Will Forte on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hi everyone, welcome to another episode

of Good Hang. Um, very excited to

introduce our guest today. It is Will

Forte. Will, amazing actor, performer,

writer, and um my good friend who

started at SNL pretty much the same time

as me. So, we get into those early

years. Uh, today we uh talk about his

amazing SNL audition. We talk about how

he became incredible at Donkey Kong. And

we also talk about the Four Seasons, the

great new show that he's on uh on

Netflix currently with Tina Fay. And

speaking of Tina Fay, we are asking Tina

to join us and give us a question to ask

our guest Will Forte. And Tina is a

friend of the pod. This is her third

appearance and technically we probably

need to start paying her. Tina, hi

Betty. Can you hear me?

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What do you say?

I wanted

[Music]

Who are we looking at? That's Teddy.

Teddy.

Oh my gosh. Teddy just responded to her.

His

uh his his name. Teddy. Hey, Teddy.

Teddy. Oh, I wish you could smell him.

Smells terrible. Betty, we were just

saying that you are the official best

friend of the pod because this is the

third time you have been on the pod.

Thank you for being here. I want a

three-timers jacket.

Yeah, just like SNL will give you like a

really heavy ill-fitting robe. A really

unflattering jacket

you have to wear every time. We're

talking to you in New York and we're um

we're talking to the great Will Forte

today. Yes. Congratulations, by the way,

on your show. I love it. Thank you for

watching. We're going to be plugging it

while he's here. But four season, the

four seasons out on Netflix. You can

finally streaming on Netflix. Right.

Right, Teddy. And then there's a dog

version for Teddy and other dogs.

The dog version is a lot darker. What

has it been like working with someone

that you've known for so long and what's

good about it? It's what it's was so

easy to work with will um and we have

said like you know when you work with

people at SNL it's you just know them by

osmosis because you just stay up all

night with them so many times you you

eat like a meat cold meatball off the

table next to them even if you're not

working directly together that much cuz

Will and I didn't really write together

or you know um like I don't think we I

don't think I've never had dinner with

like just Will like but it's just all

osmosis and so I just was very

comfortable with him. I feel like we had

a short hand. I feel like um I was never

worried that he uh would be mad at me or

not like me, you know, like just easy.

Yeah. Um and and I knew he is a super

hard worker because he is the hardest

worker. Like he'll work himself to

death. I just found out today that he he

did 20,000 steps a day every day for the

year 2024. 20,000. Yeah, at least. And

he would wear his he would wear it

almost like a court ankle bracelet. He

would wear it under his costume when we

were filming and he would talk about how

he got I got 20,000 steps and he would

like get up at 5:00 in the morning

before he came to the shoot to get the

first 10,000. Um, yeah. He also, one

thing I know I learned about him is he

and I I know his family and friends do

love him, so I don't know why he is this

way, but I feel like he is so responsive

to any words of praise. If you say like,

"Will you did a great job in that?" He's

like, he's like a plant that nobody

watered for a week. He's like, "Thank

you so much." Like he's so grateful.

Like, I know your wife is nice to you,

but he just really I think his love

language is words of affirmation. Oh,

that's so good to know. Telling him he's

doing a great job on the podcast and

watch his face light up. He's going to

light up. It's so true because I mean,

and it's so easy to talk about how great

he is because he is so not only is he so

funny and a great writer and a really

nice person, but he he could have been

in another world like a finance bro like

he's or a job. That's so interesting,

Amy, because that was the main question

I thought to ask him is I would like to

know if he had not ended up in comedy

because I know anecdotally from talking

to him that he had a lot of weird jobs,

you know, he was like and he he had like

it's almost like he's immortal because

he describes chunks of his life. I'm

like that's too many chunks. Like what

do you mean that one time you went up to

Alaska and were a salmon fisherman? Like

what do you mean? So, he's had all kinds

of jobs and I wonder if he had not ended

up a comedy writer and then a performer,

what would he have been? What would have

become of him? Great. I think, you know,

if in another era, if he had lived in

another era, I feel like he would have

been a really popular 70s game show host

who then like killed a bunch of nurses

and then they would like Mark Harmon

would have played him in a movie. Yep,

that makes sense. But yeah, like what

what would his life be like if he had

gone a different route? And uh I'm going

to talk to him just a little bit about

some of his characters because I feel

like they just are so

in like they they just kind of came with

him in SNL. He had so many that he

brought. But do you remember his

audition?

I kind of do because I remember he did

um Tim I think he did Tim Calhoun the

really quiet guy running for office is

really quiet and I he did that kind of

infamous silver face paint guy. Yeah.

His comedy is so truly unique. his voice

when you think of like McGruber and um

the falconer and all these and like all

the kind of you know d the dancing

football coach and the the Halloween

sketch where he's the guy who has to

tell everybody he's a registered sex

offender his his or like the time he

brought his lovely mom onto weekend

update and just like

like was like going to tribute her but

it was just like when you die I'm going

to be so whatever the he has such a

weird sense of humor. I wonder what

comedy things shaped him because I don't

think it's the same stuff as everybody

else, you know, but like what like what

combination of comedy viewing and real

life childhood trauma made made this

made his comedy this? There's like a

mischievous streak in him. Yes. I felt

it a little bit in some of the scenes

when you guys were throwing stuff at

each other. Oh yeah. Like there was a

little bit. I was like, "That is a

little forte." Yes. That he hits me with

a cup and Yes. And I look genuinely

really mad. And but also he was like the

the obedient part of him was like so

happy that he hit me with the cup on the

first try.

He likes anything that's close to

sports. All right. Thank you, Betty, for

this time. Love you. See you soon. Bye.

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Okay, I'll officially start. We are with

Will Forte. We are with Orville Willis

Forte. The fourth. The fourth. Yes,

you're the fourth. Orville. I'm always

pissed if somebody doesn't say the

fourth. I know you like sometimes people

say the third and it's like that's my

dad. It's also obviously my mouth wants

to say Orville Wilburforte but it's not.

It's Willis for oddly I accept that. I'm

totally fine with Wilbur just cuz that's

there's something fun about it but the

fourth is just that's disrespectful if

you get the fourth wrong. They named me

the fourth like for a reason. Well, tell

me who because I love you told me this

very early on when we met. The names of

all of because you go by Will, but you

go by Will as a kid, right? You went by

I was Billy as a kid, but then it was I

was born in 1970. So when I started

going to school, I started hearing about

Billy Jean King and people were like,

"You have a girl's name." And that was

like a big deal. Like so, so I was like,

"I am not Billy. I am I am Will. Will.

And that's how that's how that Yeah. I

think I just demanded a name change at

like five or six years old. Okay. But

then you went by Will. Then your dad

went by Dad was rebel. Yeah. Cuz he was

born uh up by you. He was uh uh western

Massachusetts. So he's from Yankee

Territory, but he was born in New

Orleans. His dad was stationed down in

in rebel territory uh during World War

II. I don't think it was still I mean

Yeah. So he went by as a joke they

called him Rebel. And he went by Reb,

right? He still goes by Reb. He still

goes by Reb. He's still around. Still

skis. 80 almost 82. 82 in about three

weeks and he still skis. I I'm here to

say both your parents just attractive

people. I just saw Patty, your mom, and

Reb at the Four Seasons premiere. Your

dad is a handsome silver fox. He's It's

He's kind of a white fox now.

She's blending into the snow. Patty

looks incredible, right? Yeah, she's

Yeah, she's about to turn 82 also and

she

If somebody There are people who think

she's in her like mid60s. Yeah, she is

like incredible skin. Yeah, you have

very good jeans. Yeah. Will Forte, I was

so excited to have you come today

because

I feel like all of us in we like all

went to the same comedy high school or

something like we all graduated

at the same time at a from a place and I

feel like when we all see each other um

it just feels like we like in fact I was

talking Tina was talking about this like

it just feels like we all through

osmosis just got to spend so many hours

together. Yes. Like we really spend a

huge I would even say it's more than a

high school experience. It's like a

family. Yeah. Like a a real family. And

and that 50th really Yeah. showed it too

because there'd be a lot of people that

you didn't meet that you felt like you

knew. And it was just such a like a warm

homecoming with those people that like

you've heard of them, they've heard of

you and it's just like, "Oh my god, I'm

finally meeting you." It it was but but

I mean for somebody you went through it

with for as long as we did. Yeah. That

that you guys are all family. I know.

And did you meet anybody at the for the

first time at the 50th that you had

never met like that you had never Yes.

Melanie Hutzel, Adam Driver I had never

met and he was so sweet and Nathan Lane

was there. Just people like that. Um so

it was just a delight. And then the

capper was like right after we go

through this long rehearsal. We had

noticed Paul McCartney just hanging out

in the bleachers and uh somebody said

you sticking around cuz Paul McCartney

is doing soundcheck right now. So we're

like fantastic. So I just hung around

and called my wife and and my daughter

whose birthday her it was her fourth

birthday. So I said get Zoe out of bed

right now. Get over here. She's like

she's cuz she was taking a nap. So I

said get her up. Get her up. I was so

mean. I was like, "Get down here right

now. I'm leaving you. I'm leaving this

family." So So she runs her down and and

I have this just priceless video of like

her watching Paul McCartney singing. It

was the very end of like, you know, the

the whole Golden Slumbers medley. Is Zoe

the daughter that had that ate the ice

cream for the first time? Yes, she's uh

this daughter right here. She's this

one. There's Cecilia right there. And

there's Zoe.

For listeners, Will Forte just lifted up

his pants and showed us socks that has

his daughter's faces on them. Where did

you get those socks? My wife gets them

for me like every every Christmas, every

Father's Day, every birthday. It's all I

want. All like I would say 90% of my

socks have somebody special's face on

them. I'm walking on my family all the

time. You have two daughters. Four and

what? Four and two and a half. Well,

they're so cute. Yeah. I started late.

My wife got me when I first um when I

first uh

was I think it was before the first one

was born. She got a sweatshirt that she

had made that said dad or grandpa. Mark,

just so great.

And definitely most people would

probably go, "Grandpa." No, for sure. No

way. Um, as an older dad, how dare you?

You've lived a lot of lives like you you

have a lot of versions of you before we

met at SNL. You were I mean, you were in

you were in finance before you worked in

comedy.

Yeah, but I was barely in I I was like

it was a I was an intern and it was what

my dad did. So it was I I it it was a

big deal to me back then because it's

what I thought I was going to do just

cuz my dad did it. So I always thought,

"Oh, I'll follow in his footsteps." And

then as I was doing it, it was like,

"Oh, this doesn't feel right." Yeah.

Maybe it's just because, you know, I was

working for this guy and he was a nice

guy, but it's like, you know, it was the

the thing that I was doing was kind of

boring. I would just like call people on

his behalf and then right when I'd get

them on the line, I would send them over

to him so I wouldn't have to like do the

scary and exciting part of like trying

to sell a product to this guy. Yeah.

It's just like get the person on the

phone,

hold for this guy out of his out of I I

don't want to say his name just he's a

nice guy, but I like I just I've I've

said it in the past. I'm like, "Oh, I' I

don't know if he wants to be part of my

stories." But he's he was great. But at

a certain point, he's he said his name's

Brett. He's a nice guy. I don't think

he'd care. No, he won't care. Yeah. But

he at a certain point he said, "You know

what? I want you to I'm going to put you

through the series 7 and and you'll come

over and be part of my like the junior

guy in my team or some something like

that. And I just it was at that point

that I was like oh I know myself and if

I if I agree to this I will

never leave. I like I wouldn't I

wouldn't go like oh this my attitude

would be this guy went out on a limb

took a chance on me. I'm not gonna just

f him over because it is like when you

came when my memory of you was when you

came to SNL it was like you already had

an aura because it was like he it was

like he was worked as a in a brokerage

firm and then he left to write comedy

and you had already written for

Letterman and was it Third Rock from the

Sun? Third Rock from the Sun. You had

two gen and 70s show when you auditioned

for SNL. I was trying to get out of the

audition cuz I was under contract for 70

Show. So to me I was like that's right.

I was like I can't even do it anyway. I

think we had just gotten picked up for

two years in a row which was unheard of.

And and so I was like, I finally had

this job that's going to stick for a

while and loved the job and this

experience at Letterman where I didn't

do great and I was like

this felt like is this going to be

another dream shattered. So just like

hold on to this thing that you know is

you're you've got for sure is bird in

the hand, right? Yeah. So, so I just was

like I finally they talked me into

coming to audition so I went and

and then I got the job. You missed your

audition. Your audition was It was so

funny, Will. Really? Yes. Well, thank

you. It was so I think it was goes down

as one of the best. Really? I think so.

I mean, I remember by the way, look at

that audition. You'll see a uh you'll

see the doughy forte for sure. I

probably was Yeah. 30 30 to 40 lbs

heavier. Baby Forte like Yeah. Just like

cheeseburger Forte.

You did a bunch of characters in that

audition that you ended up doing on the

show. You did Tim Calhoun. You're the

soft spoken candidate.

I was speed the speedreader ended up on

the show. Yes. The uh speed reader. The

was the spelling bee guy. Spelling me

guy was kind of just Tim Calhoun in a

different a different setup. That's

true. Um but uh those were the two uh I

I did I was not I mean you know my

impressions. Me too. They're so bad. Um

I can do Kermit of the Frog. That's I

think it. Um, did you do that? I did

Michael McDonald, which is like I did

the things everybody could do and I did

Martin Sheen, but I said like it was

like a Westwing Martin Sheen or an

Apocalypse Now Martin. Well, it was just

like an old person voice kind of or like

I mean he was not to no disrespect not

but just like for me at the time I was

32 and like I I just kind of said hi I'm

Martin Sheen and what I said I've had a

kind of a cold lately so if this doesn't

sound like me it's because of the cold

but you know if it does sound like me

then I guess the cold is gone

or something like that.

Oh my god, that's so good. And then you

did the amazing character that did end

up on SNL once, which is the

silverfaced. Oh, it did it. We did it at

dress rehearsal, but it didn't Did it

make the show? It didn't make the show,

but I was so thankful that it didn't

because Can you just tell people about

that though for people that don't know

because it is it is legendary that you

did it in the audition there? It it was

something I used to do at the

groundlings and I w it was a gold man

and excuse me not silver. It was gold.

No, no, no. It's totally fine. So sorry.

I'm so sorry. No, no, no, no. Everyone

always says silverman when they I think

I think there are more people out on the

streets that are silver than than gold

cuz it's just less expensive. Yeah.

Right. Exactly. Anyway, so so I it's one

of those guys who's, you know, uh

dressed all in silver or you got me. I'm

so sorry.

Dressed all in gold, frozen, and then if

you put uh money in his thing, he, you

know, moves around uh like a robot and

then freezes until somebody puts more

money in. So, I did this sketch where it

was um it had a thing that said, "Dolls

make me move." So, so a robber comes up.

Yeah. Uh this was at the groundings. It

was Jim Rash and uh and Jim Rash comes

up and and takes the money out and I

can't move because he's not putting

money in. So, I'm just stuck there until

somebody else finally comes back and

puts a dollar in and then I like try to

find this guy and I'm like, "Okay,

there's nowhere to be seen." Yeah.

Sadly, go back up onto my perch and and

then uh somebody else Jeremy Rally comes

up. He's a kid with Kevin Ruff and says,

"Daddy, why does the gold man look so

sad?" And you know, "Well, maybe if you

ask him, he'll tell you." And or maybe

if you put a dollar in, he'll tell you.

And maybe if you put $2 in, he'll tell

you in song. And so then I do this song.

And that's what I did for the And can

you tell everyone what the song and I

tried to do what I what I just told you

in

I tried to do that in like 15 seconds.

Yeah. I don't think I did it, but it was

like So, so there's this guy. So, so, so

do do you know, so what was the song

though? It's an incredible song. So,

this is So, this is the Yeah. So, I just

set it up.

[Music]

I almost like retold the the setup

again. So, keep in here. Just because

I'm a man made of gold.

Uh, ju so also just so you know before I

do this. So, so he said he puts in the

$2, the kid puts in the $2, and then a

bunch of people start um uh gathering

around. Maya Rudolph being one of them.

Um just because I'm a man made of gold

doesn't mean I'm made out of money.

But the calling I found is to give

people pleasure through incredibly

precise robotic movement.

That's why I come out to the streets to

help me make ends meet.

And I work real hard to fill up that

jar. Then a bad apple ruins a barrel.

Heart of gold.

24 carrot.

But through all the pain I grin and I

bear it. Heart of gold.

But I'm living a golden dream cuz anyway

you slice it, we're all on the same

team. Come on now everybody. And

everybody starts singing along. Heart of

gold

24 car.

But through all the pain I grin and I

bear it in the grins and it bears heart

of gold.

But it don't make me no saint cuz I got

a little secret. I suck for my face

pain. Come on, say it with me everybody.

Come on. I suck [ __ ] for my face pain.

I s for my face pain. [ __ ]

face pain. I suck [ __ ] for my face pain.

I suck that [ __ ] for my face pain. face

pain. [ __ ]

face pain. Face pain. [ __ ] and face

pain. [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] face paint.

[ __ ] face paint face [ __ ] face paint

[ __ ] [ __ ] face [ __ ] [ __ ] face man [ __ ]

face [ __ ] [ __ ] together at last in a

heavenly union

[ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] and then just kind

of go out and at this point everybody's

left and then I'm just gone together at

last in a heavenly union. Yeah. So, I

did that a bunch at the ground length

and and you did it for your SNL

audition. And I did it for my SNL

audition. I remember walking out. Lauren

was there and just kind of and I said

and I didn't know what to say, so I just

said, "Sorry about all the [ __ ] and

then and then left and I got the job."

It was I can remember the reaction to

that and how hard people were laughing

on a notoriously like cold room. Like

that room is very

people were dying laughing. That's

really nice to hear because like I mean

you don't remember that?

No, because you're so focused on it and

and especially if you're singing, if

you're doing anything loud, you can't

really hear something until there's

quiet. And this is just like constant

noise. And I might have even had my

music. Yeah. But like there's this guy

Teddy Zambetti, thank you Teddy. uh put

like the who was the musical director at

the Groundlings um at the time I did

that had gave me this tape of the music

so I could do it to the the music and uh

together yeah so I didn't know I I

didn't you know you walk out of there

you just have no idea how you did and

then I actually at some point I went up

to Lauren's office cuz I think also like

because I had been such a little pain in

the ass about even going out to audition

I think he like, you know, are you going

to take this job, you know, if if I give

it to you kind of thing. Well, it was

the weirdest thing because I went in

there and I was like I think he was

basically saying,

you know, basically saying you have the

job, but he doesn't like to actually

tell any, but he notoriously doesn't

ever like hire or fire anybody. He's

very enigmatic about it. He's just like

when you start, you know, like that kind

of thing. When one works here. Yeah. I

remember with him like and you know

there'll be a time when you're here and

people will be and I was like did I get

hired? Yeah. Yeah. Like skipping the

part where it's like so let me be clear

you've got the job and moving on to like

No, in your first year you're going to

find and you're like my first year here.

Yeah. like but but to me I fill in the

blanks of the first part that he glides

over as like you're very much on the

fence probably not going to get this job

but if you were lucky enough if I you

know somehow make a bad decision and

hire you in your first year you would

you know and then that stuff right right

you got the job and then you had to go

back and you had to turn down like a a

secure job well if you remember this did

you do double dip no I went back there

and I was like, I'm not going to leave

70 show. That's right, Will. You That's

such a badass move because I mean it is

I was just a puss. I was scared. But you

said I can't. You turned it down. You

said I can't do it cuz I have other

obligations. And just like a like a lady

who doesn't answer her texts, SNL was

like, "I've never been more attracted to

you."

I mean they double it was like double

down. Everyone was like what

[Music]

and I was I mean what they everyone's

like oh what a punk rock move. What a

and and like little did they know I'm

like you know I'm like oh thank god I

didn't have to go cuz I know I would

have failed and I was just like so it

was totally a decision based in fear.

And thank God at the end of that

situation, at the end of the the year

where I wrote at 70 Show and and it was

great, but I thought about it all the

time like, "Oh, I should have done it. I

should have done it." And thank God

Lauren came back. I remember Spivey

calling me up and saying or no, we went

to somebody's wedding. That was it. We

were at a wedding and and Spivey and uh

Spivey and Maya were both there. And so

they were, you talked about it a little

bit and I said, "Yeah, I I kind of

regret not doing it. I really regret not

doing it." And so so they, so they came

back, Lauren came back and said, "Would

you want to come audition again?" And I

And so I said, "Yes." And then Mark

Brazil, the guy who was my boss at 70

Show, said, "You gotta you got to go do

this. Do this. and you have a job here.

If if uh if you Yeah. If you if it

doesn't work out, just come right back

here. When you got on the show, did you

ever feel secure, safe, or did you

always feel like you had to hustle every

week for your stuff? Like, did you ever

have a moment where you relaxed?

I started relaxing like year seven,

maybe. Yeah. It was that my first year.

Everyone's terrified, right? I mean, you

were you were just like you seemed like

you were a pretty instant sensation. Um,

but it's it was tough with because like

a bunch of I mean it was a lot of like

white dudes and so you had like it's it

was 2001 and a lot of white dudes. It

was a huge cast. It was like 17 people

and so you're you're trying to get your

stuff on, right? you're you're trying to

get noticed and then I got somehow the

George Bush role. So I it's like you

know we we talked earlier like I don't

do impersonations and like it was

a match not made in heaven. Yeah. You

didn't like that. I mean listen Will

Ferrell was George Bush. He was George

W. Bush. He was so good at it. It was I

mean I like I've said this before but I

it it anybody replacing it's like trying

to replace the church lady trying to

have somebody else do that or like you

know you just he he made it such his own

thing that like they should have just

retired it. But of course you can't

retire the sitting president on SNL. You

have to have somebody has to be doing

it. And I just like I had to be that

guy. So it was like I was kind of a

letdown for a year as Bush. It is

interesting to watch and pay attention

to how impersonations get passed around

and sometimes they hit, sometimes they

don't. And yeah, you have a job to do so

you have to do it. But it is Yeah, I

know. And then and then as I I feel you

the same way like it didn't take me

until later on where I started to feel

relaxed. But when you started to feel

relaxed like I feel like all of your Oh,

but well the story that led to kind of

relaxing was it was the after the third

Sorry to cut you off. No, please. The

but I I think this was after my third

season there or it might have been after

the second season. There was this big

period where they were like right

rightly saying something's a little off

with this show. Let's figure it out. Put

a bunch of us on hold. I think you might

have been one of the only people who

wasn't put on hold for for like they

just like picked you up but like 10 of

us just a bunch of us were had our

there's a time for people who uh don't

know there's a time in like July where

they are contractually obligated to tell

you if you're getting picked up for the

next season and then sometimes they will

make a request to have three extra weeks

and they did that with a bunch of people

and that's always scary. Um, and then I

got to the end of that three weeks, a

lot of people had gotten picked up and

they asked for um, this was Friday, they

said, "Can we tell you Monday?" And I'm

like, "What am I going to say?" So I'm

like, "Sure." Then on Monday, they said,

"We're not going to be able to tell you

till Wednesday." And then it that went

on. Well, jumping to every two days for

three more weeks. Three more weeks. And

I was the very last person who got asked

back. everybody else. I I don't even

think they cut anybody that year. They

just they just tortured everybody. But

then what happened was eventually Lauren

called me up and it actually was a good

thing because he said he said, "Here's

your deal. You still have a writer

mindset. Um when you write your own

things, you commit to them fully and

you're you're really good about that.

But then when other people write things,

you're you get timid and you're and and

and you know in my head I'm like, "Oh,

you freaking don't. You're so stupid. Of

course that's not happening." And of

course he was 100% right. I was like I

would remember back to at 70s show if

I'd write something and somebody's like

or just any any job you write something

and you're like no that's you say nope

that's not how it's meant to be said.

And and it's like so I in my head when

I'm doing these sketches that other

people have written, it's like I could

hear them going like, "Oh, he's blowing

it. He's not doing it." Interesting. So

the timidity came not from like you not

caring or not trying. But it was like

you were afraid that they were thinking

this isn't right. I wanted to do it

exactly how they wanted it, but didn't

know how they wanted it. And so I was

kind of timid and and he's like, "You

just got to

take ownership over the sketch. big and

weird in your stuff and and it was like

it really like it could have gone either

way. It could have been I could have

just like receded into the shell and

melted down and for some reason it

became this thing of like oh it's all

gravy from here. I could have just been

fired. I wasn't fired. And so like you

know I got to give it to Lauren. He was

totally right and really somehow you

know in it was kind of a master

stroke of genius. That is a really good

good feedback and good note. So that but

then it still probably took another two

years before I was like feeling Do you

remember that we sat next to each other

at the readrough table? You you and I

were next to each other. Do you remember

when we had um the guy come for the

sexual harassment? I certainly do. Do

you remember what we were doing during

it? I mean I think it was like drawing

pictures of dicks or something. I assume

it's something. I I mean my memory again

is we were consensually and and

appropriately just with each other I

believe drawing pictures of penises and

giving them back and forth to each other

and then I accidentally

handed that sheet of paper to the very

nice man who had just done the entire

seminar because I thought it was the

signin sheet.

Do you know this part? And I I forgot

that part handed and he was like,

"What's this?" And I said, "Oh, that's

the wrong that sir, that's the wrong

paper."

But moving forward,

I mean, look that I mean, look, there

are so many things that I look back now

and I go like, you think, "Oh, it's all

about getting a laugh. It's all it's I

agree." And I feel that's what like is

that's the part about getting older and

being in in being in comedy is you have

to like figure out like oh it's like

everything has an expiration date. I

mean there's like even even on the 50th

when they said like here's all they had

that segment of like which was like

here's all the ways we got things wrong

and they showed way inappropriate

casting for people you know we all

played people that we should not have

played. I misappropriated. I

appropriated. I didn't know. I did know.

Like, it's very real. And the best thing

you can do is like make repair, learn

from your mistakes, do better. Like,

it's all you can do. Yeah.

Okay. So, four seasons. Congratulations.

It's so great. I watched the whole

thing. I was Tina and I were on tour

when it premiered. Will,

you are so good in it. Thank you. Oh

man, you're so good. I mean, I know how

good you are. I love watching you act. I

just think you're such a great actor. I

love it. And I I'll tell you like and

and how fun was it to make this will

sound like avoiding a compliment, but it

I really mean it. Like the way those

guys write is makes you look like such a

good actor. It's like their writing is

so good. Yeah. It just like And that's

goes for all Tina shows like you know 30

Rock getting to do the character I got

to play in 30 Rock the uh Paul Lassame

it just like it's the what the stuff

that I got to say was just a gift every

single time and it's like anybody could

have done that. It really is like such

good you and Tina had such a flow and

you were really sweet together and we

really bought you as a couple and I just

love seeing you also play because you

you you have the capacity to play such

really like you know um deeply funny

original and eccentric characters. you

played a lot of eccentric characters and

I loved seeing you play this kind of

person because he was very he's very

close to how I perceive you will like

yeah I a lot of similarities I think

yeah so I talked to Tina before this um

you know we like to talk about people

behind their back in a good way and and

ask people what I should ask you and so

I talked to Tina um before you came on

and she had a couple good questions for

you one was which I think we may have

already covered, but like if you weren't

a comedy writer, like you you've had a

lot of different like versions of you.

Yeah. Do you see a parallel world? If

you if you never if you never a comedy

actor and writer, what would you have

been? I think I would have been

ideally a college professor like like

some kind of history. I just there's

something Well, you're a white male of a

certain age, so you're obsessed with

history. I mean, yeah, it would have

been white history. Yeah. I I just I

love I love walking around campuses.

That makes me sound a little bit like a

creep a little bit. Love walking around

campus walking around campus seeing

those young people. Uh and then comedy

viewing. Oh, I wrote down her question

which was like when you were growing up,

who did you who were your comedy who did

you see and you thought

oh like who are your influences?

Basically, I would say

number one was Steve Martin.

Peter Sers was another big one.

Every SNL, just every SNL, just SNL.

Yeah. David Letterman. Those are the

four. But I mean, you know, Monty

Python SCTV uh uh

so so much stuff, but but like Steve

Martin definitely my number one. Yes.

Steve Martin for our generation cuz

we're about the same age. It was like

so big. Did you watch that documentary?

His doc that doc I somehow haven't. Oh

my. It's so good.

It's so good and it's really moving

because it feels like in the same way

that the SNL50 has felt like our entire

life. You know, it started when we were

three, that show. Yeah. Steve was like

the big star when we were little kids

and like he just he just spans our life

too. Yeah. I mean so all those standup

uh albums and and

but the jerk I mean the jerk it was for

me it was it all but then and there are

still things that I stumble on to that I

you know had never seen like somehow I

had never seen the what was it the great

flyini. Oh yeah. Have you seen

but there are just you know I'm I'm sure

I'm leaving out a million things you

know was a huge fan of Cheers and that's

you know that Cheers. Cheers was in

Boston which was such a big deal growing

up like Yeah. Yeah. Even though not one

person had an authentic Boston accent in

that show, but uh including um Cliff, he

it was not that was not an authentic

accent, but um but that was such a big

deal. Like Cheers felt like, oh, this

was like a show for us or something. But

I loved Cheers. Yeah. So good. I mean,

pilot of Cheers and one of the best

pilots ever. Yeah. And I I look back

now, every once in a while, I'll go back

and watch them and and it's just it's

still so amazing. Like the the

storytelling is so good that that those

writers are just cream of the crop. And

what are you watching today, looking at,

listening to, reading? What do you like

where how do you check out? How do you

zone out? Like how do you get yourself

happy or laugh? Like what do you where

do you go? What do you watch? I I I

play a lot of Sudoku for some reason. It

used to I have a bunch of things like

You know, I've never played Sudoku. I

used to be I'm I'm I mean I'm still a

big crossword, you know, I do the New

York Times crossword puzzle, but usually

I'll just wait till Saturday to do

Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's hard. I

know. I would just want to jump to that

as a humble brag, but um I love it.

That's it's a learned skill and you and

you and people don't know that you had

like one of the highest scores ever in

Donkey Kong. That's true. That's true.

Which is, you know, Yeah, that's a big

factor in, you know, uh measuring

somebody's brain capacity.

But what was your score and how did you

get it? It was very high. And uh where

was this? Okay, so I was down in um

here's the story about that. I think I

had the at one point I had the 29th

highest registered Donkey Kong score.

Okay, the word registered should be in

bold print because so I was down doing

that movie good oldfashioned orgy,

right, with uh Sedakus and Lake Bell and

Tyler Leine and and Pete and Alex Pete

Pete Hike and Alex Gregory just a

million people. Lindsay Sloan. It was so

fun. It was this very fun summer. Um,

and I was the person in this movie. It's

a group of friends who are going to all

have an orgy. And I was in I was the

friend. Me and Lucy Punch played the

couple that they didn't want to be at

the orgy. So great. I forget why. I

think we were because we were married or

Yeah. But they didn't want us in the

orgy. So I was basically only in like

every fourth day. And so I found this

bar that I would just go down to this

bar that had a Donkey Kong in it. And I

wouldn't even drink there. I would just

go and play Donkey Kong and then there

was this JLK. I still remember JLK was

had all the high scores and I'm like I'm

going to get this [ __ ] off this high

score. I'm going to beat this guy. So I

start getting better and better and then

I'd go home and I'd look up, you know,

tips for how you get through this level

that I was and you know, so I'm spending

hours and hours all my off days and so

I'm getting better and better. Well,

eventually I get a pretty high score and

I showed there was this guy Leo Leo

Daniels I think was his name and he was

you remember uh King of Kong. Yes, of

course. That movie. Well, he was like I

think he he was the record holder for

Defender

or there were a couple different games

that he was big in that scene but he was

he was at he was uh on our crew for good

oldfashioned orgy. So I showed him this

picture. I'm like, "Check this out. Not

bad, huh?" And he's like, "That's pretty

good." And I'm like, "Oh, really?" And

he said, "Yeah, that's pretty good." By

the way, it was higher than JLK. So, he

sent it to that guy Walter, who was the

you if you've seen King of Kong, I

forget Walter's last name, but he was

the guy who would watch the videotapes.

And I didn't videotape it, but he he

just I think he made a a special SNL and

he said, "I'm going to put you in the

books." So he registered it. Holy moly.

But that's the thing. There are probably

a million people who have higher scores.

But like who's going to register their

Donkey Kong score? If you're going for a

high Donkey Kong score, you're going to

register it. Sure. But I was just like

having fun. This was my own. I was

establishing my own uh levels that I

wanted to get to. Sudoku is I didn't do

it for the glory. And what about what

makes you laugh? What are you like

laughing at these days? The kids. I

mean, they're so freaking funny. Okay,

there there's a video that I saw of your

daughter eating ice cream for the first

time, and if I may describe it, cuz Tina

and I were talking about it. It's the It

is the cutest.

We were saying it's like It's such

precious IP. You could sell it and then

do a animated series off of it. It is.

Can you explain what happens? She's I

mean, I could play the audio. Oh, let's

play the audio. You want to play the

audio? Oh, it's so it really is. It's so

cute. Listeners, it's like I mean I

wonder if you have to see it if it's But

um she's she's Is she having ice cream

for the first time? No, she's had ice

cream before, but it's it's freezing.

So, what you can't see is like she is

pounding this ice cream and she's like

shivering and shaking and then but she

keeps going and then she keeps going.

You know that she comes from an ice

cream family because you love ice cream.

Yes. Here, I'll show it to you so you

can see it.

You're shivering.

You're not cold. No.

Why are you shivering? Because my legs

are bumpy.

Because of my legs are bumpy. What? Your

legs are bumpy.

She's deeply shivering and eating ice

cream.

[Music]

You are so funny.

[Applause]

You got ice cream up on your glasses,

too. And then she crosses her eyes

trying to see it on her glasses. What

are you doing? Where?

Right here. She crossed her eyes to find

the ice cream on her glasses.

I got a brain freeze. You got a brain

freeze. That's your second brain freeze.

It seems like she's going to die and

then she just after this one I think she

dives right back. Her second brain

freeze.

So that's basically it. That's so cute.

It's It helps to see the visuals cuz

when you say like you have she had like

ice cream up here. It's like you have

ice cream on your glasses or whatever

and she goes

little kids with glasses are so cute.

Well, you would love both my kids then

cuz they have shitty eyesight

little

one has little pink glasses and one has

uh purple. That's one of the things I

do. It's so cute. One of my like um

go-to um comfort watches is I watch

videos of little kids getting glasses

for the first time. That is the best. or

kids who some have like coar implants

implants and they hear their soldiers

coming home and surprising their kids at

school. Absolutely. They're all in the

same category. Tears dogs coming dogs

being away from elephants. Elephants

milit. Yeah. Who used to be trained by a

guy and then they run back to the guy

and they hug the guy. Yeah. anything any

reuniting and any like I mean when you

see a little baby that's just kind of

like not focusing and then they put

those little glasses on them and the

baby sees their and then they smile

forget it. Yeah, I love those videos. It

really It's so good. And then because of

the rule of threes and because I too

often have to circle back and close the

loop um I feel like on behalf of one of

my producers Jack here I need to ask you

about um uh this particular sketch.

Well, you are one of the people that

when I say like I'm gonna have you on,

every person I know, but a lot of men I

know want you're their favorite and also

they want to talk about their favorite

sketches that you've done. Like they

want me to mention it. And um the one

that uh Jack wants me to mention, Jack,

I feel like right I just feel like we

can't end without it. Okay.

because is um is um Clancy, you know, is

um bought a glass of beer. Okay. So, can

you just tell us for those people that

don't know that sketch, can you just

Well, first of all, it's jar of beer.

I'm so sorry. I forgive you. Oh my god.

I would be Did I say glass? You said

glass of beer. Jar of beer. How could I

You only say it. It's a glass jar. It's

a glass jar. I mean, we don't It's glass

parenthesis unspoken, but but like So,

so sorry. So, can you just tell us how

that sketch came about? And for people

that don't know, so we How do you even

explain it? This was me and Wig and John

Solomon

wrote a sketch that was like a

Thanksgiving sketch. It was just people

singing

um

I forget the tune, but it was like,

"Guess who's coming to, you know,

Thanksgiving dinner this year." And then

it was just a bunch of weird names like

Pesamelia Gilna Froo

um you know Jibble you know Betsy Pilpo

and all these weird weird things and it

it did not make it. It was like fun but

it made it to dress rehearsal I think.

Yeah. The next time we went in, we um we

did we figured out the thing of like,

oh, we'll we'll sing about toddlers

model tea car. I think it just started

out we the first song we wrote it was

going to be a bunch of different songs

and you just picked those words. We

picked those things and we're like what

if every single one has those things and

then it became about that. But then the

first time we put it up at a table read

it was like existing songs. So it's like

highway to the toddler zone. I remember

that. Gonna, you know, drink a jar of

beer with a in a spaceship in the

toddler zone and then just, you know,

jam. And so it was probably 10 different

songs that would have been the most

expensive sketch of all time. So they

said, "Get out of our face with that."

So we were like, "Oh, let's do that."

Because we love the concept of the, you

know, the weird thing. So, we just wrote

original songs and that was kind of how

we did it. And it was Jackie and Clancy.

Jackie Snad and Clancy P. Backlerat.

That's right. And then and you guys just

sang songs and toddlers, jars of beer.

Um spaceships

and wait and model tears.

Oh, did you hear when I whispered in

your ear about the spaceship that was

parked in your yard next to a model car

and some beer in a jar, but without an

That was one of the most fun to ever get

to do just I remember watching that. I

remember you doing it at the table and

you know, like I said, you were next to

me, so it was really loud always. I'm

sorry. No, it was incredible. And you

and Wig were you and Wig did so many

funny things together. you're such a

like you're just so great together. I

mean, Kristen's a genius. So, yeah.

But that one was like felt particularly

fun cuz just like how you said it kind

of felt like you were both of you felt

like you were in like your senioritis.

Like it was very like loose and stupid

and fun that you can only get to if

you've been on the show for a while.

Like you just Yeah. I don't know. You

have to kind of earn it and get there.

And that felt like that kind of sketch.

It definitely was a really that you know

they would always say like you'd put

stuff up and it would seem to go well at

the table and and and it wouldn't get

picked and they'd say like just wait the

you know when you're when you're there

for long enough those things will start

getting picked and and and they were it

was right. It was right. Like, you know,

certainly there were still a couple

times when you're like, "Hey, I want,

you know, I deserve the old senior." Um,

and it was never like I I was never I

never went in thinking like, "Hey, I

deserve this cuz I'm a senior." I would

freaking I would never want something

that I thought sucked to get on. I was a

part of a lot of things that sucked, by

the way, that that I, you know, probably

liked myself. But but to me it was like

if something went well at the table read

it deserved like when you're in your

seventh year you deserve a shot. Yep. Um

and sometimes by the way some sometimes

there'd be shows that were chock full of

good stuff. Yeah. And so I understand it

with that but then every once in a while

it'd be like okay that thing made it in.

Oh yeah. This you know. Oh yeah. I mean

that was that was a lot of it was just

like okay they're doing another one of

those. Okay.

[Laughter]

But that sketch from beginning to end is

and remains everybody's favorite. And so

on to end our podcast today, will you

Oh, can I tell one Tina? We did so much

press and I can't believe this never

came up, but like Tina in the making of

the four seasons, we all uh had what's

called two bangers. Yeah. Two banger

trailers. So basically there'd be a

trailer with a wall in the middle and

the toilets would be up against the

wall. And so uh

so I was I wanted to be very extra

respectful.

Like I wanted her to know that like I

don't even know. I just want at some

point I'm like I just wanted you to know

I'm never in there trying to listen to

you know what's going on. If I hear that

you even come close to that bathroom,

I'm going This is an example where I

know your intention is good, but you're

bringing something up that no one would

think. Like no one would think that

you're Everyone's thinking it. You

kidding? Everyone's thinking it. It's so

quiet in there. I can like hear if she

like starts writing a letter at the far

end of the trailer. It's like, "Oh,

she's writing a letter." It's like, "Oh,

it's a blue envelope." Yeah, you can

hear everything. See, just so you know,

I'm not trying to listen. Just I just

want you to feel comfortable. Like if

you ever go in there, I go in, I put on

some music. Yeah. And and the doors

shut. I'm just not in there. And And so

we so it became this joke thing. And

then and then we had a system where if

we ever heard Iron Maiden, that was like

clear out of here. Damage is being done.

I can't believe that never came up. We

just like did a full press junket all

did talk shows and it's like that was

like

that's actually like that loving care is

actually what like a real marriage is

like like what you just talking about

like how you and Tina are like keeping

each other's boundaries and also I'll

tell you that was like that was a really

nice thing because like to to get to go

through that experience a you know

forget about it with like the honor of

getting to play Tina's husband usband

like what a what a professionally what a

thrill but personally to get to have

that experience. We're hanging out so

much and like she was you know got to

hang with my family and it was just it

was very special to go through that with

her. That's awesome. I loved I loved it.

Thank you. Um All right. I want But can

can you sing the glass uh Oh my god, I

did it again. Can you sing the jar of

beer? Do you remember the jar of beer

song? Oh, Clancy, can you take it down a

spaceship camp?

Does a toddler have a boiling frying egg

up with a frying pan?

So, hop in my model T. Oh, look, a

spaceship. A toddler in a model T.

Spaceship camp. I I forot. I mean, I was

butchering it, but it was like

I just remember also it was like

spaceship camp. Oh my god.

Oh, well, I love you. You're so great.

Thank you so much for doing this. And

so, it is so fun to spend time together.

It's kind of like we we've been saying

we don't really see you anymore. We

should we we should we should uh hang

out more. I would love that. I would

love that. I love every time I get to

see you. And like that's been the best

thing about this is I get to spend like

an an hour and a half talking while

people watch. Yeah.

Thank you, buddy. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Will. Love you and

you're just so hilarious always and love

talking to you today. And you know, Will

talked about Donkey Kong and um a great

documentary about Donkey Kong is called

King of Kong. And I just wanted to say

in the Polar Plunge, check out King of

Kong. It came out maybe almost 20 years

ago, but it's a documentary directed by

Seth Gordon, a great director who went

on to direct movies like Horrible Bosses

and Identity Thief. And he actually

directed um a few episodes of Parks and

Recreation in the early days. And it is

just this incredible tale of um men and

their love of a particular game. So, uh

check it out. Check out Four Seasons and

check out this podcast.

See you soon. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Per. The show is produced by The

Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer,

production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spalain,

Ka McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. For

Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel

Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

really good. Hey