this idea of

like finding community and family in

places all different kinds of places but

he was his question to you his question

was like who do you look for for answers

when you're feeling

frazzled or lost because I was saying

you have a big brother you have a big

brother vibe with a lot of

He feels like a big brother to you, but

he was saying I feel like I I I think a

lot about like what would John do here?

Like he takes a lot of counsel from you.

Who do you look where do you go? Where

do you look?

>> That's a really good question. Um I I I

don't have a I I don't think I have a

have a go-to honestly. Um I've been

on my own

>> in one way or another for a very long

time.

>> So I I'm I'm very selfdependent. Mhm.

>> I think part of my therapeutic journey

has been sometimes to a fault where I

won't

>> reach out.

>> I'll just I I got it.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm learning to get better at that for

sure.

>> But people uh like Lauren for sure.

>> Lauren I've definitely reached out to

when I've had

>> instability in my life.

And you know, part of the magic of that

man is that it he's so inscrutable

and so Canadian

>> uh that it's a Coen in some way. You

know, you get some kind of weird thing

where you're like,

>> did you say Coan?

>> Yeah, like a Zen Coen. You know what

that is?

>> It's like a saying that you know.

>> How do you spell that?

>> K O N.

>> I don't know that word. Sorry. Coan.

I'll be interested because I I don't

have a great definition of

>> a paradoxical anecdote question or

dialogue.

>> Yeah.

>> Well done. Okay. Continue.

>> So, so he'll say, "Well, you know,

eventually you'll just be on the t-shirt

and you're like, what?"

>> You know, it's that thing where you let

go and suddenly you're finding yourself

on Mull Holland

>> and then maybe Mick will come by and

you'll say, "Oh, great."

>> Um, everybody does that. That's so

great. But but I people like that I I

find that I

>> very much enjoy

>> talking to my elders.

>> Yeah.

>> Uh I was not to be super named droppy

but last night had an amazing dinner at

the Brookheimimer's house. Jerry

Brookheimrimer who produced Top Gun. I

think you worked for Jerry. Uh I have

you.

>> Not that to my knowledge.

>> What's the squeaks? No, they weren't.

>> Oh, he was um Yeah, Jerry. I never met

Jerry in the booth when I was Elanor in

the squeak. Um, fair enough.

>> But Jerry, thanks for the job.

>> Hey,

>> didn't know didn't didn't know that you

were the person that hired me.

>> Thank you for the job.

>> Thank you for the job.

>> Sorry that I dressed up as Elanor when I

came in for the audition.

>> You've been in some monster hits.

Bridesmaids.

>> The town. Bridesmaids. You're so funny

in it. What a funny What a incredible

movie.

>> Yeah. I mean, some fun movies for sure.

>> Some big fun movies. I I

>> How did you How did you learn how to do

a bo accent? How did you

>> I don't know. Like anybody just

>> Not like anybody. People can't do it

really well.

>> Well, I mean I I famously did it in the

town, but I was making fun of Ben. That

was the That was part of why it was easy

for me. My guy wasn't supposed to be

from Boston, right?

>> When I met all those FBI guys.

>> Yeah.

>> None of them. The the Boston PD guys are

from Boston. The BPD, the local

>> Well, even the way you're saying Boston

is the correct way to say it. Well, I tr

you, Trust me, we were immersed in

Boston.

>> Oh, yeah. You do a movie in Boston.

Everybody's in the movie.

>> Yes, indeed.

>> Your cousin, your uncle, everybody, your

friend. And talk about making a movie

about Charles Town.

>> Mhm.

>> Holy moly.

>> Yeah.

>> Talk about the guys coming out of the I

You Ben told me we were going to uh you

were going to cast uh

>> Yeah.

>> Tommy and uh and the other guy

here.

>> We're here. Where's the paycheck?

>> Yeah. And where's craft service?

>> Yeah.

>> And you're like, "Nobody said you can be

Yeah. They said we're in the job. Don't

worry." Yeah. Yeah.

>> You're like, "Okay." We had guys that

would show up and then were like, "Oh,

but I can't shoot here. I'm on parole."

Like, "It's too close to a bank."

>> You're like, "I can't be near your

bank."

>> Okay.

Sorry. Oh, man. There were some

characters and it was a blast. It was a

blast. And what about um 30 Rock working

there? Let's uh Tina

>> F the show or the

>> Tina F discuss

>> Tina. I credit Tina along with Lauren

for allowing me to be in comedies.

>> Nobody thought it's not like when you do

Madmen they're like I bet that guy's

real funny.

>> He's probably got a bunch of impressions

and bits and jokes.

>> True. You're very serious in Mad Men. I

mean to Yes. So

>> when Lauren asked me to host the show,

>> I was like, "Oh my god, that's the only

thing I've ever wanted to do since I was

>> since ever was Beyond Saturday Night

Live." So I I was very excited. And then

as we discussed, you guys very

welcoming. Here we are. Everyone's in

costume. It's very funny.

>> The you know, read through that week,

the packet of 50. I think you were right

next to me. I can't remember where you

sat.

So, so fun.

>> Mhm.

>> And

then uh I I remember I think it was

after read or maybe it was on Thursday,

but I was going down to the to to 8 to

do blocking something and the phone in

my in the dressing room rings. Like

Jesus, that's weird. It's like when a

hotel phone rings. You're like, who's

calling me? Who's calling in the room?

This is very weird.

And I picked it up. I was like, "Hello.

Hello. Uh, is this John?" Yeah. Well,

yeah. Hi. It's Robert Carlock. We just

want to know if you wanted to come do

his thing on 30 Rock. Uh, we're It's

kind of a love interest for for Liz and

we're I was like, "Huh?" Like the other

thing that I wanted to be on is that.

And Tina, unbeknownst to me, had called

Lauren after readthrough and said, "Is

this guy funny? How is this guy as Tina

is want to do? Like give me the the

straight dope and Lauren. Yeah.

>> I mean, it's like when you're in that

space,

>> you'll like them. We were on parallel

tracks. Like we shot our pilots in the

same studio.

>> Mhm.

>> At at Silver Cup,

>> right?

>> Um so we kind of we were and and they

were they were winning for comedy and we

were winning for drama and it was like

Mad Man, Dirty Rock. Mad Man, 30 Rock

was great.

>> Well, you weren't winning, but they were

winning.

>> The show.

>> You were in the losers. Loser signs.

Thank you.

>> Tina's love language is writing

incredible material that you get to do.

Like that's like how she like it's like

it's the nicest gift is that she

>> I recently got a text from Tina

that was the beginning of my character

arc on the show

>> where I played a perfectly normal human

being. Now, cut to season whatever where

I have two hooks for hands and am fall.

And the reason I have hooks for hands is

because I thought I recognized my old

football coach when I was getting out of

a helicopter and I waved.

>> Yeah.

>> TWICE.

>> SO, she was like, "Remember when this

guy was a normal personal?" Well, we it

didn't last long.

>> Um, okay. And then the last thing, ham,

I want to ask you about cuz I love it is

I loved you at the Super Bowl enjoying

Bad Bunny and I

>> people Bad Bunny came at a time where

for a lot of people it was like we were

we're you know we're looking for

something

>> any any expression of joy would be

helpful

>> out there. Any Exactly. Any artistic

expression of joy.

I know you were a huge fan of his. You

went to like what was it like watching

that? And tell me why it was important

to you.

>> Here's why.

>> My wife Anna, who I met on the last

episode of of Madmen.

>> Okay. Can you tell everybody who she

played in the last episode,

>> she plays the receptionist of the

Eselinike place, the girl with the

pigtails.

>> Who then gets put in the Coca-Cola

commercial.

>> Yes.

>> So, this woman clearly has an effect on

Don and clearly had an effect on John.

Um, we ended up getting married at the

same place, same location.

>> No.

>> Yes, ma'am.

>> They better given you that for free.

>> We worked out a nice day.

>> Incredible.

>> It was a beautiful, magical experience

and lovely. Um, so Anna had gone

to Colombia with her sister and her best

friend on a girls trip

>> and they would go to the dance clubs at

night after dinner, whatever, and shake

their butts and have a good time. And

they were like, "This there's this this

guy that keep playing Bad Bunny."

>> No one had heard him. This is like 2018.

He wasn't even played on the regaton

stations in in in LA or New York. No one

had heard of him.

>> And we had started to kind of see each

other a little bit here and there. And

we go out in New York City and they play

me this bad. Who is this?

Our text thread is called Bad Bunnies.

That was just our first and I I was like

I dig this guy's

>> energy sound whatever.

>> So over the course of our relationship

this is the soundtrack to our

relationship really.

>> A that's so nice.

>> So it's and it's and it's just organic.

It wasn't you know so we had heard about

he had hosted the show or he was a guest

on the show on SNL.

>> Got it got to go to that.

>> We found out he was doing this residency

in Puerto Rico. Anna was like, and to

Anna's great credit, she's always like,

"What if we did that?" And it was a

blast.

>> Yeah,

>> that was the first time I went viral uh

was was in the cassita. Uh

>> dancing.

>> Dancing. Just dancing. It was fun, man.

>> He's fun.

>> He's fun. We had a dance party at at uh

>> I love girls.

>> I love dancing.

>> Me, too. And so there's, as you said,

the world was was a little

>> is

>> is a little of of a bummer.

>> A lot of a bummer.

>> A lot of a bummer.

>> Yeah.

>> But boy, man, for 15 minutes of that

halftime show.

>> Yeah.

>> No kidding.

>> And what a message. And what a And not

for nothing,

you forget that he had to perform that.

>> No kidding. I I mean,

>> you think like, oh, he's singing along

to a track or whatever. Like, no, no,

no. He was jumping off a roof, climbing

on a pole, spiking a football. You're

like

>> doing a trust fall.

>> Doing a trust fall.

>> Like a real one, not a fake one

up in the air. So much

>> 10 out of 10. No notes, perfectly

executed.

>> Then you go and you listen to the words

>> and you're like, "Oh man, that's a nice

sentiment as well."

>> Yeah. Maybe if we look back in five

years, this is the tipping point.

>> And if it is, what a kick-ass

thing to do.

>> Yeah.

>> Remind everybody that maybe together is

a little better than siloed and apart

and

>> Yeah.

>> Uh and that joy is kind of great

>> and that there's a million ways to be an

American and that music is like like

that when music does that.

>> Yeah. I feel like and I mean I I know

you feel this way about music too. Like

there's something about music that can

shortcut.

>> Yeah.

>> In a way it's a universal language. I

say it always because you it doesn't

matter what kind. It doesn't matter what

it is.

>> It can be aggressive. It can be

soothing. It can be all of the things.

But man, when it hits the right buttons

Yeah.

>> feels good.

>> Juan Hammonito

Hamito.

>> Honito

little Johnny.

>> Do you speak Spanish? I do speak Spanish

pretty well.

>> You do?

>> I do pretty well. I I've learn I learned

it in high school and then I worked in a

million restaurants in Los Angeles.

>> Yeah. And then you get really good at

>> Do you have a an accent like a Is it Do

you have

See,

and the last question I have for you is

um what are you laughing at these days?

>> What are you watching that's making you

laugh? And it can be, it doesn't have to

be recently that really made me laugh

that I think you would really like.

>> Yeah.

>> It's a show out of Canada called Heated

Revol.

>> No, it's not that. That's a bit

>> That's called a bit.

>> Um,

it's but it does have to do it is

Canadian. It does have to do with

hockey. It's a show called Shoresy.

>> Oh, I love Shoresy.

>> That is making me laugh. And you know

what? It's also making me do cry. It's

making a really It's a great show.

>> Okay. I've only watched clips of Shy

because you know I I I I've seen him on

>> six episodes a season.

>> Oh, really? Oh, I love that.

>> You can watch all of them in a half a

day.

>> And uh him. Okay, let's watch it.

>> So Jared Kiso.

>> Okay, tell me more.

>> Uh uh was on a show, created a show

called Letter Kenny.

>> Yes.

>> Which is a very very Canadian show.

>> Yes.

>> Uh but very specifically funny. Maybe

not to everyone's taste as as as as

things should be.

>> Yeah. Comedy is very subjective.

>> Subjective. And the reason he did this

was because he came to LA and they were

like, "You're too Canadian. You're too

this. You're too that." And he was like,

"Fuck it. I'm going to go back home and

I'm going to make a I'm going to make my

own show."

>> Mhm.

>> Um and he did. And then he spun it off

into this thing, Shy. And it's Shy's

about this um kind of local hero legend.

He plays on the local men's hockey team.

Mhm.

>> And it's kind of the point of pride for

the small town in northern Ontario that

they live called Sudbury. And the over

the course of the of the series, they

they win the championship. Then he

becomes a coach and he tries to teach

the kids. And it's it's a tremendous

show because it it highlights most of

the uh people in in power that are

running things are women.

>> Mhm.

>> Many of them are First Nations uh

indigenous Canadians.

And it's not made a big deal of it. Just

is.

>> Yeah.

>> And his

relationship to all of that while being

this

>> Yeah.

>> bruiser is very soft.

>> Yes. Yes. I mean, I've seen

>> he's got this real high pitched voice

and it's really kind of funny. And he

always interrupts people.

>> They're always interrupting. They're

always And they're overlapping dialogue

is really funny.

>> It's tremendous. It's a tremendously

ambitious show that delivers. So I I'm

trying to

>> pump their tires a little bit. I want to

find the scenes where he's um hitting on

uh

>> oh when he hits on on the girl who who

he really loves. It's so I'll make you

feel and Laura

>> I'll make you so happy.

>> Okay, that's the stuff that I see and

it's so funny. It's such a funny move.

>> But it's also like it's also deeply

sentimental and heartfelt.

>> Agree. That was I was like, "Oh, I want

to watch the show." Cuz his move, his

comedy move is like, "I'm going to love

you so hard." And she's just like, "I'm

not interested." And it's so good.

>> Sure. You're going to want to enjoy the

perks that come along with that. It's

summer and Sunday.

>> It's not playel car.

>> We know what goes on. It's

>> not bellow horizont.

But I need to be sure that you're sure.

>> Oh, so good.

>> So good. Such a good show. Okay, we got

to check that out. Um, well, John Ham,

>> Amy Polar Bear.

>> Buddy, I don't have a lot of straight

men on the show.

So,

>> I break down a lot I break down a lot of

doors, a lot of walls, you know. It's

nice,

>> you know. Um, and uh I should probably

>> But the guys you do are great. Our

buddies, too. Um,

>> great. All of our buddies.

>> Yeah, I know.

>> All of our buddies. And

>> it's it's nice to be uh first of all,

it's so great to see you. I I really do

miss you.

>> Um, we don't hang out enough, but I'm

glad we got this one in. Um, same. You

are the best in the biz

>> and um, you consistently make me smile

and happy and I look forward to your new

show which I know is coming out. I was

talking to Sh.

>> We didn't even talk about your friends

and neighbors. Season 3 coming out. It's

so great. It's so funny. Congratulations

on another big hit show for Apple.

>> Yeah, season 3 starting. We'll start

shooting that in uh in uh late April.

Season 2 will come out in early April.

And it's very fun. Fun stuff shooting in

New York City.

>> I know. But lots of nights.

>> Yeah, lots of nights. But Oh, I saw in

that first season, I was like, "Oh, you

have to break in at night time."

>> They they uh they they they they almost

broke me on that. I was like, "We got to

find a way to break into these houses

during the day.

>> Well, I'm very happy to call myself one

of your chosen sisters, Ham. I'm happy.

I'm happy to be one of them." So, thanks

for doing this.

>> Thank you, Amy. Love you.

>> Love you, too.

>> Thank you so much, John Ham. It was so

good to have you and see you and um I

love talking to you and you know um John

and I talked about a lot of things and I

mentioned a very brief anecdote about

probably my favorite actress Francis

McDormund and so for this Polar Plunge I

just wanted to remind you all how great

she is.

I just rewatched Nomad Land the other

night and oh god that is a good

performance. She's just good in

everything. She's so interesting and

smart and just so cool and uh Francis,

if you're listening,

I love you. Um, never change, please.

Uh, I'm just a big fan of your work. And

um, and check out Francis's work.

You know, it's these kind of polar

punges. Thank you, Francis, for your

work. And thank you, John Ham, for

coming today and for your work. And

thank you just for Oh my god, I don't

know how to end this. Okay, bye

everybody.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by

The Ringer and Paperkite. For The

Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys.

for Paperkite production by Sam Green,

Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

>> Want a really good Hey