Transcript: Paula Pell on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone. Welcome to another

episode of Good Hang. So excited about

our guest today. It is Paula Pel, the

great performer, writer, actress. She

wrote on SNL. You may have seen her on

AP Bio and Girls Five ever and the BBS

out now. Um, but uh Paula and I have

loved and known each other for a very

long time. And we are going to talk

about so much good stuff. We're going to

talk about how fun it is to harmonize.

We're going to talk about Paula's years

performing at Disney's Pleasure Island

and we're going to talk about um how she

really enjoys writing Joyful Losers and

how that got her through some real um

complicated times at SNL. So, we are

going to get into it, but before we do,

there's so many people that want to talk

about how great Paula is. I could

interview 12 of them right now. But we

have someone who is kind of a new friend

and a new fan of Paula's and who is

working with her currently now in a new

film. And that person is Kimberly Diane

Kardashian, otherwise known as Kim

Kardashian. Kim Kim Kardashian, can you

hear me?

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>> Hi, Kim.

>> Nice to see you.

>> It's really nice to see you. Thank you

so much for doing this on a Saturday.

>> Of course. I just left the gym, so I

look a little bit of a mess, but it is

what it is.

>> What did you do in your workout? I do uh

strength training. So I have this like

crazy bodybuilder trainer and we do lots

of like today we did lower body so

>> squats and walking lunges and

>> I'm feeling you because I know I have to

up my weight stuff for like bone

density.

>> Do you ever get a Dex Dexus DEXA scan?

>> No. Tell me about it. I actually know a

portable DEXA scan

person and it comes in a in a van

[laughter]

and you lay down and each one of my

sisters and my mom, we all live in the

same gated community. So, we have um the

van drive by and we all jump in the van

and you just lay down and it scans your

body maybe like 3 minutes and um it

tells you all about your bone density.

>> Ooh, I love that. you know, over we do

it once a year and just to make sure

that you're still got it going on and

you still have all of the bone density

that is necessary.

>> I mean, it it feels like something that

our moms did not know about or talk

about

>> at all.

>> I know. I feel like

>> creatine intake.

>> I know. There's so much stuff that we

have to now take. It's a lot.

>> Supplements. I take probably 35

supplements a day. camera. I spread them

out three times a day and I thought,

"Okay, I can't do this fish oil right

now like anymore. I have like pill

fatigue. I have to stop these

>> fish oil." And I got my blood work and

it was so evident that I stopped and I

had to start again.

>> But it is tough to take fish oil cuz you

when you take it, you you like taste it

for a long time.

>> The pills are just so big.

>> I know. I wish there was like an IV drip

I could do every day and I would just do

it on my way to work.

>> I'm sure there is a port. Another guy in

a van can follow your car. [laughter]

>> Um, well, you are on your way to work on

the fifth wheel, which is the movie that

you're in starring in that Paula Pel

wrote. And I'm so I was Thank you so

much for talking about her today because

to me

people that love Paula

um are people that love comedy.

>> I have been fascinated by the comedy

world and the people that I've been so

blessed to meet over the last few years.

And Paula, anytime I mention her name, I

get a text back just genius.

>> Yes. you know, just how we met was so

funny and it was so quick and fast and

it was maybe a year and a half ago,

maybe two years ago, and we're here

filming

a movie that we had an idea like the

first time we spoke and it was really

crazy that someone wanted to connect us

and thought this would be a really fun

project. Would you guys ever want to

Kim, would you want to do a comedy? And

Paula, would you want to write it? And

we got on the phone and she hung up,

called right back within an hour with

the whole idea.

>> Wow.

>> And [laughter]

>> she's incredible.

>> We had the funniest day yesterday on

set.

>> What happened?

>> So, it's like Nikki Glazer, Fortune

themester, and I in this one scene, and

I won't say what's going on, but Kristen

Wig is doing something

>> perfect.

>> So funny.

>> Perfect. and we're supposed to be

laughing and reacting.

I couldn't control myself. [laughter]

Like almost peed my pants. Like just

every single time just being in a room

with people that you want to be

professional, you want to get the job

done and you just can't control yourself

because it's so funny. I can tell you

are a big comedy fan. I've now gotten to

meet some of the people that I've always

looked up to and thought were so

amazing. And

it's just such a it's such a community

where everyone supports each other so

much. And I experienced that for my the

first time when I hosted SNL.

It was like this group chat of so many

comedians

trying to help with my bit and with my

my monologue. And it was so fascinating

just to see everyone's minds and to see

how supportive everyone was and showed

up that night when I was doing that and

rooting for you. Like everyone genuinely

roots for each other and it I've never

seen that kind of connection and bond in

any other genre in the entertainment

business.

>> Okay. So, you said you had a couple

questions for Paula today. What are your

thoughts for what we should ask her? I

wanted to know

when she was coming up with this idea

for this film,

>> is this everything that she thought it

would be? To me, it feels like one of

those magical

like there's a little extra magic in it

that like we all knew and I think this

is how it was envisioned, but I feel

like there's just a little extra fairy

dust over this

>> project.

>> And it feels really good. And does she

feel that fairy dust too?

>> And why is it important to you to ask

that question to her? Why why do you

want her to Why do you wonder if she's

feeling that too?

>> Because it's such a

exciting time and an exciting feeling

and it just feels like I just want to

know if she feels the same way that I

feel about it because I am really

excited and passionate about it. And um

I don't know, maybe this maybe she's so

accomplished and there's so many

projects and this is just one of those

and like

>> I I think the exact opposite. Like I

think the best thing about Paula is that

she has this she creates momentum. She

has energy which is what like you're

talking about you as you know you need

to get stuff started but she also I

think one of the best things about her

is she doesn't forget the people in any

process like people are as important to

her as outcome and she's a people person

you know she really wants to connect in

that way like with through the stuff

that she makes and so that magicy

sparkly stuff that you're feeling among

each other Like I think that's kind of

if I was to say something about her like

she is I think she loves that stuff. I

think that's why she's still doing it.

>> Yeah. Yeah. I just I I hope she feels

the magic cuz I feel it.

>> Um and then anything else?

>> I always wanted to know is there ever

someone that you just can't control

yourself? you just see them in action

and you just can't stop laughing. Like

you physically

can't get through a scene or something

because you find them so hysterical. And

I love I love watching SNL and when

you're trying to get through, you know,

a a bit and you just they break and they

just start laughing. Like to me that's

when I really start laughing cuz I can

feel how much fun it is and I can see

that they're having such a hard time

getting through it cuz they just want to

laugh so so hard and I just wonder like

who is that person for you for her?

>> You know like I said when we started I

feel like anybody who loves Paula's

comedy to me means that they know

comedy. So um I re it really means a lot

that you got on a Zoom today. Thank you.

>> Of course. Of course,

>> she's going to be so thrilled and

excited that we talked.

>> Oh, good. I can't wait to watch it.

>> Okay. Thanks so much.

>> Have fun this weekend.

>> Thank you. Nice talking to you. Bye.

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>> Paula Pel, you look fantastic.

>> Thank you. I've got a full denim suit

on. Is that

>> a power lesbian move or what?

>> Paula, you're probably one of the guests

that we've talked about the most with

other guests. Like I was thinking today

about us talking and it was like oh

we've brought up I mean I'm so lucky

that we just get to talk to our friends

on this.

>> Um it's the dream job, isn't it?

>> It is. [sighs] It is. It's a dream job

[gasps] and the hours.

>> And wouldn't it be fun to have two

people doing it? you know, [laughter]

the two two blondes. It could be called

two blondes having a good hang. I

[laughter] mean, I'm not trying to

infiltrate your good your good thing.

Um, but we'll talk.

>> We've we've talked about Well, we've

talked to you the Anna Gastire episode.

You very nicely gave Anna a question.

Thank you for that.

>> And [snorts] I feel like anybody who

knows comedy knows you. Anybody who is

paying attention to who has done what

over the past 25 years, they know you.

And I just want to say I want to start

by saying something I say to people all

the time, which is Paul Appel is

the funniest people's favorite person

and you are often in a room of hugely

funny people. You are usually the

funniest.

>> Thank you. I'm very competitive that

way.

>> I know. I like that. I like You are a

little competitive. I like that. And um

and in a good way. And also anybody who

likes you and likes your comedy to me is

like an indicator that they know comedy,

you know.

>> That's really nice, Amy.

>> Well, it's true, Paula, because

>> really nice.

>> You know,

>> I'm going to pretend to drink a little

>> embarrassed about that.

>> I um

>> What do you got going on in there? A

delicious water. Los Angeles water.

>> You can taste the tap. Mhm.

Um, I really appreciate that. I love I

love cracking up hard to crack up

people. That was always Well, that was

always our fun. And obviously with

Lauren, I used to like to I like

breaking through someone who's

>> tough a tough like someone's like I'm a

hard l like it's hard to amuse me. I

love to find the the little crack.

>> You do. And you you want to keep working

it. And that's why like with like

especially like quote unquote like

alphas, you're really really good at at

getting them to laugh.

>> Getting well I I was new a few times

when I was little in school and I hated

people that were on immediately when

they were new of like, "Hi, I'm so and

so." And yeah, what do you like? Oh, I

like this too. And my [clears throat]

biggest fear was that I would be that

kind of person. And so I because I never

like inauthentic love coming towards me.

I don't like when people are, you know,

I I just like to believe that it's it's

real, that it's not going to hurt me on

the other end [laughter] or they're

making fun of me or something. So,

>> answering your question um that I

created in my head.

>> Hey, I did I ask one?

>> You didn't. But it's

>> that feeling like with Lauren is is just

like I want to feel more comfortable

with him, so I'm going to sit on him.

Yeah,

>> which is what I used to do.

>> I was going to talk about this later,

but let's talk about it now.

>> We can talk about it later. You used to

go in.

>> This is three hours, right? You

guaranteed me [laughter]

>> contractually because I said I'm not

driving over here. Not getting on the

405 for an hour. I know how fast that

goes with.

>> Well, we all know that pods need to be

[laughter]

>> I know it's

important.

>> Um, you are a mid You do you consider

yourself a Midwest girl? Even

>> Oh, God. Yes. I am. What would you how

would you describe a a true

Midwesterner? Like what are they what

are they like?

>> A a pleasant liar, a deep liar. Um just

like southern women.

>> Uh Midwestern women usually are big

liars. And they my grandma used to

always uh go to she loved to go have a

little diner food with me and I would

take her to the pine cone and over by

the interstate in Lasel Peru and she

would start eating the soup and I have a

big Midwesterners love soup too.

Midwestern [laughter] women and she oh

and is this soup ever good? Oh and how

oh I love this soup. Oh god. And then

the guy would come by this soup is

fantastic. She would talk about the soup

and then as we're walking out she would

go, "I didn't care for that soup."

[laughter]

And I would look at her like, "Why the

did you I didn't say why the

to her, but I'm like, why didn't you

just tell him you didn't like the soup

and get a different soup?" Oh, I'm not

going to do that. You know, I came from

that kind of people that you don't tell

>> the truth because that's not And what I

like about it is based in kindness that

you don't want to hurt people's

feelings. But

>> yes, you grew up where specifically for

most of you Juliet.

>> Yeah, Juliet. For people who don't know

Joliet, Illinois, what's that what's

that town like?

>> Um, I haven't been there in a long, long

time. I know they have a casino. I

haven't been there since they have a

casino, which really revived, I think,

revived uh Juliet, but it was a, you

know, kind of a suburban town outside of

Chicago, probably about 45 minutes

outside of Chicago. And there's a prison

nearby, so my quit was always like, you

know, where are you from, Joliet? Not

the prison.

>> I always had it loaded up. Was that was

the Juliet prison the um where Blues

Brothers did they go to Juliet?

>> So Joliet Jake was Akroyd's name I think

in Blues Brothers and when I came into

my meeting with Lauren uh he said so

where are you from? Or he said tell me

about you yourself. And I said well I'm

from Joliet. And he said whether that's

true or not. And he thought I was doing

a Juliet Jake reference maybe.

>> And I [laughter] I didn't even know his

name was Juliet Jake at the time. And I

was like, "Well, it is true." I mean,

I'll have to

send them some [laughter] proof of that

cuz they're really raking me over the

coals.

>> Yeah, that that's a little bit of a mind

to be like, "Nice try when it isn't

even anything that you thought you were

snowing them on."

>> But we've talked about this a lot and I

love this and I'm I'm curious now as

we're getting older if like you've you

always say that you felt as and I know

from you letting me read your journals.

[laughter]

I got to read Polish journals and um uh

is you always felt kind of like wiser

than your years as a young person.

>> I was a very

uh caretaker. I I always say born at 50

[laughter] very I remember I started my

period at nine and I remember telling

all my friends how it works and like how

to put a you know how to put a pad on

and how to and and they gather around me

[laughter] like I was like Julie Andrew

Sound of Music and I'd be let's start at

the very big there's a string and an

applicator. I I just would always have

the the inn of like I'm an older, you

know, and I had an older sister who

taught me to read. Patty was like

incredible. She always was very

nurturing to me. But to them, to my

friends, I was the wise one. I had a

very old soul. And I think it was cuz it

was withering from lack of any sexual

attra

>> [laughter]

>> uh interest from anyone. So I I by the

time I was 15, I was like, "Well, I'll

never be touched." So I um but I was

also silently and quietly looking at

women and feeling weird.

>> You grew up in So you grew up in the

80s. You were you you were lesbian. You

knew it but you couldn't

>> I knew it but I didn't really know it in

quotes until I was just out of high

school. And so my best friend and I were

>> basically madly in love with each other.

and we ended up always like sleeping

over each other's house during the week

for the last couple years of high school

in the same bed like just it it was a

very um Florida high school was like so

affectionate like the public school and

I came from like a Catholic girl school

that was so not I mean we'd hug each

other if you know somebody died or

something but it [laughter] was just

like or if you had something on your

coat you know let me do that and get it

off but like it was I got to Florida and

I was like, did what is going on? Why is

everyone hugging each other? And but it

was perfect for a closeted lesbian

because we'd go to like a choir trip and

we'd be just like, you know,

>> 69 each other on the bus just sleeping

like I'm sleeping on her ankles and

she's sleeping [laughter] on my ankles

and it's just But we didn't know at the

time. We did know, but we didn't know.

It was like your your soul knows, but

you are not saying it. You're not

acknowledging it. And then we started

having all these fights at the end of

high school, like a lot of dramatic

drunken fights. We'd drink like a lot of

white wine and big football cups. And

we'd be like, I don't know. WELL, WHAT

DO YOU WANT? WELL, WHAT DID I DO? And

just like [laughter] fights and then it

was like and then it just the world

broke open. And I was like, but it was a

world you couldn't do that.

>> That's what I was going to say is I

think people did don't really remember

or understand that in our generation, I

mean, I had I had no openly gay students

in my high school. Not one. Not one.

>> Not even the super gay ones.

>> Exactly.

>> Like the super gay guys where you're

like, there is no doubt.

>> Like I was saying to my kids, there was

no gay and lesbian alliance in my high

school.

>> Oh, hell no.

>> There was no openly gay teachers or

students. Everything was, you know,

nothing was spoken of. And it was this

time where you really did have to live

this secret double life that you could

not share with most people that you

loved.

>> Yeah. And I mean the most heartbreaking

thing about it was that when we we went

to college and we ended up together for

a few years in college and then there

was a big heartbreak. The most

heartbreaking thing is to go home and

not be able to be heartbroken young

person with in front of your family.

>> Yes.

>> So you have to manipulate all the reason

you're heartbroken of like oh she's gone

away to school and I'm not and it's just

I miss a having a friend. I miss someone

to hang around with and go troll for

dick. You have to like You just have to

get you don't get the afterare.

>> It's so heartbreaking because you just

want to look at your Oh,

>> I'm crying already, GUYS. [laughter]

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIGHT-HEARTED,

RIGHT?

>> But like you want to look at your mom

and go like,

>> it's my first time I have my heart

broken, you know? And my parents were

very kind, sweet, wonderful, supportive

people. And at the time, if I would have

had the balls to do it, I could have

maybe explained it to them and they

would have been loving to me. And you

know, I know your family so well and you

know, you talk about your sister and

your parents. You come from such a funny

like your parents are hilarious. Your

sister's hilarious. You guys tease each

other. You love a good joke. Like comedy

was so important to you. No growing up.

>> All of them. My father is truly

genuinely like in his next life will be

a a comedy writer. He he is a comedy

writer. like he is still he's he's 87

and he is still so ungodly funny. My

mother was having gastro problems

recently when she got [laughter] really

sick. And I said to I texted my dad and

I said um uh is she still having

diarrhea? And he said not since Saturday

and spelled it t u r d. Saturday

[laughter]

>> like immediately.

But he does it. He does it without being

desperate for you to laugh at. Sure.

Sure. He just does it and waits.

>> And that's you, too.

>> I also have a really good skill of

freezing and pretending I'm freezing.

You want me to do it?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay, I'll just do it while we're

talking.

>> Okay. So, I know that um uh there was a

lot of uh musical theater that you were

into when you were a kid.

>> Yes. I love

>> [laughter]

>> The only reason I HAD TO STOP IS THAT I

was just joking [laughter] on my spit.

During the pandemic, I used to do it all

the time on Zoom and it and I would go

so long and just be but like, you know,

[laughter] it has to be in the middle of

something. You can't just like So, it's

just like when you

[laughter]

>> people are going to think their YouTube

is [laughter]

and then they'll be like, "No, I'm gonna

I'll watch that later."

>> You were a musical theater per like you

were doing all your plays in high

school. You were like, "I want to be a

performer." Like, did you know anyone

that was an actor? Did you think that

was going to be your job?

>> One of my biggest gifts in life was I

grew up in the Midwest where I had a

little teeny Catholic high school. They

had the most glorious theater and music

department. Always. All my schools

always had the most glorious. And nobody

had money. It wasn't like these rich

schools at all. And I I was in full with

orchestra Oklahoma when I was like in

fifth grade. [laughter] Full orchestra

music man where like a full band comes

in at the end with 76 trump like but

really talented people but like and when

I was in 8th grade infamously with all

my friends I was mother superior born at

50. Mother superior in the sound of

music. [laughter] And I have video and

like many photos of me looking into the

shaft of light like Maria, you shall be

led forth with peace. [laughter]

Climb every mountain. And it's like my

pubes have not come in. And I'm like the

[laughter] oldest woman. I am the oldest

woman. And I'm looking like this

earthy matron just singing in my non

outfit.

>> I hear that you claim you should. Yeah,

you do have like great

>> in other areas for sure.

>> But you're too you you love sex too

much, babe. [laughter] Can't do it. You

can't

>> I should have done the nun thing. Oh,

wait. I did. [laughter]

Hi, Sister Christine. She's not a sister

anymore.

>> Wait,

>> I was going to try to drink that like a

cat. You claim you claim that um you're

an alto, but I are you not an alto?

>> I'm an alto. And then I can do like

soprano as a joke voice,

>> but I I was talking to Anna about Anna

Gastire about this at some point. What

is joke voice? Like joke voice is voice

like you know. [clears throat]

>> Well, I mean when you sing high

like elto I'm a big blender. I love

harmony. I love harmonizing those new

things where you can go and just for the

day harmonize with a bunch of people. I

I weep when I watch them like where you

can go in different cities and they have

that group that you learn it in one day

and then you go and they're all singing

like the song from Rent and everyone is

just walking around with their parts and

they're singing. That's my joy of all

like I grew up with a lot of choirs, a

lot of show choirs, a lot of groups

>> and I love to harmonize. So when I did

Girls Fava and I was with these like

insane singers like Sarah Bareilles and

Renee Goldsbury and then Bizzy Phillips

was a great singer like secretly

>> and [snorts] then we would sing it was

just like to blend and sing with them.

>> What have you been listening to lately?

>> Um I'll just every so often I'll listen

to you know I'll listen to company cuz I

did a parody of that.

>> Oh my god. Let's talk about that for a

second. We're all over the place but it

doesn't matter.

>> You did a documentary now. Um, for

people who don't know, documentary now

was a like a was was a bunch of fake

documentaries that um, Bill her and Fred

Armison and Seth Meyers did brilliantly

did and John Malany was in some and

wrote uh, some and there was a very

famous one based off of the film and

musical company the making of the

Broadway album.

>> Yes.

>> And you guys did one called Co-op.

>> Co-op co-op the musical. and [laughter]

and it was a a of the era. We were in

that era and I was in a lane stretch

type and it was based on an actual

documentary that was very uh iconic

black and white documentary about the

night that they recorded company uh cast

album which was a hot mess but then it

turned out incredible and I listened to

that and when I got to do that with them

cuz they were all fictional songs but

like Sanheim actually heard them and

talked to Melanie about them and was

like I love you know cuz it was

>> Oh he did.

>> Yeah. He watched that he went to some

screening of it and then talked to them

and they they all I think met him

>> like kind of he kind of gave his

blessing like these are good.

>> Yes, he gave his blessing cuz they were

such well done songs. Eli Eli Bolan was

so good at writing the the music and and

the

>> they're so and you know Seth wrote some

of those songs but they're they're all

so funny and just I I just love being

able to sing and emote at the same time

like any musicals that I grew up with I

loved the ones that you could just be in

the you know one of my favorites I'm not

going to I I know you probably do you

have to pay for songs? Well, I mean, I

feel like we should

>> I could do what we used to call it as a

sound alike.

>> Let's do a sound, but but you can sing

the radio.

>> The song Losing My Mind from Folly's.

It's It's like It's those kind of songs

that like Liza Minnelli would.

>> So, can you sing the sing part of it,

the real thing, and then show people

what a soundike would be?

>> It's It's the sad It's one of the

saddest songs on earth. The sun comes

up, I think about you.

the coffee cup. I think about you. You

said you loved me. Or were you just

being kind

or am I losing my mind?

>> Damn.

>> Gunshot. [laughter] Um, sound effect.

>> Okay. Now, can we get a sound alike,

please?

>> And then they were like, we can't do

that. you're gonna have to do. So, it

would be like,

"When I wake up,

you're in my mind.

When I wake up, you're not here. My

heart's cracking. You're in my mind."

[laughter] And we just

>> just off enough. Okay. Florida.

Affectionate Florida. You get there as a

high schooler. You go to Disney.

>> Yes.

>> You work at Disney. I work at Disney.

>> How did you get the job at Disney, which

is a job everyone must want?

>> I I got my degree in theater. I left

University of Tennessee because I barely

finished. I did finish. Um,

>> but that's really interesting because

you're such a good student and you're so

smart and studious. I was also a theater

student and I it was the 80s and my best

friend James Anderson who

>> wrote at SNL for 20 years and wrote

every funny thing you've ever seen.

>> He and I were classmates and we were gay

and we used to go to the gay bars and

dance all night and then we would do

plays constantly that rehearsed all

night

>> and then we would have like a 7:00

biology class in the morning with no

parking. So [laughter] I was always

making up incompletes all the time.

And my parents came for my graduation

and I looked for my final I went to the

hall of science to look at my final my

final grade the night before they all

got there with my grandparents and

everything and it was an F. And I called

James crying and it was pouring rain in

a phone booth and he goes, "Call the

teacher. IT'S 11:00 AT NIGHT BUT CALL

THE TEACH." called the teacher and I

just blubbered and he ended up giving me

like a D or a C and I could graduate. I

had to write a a a paper that night. Had

no sleep the night before my graduation.

I wrote a pla paper called that I still

look for in boxes called plagiarized

100% from [laughter] a bunch of stuff

cobbled together on microfich and it was

called Galileo the courage to wonder

[laughter]

and I came up with this theory cuz I

read one line that he said he had a

fraught relationship with his dad or

[laughter] something and I was like and

it was just all about his internal world

with his father and all this Oh my

god, Paula. I did not know that. That

you graduated by the skin of your teeth.

Would never have guessed that.

>> But I got to I got to Florida, you know,

was broke as hell. A lot of my friends

went to New York like James to to have

the dream. And I went back to Florida

and then they built Pleasure Island and

it was this nighttime crazy8s

giant like phallic island of clubs for

the adults. It was brilliant. It's like

your kids are here and you're sick of

them and you want to go out and let it

rip and get drunk with your wife and

make out. And every night was New Year's

Eve. So every night at like right before

midnight, all the drunks from all the

clubs and the theaters and the comedy

warehouse, which was improv, all of them

came out and then there'd be these hot

dancers and then they'd have confetti.

They'd do a big countdown. It was like

Time Square. And it was so 80s and so

good. And so I ended up being in the

original cast of the Adventurers Club.

So I was Pamelia Perkins once again, a

matron, [laughter] a comedy matron. I

was 22. Pamelia Perkins, the president

of the Adventurers Club. CONGALOO.

[applause]

OH, the other fun thing about Pleasure

Island was all these guys would come.

Now, this is when after I got my heart

broken, I wanted to have a baby and I

was like, never really been with a man.

I've been a little bit here and there,

little sneaky waky, whatever.

>> Touchy, wety, pokey wokey, but like

nothing.

>> Haven't had the full girth,

>> right?

>> And so I was like,

>> you know, maybe I need to go down Penis

Avenue. So I at that club,

>> they'd let the employees party after

work.

>> Oh my god, that's two hours.

>> Yeah. So when the club would close, we

had like at least an hour and a half to

go to these other great bars right

there. So we'd be with these cute ass

boys

>> and we'd just be like, you know, a bunch

of cute Brits or cute like Irish boy and

now I looked literally like be, you

know, like I mean I had like a buff and

I'm like, "You want to meet us over at

the thing?" And then I would go in the

bathroom and I would like blow out my

long hair. I'd take all my hair done. I

put a bunch of make I'd put a bunch of

makeup. I'd come out. I was still fat.

But I would put all the other stuff on,

bring the eye up, put earrings, lots

[laughter] of stuff up here. Look at me

up here.

And and uh and then I'd show up and then

I started fooling around with these guys

that were like these fun like there to

have fun, you know?

>> And they were like, "She's so cool. She

doesn't even really seem into me." I'm

like, "So, [laughter]

>> and I would fold her out of nothing

stuck."

>> Yeah.

>> Except the semen. [laughter] No, I'm

kidding. But like nothing, you know. Um,

>> and so Disney was like a felt like a

training ground for you.

>> Yeah. Disney was every night you got to

have a large group of people laugh at

what you did. Even if it was like stupid

that night or you weren't feeling it or

you weren't it it's that energy that we

all love that we loved at SNL that we we

all craved since we were little that we

dot stick in front of our parents on a

couch. You got to hear humans look at

you and go, "Oh, she's really funny.

She's They'd laugh at you. And then I I

went over to um work at Murder She Wrote

the post-prouction show during the day

for my next job. I moved out of Disney

and I just did part-time there. And I

pretended I was a like in this wheel in

these wheels. I pretended I in some of

it you're an editor and it was all about

the making of murder she wrote. And I

would talk to Jessica Fletcher on the

screen. So I'd go, you know, it was all

timed. So it was like fake, but you

know, she'd come and go, "Oh dear,

>> I think we're going to do

>> this episode. YOU WE BETTER GO. THERE'S

MURDERS TO AND I GO, I know, Jessica.

Well, we're going to make sure that

we're going to" And you'd have to talk.

And one one day I was so hung over that

I looked up at her and I turned

[laughter] and I went, "Let's see what

big." And I said, "Big old Jessica." I

go, "Let's [snorts] see what big old

Jessica has to say." And then I turned

like this and it was just like I could

not stop laughing like my whole I missed

like three cues. So she was just talking

with like 10 seconds [snorts] in between

because I was like hangover church this

[laughter]

>> um

>> so that felt like

>> that's where I got my SNL job.

>> Okay. So that how do you go from talking

to Jessica Fletcher to get auditioning

for SNL?

>> Because I that year all those talented

people that worked for Sack Theater that

also performed at Disney were great

writers, great performers and I they had

a theater and I would go and do

characters at their theater sometimes on

sketch night. I wasn't an improviser. I

was you know I never really have had

improv training ever in my life except

theater. Sure.

>> Um,

>> and every day at Disney. [laughter]

>> That's true. So, I did these characters

and then that got to SNL.

>> Wow.

>> And then I'm sitting in the dressing I

mean green room with all the people that

worked at Murder She Wrote

post-production and I was sitting there

waiting for the next them to load the

next audience and and everything was a

corded phone of course and it was like

somebody's calling you and I answered

the phone. It was my local agent that I

had done commercials for and stuff and

she was like, "Are you sitting down?"

And I said, "Yeah." And and she said,

"Um, Lauren Michaels wants you to come

to New York and and meet him." And I was

like, "Is it what is it?" Like, "Is it

an audition?" Cuz I mean, spent my whole

life, you know, tape recording SNL doing

Rosanne Rosanna Dana in high school for

my school assemblies. Like, I was so

SNL. And they were like, "No, it's not

an audition." And I was like, "What?

what is it? And I just got off the phone

and they flew me there that week for two

nights or one night and I just got there

and was terrified and I went in. He was

like two hours late and I sat down with

him and he started talking like we had

been talking already like he started in

the middle of a sentence like that's why

the show is uh you know a phoenix rising

and this year we're going to rise again

and blah blah blah [laughter] and I'm

like [clears throat]

rising above my body and at one point I

remember saying to him and Steve Higgins

>> I am a lot more boring here than I

usually am. I just remember like calling

out cuz I was so scared and so and he

[snorts] had already dissed my you know

telling him I'm from Joliet so I was a

little off.

>> You were basically hired without knowing

and no one told you you were hired which

is what SNL does.

>> So then they just said I think

>> I think we and then [laughter] I left.

>> Lauren notoriously does not hire or

fire.

>> And then I c and then they you know

Steve Higgins was like okay we'll figure

you know we'll call you. do a test to be

in about 4 days, 5 days. I went and gave

my cats and my dog to my mom and dad. I

ran and called like it was the most I

remember crying in a closet and calling

my nieces and nephews and crying and

being like, "I know." And they're like,

"Can you take US TO THE OPERA?"

[laughter] Like they didn't know New

York City. Like it was so exciting, but

it was terrifying. And I remember my mom

just finally looking at me and going,

"What is the worst case scenario?" And

I'm like, I fail at a place that I've

woripped my whole life. And she's like,

but then you do and you had the

experience. You got to go there.

>> Wow. Paula, so they saw your characters

and they were like, we want her as a

writer. They didn't really make it clear

why you were coming in, but you knew you

were coming in for writing and not

performing, but you were a performer.

What is it like to like and obviously

you're a performer who is writing all

the time. You're creating these

characters, but back then especially, I

feel like the lines are way more blurred

now.

>> Yes. But when when when you get to SNL,

you kind of get like put into a

category.

>> Absolutely.

>> And you were put into the writer

category even though you not and and you

are this super strong performer who's

been performing. Yes. So, what was that

adjustment like?

>> Well, I don't want to assume uh you

know, I've heard here and there little

things and I who knows cuz we've all

been in there when they're picking

people and it's like so random. I mean,

not random, but like there's reasons

that you don't think are the reasons and

all this, but I do suspect that I was a

big lady. I was a big plus-sized person.

There would there was there was just not

that

>> in any TV anything like there wasn't,

you know, there were starting to be

Rosanne Bar, like people that had more

real looking bodies, but I was just not

of the aesthetic of that place

whatsoever.

>> This was late '9s. mids mid90s. So it

was 95 and I just I do suspect that it

wasn't even like oh

>> no like but her writing like I like her

writing cuz that fits with us. Did you

ever talk to anyone at the show about

that specifically or like

>> I mean I you know I really was such a

good Catholic girl [laughter] of of a

rule follower when it comes to when when

an when a actor who cuz I had only acted

I got there and told them I'm not a

writer. I even though I'd written like

short stories and different I don't know

how to do I don't know how to do any of

this.

>> Yeah. I I really

I I was so afraid to ever show any

desire to perform. And it's why I'm so

gloriously happy to be able to perform

in later in my life because I finally

let that out of the cage of that

shame. The shame and it also the shame

and the shine right next to each other.

>> Yes. Oh, I like that. The shame and the

shine.

>> The shame and the shine because you

might have been feeling that, right?

like I just want to be grateful for what

I have. But your shine just it

>> without you even trying like it could

not be dimmed. Like you there you became

the performer that you are now because

it was such a strong undeniable thing.

People put you in sketches because they

knew how funny you were. You were funny

in the room. You just like without to

your point you didn't say this. I'm

not going to write. I only want this.

You took the opportunity.

You did an incredible job writing for

other people and you slowly

knew and believed in yourself and others

saw what

>> kind of performer you were.

>> Well, I fel I felt like everything and

it was it was a bigger picture of

codependency and caretaking that in my

life in my whole life

>> I was making the pie and then giving all

the pie away.

>> Okay. So for people who don't know who

are listening and we talked about this a

little bit with Anna and we've talked

about it with Rachel and we've talked

about with Tina and we talked about it

with Seth and we talked about but like

Paul has written some of your favorite

sketches including Bobby and Marty the

culps including Debbie Downer including

the cheerleaders including

>> with those actors

>> of course of course but the actors get

all the credit they do. They always it's

like whoever is saying the lines people

assume that they've written the lines

and as we I mean people understand that

there are writers on that show but the

public facing cast always gets the first

kind of love amount of love

emergency room Tony Bennett talk show

all this stuff when you're writing what

was the first time you wrote something

and you were there where that terror

went away a little bit where you thought

okay I might not get fired okay

>> well there's two kinds of terror because

I was in that era of recurring

characters and I was lucky enough to

>> get in that first year with Will and

Sherry for cheerleaders and with Anna

and Will for um for Bobby and Marty and

they were so up my alley. I was the

person that tried out every year for

cheerleading, never ever made it. worked

on my backhand springs in the [laughter]

summer and then I would because I was

fat and I would stand with holding

everyone's purses during the basketball

games and I knew every chair and all my

friends were cheerleaders like all of

them were on the squad and then [snorts]

I'd be up there like a dance mom like

but once again matron at

>> 12 going and gathering them around to

talk to them about life

>> cough drop do you need a cough drop do

you need a cough and so the idea of I

loved writing joyful losers that was my

favorite thing is someone who is

joyfully living their life what they

want to do and that because when I read

that journal that's what I was you know

I I got a new I got my rock tumbler and

I have I changed the grit and my

AMETHYST IS LOOKING [laughter] GORGEOUS

MY GOD AND I WAS LIKE A VICTORI like a

crazy broad as this little person like

talking about what lights me up my

plants my stuffed animals all those

things and when I got there and met them

they were my people like I would cry

laughing till 5 in the morning writing

those things with them.

>> But the other thing you have to get

there is to prove that you're actually

good by yourself. And that is a

terrifying thing because you can always

hide behind those characters that once

they're hit, you got that to ride on.

It's the best thing ever, right?

>> And [snorts] my very first one I

remember was doing Wilfford Brimley with

John Goodman [laughter]

>> and I wrote it. I used to do this thing

where I was the last one almost always

at riding night. So it was like

>> Paula stayed the latest.

>> So one night I wrote John Goodman as

Wilfr Brimley and he was on a fake

course and because it always used to

make me laugh when he was a big guy and

he would I mean Wilfred Brimley was a

big guy but then he'd do this commercial

for this this like health stuff and he'd

be like I take care of my blood sugar

and I was like no you don't. And so I I

had him say like you know I take care of

my blood sugar. Well, I don't. And it

was just this slowly descending

conversation in this commercial and John

was so funny,

but it killed at the table. It

absolutely killed. And it was the first

time I could really look and go, I

deserve to be here because I didn't feel

like I deserve to be there. I didn't

think, you know, I And then if I was

writing with other actors, it's like,

yeah, but they're so funny and they're

so good. And that was the first time I

said, "You are a writer." Like, you sat

down and you wrote words that no one

else saw because they all went home and

they could they could read this. I mean,

they they read this and they laughed.

>> How long did you write for SNL?

>> I wrote full-time for like 18 years and

then I started slow, you know, I did

that slow uh exiting out where I did

like I came to Lauren and was like, I'm

going to do half the season spread out.

So I would do like one or two shows,

then I would have a break for a while.

It was really trying to get away from

the tea, but it was it was slow. And

Lauren, you know, the one of the things

I love the most about him is he he

doesn't want people to he doesn't want

his family to leave, you know,

>> and then

>> you are the long do you know that you

are the longest tenur

female writer in SNL history?

>> Female. Oh yeah, because I was going to

say James beat me by two years on the

writing side, but yeah, female. Um I

that's that's really nice.

>> Cool.

>> Why haven't I gotten a plaque for

[laughter] that?

>> And before I get off SNL, um two things.

One is Debbie Downer.

>> Yes. Most fun ever. I mean that first

Debbie Downer is

we've talked about it the

anti-depressant of all anti-depressants.

I remember us all standing in one of the

dressing rooms just looking up at the

screen and just we could not believe it

was like a house of cards falling down,

but it was the best house of cards. And

when we just wanted it to go on and on

and on

>> and I mean you created a cultural

language like people use the term Debbie

Downer now as if it was just

>> it was on my soaps the other day and I

was like good lord

>> it was what soap are you watching right

now

>> all the CBS soaps. Love them all. If you

ever want me on there would love

>> you should definitely soap opera.

>> That would be so fun. That would be so

fun.

>> Okay. So we've worked together on so

many things after SNL. We work together

on Sisters, an incredible movie that you

wrote that is like kind of you guys were

incredible.

>> And me and Tina got to play some

versions of you and your sister and and

>> and read my actual journal in a bathtub.

They were in the bathtub reading pages

from my actual journal.

>> Beautiful and so fun. And that shoot was

so fun with Ike and John Cena, your

buddy who loves John Cena.

>> He loves you.

>> I love John Cena. I know

>> I see him to this day. I have a couple

ideas for John Cena. I'm going to hit

him up for I have some

>> He is He just And that shoot was just um

and Kate there were so many fun people

that came in on that. Diane Whis and

James Brolan.

>> James Brolan playing my parents. And

>> do you want to tell the story about when

Barbara came by set?

>> So my mom has lived to like worship

Barbara Stysan her whole life. I took

her to the Millennial Millennium concert

that was supposed to be Barbara's last

concert and that was at the Millenn That

was like 2000 whatever. 2000, right?

>> Yeah. Yes.

>> And I spent all this money to fly her to

Vegas to go to that concert at like New

Year's Eve. It was this huge surprise

and I took her and then she comes to

sisters married to James Roland. She

comes to sisters the day before my

parents came to set to visit from

Florida. And if I would have known, I

would have like immediately flown her

there. But um you know, I sent pictures,

which is like great. She looks cute from

this blurry picture.

>> I don't know if you remember, my parents

happened to be there. And in a different

way, you're flying my par you're flying

your par your mom out to Vegas.

[clears throat] I'm always telling my

parents, I'm not going to fly you out to

Vegas. [laughter]

Okay. I'm doing the opposite.

>> This is their stan. Well, they're always

like, "Why don't you take me to the

Academy Awards?" And I'm like, "Relax."

Right.

>> So, my parents arrived on the set and my

mom was like, "Oh, James Brerland is

here. I wonder if Barbara Stysan's going

to show up." And I go, "Brabber Stryand

is not going to come to our set. Mom,

>> give it a break. Like, let it go." And

she just came to visit.

>> She is. And she was the cutest. So cute.

>> So cute. And she I just remember Lee

whenever I would get up to go to

anything, she'd go, "Are you going to

the you going to the craft services?"

She go, "Just give me a little plate of

some. Just give me just give me a little

something. I don't care what it is. Just

a little something." And I'm like,

"That's power." [laughter]

I mean, A Star is Born with

Kristofferson and her is like I know

every moment of that movie. I used to

lay on the shag carpeting and ball and

sing to that movie and not ball

sexually, like ball

>> b

um but we worked together on Wine

Country, on Parks and Rec on Sisters.

You have been more and more like you

said in front of the camera. You got a

new show on Peacock called the BBS.

>> Yes. So excited.

>> Yes. Which looks so fun. It's

>> so fun and creepy.

>> Tell me like what you you love to be

part of an ensemble. I mean you're you

are you you are a leading lady in every

way, but you also love that juicy

ensemble thing. And Kiki Palmer

>> Kiki Palmer leads the pack. Julia Duffy,

Mark Proach,

>> uh, Capil Tallw Walker, and, um, Jack

Whiteall, who is also in the movie I'm

shoot we're shooting that Janine and I

wrote. And they are so funny and so

weird. Like, their characters have so

many twisty weird secrets. I've never

done this kind of genre. I've never done

a mystery murdery like some things are

serious, some things are funny, you

know, because that we grew up with

comedy or drama, you know, you were

either watching er or you were watching.

There was no like in between.

>> Can we talk about Kiki for a second?

>> So unbelievable. We just did the press

press for it and the premiere for it and

she can just she can just lead anything

and just be the kindest, funniest, most

energetic. And then she's like in hair

and makeup getting like elaborate stuff

done while she's doing like a podcast

thing. Also [laughter] talking to a

choreographer about a music choreography

for the music uh video she's doing for

her album that's coming out the next

week. Like I would just look at her and

go like I get exhaust and a two-year-old

child.

>> I know. She's a pro.

>> She's so great. I was getting my hair

blown out. Um and I a couple weeks ago

and I just looked up at the TV and they

play the you know they play the movies

on the screen at the hair place and it

was her and Akquila and the bee and she

just had little braces and she was just

and she was such a great actor. I was

just watching her do this whole

monologue and I'm like, "Oh my god, she

was just cooked when she was born."

Like, it was just came out.

>> I don't want [clears throat] to skip

over the fact that you were getting your

hair blown out because I would say that

next to Tina Fay and not a competition,

but I'd love to have you both in here

and we can touch your hair.

>> You have the best hair.

>> You have incredible hair.

>> That Thank you very much.

>> You should know this is all your hair.

>> I It's all my hair. I took very good

care of my hair because when I was

plus-size and in in that era, this is

not like a pathetic fact, it's a true

fact. If you had good hair,

>> it was like something that you could use

because there were there was no good

clothes. It was like big shirts and

leggings, that was all you had. When I

was young, all the pictures of me, if I

ever felt good about how I looked, it

was always just right right here, you

know, because everything else I wanted

to forget about. What is your

relationship now to neck down?

>> Um, it's good. I lost some weight this

year for health reasons a little bit

like 25 lbs and it made me feel a lot

better cuz I have knee replacements. So,

it it was much better for that. But I I

lost 100 close to 100 lbs three times in

my 20s and it really devastated me

because I gained it back each time. I

gained it back more. It was such a

racket. All those diet things were such

a racket. I would go into deep

depression, which I'd always struggled

with. I would go into that cycle of like

suddenly people want to talk to me

because I'm skinny and prettyl looking

and then like and I'm not funny. I was

not funny at all when I was skinny,

right?

>> Um and so that's the only reason that I

eat cream cheese on Pop-Tarts now to

stay funny. [laughter]

>> But but now I feel like

>> Yeah. I mean, well, I think you speak to

you're speaking to a lot of people who

are listening who understand and you're

really honest and very [clears throat]

compassionate about how that can be a

lifelong struggle.

>> Yeah. And I have been on the the the

shot.

>> I I've been on the shot this year on a

very micro dosed way that helped me a

lot with inflammation, pain, everything.

And it got me I had kept gaining again

and it got me down to this kind of like

I just want to live a long life and so

I'm now it's not about because I have a

younger wife. She's 22. She's [laughter]

not

>> she's 42.

>> Gorgeous sexy wife and you're so in

love. Janine Breurto a hilarious writer,

actress,

>> incredible writer, incredible person.

Incredible.

>> You guys are the best. I mean Paula,

your relationship

for most of us that know you felt like

not only a miracle to come into your

life, but just like aspirational for us

to think about wanting to have a party.

>> It was a miracle. And it taught me truly

to to stop always, you know, not

believing that the happy ending can

happen. And that's why I'm the world is

dark right now. And I still, no matter

how sad it makes me, I I wake up and I

go, it will write itself. it will write

itself because that's the nature of

life. It's you look at nature doing it,

you know, there's a disaster and then

there's the green coming up. And I

really do believe that and that I saw it

in real time with with finding her.

>> Well, when we were trying to figure out

who to talk to about this podcast, who

who we should have talked to about

Paula, like

>> is it Michelle Obama? [laughter]

>> Close. Um, but no, but we were like we

we have so many I want you to know I

know you know this, but I just want to

say out loud like I can think of a dozen

people that would in five minutes notice

get on a Zoom to talk to me about you.

But we decided to go with your newest

best friend and that was Kim Kardashian

[laughter]

and the new spokesperson for Skiims. She

[laughter] She's size inclusive.

>> She is. She really is.

>> And she's a sweetheart. boy. What a

>> enjoying the hell out of her.

>> I know. And I really wanted to talk to

Kim because two things. I don't know

Kim, but I her her wanting to talk to us

about you. I was like, I love this lady

because people who love Paula and people

I'm speaking about you in the third

person. People who love you and know the

how funny and talented you are. To me,

I'm like, okay, that's that's a a smart

person who's paying attention. That's a

smart person. And I remember you saying

that you worked with her or you you you

started to work with her and her mom and

you were like she's really fun and easy

to work with.

>> Yes.

>> You guys are doing a movie together.

>> We're doing a movie together. We're mid

mid shoot. We're like about two weeks in

>> and it's with a bunch of other comedy.

It's bunch of comedy ladies that we all

know and love.

>> Um Fortune Feer, Nikki Glazer, Casey

Wilson, Brenda Song. Um uh and she is so

blending in with them in this group and

it just her existing was like an

inspiration for it cuz we knew that she

wanted to do this kind of idea and we

were like what would if Kim was

>> just a normal person with a normal life

and normal you know living situation

um and and she was around girls that she

grew up with like what would be that

thing and anyone I talked to including

Lauren Michaels when she hosted were

like she's really nice and you know

there's the fame is always equated with

someone's an

>> right

>> and that is often true

>> and our [laughter] next episode

>> which is only available

>> yes

>> on another [snorts] website um the two

of us will list those to you [laughter]

but what I love the most about her is

she's an extremely

kind

gent gentle person, really doing a great

job, playing her part. Um, what I love

the most about her after all those years

at SNL, having all those hosts,

>> is that she is always aware of what

she's really good at and what she wants

you to be great at that she knows you're

good at.

>> And it's like, let's meet, let's meet

and do something fun. Um, and that is so

valuable to me at this age because I

just can't be with people that think

they can do my job better than me.

>> Oh, Paula, say

Paula.

>> I cannot

I'm going to put the chair around while

you say it. Say it again.

>> I CANNOT YO YO YO YO YO. [laughter] I

cannot be with people who think they can

do a better job than I can in the

situation that we're doing right then.

Now, they might be just as good at

something that I'm doing. I'm not saying

I'm better than them, but when people

come in, when a host would come in and

they have never written something in

their life and they're telling you how

to write the sketch, I I have done that

so many times in my life with people and

I'm so spiritually exhausted with it.

And the first time we met with her,

Janine and I wrote this movie together.

We came up with it together, drinking,

eating soup on a winter day. And Janine

and I just started like spinning it

like, "Wait, what if this and what if

this?" And then we really loved it

because it had a lot of heart and it was

about female friendship and it was we

were like, "Oh my god, I love this." We

ended up like zooming with her. She came

there. I thought she'd have like a

entourage of people with her on the

Zoom, a lot of squares. [laughter] It

was just one square of beautiful Kim

Kardashian just going, "Hey guys," you

know, just being a lovely person. And

she's been so great on the set. We have

had so much fun.

>> You're absolutely right. People who know

what they're good at and also like

working with people who are good at what

they do. That is a skill and also you

know it is when we were talking to her

one of the questions she has which is

such a sweet question is

also told me a lot about

uh maybe what I sometimes forget or

hopefully don't take for granted but

sometimes do which is she was basically

saying do you think Paula is feeling the

magic the sparkly magic of what we have

like I am you know it was basically like

I'm and she basically said I'm having

such a good time. I'm like I can't

believe I'm there. I'm a I'm new to

doing comedy, but I've loved it forever

and I'm having fun. Is Paula having fun?

Like it was such a sweet

and the answer is hell yeah. And I am in

a no zone of joy now. This is

our only weapon is joy. That's the only

thing we can do now.

>> Okay. And so the other question that Kim

had was who is someone that you like

>> you like you know is so hilarious that

you can't barely get through a scene

with them like who really tickles you?

>> I like that old time true classic like

without the meanness under it. Well, I

feel like I saw you do versions of that

all the time and and what comes to mind

is especially in Lauren's office where

we would have this big meeting where

between dress and air or after a

readthrough where all of us would be

packed in and Paula would come in and

you just do some version of that with

Lauren and he would he would just he

he's kind of a quiet laugher. He would

laugh like this and you don't see Lauren

laughing at I mean when you're in comedy

you almost can't laugh anymore.

>> You're tired of it. [laughter] You're

almost And he No one would make him

laugh harder than you. And Paula would

You'd put two oranges in your bra.

>> Yes. I would always He had oranges

always in a bowl at his little

tangerines and I would always put

oranges in my bra or I would um

[laughter] I've done a lot of things.

>> And there's a picture in Lauren's

office. Do you want to describe what

that picture?

>> It's my It's my 1980s head shot and I

think it's one of the times that I lost

a lot of weight and it's just that

dreamy. It almost looks like a 80s soap

soap star. It is very

>> And I have my hair flipped and I have a

very metallic almost like um alligator

print like which now would probably be a

like a a beautiful outfit and cuz

everything has come back but it's very

80s.

>> And I gave it to him um I framed it in a

very heavy like crystal frame and I

wrote on it I'll never forget our time

in San Tropé. And it's just this woman

heavily filtered looking off. And he has

it over by when everyone's sitting there

picking the show getting

the faces. It looks a little like a

corpse. It's just like this. [laughter]

But um

>> when you're new to the show and Paulo

would do that, it was like watching

I mean it was like it was like watching

uh

how would I how do I describe this? It

was like, honestly, it was thrilling.

Honestly, it [laughter] was thrilling to

watch a woman come in and just make the

big honcho laugh. It honestly, Paula, it

made you feel like, "Oh, maybe he will

think I'm funny." Like it it you being

fearless in those moments and earning

all of the laughs and being the funniest

made everybody else feel like, "Oh,

there might be room for me here." like

there might be space for me.

>> I mean, if I analyzed it, I probably was

always trying to get him to

>> know that I was performatively funny

because I that was something I hid.

>> Sure.

>> And so, for years, it was very painful

for me to be in rooms and just be very

serious with him. And well, we worked on

that and I put the joke in. Okay, great.

Thanks. Thanks, Lord. And just walking

out, always very contained. And once I

broke through that with him, I felt much

better about that.

>> You know what? I didn't get to be in the

cast here, but like I he knows that I'm

a funny person.

>> And Paula, it's really interesting as we

started this interview like Midwestern

girl doing the right thing. You broke

you keep breaking social protocol and

you did it in that office at a time when

we were all watching. You really did

keep breaking barriers for us that did

make it feel really safer and safer for

us in every way. And you still do that?

I hope so because now it feels so much

better and it I mean all of it is some

some's worse, some's better, but I do

feel like in comedy the the women in

rooms when I go to SNL now and I see the

writing staff

>> like oh my god so much more diverse and

like there's queer people and thank god

like it just makes you

>> feel so much better and and um

>> and one last thing I just wanted to say

about who makes me laugh is Janine is

one of those people that I never thought

in a million years I would ever be with

a comedy person. I My ex was not a

comedy person. Lovely person and funny,

but like not a not by trade,

>> but she makes me laugh in that stealthy

way that I enjoy so much.

>> I mean, the two of you guys are so e so

matched comedically. I've never I've

never cuz sometimes, you know, like

people are like, "My partner is so

funny." And you're like, "Oh my god,

when?"

>> Um, [laughter]

>> now we are at three hours, okay, as you

requested. So, I have two last quick

questions for you. Um, one is, how are

the dogs?

>> The dogs are great. I haven't seen them

in a in a month and a half. Janine just

went home to see them. Um, we have a uh

an old donkey, a very big white horse

that I used to ride Verbina and uh five

dogs, one in a wheel cart, and um who

hauls ass, little tiny uh paralyzed dog

>> and um three cats.

>> And and and they're all

>> two snakes. I'm not done. Um, [laughter]

two

>> two snakes. I was like, when did you get

those snakes?

>> I can't get other other classes of

animals because they'll start eating

each other.

>> Reptiles are a whole thing. They're a

whole

>> Well, I couldn't feed them the live

animals.

>> Exactly. You have to start

>> and birds. I hate cages. I love birds,

but I can't unless I can afford someday

an aviary of rescue birds where I can

walk in and they can all land on me like

>> And you don't want something that's

going to outlive you. Like a parrot will

outlive you.

>> That's true. Well, our donkey could live

to be like

>> 50. He's old. He's older now, but like I

we we were like our old horse. We're

like, "Let's get her." She lost her

partner horse. Let's get her a little

donkey. We'll adopt an old older donkey.

And then the donkeyy's like 18. Oh, how

long do they 50 years? Oh, 50 years. We

get the rescue old dogs all the time.

And they'll they'll call and they'll go,

you know, we did bring her to the

cardiologist and um Non is, you know,

Nino is actually gonna probably not make

it for a few weeks. Do you still want

him? Of course we want him a thousand

good days in one day. Like let's just

give him a great end of his life. He

lives like seven years

>> because he's too much

>> of expensive medications.

>> Too much love.

>> Too much love and medication,

>> which is the name of my book.

>> Too much love. [laughter]

>> And then the last thing is let I want to

find a um public domain song that we can

harmonize to.

>> Yes,

>> cuz you're so good at it. Okay.

>> Oh my god, I love

>> What's a good public domain song? Let's

see. that we we don't have that that

>> is amazing grace.

>> Yes, it is amazing [clears throat]

grace. Okay,

>> I have a good one in that good harmony.

That's a high Amazing.

>> What one should I sing?

>> I'll do the higher. So, you just sing

the melo melody. Amazing [clears throat]

[singing]

grace,

how sweet [singing]

the sound

that

saved [singing]

a wretch

[gasps]

like [singing] me.

[gasps]

I [singing] once

was lost [singing]

but now

I am found.

>> Was blind [singing]

but now

I see.

was great.

I

[screaming]

>> We did not rehearse that.

>> We did not.

>> It's not PUBLIC DOMAIN. GREAT. IT'S

GETTING CUT.

>> WHAT IS IT? It costs $150,000.

[laughter]

Okay, great. We're going to cut it.

>> I will put $20 towards it.

>> Paul, I love you so much.

>> Thank you. I love you so much. I love

this show.

It's such an honor to be at the at the

table with you. No kidding. Paula,

you're the best at the table.

>> [laughter]

>> This is like I love watching this and

hearing a very expensive table.

>> It's a big honor. It's a big honor.

>> Paula, I love you so much for

everything.

>> Paula Pel,

you're just so fun to be around. Thank

you for doing that. And um you know, for

this Polar Plunge, there's just so many

things that Paula mentioned that she

wrote on great sketches that you should

check out at SNL if you're looking to

laugh. But but I I want to uh remind you

about a a little YouTube um show that

she did, not little, big, a a big

YouTube show called Hudson Valley

Ballers that her and James Anderson,

another writer at SNL who was mentioned

in this interview, worked on. And Paula

and James just play two jerks, two

funny, lovable jerks who live in the

Hudson Valley. And um there's a lot of

really funny cameos.

um stupid people being with other stupid

people doing stupid things. So check out

Hudson Valley Ballers if you haven't

checked that out and check out Paula on

the BBS and um keep uh uh listening to

Good Hang. We love that you're here.

Thanks for being here and 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 Polar. [music] The show is produced

by The Ringer and Paperkite. For the

Ringer production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Aalia

[music] Xanerys. For Paperkite

production by Sam Green, Joel Levelvel,

and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music

by Amy Miles.

Good. [music and singing] Hey.