Transcript: Ana Gasteyer on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone. Welcome to another

episode of Good Hang. This is our

holiday episode. It's our Christmas

episode and we have an incredible guest

today who's going to celebrate Christmas

with us. Um and and you should know we

are off next week and then we are right

back. So don't be scared. We just have

one week down to give everybody a

genuine break and then we're back in the

new year. But um we are with Anna

Gastire today and Anna Gasty, writer,

singer, Broadway star, sketch comedian,

um does so many things well and a a

sweet dear friend who um went through

the same SNL

sausage factory as we all did. And we

talk about that. We talk about being on

the show and how fun it was to bomb. We

talk about Christmas and our favorite

Christmas songs. And we talk about

Annie. Annie comes up. Thank God. As

does Once Upon a Mattress. Um and uh and

and Anna's story about being in the

White House. And and we also uh we talk

about her record, Sugar and Booze, a

Christmas classic. So um it's a great

episode. And we're starting this episode

with another titan, like a genius,

comedic legend, a a woman who has

written some of your favorite sketches

at SNL. You know her from AP Bio, from

the Maple Worth Murders, from Wine

Country, from Girls 5 Eva. She is the

one, the only Paula Pel. Paula, I

believe we're getting you in a car.

>> [music]

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[music]

Hi

>> Paula. Can you see me and hear me?

>> Yes, I can see you and hear you.

>> Oh, hold on.

>> I need to Can you hear me? I think I

need

>> I hear you, but I don't see you.

>> I think I need to hit the

>> I thought I hit the camera. Oh, hold on.

Why isn't it working? Elaine,

try.

>> Yeah, handing it to Janine to see if she

can. Janine.

>> Janine Breurto, Paula's beautiful wife.

>> And we're trying to Oh,

>> there we go.

>> There my beautiful wife with a new

haircut.

>> Hi, Janine.

>> Amy,

>> it's Paula. It's so great that your

beautiful wife is also your it for a

person who just got off an airplane. You

look beautiful. Well, I just did a which

Tina Fay is very familiar with in a in a

in a car a full face makeup in about two

seconds cuz I did that in the cabs on

the way to work all the time.

>> Yep. We we are all pretty good at I mean

most women are at like getting throwing

it on.

>> Yeah. Throwing it on. I've gotten really

good at just the feel. Like I can almost

It's a It's like It's like love is

blind, but it's makeup is blind. And you

just have people do a full makeover

without by just feel. [laughter]

>> Well, it looks great.

>> I'm also wearing my lesbian uniform

in Los Angeles.

>> I love having you in lo in Los Angeles,

Paula.

>> It's so nice. It's so beautiful here. We

left so much snow. Well, you know, this

episode with Anna Guestire is going to

be technically our holiday episode. It's

going to air before Christmas.

>> Yay.

>> And we are going to talk.

>> You guys better carol. You better sing a

carol.

>> I was like, I wish we could have you in

stewed. You love to carol though.

>> I do. I love to carol. I love to

harmonize more than anything on earth.

If I could, if someone said to me, "This

is your job for the rest of your life is

just to throw in that alto line and just

walk from group to group and throw in

that alto line, lay down that bass. I

would do it and be the happiest human

being on earth."

>> Although I have also heard you have a

very fierce soprano. You can also hit

those high notes.

>> Well, sometimes. I do think lately in my

60s I have had experiences where I

thought I was nailing it and then I

listened to it back on a video. Very

mortified. Just a little sharp. And I I

like to sing a certain kind of sharp for

Janine that really makes her put her

face down in the cereal in the morning

because it's just a little bit. It's

just just a little overshoot.

>> Um could you give us an example of it?

>> It's just the nearness of you.

It's like finding it. You're just

[laughter]

It's like a level and you're always just

finding it and then you finally get it.

>> Only a good as good of a singer as you,

Paula Pal, can do good bad singing.

>> That's such a thing in comedy. You're

always like, "Don't try to sing bad.

Don't try to sing bad."

>> It's It's funny. I want to talk to Anna

about it. Like, what is the difference

between good singing and comedy singing?

>> Yes. It's it's a it's very it's a very

fine line. Um so we're talking to Anna

Gastire today. What's great about Anna?

Let's let's talk well behind her back.

>> Anna is

so many things at once. Speaking of and

she's such a multi- multi multihyenate.

It's like every time you turn she's

doing a new job. It's something where

it's like, oh my god, like just Broadway

and writing and movies and you know, she

and Rachel writing that hilarious

Christmas movie and then she's on really

funny television shows as really funny

characters

and then she's like playing the violin

in a video she sends us to crack us up

that's like incredibly skilled violin.

Um, so I just I admire that so much in

her, but I also she came and stayed with

us to write this Bobby and Marty

recently for the 50th and we sat in our

pajamas at my house at our house and we

just sat and just really broke it down.

She's so good at sitting and just really

asking question. She's a curious present

friend. She's really uh such pure

medicine to my soul to just really talk

about everything.

>> We should talk. We've been on many trips

together. A bunch of the SNL ladies have

gone together uh on um girl trips. Maya,

you, me, Dr. Tina, Anna, um Spivey, and

>> the wine country gang.

>> The wine country gang. And we have been

we're kind of overdue for a trip. very

overdue.

>> Yeah, we need to

>> We're going to all bring our

grandchildren [laughter]

>> next time. It's just going to be a play

date.

>> We'll all be there with our

grandchildren. And I'll have Janine and

I'll have our granddogs because we

cloned Barbara Stryen style.

>> How are all the doggies doing? Can you

name all the doggies names while we have

you?

>> Yes, we have Ernie who used to have four

buck teeth and now he has nothing and no

chin. Ernie is a very obnoxious little

um Chihuahua with a penis the size of

his legs. And then um Gary is

perfection. He's a poodle mix. He's

perfect. Perfect child. And then we have

Dolly who's like a Shih Tzu mix who

looks like she's wearing a wig and she's

very tender and gives a lot of side eye.

And then we have um our only young dogs

because we always adopt old dogs and now

we've adopted a younger dog who makes us

say about 30 [ __ ] before 10:00 in the

morning cuz she's so obnoxious. Is Bunny

a Beagle Basset? And she starts at about

5:30 and stares at you in the dark and

you see her silhouette. She goes

and just does that until you just go

just get up and she you get up and feed

them.

>> And then who's who am I missing? And

then Tula is in a wheelchair, a little

wheel cart, and she's an 8B tiny tiny

little mix. She looks kind of like a

smooth-haired pecanese a little bit. and

she has um no feeling in her back half

[clears throat] of her body and is

faster than any of the dogs even without

her wheels. She flies through the air

just running on her front two legs and

she used to despise me the first year

and then I left for four months to shoot

something and I came back and she loves

me now.

>> Okay, so any question you think we

should ask Ala today? I have I have a a

legit one and then I have just one quick

little funny one if you want to ask her

this. The funny one is um her dog

Gloria, speaking of dogs, eats things

all the time that she's not supposed to.

I just wanted to know I think we should

all be updated on what the latest thing

that she devoured and then has it come

out yet.

>> Great.

>> And when it came out, was it

recognizable?

>> Great. And then um and then my real

question

is because she's such a multi-hyphenate

between writing when she's writing or

when she's singing or when she's doing

comedy,

which one of those makes her feel the

most free? Just glorious

untethered

euphoria. Which one gives her the

biggest should that way? Perfect. Thank

you so much, Paula. Love you. I can't

wait to talk to you in in length one day

and so happy you're here. Love you. Love

you. Bye. Bye. [music]

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You've got what are you wearing?

>> I have a I have my tartan I have a tart

Oh, it's it's a bad angle.

>> There it is. Tartan shoe.

>> Does that look natural? [laughter]

THAT'S I WORE MY holiday pumps.

>> Yeah, because I do try I try to think

about what the guest season.

>> This is our Christmas episode.

>> I know. I got excited. So, I How many

times a year you think I can wear this

sucker?

>> Those are cute.

>> Yeah. Aren't they cute?

>> There. Isn't it weird to wear it in like

sunny Los Angeles? It does feel weird.

>> And it's a sweatery texture. It's a

sweatery tartan. I don't know if you can

see the texture. So, it's very holiday.

Anyway,

>> we are gonna This is gonna be our

Christmas episode

>> and I I have so many things I want to

talk to you about today.

>> Very excited that you're here. Thank you

for doing it.

>> Never enough time. Always so much to

talk about.

>> Never enough time.

>> I know.

>> And um [clears throat] but it's it's

it's very exciting that you are the

Christmas episode cuz I do associate you

with Christmas in many ways. You have a

Christmas album. You go on tour at

Christmas. And you yourself love

Christmas.

>> Yes, I do.

>> What do you love about Christmas? Well,

I call myself the Duchess of Christmas.

Um, actually a nice gay called me that

and I took it obviously. Um, I love the

It's so weird. It's like but it's uh a I

love the holidays. B I mean like the the

resume sort of leans in that direction

cuz I my my like legacy moments at SNL

were uh you know Balls and um the Martha

Stewart Topless Christmas which was my

first like thing that succeeded there

and they run every year on the Christmas

episode on that special. So, um, it

comes up for people and then DR and I

wrote that Christmas movie which is a

parody of the

>> Hallmark films. Tell everybody what it

is again.

>> It's called A Cluster Funk Christmas and

it is a

>> a parody. It's a perfect parody. The

goal was to make the perfect parody of

the for the ultimate Hallmark lover,

>> right?

>> Um,

>> of which you are. You are movies.

>> I love a Hallmark movie and I love the

holidays. I love the holidays. I love

>> So, what kind of decorations? because we

are on a we're on a text chain. We send

each other like our prep.

>> Yeah.

>> What decorations do you have up right

now? What are you looking forward to for

like in the levels of what's going on?

>> Right. So, it's all sort of contingent

upon how much I'm traveling and how

exhausted I am by visual clutter that

year. [laughter] So, which is fair,

right? So, um I'm actually going full

tilt thunder hump on Friday. The boxes

are out. I'm going to do New York for

the first time in a really long time. I

haven't done it in a long, long time. I

I've worked on Christmas a lot because

during the Broadway shows that

>> because you're a pro babe and pros work

on Christmas

>> Christmas. Yeah. So you end up a lot of

my things are which are so up your

alley. I know like they're sort of

>> um hacks. They're like hacks to still be

festive and still enjoy it and still be

present in it but maybe have it not be

sort of enslaved by it. Do you know what

I mean?

for example, I can go full Tilt Thunder,

which I'm going to

>> trees and the lights and the garland and

the swag and the the you know, all the

Tik Tok hacks like with the with the um

curtain rod and the you know garland

going across it and let's slow down

woodland woodland forests.

>> Let's slow down. I just heard my one of

my favorite Tik Tok hacks.

>> Tik Tok hack and the garland goes where?

So, you get yourself some like uh

Walmart or you know um the the tension

rod and you can put it like in um a

doorway like where you would hang

mistletoe and you can basically go to

Trader Joe's or Costco or whatever and

get your garland and you can make a

really beautiful archway. Um if you use

that tension

>> if you So you get what you would put

curtains, right? So you have to go buy

that hardware

>> but that's like $4

>> and wrap it in garland.

>> Yeah. And you just put it in a door and

then hang it down. Put a little um tea

tea cup hooks. Do you know those little

teacup hooks that people you can buy

them at the five and dime also at the

Walmart? You know the five and dime.

>> Um and you screw them into Worth Pat

down at Woolworth when you're doing your

stocking stocking stuffers.

>> And you can put your garland down it and

you can do lights. You can pre IKEA has

um or everybody now has but I do an IKEA

run every holiday cuz they real cute.

>> Anna Ger is here and she is telling us

about Christmas. I knew you would to

give me

>> I love a craft brown paper. Just brown

paper packages tied up in strings.

>> That's That's brown paper packages tied

up in strings.

>> That's how you wrap. That's how I wrap.

>> I have a question about the brown paper.

I find it a little heavy sometimes for

tape

>> because of the gauge. You've got to get

a thinner gauge.

>> A thinner gauge paper.

>> Craft paper.

>> It's called craft paper.

>> What are we talking tree?

>> I have a feather table top tabletop. I

have a tinsel like sort of medium and

then I finally am just gonna do live or

bust. You know what I mean?

>> Yeah. And the one thing I'll say about

live, I I usually do a a real Christmas

tree. I like that we're calling it a

live live from live from Christmas.

Bring it alive. Um is and I know there's

ones where you can even have ones that

they repot

>> in California. You can't really find

that on the East Coast. I've tried.

>> What? Well, the thing that I always

bamboozles me about a real Christmas

tree, which I still do, is I think it's

going to smell so good and it never does

anymore

>> cuz they're they've been cut so long

ago.

>> Christmas trees used to smell better.

Now, they don't smell like they used to.

>> Well, that's you know, that's G that's

genetic modification.

>> Oh, god.

>> Right there.

>> They should be true.

>> And I mean, sometimes you just got to do

Well, I use the Do you ever do like

aromatherapy or a pine?

>> I'll put in a pine candle.

>> Pine candle. You know who's got a nice

pine candle this year?

>> Who?

>> Trader Joe.

[laughter]

>> I stopped by yesterday cuz again,

California Trader Joe's are like he said

it's singular. [laughter] Trader Joe

>> Trader Joe has invested and it's at his

his um aonomous shop.

[laughter]

>> Um I I love Trader Joe

but I like I like I do love Christmas,

but again I will not be overrun by it.

So, I love I like this is why I made a

holiday album. I love my holiday album.

It's very old-fashioned. It's a little

winky. You've seen my show. It's very

like throwbacky.

>> Your holiday album, Sugar and Booze, is

so great.

>> Thank you.

>> And your shows that that you do to

support it are so fun.

>> It's a holiday spectacular.

>> Yes. Tell us about them.

>> Well, I like to do we Well, I like to

perform with a horn section. So, that's

for starters cuz I have a loud voice.

And I like to wear a tartan and get

dressed up. And I like um it feels very

like so the my how do I answer this

succinctly? Um I

>> do you have to

>> I don't do we want to spend the whole

hour on this

>> but but I mean this is this is a real

this is a good this is a real good

question which is like talk however you

want babe.

>> Okay you're right. It's called good

hang.

>> Yeah good hanging.

>> We don't have to get it right. We don't

have to be you don't even have to be

succinct.

>> No we don't. You're right. We can cut

it.

>> Yeah we can cut the [ __ ] out of it.

>> We can cut it. Just cut the [ __ ]

>> We can make this podcast six minutes.

>> You know what in the name of this this p

the podcast should be called? Cut the

[ __ ]

>> Cut the [laughter]

Cut the [ __ ] with Amy Polar and Friends.

>> We should do a clip show where we call

it Cut the [ __ ] And it's all the stuff

that we cut. [laughter]

Um [clears throat] and so kind of in the

the 1959 early60s entertainers era

really spoke to me because it was a time

when a gal, you know, Rosemary Clooney

would probably be like the idol. like a

gal who could tell a good story,

>> could could, you know, belt to the

rafters, play in front of a big band,

carry a band, an an evening of

entertainment. So, when we set out to

make the holiday album, it was really to

create a record that, you know, wasn't

kitschy or like um

>> you know,

>> it's not a it's not a comedy.

>> It's not a comedy record. It's not a

campy record, but has you know, it's me,

so it's there's fun to it. But really, I

wanted it, the goal was to have it play

seamlessly with, you know, a Frank

Sinatra Christmas record or, you know, a

classic Christmas record while you're

making cocktails and wrapping presents.

And

>> it's a perfect record for that.

>> Tree tree tree trimming.

>> Tree trimming. It is so good. Tree

trimming a live tree.

>> Is it tree trimming a live tree? A live

tree or Balsam Hill.

>> Or Balsam Hill.

>> I don't want to, you Um, it is it's such

a good record and it it is it's just the

right amount of like whimsy combined

with really really good singing and many

original Christmas songs which is hard

to do to make an original Christmas

song.

>> Really hard. And I'm I love Christmas. I

love Christmas songs, but they're really

hard.

>> What do you love?

>> Well, I like a lot of the ones that are

on the record. I love Slayigh Ride. I

love um Man with a Bag, which I just

think is a structurally it's um

>> Oh, it's on your record.

>> Yeah, it's on the record. Um there's

there's some bad Christmas songs that we

listen to every year just because

they're out there over and over again.

Um

>> there's I have to say Deck the Hall is

not my fave.

>> No.

>> And wish and We Wish You Merry Christmas

is not my favorite.

>> It's boring. They're boring. There's a

lot of a lot of them. I mean, even

Rocking Around a Christmas the Christmas

tree is kind of a boring song.

Structurally

>> in the kind of carol cannon. I think God

resty merry gentleman has a really great

rhythm. We actually have a new

arrangement of it this year which we're

doing on page. God rest ye

dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was

born on Christmas day. Okay. You can

hear it right.

>> It's kind of nice. Who save us all

[singing] from Satan's power when he was

gone astray. Oh [singing] tidings of

comfort and joy.

>> Yeah. It's a good song. It's a good

tune. But also um I so we tried to write

a few songs that would fit into that and

so that was I wrote the title track show

Gmboos with that in in mind because I

wanted it to feel like an oldfashioned

song.

>> When you were when you were growing up

and and now what are your like Christmas

albums that are on rotation?

>> My parents are classical music people

remember. So there's a lot of Messiah

jam a lot of Messiah jams.

>> Um [laughter] you know a lot of uh

ceremony of the carols you know.

Oh, wait. If you do that, I remember my

part from choir. If you do the dun

ready,

[laughter]

>> I was the I was the

parting [singing]

ding.

[laughter]

>> I was the bells. So many bells.

Ding

dong

ding dong. Here come the bells. So many

bells. Here come the bells. Here come

the bells. Here come the bells.

>> Can you rock a desk?

>> Um. Oh yeah. Um, rock a desk.

>> What's the hallelujah one? Um,

>> that Oh, come all you faithful is what I

was just doing. That's the Okay, start

singing. Oh, come and I'll do the desk

count.

>> Oh, come all ye.

>> You can go up a little higher. Oh, come.

Oh, come all ye faithful,

joyful and triumphant.

[laughter]

>> Keep going. Let's do the Oh, come let us

adore him. Okay. Sorry. Do you want

Come, come, let that come, let us adore

him.

>> Oh, come let us adore [singing] him. Oh,

come let us adore him. Oh, come let us

adore.

CHRISTAL

[singing]

>> ACED IT.

>> YOU REMEMBER IT.

>> IT'S ALL IN THERE.

>> IT'S like your movie in uh Inside Out.

Those music things are all trapped in

your brain. I know.

>> They're all in there. They're in the

deep gray matter

>> and they are so nostalgic.

>> They're so beautiful.

>> They're so melancholy. They're so sad.

See? Okay. So, I find Christmas sad.

>> Yes, I know.

I know. But, and by the way, a lot of

people do.

>> I find it sad. And I get now I've gotten

into now I get into the sadness of

Christmas like a cozy blanket. I used to

fight it fight it cuz sad is not my

favorite state. No,

>> it's often um not where I want to like

like I'm uncomfortable sometimes in

sadness, but Christmas allows

>> Well, some people are just like a little

bit more um uh they can just tolerate it

or

>> they know it comes and goes a bit,

>> you know, like it's like sadness and

anger. I'd much rather be angry than

sad.

>> Same. And mostly am. [laughter]

>> Totally.

Totally. So, I get into the sadness of

Christmas. Like I'm like [clears throat]

I'm just like looking like you know when

you're in your own music video and you

look in the in the window. I love

[laughter]

>> Yeah, that's your jam.

>> Merry [laughter] Christmas.

>> But let's talk about your classical

music parents and your

>> be little Anna's beginning into music

cuz I'm very interested in that very

like that early time.

>> So, thank you. So, I played the violin

very seriously.

>> It's so lonely. It's the funniest thing.

And by the way, I'm grateful. I'm very

grateful for obviously the sacrifice

that I mean, you know, we spend all this

time resenting them and then you realize

the things that they've done as you get

older and they get older and it's kind

of a relief. But um I mean the schleing

alone like just the amount of times to

like p you to to lessons.

>> Why did you choose the violin? Do you

remember? Was it chosen for you?

>> I think it was probably chosen for me. I

had an aunt that played and I like I I

love her so I think I thought it was

cool. And the violin I still play to

this day was my aunt's violin that my

grandfather was given in the depression

>> in lie of a payment

>> for legal services at some point. So

it's like a 150-y old violin, but it's

it's not like fancy. It's not like a

>> It's not a stratavarious.

>> It's not a strat. Um but I have had it

like looked at because it's kind of

interesting and as an instrument and I

still play that instrument to this day

and I um I took it to fiddle camp with

me last summer.

>> Oh yeah, Anna went to fiddle camp.

>> Fiddle camp. I did. It's a real

conversation starter. Um

>> yeah,

>> then by that everybody everybody flees

the area. Um my Yes. Anyway, I played

violin as a little kid. I I started and

I played until I was about 17

>> and I I was good and lazy. I was a

Gryffindor.

>> Um uh which set up a lifetime of

talented laziness and uh sort of landing

on your feet. So I could fake it for a

long long time. And then there becomes a

breakage point,

>> right?

>> In classical music,

>> it feels that way with music and

athletics, those two things especially

where you are like loving it and you're

good at it and then there's a moment

where it's like, okay, now you have to

decide, am I going to the next level? Am

I playing in college? Am I going to join

an orchestra?

>> First of all, it's so solitary and and

it is it's two things. It's deeply

solitary and it is I have I am a

perfectionist and it is um torture for

perfectionists because even though I was

lazy, I was a perfectionist. So, it's a

weird I mean that I mean that I'm I'm

not lazy. I'm going to read

>> Yeah, I Let's cut Let's cut the [ __ ]

Let's cut the [ __ ] Let's cut the cut

the [ __ ] We'll be right back. Um

[laughter]

>> No, I reframe, lady.

>> I want to reframe. is that what I wasn't

passionate about violin so I didn't want

to lock myself in a room because truly

like athletics like you said it's

suddenly it is 8 hours a day 6 hours a

day like going to school like you know

it's not going to school late or leaving

early in the afternoon to practice

practice practice practice so your hands

fall off and it's lonely it's really

lonely and unbelievably sad it is a sad

instrument

>> violin is the saddest instrument ever

and that's I I do kind of love that

about it

>> I mean it's Beautiful.

>> I'm realizing now that Christmas and

violins are both the way I get into my

sad state. I love that.

>> Well, I It's funny cuz I'm writing a

song called Sad Violin at [laughter]

Christmas.

>> Really?

>> Yeah. I mean, you just made me come off

the title, but that is I've been

thinking about a sad violin cuz it's

sad. It's a lonely, wistful, melancholic

instrument, and I there's something

incredibly powerful about it, obviously.

But, um, so then what I in seventh

grade,

>> don't laugh, I had my first star turn. I

was legally blind also as a kid. So I I

mean I still am legally blind

technically. So I also had an eye patch

a lot of my childhood and I had a

violin. So just put all that together.

Hot stuff.

>> Put it through the comedy Play-Doh

machine. [laughter]

>> That's why hot stuff.

>> And were we wearing the patch during the

day?

>> We were rocking the patch.

>> Not not at all.

>> We were rocking the patch. So um right

around um I didn't went to camp for the

violin. But around seventh grade, I got

cast, wait for it, as um Helen Keller

and The Miracle Worker. [laughter]

So, I was able to pull a lot of my story

into the part.

[laughter]

>> And that's what I was like,

>> I mean, by the way,

>> and you put that on your Tinder profile.

Yes. When you were Yeah.

>> Yes, I do. Yes, I do. And my Grinder.

>> Yeah. And your Grinder. [laughter]

Tinder and Grinder. You're on both. And

you're very unsuccessful on Grindr. Very

unsuccessful on Grinder

>> so far. [laughter]

>> You're right. Not today. Fingers

crossed.

>> So, um, hilariously, Helen Keller and

the Miracle Worker was like my aha of I

think this is really fun.

>> Right. You were you got to perform. You

found passion there.

>> Yes. And so then and then it became

clear I could sing and I so I did all

the parts and everything in in high

school. I'm sure you did too. Um,

>> as a kid though, you know, because you

you have you're you you're an exuberant

kind of upregulated kid. Like you're

you're you're more extroverted than what

than the patch in violin would make me

think. But were you an introverted kid?

What kind of kid were you?

>> I don't think of myself as an outgoing

kid at all. Or even as an outgoing

person to be honest or upregulated or

exuberant. On stage I am.

>> Interesting.

>> And with you maybe I am.

>> Interesting.

>> But I I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. But

I don't know. I sees you feel how you

feel about yourself. I mean, I was I

everyone in my high school was super

super funny.

>> Yes.

>> And I was always friends with funny

people.

>> Yes.

>> Um but I always like SNL and people like

you're the class clown. Like I was I was

not the class clown. I was the person in

the back row

>> who snickered

>> and made jokes.

>> You've told this on many podcasts and

things, but I still think it's just

fascinating that you were among many

people that were your friends during

that time. You were friends with Amy

Carter.

>> Crazy.

>> Amy Carter, the daughter of President

Jimmy Carter. Correct. who for people

who are not our age, Jimmy Carter was a

president. [laughter] No, but also and

the best ex-president we've ever had.

Um, for sure.

>> And Amy was so exciting as a as the

presidential kid. She was like our Sasha

and Malia.

>> Yes.

>> Because he had young kids, Chip and Amy,

and was that

>> Yeah. And she was much younger.

>> I mean, my name was Amy, so I was like

blown away. And she was just like this

girl in the White House. It was very

exciting. And she was norm well probably

for you too. I imagine you you I know

you are a reader now. You were probably

a child a childhood reader. I was too.

>> She was a violinist. I mean boom. And um

she's a violinist.

>> She Yeah. We were in an after school

like GT program together

>> and became friends. I mean it was just

an instant like whatever books books

books glasses and violins. Am I right?

Um and [laughter]

come on guys.

>> Come on let's party.

>> Let's party. And um everybody would get

invited to these, you know, group events

at the White House. Um many of which

were in the beautiful East Ballroom,

which has now been leveled by

>> or made more beautiful depending on who

you are.

>> Great point. Great point. [laughter] Um

>> it's going to be gorgeous. Anna,

>> you know what? I stand corrected.

>> Let's wait and see how it comes out. I

stand corrected. I have a feeling it's

going to be gorgeous.

>> And I just saw the Christmas decor and

you're right.

>> And it's gorgeous. Warm as always.

>> It's always so warm. So warm init. You

know, I wonder if it smells like French

onion soup [laughter]

or wasle when you walk in.

>> Gorgeous. Okay. Um,

>> so but you're going you go like multiple

parties and things and one of my early

memories this was such an extra double

brain blow of like early synaptic

development.

>> The cast, the original Broadway cast of

Annie was performing at the White

[laughter] House Christmas party.

Exactly.

Exactly. Like the whole It [laughter]

was too many things. It was too many

things.

>> I don't think I knew that.

>> Like 4t away from us. It was like her

little friends from her, you know, gift

and talented program and her friends

from school and various White House of

people's children. And then like Andrea

Mardle and actual Sandy right over there

and buckets hard knock life in it.

>> Buckets. And then I did Annie at the

Hollywood Bowl like five or six years

ago. What? And

>> it was either

>> it was during um it was right after wine

country. I think you were probably

buried in Ed who were you Miss Anigan

>> Natch Who else? [laughter]

>> What a

>> I was I was Andy.

>> I thought why not?

>> Well, there is that other part the we've

got you know this and ranking part. Um

oh yeah

but the my mind is blowing. So,

mind-blowing wise, when I did Annie at

the Bowl, the same animal there's one

animal trainer on Broadway. He does all

of all animal training for

>> we've probably done played her or him on

SNL.

>> He's the most delightful person. His

name is Bill Berlon and he does he he

adopted the original Sandy from Animal

Control and he trained her for the Good

Speed production and then like traveled

with every Annie production ever and

then now has become like sort of the

Broadway he does all Broadway animals

but he's a wonderful person and he and

he's a big advocate for animal um rights

and you know whatever. He's not the type

that we had at SNL that would be like I

got a gecko in the van if you need it

you know like be like you got to hit it

with a stick to let have him let you go.

>> [laughter]

>> I mean, uh, can a llama do that? I don't

know. But you hit it with a 17 out of

her, so I don't know if it's going to

happen today. [laughter]

>> This tortoise is going to bite you if

you hold it the wrong way.

>> What's the right way? Hell if I know.

[laughter]

>> There was a donkey sketch. Were you

there for the donkey sketch? No.

>> No, I wasn't there yet. You know, like

the donkeys like going down those floors

like [laughter] it's just the worst.

>> Oh my god. And then they doped him and

then like by live they're LIKE

[laughter]

>> he's not moving. It was nightmare

nightmare. Anyway, Bill Bologoney has

these beautifully trained show dogs. All

things show like it's funny even even

like show children who I'm afraid of and

we all should be are [laughter]

wonderful on Broadway because again it's

all work ethic on Broadway. Everything

is routine and work ethic and so a lot

of the sort of like

>> crazy. There's a different kind of crazy

but it's different. It's more like a

proper OCD crazy, which I'm comfortable

with.

>> So, but just getting back, you're in the

White House. Annie's performing.

>> So, Bill Berlon had a picture. That's

what I That's why I brought Bill Berlin

up because he he had a picture from the

1977 White House Christmas party with

me, all these people. It's mind-blowing.

You're in the picture.

>> It's insane with the original.

>> Do you have a copy of it?

>> No, but you should.

>> You didn't even take it with your phone.

>> No, I shouldn't have brought it up now

that I think about it. [laughter]

I also got a picture once with Paul

McCartney and then lost my phone and

don't have it. Um, oh well.

[laughter and gasps]

>> So, yeah. So, Amy Carter, here's the Amy

Carter story. Okay, that's the most my

So, all of it gets munched together into

this kind of crazy

>> like there was a movie theater in the

White House and you would go and be

like, "Please join us, you know, and the

president to for a viewing of Pete's

Dragon with Helen Ready, you know, like

Yeah. things like that that would be

like cuz nobody we didn't have VHS or

anything back then was like the olden

times.

>> Yep.

>> Um

>> sure was

>> and then that's the crazy crazy story is

that I went to the Camp David for the

Camp David Accords

>> with um the Carters and we played the

violin which was crazy and for for the

very first United States Middle East

treaty [snorts]

>> that so you played violin for

>> for Anar Sadat and Manakim Bean and

Jimmy Carter.

>> Wow. and me and Amy and it was all in

just one one room and we played

>> we played Suzuki violin.

>> Do you remember we played

>> she um

>> got

>> I mean it was literally like [laughter]

yeah lightly row or something you know

minuette and g or I don't know

something. Oh, that must have been so

tender,

>> right?

>> Maybe, [laughter]

as I've said before, [gasps]

>> maybe that worked a little harder to

make Middle East peace.

>> Yep. Didn't get on the right road. It

didn't work.

>> It didn't work.

>> Um, and then you, Am I right that you

watched Star Wars there, too?

>> Yeah, we watched it with the Sedats.

[laughter]

>> True story.

>> Star Wars with the Sedats. Yep.

>> And then you also uh watched SNL in the

White House. That is the most

interesting of all of the stories

because so President Carter was the

president. You rarely saw him. Um there

were,

>> you know, a little bit, but we were

there a lot though. Kids were at that

house a lot. You know, her various

friends. So, um I have a very very

That's my first memory of Saturday Night

Live because we went to get a snack in

the middle of the night

>> and it felt like the middle of night. It

was probably 11:45. Yeah. And um we went

to and we walked by and the president

who we hadn't seen very much was sitting

in a chair uh with a I remember he had

like a snack and a beer and Akroyd was

playing him on

>> TV live on Saturday night and he was

laughing hysterically at the impression

of him. And to me, that was the most

powerful

um whatever you call that early building

block or core memory of putting in place

the power of parody and the power of

comedy and the importance of being able

to laugh at yourself, you know, all of

those things which obviously we're in a

really different time around, but um

>> super super super impactful.

And so you get to Northwestern, we talk,

you're a voice major. What makes you go

from Northwestern after you graduate to

LA?

>> A very bossy gay.

>> Great.

>> I mean,

>> yeah. Follow

[laughter]

>> wherever you tell me to go.

>> My my friend Peter was like, "You're

going to So I knew um I mean the other I

went to go see The Second City."

>> Mhm. And there were two women in that

cast and they both played Girlfriends at

the time. And I remember being like, I

want to see the girls like do something

fun.

>> And then I came out here to LA and I

went to a Growling show and it was like

literally uh uh Koolage,

>> Jennifer Koolage,

>> Jennifer Koolage, Kathy Griffin, Lisa

Kudro, this girl Heather Morgan. I mean,

there were so many crazy funny women

wearing like wigs and glasses. And I,

you know, I was in the improv scene in

Chicago and like those or you know at

Northwestern it was same as it ever is

which is just a bunch of smart Quickwitz

guys that were like I remember the like

>> main big improv guy was you know star

guy was like you're more character.

That's what he said to me. You do more

like characters. And I knew that that

was an insult

>> like that they thought of that as an

insult. And then I came out here and I

saw all these like wigs and glasses. I

was like that seems really fun. And who

did you meet in your early years at

ground?

>> Um, we had an insanely talented group.

It was um, so I was right behind Will

and Sherry.

>> Will Frell, Sher Otter.

>> Yeah. And Will is who suggested me for

SNL. Um, and I had uh, in my group I had

um, Steven Craig, Chris Parnell, Scott

Wayio,

>> um, a lot of writers that came from our

era as well. And then right behind me

was Maya

Forte, Will Forte, married my off like

Yeah. I mean, it was, you know, and and

and then I I befriended a bigger

collective of, you know, Tim Bagley and

my Hitchcock and

>> Sterling. We always love to talk about

SNL audition stories on this show.

>> I know we like to

>> I know we don't have to, but it is it is

interesting like, you know, with the

50th anniversary and like us looking

back and all of it. How do you feel any

differently about that? Like the story

that you tell yourself about your

audition? Like do you feel badly about

your audition?

>> You know what? I didn't even ever feel

bad about it. Um I'll tell you why that

because there have been a couple of

times in my life and um Wicked was one

of them and Saturday Night Live was

another. were both incredibly

challenging jobs in their and difficult

workplaces in their own ways both just

in terms of

>> physical demand and artistic demand and

just complicated

>> uh creative workplaces as you know um

>> both times SNL being one of them I left

no stone unturned because I felt

>> and I I really believe this to this day

if you so sort of to totally double back

on the lazy thing like if you give

everything your all. If you give

something your all,

>> you don't have regret. And if you don't

have regret, you can face any

consequence

>> for me. So, I knew that if I did the

best audition I could, I would feel fine

if I didn't get the job.

>> Um because I I wouldn't have left

something on the table, you know. And

so, Will Frell had told me famously that

they don't laugh. And we always people

whisper that to one another in advance.

Did you know that? Yeah, I knew that

they there's it would be absolutely

silent, which it was.

>> Which it was. Yeah, me too. And um I

told Parnell and so Charlie, my now

husband, and I were engaged at the time

I got the job. And he I would I wrote my

I wrote the whole thing out as a

monologue and I would just run it

relentlessly and he would sit like Mount

Rushmore.

>> Oh. And practice not laughing [laughter]

repeatedly because it was all stuff I

had been doing at the ground. So, I I

needed to know what it felt like. The

cadence is so different if you have a

character that you're used to landing in

a certain way.

>> Yeah, that's actually a really good

point. I think a lot of people don't

know. A lot of stand-ups and um uh

sketch performers when they come and

audition, they're doing stuff that has

succeeded somewhere else and there's a

rhythm to it and laughs that you're used

to.

>> Correct. Yeah.

>> Exactly. Right.

>> I just rehearsed it in front of him and

I knew it, you know, six different

directions. as well.

>> What characters and or people did you do

in your audition? Do you remember?

>> Yes, I did the NPR lady

>> who I ended up doing on the show and I

end I did kind of a ridiculous panty

hosew wearing woman and I did who did

not end up on the show [laughter] in a

shocking twist.

>> She was she ended up on Cut the [ __ ]

>> She she was on Cut the [ __ ]

>> Did you do any impressions?

>> Well, so somebody of course was like

they're going to ask you in the 11th

hour to do impressions, but I didn't do

impressions and Right. But I kind of

knew that it might come because I'd

heard that the people that were involved

were never particularly organized around

the

>> Yeah.

>> advanced prep, shall we say?

>> Yeah.

>> So, I just had it up my sleeve. So, I

went and I I knew that I I I liked

Martha Stewart. I thought she was funny

and interesting, even though The Ground

Links doesn't really do impression-based

comedy. And so, I wrote

um an introduction as Martha Stewart.

And I got a Martha Stewart wig. Um, and

this is so funny to me. I did Ki

Roberts.

>> Oh yeah, I remember her.

>> But like nobody It was like an NPR

reference at literally but she was on

ABC News and so I did Kokei Roberts.

>> Lauren is good friends with K.

>> Literally I like

>> he had I had dinner with her last night

and it's very it's sounds just like

>> I think Ki liked the talked to Ki.

>> I talked to K. [laughter]

>> K. K was a little mean.

>> Martha, your Martha impression is so

good.

>> Thank you. What do you do vocally to get

into Martha? How do we do a Martha?

>> So much of Martha,

it still is. She's so rehe's so

rehearsed in front of the camera.

There's You'll never have her do this.

>> Martha Stewart does stuff with Miss

Piggy and she's a little thrown by Miss

Piggy

>> because Piggy Miss Piggy is improvising

and Martha doesn't love to improvise.

>> No. And they've I've had a few

situations with her in fact where I've

had to dress up as her and be with her.

Yeah. Which is

>> that's a very unique thing about SNL. I

had that with Hillary Clinton.

>> Hillary Clinton where you are dressed

exactly like them standing next to them.

So, I have had a few events with um

Martha and recently I did the Drew

Barrymore show and showed up as her

[laughter] and

she

it's just the worst. And you're just

sitting there fully dressed like a

person and

>> Well, that's why listen, this is why I

love our people. This is why I love

sketch comedy. Sketch comedy is

embarrassing.

>> So embarrassing.

>> Standup is cool.

>> Yes.

>> You get you you go outside, you wear a

leather jacket, you smoke a cigarette,

you put it out, you go and do your set.

Yep.

>> Sketch. You have a freaking wig and

you're slept in a box with a weird bow

tie

>> and you got

>> And it never ends.

>> And it never ends.

>> And don't think that I'm not still doing

that. Like there are days where I'm

like, I still have a wig area in my

house.

>> Yep.

>> I one time got pulled over for speeding

and had a wig in my glove compartment.

[laughter]

>> That could be considered dangerous.

>> It could be. It could be.

>> Do you remember what the wig was? Was

it?

>> No, it was like during growling days in

fairness. But um just to have one

around.

>> It's just you the schleing is the amount

of props. It's so uncool. And that's why

I love people who do it because they're

to me the coolest people because they

sit in the embarrassment and the

commitment of it. You have to be really

committed.

>> Which is why the bombing is the funniest

thing in the whole world. Which is why

Will Ferrell sitting into a bomb.

>> Yeah.

>> Is one of my favorite things I've ever

seen in in the world.

>> It is. Um, at SNL we used to watch old

sketches that bombed and just like love

it in a way. It's what the kids would

call cringe, but it's even post cringe.

It's like beyond cringe. It's almost

like a delicious

>> Yeah.

>> What would you call It's not a serotonin

boost. It's like a um I don't know. It's

the closest you feel to

>> It's like a community therapy experience

really is what it is. I mean,

>> it's like a primal scream.

>> Yeah. Sketch sketch performers.

>> What are some fun sketches that you used

to watch that you loved watching that

bombed or So, we did a Zoo Crew sketch

once,

>> which is like a DJ morning DJs and we

wrote I mean, it was the loudest sketch

ever. I mean, it was just literally like

like every single thing was JUST LIKE

EVERY LIKE [laughter]

ME HORNY GO GET HIM ROCK LIKE nonstop

everybody. It was me and Parnell and

>> oh my god

>> somebody and the host I can't remember

and Will and it was this basic premise

really loud zuc

the the weather chopper goes down like

crashes [laughter] okay really basic and

then everyone's like we lost wither

chopper 5 like just anyway people at the

table were screaming with laughter so

funny and then we set it up at home base

the I mean a dramatic play, a Tony

[laughter] winning, Pulitzer

Prizewinning dramatic play about a zoo

crew. I mean, deathly silent like a wall

like the audience and ah looked like a

painting and the whole time you're

you're like screaming in their It was a

the wall of sound.

>> Did you get giggles in in

>> I mean, yes, cuz it was so embarrassing

and it was also [laughter] just

hilarious cuz it was like the whole time

you're like they don't think this is

funny. They listen to morning zoos like

there's nothing. This is what it sounds

like. If you like driving to work and

listening to that, then that's just kind

of a pleasant thing for you.

>> Um,

>> that was embarrassing. Do you remember

the stuff that we called [ __ ] Can Alley?

>> Yeah. So, there's there's all these

little areas at SNL like where you get

to perform. Home base is like right in

the middle and it's kind of a prime

spot. It's where update is. And then

there's some areas that like where

sketches go to die,

>> right? Cuz you have the audience and you

have the balcony and so the main three

sets, you know, where the the uh musical

guest plays and whatever, you usually

are going to play things. Okay. There's

one that's like way in the back that has

no immediate audience in front of it.

And really, sketches go there to die. I

mean, nothing ever comes out.

>> It's also a real a vote of no

confidence. When your sk [laughter] when

your sketch is put there, you're like, I

see, I see. This isn't going to make the

show. [laughter]

the sort of quietness of like it's in

[ __ ] can ali we're not going to I'm

going to call my parents

[laughter]

>> it's not going to make it

>> but you had so many hits and and NPR

that NPR that sketch remains

>> there was no confidence in that sketch

that sketch was supposed to bomb and I

knew because I'd played at the

groundlings that the quietness of it

that was the comedy of it you know

>> yeah it's it was it's so so funny and I

should circle Back just quickly to

Martha. When we're doing Martha, what

are we doing with our lips and how do we

talk?

>> Well, one of the things she does

[laughter]

so many of what the things that she says

and does are things that she has

learned.

>> Yes. Yes, she do

>> on camera

and

she is uh [laughter] very aware

of how the camera is going to look

on her. [laughter]

>> It's a very

barely moving mouth.

>> Almost nothing moves. [laughter]

>> Why should it?

>> And nor should it.

We're going to make a Christmas meal and

barely nothing is nothing's going to

move.

>> She She's I am obsessed with her.

>> Me too. I'm obsessed with her. I mean

>> I mean Martha is um Martha I

>> She said

>> I'm not going to buy you on the

[laughter] show because I'm too scared.

But um but please listen and know that

you're something else.

>> She also [laughter] says I love her

rules, Amy. Her rules are so comforting.

Her rules are so comforting when you

talk to her about rules. Her rules she's

just got. She's like, "I don't take I

don't take alcohol alone.

>> I don't take drinks if I'm alone."

That's what she told me. I don't take

[laughter]

>> Do you remember when she briefly took

over The Apprentice and it was the We

were both We're so obsessed with this.

She She would And the Zoom at the end,

but but she was always handwriting a

termination note. [laughter]

It's a little touch of class. You're

fired.

>> Mhm. [laughter]

I so enjoyed

your contributions to The Apprentice,

>> but I'm here to tell you

>> I sent her flowers.

>> I sent her flowers, one of her

birthdays, many of the years. Anyway,

>> um, cut it. Cut the [ __ ] We'll cut the

[ __ ]

>> Cut the [ __ ]

>> Um, I want to talk about Bobby and Marty

for a second, the Culps

>> because um th those two characters that

you and Will did, I think, are perfect

example of like kind of combining all of

your talents. And before we get into

them, what is the difference between

good singing like singing and then

comedy singing?

>> Oo.

>> And is there one? I guess.

>> Um, well, it is interesting. It's an

interesting question. I definitely think

the training informs what's fun about

the characters, meaning she's, you know,

they're quintessential choir teachers.

So, her technique is very important to

her. So, I probably lean more into that

that quality of the of the of the voice.

And I've met people over the years that

are like music people,

>> I hit notes

>> as her that I would be very worried

about trying to hit as me. And I know

this is true because my friend Seth

Rudetski, who has the SiriusXM radio

Broadway show, who I met because he

wrote for the Rosie O'Donnell show at

the same time as I was in 8G. A lot of

people don't know when we were doing

SNL, Rosie was in her studio right next

door. Right next door. Yeah. So, we met

in the NBC gym and he was like of a

certain part of my life, like I

instantly recognized him as a person who

understood what that music part of me

that I didn't even talk about was. And

he he said he was like, "Oh, you I love

how consistently you go from a B flat to

a C." Like again, I wouldn't have

thought about it and I wouldn't have

even thought that Bobby sings that high,

but she does all the time, which is kind

of wild. Like if you wanted to tell ask

me to hit a C, I would get like my

butthole would tighten up and I probably

wouldn't be able to do it. So there's

[clears throat] something really fun

about that. And I think there's uh for

me, I can't speak for other people, like

I would never

>> there's a freedom around it and a chance

taking that I will play in character any

day of the week. Till very recently, I

wouldn't have done it as a vocalist.

>> So cool. Absolutely. And that is what

you guys do as those characters. Also, I

just love Bobby and Marty's look.

>> Their looks are excellent.

>> Their looks are fantastic. And we knew

early on, oh, so they were um disparaged

by some of the men, by the the cool

guys. People thought it was a medley bit

and thought it was dumb and hacky.

>> Um, but we had so much fun writing their

passive aggression as characters, like

the the dynamic of the two of them, the

people giving them the finger all the

time, and just the the the inherent

bummer of having those people perform at

your prom or whatever, [laughter] like

that. We always loved we always that's

what was so joyful about it. The music

was fine. Like the music was a super fun

component of it, but it wasn't the point

ever. The point was

>> why are these people performing at my,

you know, sobriety birthday, [laughter]

>> you know, it was always like finding the

premise. And so that's what made it so

fun. I have to say, honestly, like at

the 50th, which was so

>> special because that was always my

favorite thing to do at SNL. It was the

most fun writing it with Will and with

Paula. We would we were infamous.

Infamous is the term because we would,

as you know, not start writing until

4:00 in the morning. Yeah. And we would

finish at 10:00 a.m. And it was always

like a a laugh fest that was

that so heavily featured

procrastination. It was extraordinary.

And well, it's um it's very very funny

that you say that because we do a thing

on the show where we talk about we we

talk to people who know our guest. We

talk well behind their back and we get a

question to ask them. And so I spoke to

Paula Pel. Uh

>> oh. And for people that didn't see the

the SNL 50th music special, which was

amazing, you there was like sketches in

between acts

>> and a lot of musical sketches and Bobby

and Marty came out and crushed.

That was not an easy audience. It was an

audience of truly every single person

was either performing or a performer or

like it was a cynical audience.

>> Yeah,

>> you guys crushed. What was that feeling

to do that that night?

>> It was so fun for lack of a better word.

Like it was so for there was something,

you know, as we go back to all these

reunions and you bring all of your kind

of history and baggage and whatever with

you.

>> Um,

>> again, kind of speaking to your point of

the fact that this is all just so

embarrassing because first of all, like

it's Radio City Music Hall. [laughter]

It's 6,000 seats. I mean it's it's a

[snorts] huge epic space.

>> Yeah.

>> We followed Lauren Hill.

>> Sure. [laughter]

>> That's who you want to follow.

>> So you have to understand that in the

wings there are like thousands of cool

music people. I mean like I my dressing

room is next to Jack White and his band

and I'm dressed as Bobby Mohan Culp.

Okay. I've got the giant glasses and my

like striped dress and Will's got his

bald paint and his you know we

rehearsing in the keyboard. So already

we're like the losers in the wings. Do

you know what I mean?

>> Oh yeah. I mean the winners for me but

>> it was it was fantastic.

>> I mean actually you're like you got the

violin and you've got the eye patch

>> 100%. And so we're already just like

what is happening? What is happening?

Why are we here? [laughter] And who

invited us? You know, and then we just

started to giggle cuz we we it was so

cute cuz we doing the sketch and doing

the we just it was very easy to imagine

how excited

>> Bobby and Marty would have been.

>> The people would have been to be at

Radio City.

>> And what was it like back? What was it

like back then? Did you see Jack White?

Who else are you seeing?

>> I mean, mayhem like posies and people

with like, you know, music people. So

they got like big cool hair and glasses

[laughter] and fur like Lauren Hills has

a fur coat and an afro and like

everybody's got like floral pants that

come up to here and there's posies and

you know weed everywhere you know Chris

Martins's in the corner like cool people

actual cool people who just looked right

past us like they they [laughter] were

they did not know that we used to be on

Saturday Night Live. They were just like

who brought Granny and Gramps? Like just

right past us.

>> That actually probably was fun. It was

so fun and then going and then we like

you know going out there and the all

that stuff just suddenly worked. You're

right. Now that I'm remembering, Lauren

Hill had had a surprise. Incredible

performance.

>> Insane.

>> And then [laughter]

there's like smoke.

>> And then it was like [clears throat]

test test [laughter] and you guys crush

and that's what I mean. I did I knew it

was streaming and I also knew I mean it

was really funny cuz we were like they

just and all of their stuff was about

how they'd come to New York for an

opthalmology appointment, you know, they

were just lucky to slip in and and just

everything about it was so fun. And so

we're sitting there and uh yeah and I I

did have the feeling I was like this is

streaming because one thing about SNL

for me again I don't know if you ever

had this but it's a little bit of an A

student girl you know nerd girl thing I

was always my greatest regret about this

show not that you would go back in time

is that I could I never like settled

into it and enjoyed it cuz I was always

so aware of the time

>> and of running somebody running down the

clock somebody else's sketch is going to

get cut like I was always and when we

were there it was such a

>> you know like explo explosive surfate of

of talent that there were always three

sketches a night that might not make it,

you know. So, I always felt like I had

to like keep it moving, keep it moving.

So, I was suddenly very aware that it

was streaming

>> and that I was not going to be rushed

>> and I was like, I'm going to be Bobby

Mo. The funniest thing in the world to

me is this woman and this man, these

these choir teachers getting people to

settle

>> cuz there's just nothing funnier than

high school teachers. They just kept

telling people to settle. I need you to

settle. [laughter]

I need quiet in the back. Hand goes up,

mouth goes shut. Hand goes up, mouth

goes shut. Just this idea. I was like,

I'm going to keep going until they

settle. I'm not going to worry about it.

And if I had been at 8H, we never would

have done that.

>> Right. Very good point.

>> We just we took a full probably 45

seconds to, you know, get people to pipe

it. David Spade pipe down. [laughter]

>> That's right. You guys called him out by

>> I don't want to hear it. Pierce Brosman.

[laughter]

So stupid. Okay, [gasps] we have so much

more to talk about.

>> I'm sorry, but Paula Paula had two great

questions. Uh

>> oh.

>> One was a um a funny one, which was your

dog Gloria loves to eat things.

>> Yes.

>> Um and you often keep us updated as to

what she eats.

>> What has she eaten lately? And has it

come out already? And was it intact when

it came out?

>> It never comes out. I don't know where

it goes. [laughter]

It's upsetting. Like you're like, it was

a full hairbrush. Where did it go?

>> Where did it go?

>> And honestly, cuz she's also like many

dogs, like it's the more personal the

better, you know? So, it's a retainer

[laughter] or she would eat my IUD if

she could

>> pull it out.

>> She could get in there.

>> Yeah. Sorry, but it's true.

>> Dogs are gross.

>> It's gross. Bras, um, all that kind of

thing. Most recently, to answer the

question, um, it was an a massive thing

of cheese. I mean, it was a manego. It

was a Costco manego wedge. You know,

those are big ones for a party. And

Charlie Charlie sent it to me. I was out

here and he sent he he taken out the

cheese. He was going to have himself a

little snack. Came back, the cheese was

gone. He felt crazy. That's always part

of the story that he's walking

[laughter] around like, I swear to God,

I brought the cheese out. Where's the

cheese? And then hours later there was

like this much left which also I find

upsetting because it means that she has

eaten to the point of physical

discomfort which for a dog is a long

time.

>> Yeah.

>> I just I want to know what happens in

her dog brain.

>> Maybe there's some kind of evolutionary

thing where they show you just a little

to be like [laughter]

>> just to be like and I just just like

just a tiny bit of like a trophy of like

and here's what I did.

>> She's such an [ __ ]

>> Um okay. And then Paula's um real

question was and it's kind of what the

theme of of our interview today which is

basically like um it's such a sweet

Paula question which is um you know

between writing and singing and acting

uh which one makes you feel the most

free.

>> It's an interesting word.

>> It's a great question. Um

I think that inherently

I'm the most natural singer. I mean, I

think that's like my first gift, meaning

like that it's just sort of beyond me.

And as I've gotten older and more into

it, like [gasps]

>> even in the last couple of years, I feel

I feel more comfortable just accepting

that it's something that came from

somewhere besides me and I got lucky to

have a career that kind of nurtured the

muscles of it all. Literally,

>> writing is the most in the flow I

probably feel. But I hate writing

>> and I hate having to write. I love

having written.

>> Yes. Having had written is the best

feeling in the world.

>> I feel like you're a more confident

writer than I am.

>> Oh god, no.

>> No, that's not true. You're very good

about it.

>> I've got I've got to um No, I've got to

[laughter] um

>> Your Uber's here.

>> My Uber I'm so sorry. My Uber's here.

First of all, you are a member of the

Wicked verse. You You opened Wicked in

Chicago.

>> Yeah, I was the you know, fourth overall

alphaba. So fifth, you know, so now when

you go like last year, two years ago was

the 20th. And um again, I have people in

my wicked life that like I'm not going

back. It was torture cuz it is trauma

bonding. It's a really hard job. It's a

really, really, really, really hard job.

It's a hard role to play. It is a

physically demanding heart and it is

incredibly hard to sing. So I'm I'm

actually in retrospect I was so I want

to actually take a minute to tell a

story if that's okay.

>> Of course.

>> Um because I actually think it's so

lifeless and important.

I

am so hard on myself. And again, I

realized this about myself recently. I'm

not

>> competitive. I'm a perfectionist.

>> So, I actually hate competition, but I

want to be really good at things. So,

it's a weird mix, but

>> when you do a Broadway show, everybody

comes at the end because all your

friends or whatever. People want to see

you before it closes or you leave or

whatever. And you know, whatever. Here's

a Dina Menzel, the most incredible

vocalist, originated this incredibly

demanding vocal score.

>> Yeah.

>> You're when you take over in a role, you

you're thrown into their track. So,

there's a lot of things that were

designed around Adena's instrument that

other people have a harder time with,

her phrasing, her lung capacity, things

like that. [gasps]

>> So, I was sort of mercilessly hard on

myself. And I also just didn't have the

Broadway credits that other people did.

So, I felt like I was proving myself.

And especially then on Broadway, I think

people felt like who's this TV [ __ ] who

just thought she could show up and sing

Alphaba? You know, there was not like a

>> um I didn't feel like warmly welcomed

into the Broadway community. I felt like

I was proving it, you know, so every

day.

>> Yeah.

>> Um and I, you know, that role is you

very very challenging. So my last like

three weeks cuz I did Chicago and then I

came and I did the three penny opera on

Broadway and then I did Wicked It Up on

Broadway. So my last like 2 3 weeks

wicked um all these people you know come

out of the woodworks composers I admired

people I admired people to see who want

to see me in the world before I left and

I was so mercilessly cruel to myself

every day I would come backstage and I

messed up the bridge on defying gravity

or oh my god I hate way I you know I

didn't I didn't like the my upper

register here there I was I was

screaming in this part it was such an

interesting experience because the sound

engineer gave me

like snuck me I hope I'm not getting him

fired

recordings of my last 12 shows. He had

just like stuck in a thing and recorded

them. I didn't listen to them for 15

years because I was so mortified. I was

like I don't want to hear myself.

>> And then I cracked one open one day and

I started I wanted to listen to Defying

Gravity to see like if I could like

Frankenstein the perfect version

together whatever. And it was so

chilling how similar they were.

>> Oh wow, Anna, that's wild.

>> To listen to them in a row.

>> Mhm.

>> It was like it took my breath away

because I and I tell my kids this all

the time now cuz you know Ulyses, my son

is such a he's such a perfectionist. I'm

like the difference

>> Yeah.

>> between 98% and 100 is imperceptible to

anyone but you. And if you're hitting

the general ballpark

>> of being able to, oh, I don't know, sing

alphaba, you're probably cool,

>> you know, so you are not a reliable

witness about yourself.

>> Oh, never. And that's why I give 75%. I

don't even [laughter] get

>> But honestly, most of it could apply to

anything. Oh, absolutely. And making

that decision of being like, did you

show up? Were you nice to people? You

know, did you know your lines? Okay. the

the way that and and also the way the

lovely way in which you circled back and

you were able to kind of like go back to

that younger version of yourself and be

like,

>> "Oh my god, I can't believe how

unnecessarily relentlessly mean I was to

myself."

>> Yes.

>> I mean, I don't know if I'm able to take

it now in everyday life, but it's such

an important I don't know. It felt like

such an important lesson. And um

obviously like that's the SNL wisdom

pearl and like I wish I could have

enjoyed it. Just enjoyed it. It was a

great experience, you know.

>> Yeah. I mean, the fact that you had

physical evidence that they weren't that

different.

>> It was mind-blowing.

>> Is something else, isn't it? The mind is

a um terrible place.

>> A real dick.

>> Um it's a terrible terrible place.

>> Yeah, the mind is a dick.

>> The mind is a raging dick. Okay. Mean

Girls. What are your memories about us

doing Mean Girls together?

>> I remember being on the plane with you.

>> Yep. We were on the plane. We got in

Yeah, you got in a fight with a guy.

[laughter] Um and the baby with baby

Francis. This early empowering baby

Francis was on the plane with us. Do you

remember that? your baby Francis who is

now in her 20s.

>> 23. Yeah.

>> She was on the plane and I still got in

a fight with the guy with the baby

around.

>> Yeah. I hope so.

>> I because the guy got mad that you were

swearing in front of the baby.

>> Yeah. Right. I was Yeah. It's a long

story, but what happened was a very uh

stress a guy who like a first class guy.

Well, we were in first class, too. He

was like, "Excuse me, I'm trying to

You're being too loud in first class."

And I uh my Boston came out. Let's the

best thing I've ever seen. Okay. But but

but the shooting of of Mean Girls, what

do you remember of it?

>> I remember hanging out with you in that

hotel one night and having drinks. I

remember um I remember when Tina I have

a memory of her sitting at the table on

17 and saying, "I think I'm going to try

to option this book."

>> Me, too. I I have an image of her

sitting at her computer and being like,

"Oh." And having the book

>> Yeah.

>> um near her and and just like working on

it, being like, "I'm writing this

movie."

>> It's incredible.

>> And I was like, "Good luck with that.

>> [laughter]

>> I'm going to go write a sketch about a

lady who has a snake around her neck.

>> I heard a fart mouth. [laughter]

>> And last question is, what are you

listening to watching? Where do you go

to laugh these days?

>> I am like I am not very for for all my

quiet comedy like I I am like Mel Brooks

is what makes me laugh like big.

>> Okay. What's your favorite Mel Brooks?

>> I mean,

>> let's Google it. Well, I mean, should we

go to the producers?

>> Young Frankenstein producers. I mean,

when Drach and I write together, it

feels like Mel Brooks is, you know, the

the

>> D is has you. Yeah. Drach is of the Mel

Brooks world.

>> Yeah. So, writing with her is very goofy

and very fun.

>> You know what I love and I know it's

underrated. I love me a space balls.

>> Oh, not deeply underrated.

>> Yeah.

>> God, space balls made me laugh. My

friend Philip Taratula is doing does

this character called um Official Pam

Goldberg on Instagram.

Uh he plays an a member of Actors Equity

since 1968.

>> I know my Uber is here, but I have to

see this.

>> Yeah, you do.

>> Official Pam Goldberg.

>> Yeah,

>> Pam Goldberg here and I'm recommending

one to bring with you to tech. So, here

we go. Snacks. Don't rely on other

people's snacks or anyone else bringing

snacks for you. These are Crayale

peanuts. [laughter] I don't think

they're organic.

>> Pam's telling us what to bring to a good

coffee. I like this from Fairway

[laughter]

coffee themselves, but life's too short

for folders. Again, I recommend

bananagrams because they're short and

[laughter]

we'll find out.

>> Bananagrams are short and cordial. Also,

um Pam has got a real severe haircut.

>> Real severe

>> and and a real squinty eye.

>> She's been a regional theater actress

for a long time.

>> Um but anyway, merry Christmas.

[clears throat and laughter]

Thank you, friend. Thank you, friend.

Merry Christmas [applause] to you.

>> Uh, Anna Gastire, thank you so much.

That was so fun. And, um, that time went

by so fast and I love talking to you.

And, um, you know, this is our holiday

episode. And, uh, for those of you uh,

celebrating the holiday in all different

ways, I just want to say thank you for

um, giving us the gift of listening to

this show. It's meant a lot to us. And

this is the this has been an amazing

year that we've launched it. So, uh

thank you. We cannot wait to make more

of which we will be doing for you. Um

and it has been a real gift to do it.

So, um I'm going to do uh end end this

episode and uh dive into the polar

plunge by sharing my favorite Christmas

movie with you. And that is a little

known classic, Emtt Otter's Jug Band

Christmas. I don't know a lot of people

that that know it, but it's um it was um

look, I don't love puppets all the time,

but this one has the the Muppet puppet

family. Um uh Jim Henson's Workshop made

it and it is the cutest, most tender,

best music movie. EMTT Otter's Jug Band

Christmas. Check it out. It is basically

The Gift of the Magi. Um, there is an

incredible uh bunch of villains called

the Riverbottom Nightmare Band that is

basically a snake and a weasel and they

are incredible. Um, so do yourself a

favor and I don't even know where to

find it. I I think I have it on VHS,

[laughter]

but um but um merry Christmas, happy

Hanukkah. Um whatever you celebrate,

thank you uh uh for uh listening and um

we can't wait to uh see you in the new

year. Bye. [applause]

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

[music] 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 Spelain, [music] Kaia

McMullen, and Aia Xanerys. For

Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel

Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

[music]