Transcript: Stories for ‘Saturday Night Live’ on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone and welcome to a very

special episode of good hang. You know

we have done 52 episodes deck of cards

baby and it is time to celebrate and we

are going to celebrate with a few clip

shows that puts together some of our

finest and most fun moments. And our

first one this week is all of our SNL

stories. So we have had cast members on

here. We've had people who hosted and

we've had a lot of people talk about

their time on SNL, the good and the bad.

And so we've grabbed some of them and

put them together. And you're going to

hear from some amazing people. You're

going to hear from people like Maya

Rudolph, uh Seth Meyers, Martin Short,

Andy Samberg, Tina Fay, Jack Black,

Rachel Dra, Kristen Wig, Anna Gastire.

It's going to be incredible. And we are

going to start this episode with someone

who worked behind the scenes, someone

who was and is still the most incredible

photographer who took all the pictures

of your favorite people and and they are

their favorite photographs. And just

recently, her new book, The Art of the

SNL Portrait, has come out. Mary Ellen

Matthews is joining us. And let's get

the skinny about what it takes to work

at that crazy place. Mary Ellen. Hello.

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>> Mary Ellen.

>> Hi. Hi, honey.

>> Hi, honey. This is I'm so I'm so

thrilled to be here. Like never in my

wildest dreams. This is so This is

amazing.

>> Are you kidding me? I'm so You know, so

we're like doing a our clip show of all

the SNL peeps that have come through. So

many of them are in your book.

>> The art of the SNL portrait, your book.

>> I'm so excited to see it in your little

paws.

>> Tell everybody like what your job What

does your job consist of? What does the

week look like?

>> Um, so we find out who's going to be on

the show like the week before uh or a

couple weeks before that hopefully. And

um and I just kind of have to come up

with them ideas and talk to the stylist,

talk to whoever's team it is because

it's collaborative. It's between you and

I. It's between whoever it is and

myself. I I don't want to drive the

vision just what I want to do. So um you

know try to include whoever it is in

those decisions. And also it's like it's

not about just doing these, you know,

uh, conceptual ones. It's just about,

you know, you being you in this time and

and and space because it's all, you

know, it's a documentary also about the

about the time of you're doing the show

and what's going on in the world. And

>> it's so true. You're right. Like

everyone has an era

>> that they're in.

>> Yeah, for sure. And um, like for

instance, it was there was a blizzard

happening one in 2016. It was on at

Saturday. Ronda Rousey was on the show.

So grabbed her between dress and air,

threw her on a sled, and just put her

outside on 15th Street. So things like

that, if you can really like nail it

down to the actual minute that it's

happening is pretty special.

>> That's cool. You want you want the

pictures to feel like live, like part of

a live show.

>> Yeah. I mean, I wish I could do that

more often, but you know, that's not No

one else wants to do that but but me.

>> Uh let's talk about Tom Broker. What

does he do at the show and how do you

guys work together?

>> Tom is the costume designer. He designs

all the costumes and the wardrobe for

the entire show. And um for me, I work

with him on on the photo shoots. So I if

um he styles the photo shoots if the

person doesn't come with their own sty

styling team and if I have an idea of

like and I want Amy to be in a um you

know 177 a 17th century Dutch ma Dutch

masterpiece you know of course that idea

doesn't come till about 1:30 when when

you're going to step on set. So it's

like I'm like Tom, you know, I'm so

sorry this idea just came to me, but it

happens way sometimes. But, you know, so

he has an archive and he's just a genius

to know what to pull and know exactly

how to make sense of this sort of, you

know, wacky idea.

>> Well, I I'll give a per a perfect

personal example of what it's like

working with Mary Ellen. So Mary Ellen's

like, "I have this idea where you have

an apple on your head. You're balancing

an apple on your head, right?" And I'm

like, "Okay, cool." And then props gets

the apple and then Tom's like, "What are

you thinking?" And you're like, "I feel

like maybe something like angelic." And

I put this like kind of white dress on.

It looks kind of culty. And you're like,

"That's cool. That's cool." And we're

like, "That's cool. That's cool." And

then the apple goes on your head. And

someone's behind me holding the apple on

my head. And you're like, "Don't worry.

We'll, you know, we'll paint it out. We

can paint out the hand so it looks like

the apple's on the head." But then

you're like, "But it looks kind of cool

with the creepy hand holding the apple."

Yeah.

>> And that's a perfect example of like all

of these things are happening in real

time and the creativity part is the part

you're getting the most excited about

>> 100%. And you know it's like uh I think

who is it? Quincy I have to I'm going to

quote Quincy Jones right now said let's

leave room for God when you walk into

the studio because you don't know what's

going to happen.

>> Marielen, anyone that's worked with you

like you're proof that if you're good at

your job and you're wonderful to work

with like it should be easy. It

shouldn't be hard. It shouldn't be

torturous. It, you know, everyone that

has worked with you comes away with

their their favorite pictures of

themselves.

>> A that's so nice to hear. I mean,

>> it's true.

>> And it's a collaborative thing. I've got

so many great people working with me and

um you know, the styling goes into it.

Our prop department, you know, there uh

I can I'll tell a funny story if you

have time.

>> Of course.

>> Okay. Um so Paul Rudd was on with Paul

McCartney and I thought of this at the

very end. you know, we were all like,

you know, I couldn't, you know, he's

watching the rehearsal. I'm like, you

got to come over here. We got to get

this done. And at the van, I was like,

we should make you into a 60s version of

Paul McCartney, the mop top.

>> And so, you know, he's got to go on and

do his rehearsals and whatnot. Um,

Speedy or Sir Speedy, who is who is, you

know, the wonderful guy who the

gentleman who takes care of all the

bands equipments and all logistics. He

goes running down to like Chelsea

guitar, gets like the left-handed bass

for for the Paul McCartney. Jod's doing

the wig, and Tom's pulling together

this, and we put it together during meal

break, and he is like, he nails this. I

could show you.

>> Yes, he nails this. I'm I'm a mop top

Paul McCartney and it's one of my

favorite

>> Oh my god, I remember that picture. So

listeners, it's a black and white

picture of Rudd looking like Paul

McCartney and it's this is Mary Ellen in

a nutshell which is like I have an idea

and then everybody steps to it. It's a

complete collaboration like you said and

it looks incredible

>> and you can't ask that kind of get from

people unless you know it's a good idea.

>> Well, you took an amazing picture of

Tina and I when we hosted where we were

Simon and Garfuncle.

>> There's a great behind thescenes picture

in there by the way at the very end um

of you two like laughing when you were

doing that.

>> Well, everyone should check out the art

of the SNL portrait. Mary Ellen

Matthews, the best photographer around.

Mary Ellen, everyone that has worked

with you adores you and um you are aging

in reverse. Love you, Mary Ellen. Thank

you so much for doing this and congrats

again on your book.

>> Yeah, I hope see you soon, honey.

>> Okay, honey. I'll see you soon. Thanks

again. Bye.

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>> Thank you, Mary Ellen. Thanks for

getting on. It's so good to see you. And

um let's get started with our show. Uh

let's hear first from Maya Rudolph.

>> One thing I wanted to bring up in that

office was uh there was a cleaning lady

um Rosa

>> Rosa that worked in the in the on the

17th floor. Teeny tiny lady,

>> very teeny. And um she had been there

for a very long time. She had seen some

[ __ ]

>> Yeah.

And uh there was a moment when would you

tell the moment when we were in that

office and Rosa came in?

>> I think it was probably usually if we

were in that office during the day cuz

we were there so much at night. You

know, they we weren't keeping regular

office hours. So there weren't great

times for people to come in and clean

and change the trash cans out and stuff.

And so it was probably a read through

day, maybe like a Wednesday, and we were

in there waiting for uh table read to

start. And um someone was definitely

crying. I think I think Emily might have

been crying cuz her desk at in that

office was close to the door. And so she

had her back to the door and she was

talking to us about something that was

really hard and we were also sleepd

deprived. And I just remember Rosa

coming in and she didn't speak very much

English. Um, but she saw what she always

saw, which was she came in and she saw a

few of us just sitting around talking to

each other deep in conversation and

Emily was crying and she put her hand on

Emily's shoulder and she goes, "Don't

cry sexy.

Do you remember that?"

I love it so much. It was like it was

yesterday.

>> Don't cry.

>> Don't cry, sexy. And highly recommend

you say that to your friend when they're

sad. It's really

>> just a little

>> Don't cry sexy.

>> Don't cry sexy.

>> Um, do you want to tell everyone the

first time you met Barack Obama and who

you were dressed as?

>> Yes, I would love to. Um, the first time

I met Barack Obama when he was running

for office, I was dressed as Shirley

Mlan.

And um

>> and then the second time you saw him,

you were dressed as

>> Barack Obama.

>> Um yeah, it was a sketch that you were

you and Daryl were Hillary and Bill

Clinton at um Halloween party.

>> Halloween party. And it was one of And I

remember

Barack was new on the scene.

>> Mhm.

>> Looking smooth.

And uh and at that time I think like

Barack Obama masks were popular, you

know, it was like the new candidate.

>> And um so the joke was going to be that

I come in like [ __ ] w I'm Barack Obama.

And then he taps me on the shoulder with

his mask and takes mask off and

everybody goes, "Oh my god, it's the

real Barack Obama." So we did that at

dress and that was it.

>> Yeah. He didn't do it to air.

>> We did not do it at air. Thank god. Um,

why do we know why?

>> I do. I mean, I did not have a take on

Barack Obama at all. I didn't have

>> So, you know, I just remember you were

the teen, you were a teeny tiny, very

tall man. Very tall, handsome man.

>> Fun and stressful to be dressed exactly

like the person you're standing next.

>> It is so much fun. And I remember the

first time we saw each other was when we

were about to walk out on stage. So, at

dress rehearsal, there's like a little

little flag there and door that's

supposed to open and I'm there waiting

in my little Brooks Brother suit and I

think we like bound my boobs and I had

um I used to play Scott Joplin and so I

had my Scott Joplin wig on

and I was standing there and then

>> people don't know Maya has the cutest

little tiniest little legs from knee

down

knee down it's like a little

>> little toothick

>> teeny tiny toothpick. Look at those

little legs from knee down. So cute.

>> Stretch

and kick.

>> Little two to three.

>> Teeny tiny teeny tiny

>> just from the knee down.

>> They're like like breakable. I think

>> I know. They're so little. So you had

your little suit on.

>> My little suit on and it was teeny tiny.

And then he came over and here's the

thing. I didn't it was written then I

didn't have a good impression like I was

sort of like I'm Barack Obama

and um so I was standing there and then

he came over and I said well what do you

think

and all he said to me was I don't wear a

three button suit.

>> Damn.

>> I still don't know what that means. It's

like It's like guy That's like a guy

knowledge thing.

>> Sounds like flirting to me.

>> Just kidding.

>> No, I'm not. I I will take that. I've

I've gotten two two tonight and I'm

taking them home with me. I'm taking

them into the spank bank tonight.

>> And you have a lot of female friends.

>> I do.

>> Great. Like a great number. I count

myself as one of them. women in your

life who are your friend, who you're

deeply

uh uh uh uh tender to and very like you

really like take care of us and you care

about us and you like I mean you're the

only you and Shoemaker are the only men

they're ever allowed even close to a lot

of the SNL women. We gather together as

a group and just recently we let you sit

with us for 30 minutes.

>> Yeah. And then we said,

>> I think it might maybe it was Tina, but

>> Tina said, "Thank you for coming." And

also, "Thank you for leaving."

>> Yeah.

>> Well, on the way there, I said, "Seth,

heads up. We're meeting." And I think

you have about a half an hour window.

And you said, "Fine, I'll take that."

And then we sat down at the steakhouse

>> and you hung. And then Tina said, "And

now it's time to go."

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> It was um Can I point out my favorite

observations about you guys' group?

>> Yes.

You needed a second table

uh for all your jackets

and every one of you had two totes.

>> Yeah.

>> And most of the meal again, I think if

people saw the seven women that were

there, they would be like, "Oh my god,

how funny was it?" And I would say

mostly they were looking through their

totes.

At at no point

>> Mhm.

>> were less than two people looking

through a tote for something.

>> Well, yeah, cuz we had put it in the

other tote.

>> Comedy legends.

>> Yeah.

>> Rustling through totes

>> and it was like hand it was a lot of

hand me my tote. And it was like, is

this my tote?

>> Lot of matching totes.

>> Mhm. Yeah. I think we had gotten some

totes.

>> Matching totes and puffy coats is how I

would describe. It was I mean it was the

SNL 50th week and it was very cold.

>> It was.

>> But it

>> also we were all dealing with like a lot

of temperature. So our bodies, you know,

we're of a certain age. We get hot and

cold really fast. So it was a lot of

putting on coats, taking off coats.

>> It was a lot

>> and a lot of like, "Oh my god, I'm so

hot." And then taking the coat off and

then handing it to you to put at the

table.

>> Every coat was louder than the next

coat. Just when you moved the coat.

>> Mhm.

>> It was uh like the sail of a schooner,

which are like

very hard to hear any conversation due

to the rustling,

>> which is weird cuz we were shouting at

each other. We do shout at each other

across the table very loudly.

>> Yeah. Also, Paula within Paula Pel

within like 5 seconds had set up a home

office at a third table.

>> She You're right. She went She got a

third table because she had to do some

rewrites during the show. Real time

rewrites on SNL 50th. She was

immediately had like a a laptop and also

like a TV monitor.

>> Yeah.

>> Hooked up.

>> There's also when we all go out, there's

a ton of food panic.

>> Yeah.

>> When are we going to get our food? who

ordered, what should we order, and we

all fall into very specific categories

about like how fast we should order, and

and

>> there was a lot of talk about what you

guys were going to get, and as soon as

uh the server came over, the minute they

spoke, everybody forgot everything that

had been agreed upon.

>> Yeah.

>> And uh Yeah.

>> Cuz it went right back to square one.

>> Yeah. And don't forget, you know, I'm a

woman of a certain age. I need like 85

grams of protein a day. So, we were just

like, "How many stakes do we We need to

get like 40 stakes."

>> They put us in a private room where you

could have a wedding. That's how big it

was.

>> Yeah. They knew what they were dealing

with.

>> And yet, within like 10 minutes, I

thought we might need a second room. The

sprawl.

>> Well, luckily in 10 minutes, we asked

you to leave

>> because it was enough time.

>> It was so

It was so much you that putting on and

taking off code. Sometimes I think of an

SNL sketch just at the table that for

whatever reason stays with me forever.

Do you remember Fred did a sketch once

where he was someone at a dinner party

who kept taking off putting on his

scarf? Yeah.

>> Yes. The longest scarf.

>> A really long scarf. And he kept being

like, "Oh my god, it's so hot." And he

would take it off and it was like he had

to like loop it around his head and he

had a practical scarf and he loop it

around his head like 10 times while

everybody waited. And then he'd start

telling a story. He's like, "Oh my god,

it gets so chilly." And then just

looping

I think about it all the time. Like,

>> did it make it on air?

>> No. And I But I can't I think about it

all the time.

>> Mhm.

>> Also, uh, Fred, I think Anilda was his

Do you remember his stenographer courts

stenographer character?

>> Oh, yeah.

>> And it was

>> it had a name.

>> I think

>> his court stenographer had a name.

>> I think Ana.

>> Ana,

>> I think. I'm not sure.

>> Okay.

>> Typed like this.

>> Kind of a little bit like this.

>> It was a lot like that. But also

paused the trial a lot to look through

her bag. Mhm.

>> And just would say over and over, "I

can't find my chapstick. I can't find my

chapstick." I would say, "I don't see a

scarf without thinking about the first

one." Or hear somebody say chapstick

without thinking about the second.

>> The uh Fred Armison is like, and we talk

about him all the time on here. Like he

is truly like the funniest of the funny

people. I think

>> Fred can do these physical things, the

slightest.

>> There is no one funnier than Fred.

>> I agree.

>> This is what Fred said to me at the end

of everyone. Mhm.

>> This is what first of all, well, this is

visual, but every his dressing room is

beside me. So, I would pass his room and

he'd be on his phone. I'd say, "Hey,

Fred." And he go

say, "Fred, you're not really asleep."

Oh. Oh, I'm Oh, hi. How long have you

been here? Fred, I just saw you on the

and the other thing he did which she

completely convinced me was true was um

when I left the stage after the good

nights he said why did you call Paul

McCartney Tony McCartney?

I said I want what?

Yeah. I mean you said oh Tony McCartney.

And because I didn't know Paul was

standing beside me, I thought,

>> "Did I

and

>> such a funny joke?"

>> Then I told Bill her this and Bill told

Fred and Fred sent me a text like a

couple days ago. Sorry, I thought you

knew that was a joke. I literally

thought I'd said Tony McCartney. The

stupidest thing in the world.

>> Tony McCartney.

>> Tony McCartney. I wish I said it. Of

course, you know,

>> not knowing Paul's name. Fred used to

send me long texts about his flight

schedule, like when he was arriving,

what airport, what time to get picked up

as if I was picking him up from the

airport.

>> He is so deeply funny. He also does a

bit that I love where if you haven't

seen him for a long time at a party and

you go, "Hey, Freddy." Goes, "Hi, how

are you?"

>> Like, he pretends you're just a fan

bothering him. He's so funny. He loves a

bit.

>> He does a million of them, too. And

everyone's funny.

>> Yeah.

I mean, that's what's so funny about the

stuff that we do is like nobody

remembers the 10 to one versions of

things that were just stinkers.

>> Always

crazy stuff. Stuff where I was mad that

it would get cut and then I would go

back and be like, "Oh my god, this

there's nothing here." Like, I was just

running on fumes. Like, why was I so

mad? It was just cuz like it was

literally as much as like I exist, too.

Like, I WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW, TOO.

EMILY Spivey and I wrote a scene one

night that we thought was so funny and

it was just about these two giant um uh

like uh trucks like truck drivers who

would come up next to each other and and

keep telling the other one to honk it.

>> Yes. And it was like, "Honk it, honk

it." And just telling the other one,

"Honk it." And we WERE LIKE, "OH, WE

WERE DYING." And we turned it in like,

you know, 8:45 a.m. And Shoemaker was

like, "We're not doing honk." And we

were like, "What?"

>> And we already made t-shirts.

>> He was like, "WE CAN'T WE CAN'T PRODUCE

HONK. We can't get two giant like you

know, you know, we can't get two cabs."

And also like you guys, we have we're

like 35 sketches over and like you

turned this in at 8:45 and it's like and

we were like

>> justice for Honket. Like we were still

we were so mad.

>> So just to be clear, you're not going to

let us read Honket.

>> Okay.

>> Okay.

>> Noted.

>> Looking forward to having an employer

that supports Honkit.

>> [ __ ] noted.

>> Looking forward in the future to working

with someone who understands Honkit and

what it means to us.

Oh my god.

>> The thing that made me laugh the hardest

most recently was this clip of Bobby

Moahan from they did these really great

SNL documentaries and it was uh a

documentary about auditioning for SNL

and it was people you were in it, you

were great in it and they talk to people

about the process of auditioning and

then they show them their audition back

and people get emotional. people, you

know, they've never seen it or like, "Oh

my gosh, this is from 50 years ago or

whatever." And they showed they made

Bobby watch his audition back and he's

doing a character that's in his audition

that's just beyond inappropriate.

And he's watching it and he he's

watching it and he goes, "Oh no." And

then he just goes, "Oh, Bobby." And the

the way he says, "Oh, Bobby." The way he

calls himself by name is so gentle and

so it made me laugh so hard. And I I

think it should be the Tik Tok sound

that people play. Like when you have to

you have to see a piece of comedy that

you're like, "Okay, we did we we realize

now that that's not okay." You just show

the content and just hear boar the voice

of Bobby going, "Oh, Bobby."

>> And that's how you apologize for

problematic content in the past. You

just put the O Bobby sound over it and

it means I see it. I'm sorry.

>> Mhm.

>> Let's all move forward.

>> I know better now.

>> I know better now.

>> I do better now.

>> I'm an ally who makes mistakes. Oh,

Bobby. Oh, Bobby. Oh, Bobby. That really

made me I couldn't stop watching it.

>> You can make that. Get that audio. You

should trademark that audio and get make

merch.

>> Well, you could have been a cast member.

>> No, I don't think I could. I don't think

I could handle it week in and week out.

>> 100% disagree.

>> Once every 20 years is more my speed for

that gig.

But you could have I mean did you ever

audition or want to audition because you

were

>> I did want to audition but then I didn't

audition. I had an idea in mind that I

never went and followed through with.

But um

>> you had What do you mean you had an

idea?

>> Well, I had I don't want to repeat it

cuz now it really sounds stupid in my

mind. But my audition was going to be

basically

I was going to be a a superhero that I

created. I don't remember what it was

called but it was like a combination of

the Hulk and maybe it was just the Hulk.

It was uh I was going to come in as the

Hulk and just jump around and do like

this weird slow motion kind of

performance art dance where I would

crush things with my foot and then do

like a mimed the earth is cracking.

It was not I was not going to get in and

I knew that.

>> But I had practiced it in the mirror in

my living room a few times

>> but I never pulled the trigger.

>> You didn't?

>> No.

>> How come? Like did you get an audition

and you just didn't do it or you like

it's I'm I'm fascinated by because also

I'm interested in that story because

that is a little bit of sabotage.

>> Yeah.

>> Maybe there was a party that didn't want

to be on it.

>> Well, that's the constant uh uh battle

is the fear of failure.

>> Totally.

>> Sometimes you're up for the battle and

sometimes you're just like uh pass.

>> Um okay. Do you remember um uh Boys

Night Out?

>> Yes. Do you remember

>> the sketch that didn't make it on SNL

when I was there with you?

>> Yes. Emily Spivey and I wrote a sketch

called Boys Night Out and it was Jack

waiting for the boys to arrive and he

they never showed up and just kept

ordering more wings. But there was a

song. Do you remember the song to it?

>> Boys Night Out.

Boys Night Out. Now we're really rocking

and the chicks are all squacking CUZ I'M

TALKING ABOUT A BOY.

You never forget a song like that. Thank

you so much. That's all I needed to

hear.

>> Do you remember the first scene on SNL

that like you got were getting laughs

and you thought like it's working? Like

that felt like no. Um

um gosh, I don't remember the first cuz

I remember the first few times I got on

like I wasn't even I like left my body.

So I don't remember like this is going

really well. I was just like I'm on like

that kind of thing. Yeah. Um

>> well the first very first show I wasn't

in like the you know season premiere

whatever and like you've told all your

friends like I'm on and like everyone's

watching it your scene gets cut like it

does and then the next week the same

thing happened. Scene got cut. So it was

like the third week.

>> Who was the host? Do you remember?

>> The one that I got on was uh I should

know this. Oh my god. Well I know the

first one was Jerry Seinfeld. Then it

was Nor McDonald and then it was

and does not compute. Oh my god. I don't

>> know. It's funny. The brain remembers

trauma. So you remember the two shows

that you were on.

>> Dana Carvey. I don't going to have to

go.

>> They're going to do those three guys in

a row. Let's What year was it, Die?

>> It was 1999. Third episode.

>> Okay. This will be a fun game.

>> Dana Carvey.

>> Okay. I'm going to And I'm going to have

you guess the musical guest because

that's always fun, too.

>> Oh my god. So 1999 I don't remember

anything. No 1999 SNL

>> hosts. And don't worry, we're going to

keep all.

>> Let me tell you one cool thing though.

Let me tell I just heard that. Wait, let

me tell you one cool thing though.

>> Please. The

Please. Um, the very first musical guest

was David Bowie. And when I was I've

told this before, but when I was getting

my photo taken for like the very first

opening credits, like it was on the

stage, you know, like in 8H and David

Bowie was it was Thursday. He was

rehearsing with the band. So like I'm

getting my picture taken and he's right

over there singing Rebel Rebel. I mean,

I have chills every time I think about

that because that was just like

I mean, I don't even have words for like

the surrealness that

>> that's a very that's a to have a

soundtrack of that moment for your life

and it's David Bowie playing

>> David Bowie icon. Yeah. So, I remember

that.

>> Should we tell the Black Crow story?

>> So, one time So, I don't do drugs at

all.

So, and then one time the Black Crows

were the musical guest and um someone in

the Instagram came up to me. He's like,

"Hey, do you want

That's my drug offer voice. Hey, do you

want

um whatever you call it, joint?"

>> Not a joint, but just like a hit off a

joint. I see.

>> And I was I don't know. I' I tried it a

couple times. It's never really worked.

I've never really dug it. And then I was

like, "Okay, sure." So, I took like one

puff off of this Black Crows. Am I going

to get sued? The Black Crows pot

>> the Black Crows pot.

>> I took a hit off the Black Crows pot and

my my cousin was visiting me, my cousin

Zach, and um I came back to the table

and I was like, "Oh, I guess this is

like I'm really high right now." And I

was so embarrassed cuz like it was my

little cousin

And I never ever ever

>> get high. And then I came back and I was

kind of like

>> I don't really remember if I told him or

not.

>> You Oh, he didn't. He might not even

know.

>> I don't even know. But um that was my

one like

>> I remember you telling me you couldn't

get up from your chair.

>> Oh, I don't remember that. But it's

possible. It's possible.

>> You were kind of stuck.

>> I was just like really like Anyway, and

that's why I don't do drugs.

I mean,

>> no, I'm just not into that feeling, I

guess. But

>> no, you're not into that.

>> Only if it's from the Black Crows and

Ben. Yes. Chris Chris Robinson. Call me.

Call me.

Um, and then when you were at SNL, like

I feel like we got it. I I was thinking

today about all the stuff we got to do

together, and we got to do a lot of dumb

>> so fun.

>> So fun stuff. Oh my gosh. And but you

know, and I was thinking it was like I I

mean, in many ways, I wish we had I I

wish we had more time together when I

was more experienced there because I was

new and kind of stressed and I felt like

I loosened up more and figured out how

to like just have more fun as as I got

older there.

>> Um,

>> but we did get to do some fun stuff

together.

>> First of all, you were in the original

Debbie Downer and that was so fun. I

mean, just to be laughing there with

you.

>> Well, you bring this up and you know, I

ask this question to people on this

podcast and I truly feel like it is

because of Debbie Downer that I asked

this question. Again, I owe you a lot of

money and thank you for thank you for

building this podcast with me. Um, but

Debbie Downer, I've said it many times

before, was and is the thing that I go

to um

>> uh also maybe now replaced by the clip

the clip of this podcast. I watch the

clip a lot of times and I just wanted to

clarify I don't go like watch my work

like I don't go watch like a movie I did

cuz like I just like to have it in my

head but that it's like I said it was

like

>> seeing your biggest crackup.

>> Yes.

>> And just like I I have to laugh every

time I watch it.

>> Me too. And Debbie Downer was like that

for me during very dark times because it

was the combination of

>> us all having fun. you

your

like the way in which you were

physically trying to hold it together

like the way like the laugh was like um

something you were trying to hold in

combined with the zoom

>> zoom in

>> and the sound effect

>> and we've watched it so many times like

Emily's knows every single like this is

the part where your lip starts quivering

because there's one part where at the

very beginning I'm going g

and then there's This is the part where

you something falls backstage. I look

away, my eyes start over there like we

know every single moment.

>> It is. It's like the Zruder film like

frame by frame and it proves it just it

got me. It's such a serotonin boost.

>> Before we move on, talk to us about the

like who did you write Debbie Downer

with and how did it start?

>> Like the origin of it.

>> Yes. The origin of people will want to

know. So, um, well, it really started

because I went on a vacation by myself.

So, it had been suggested to me BY A

THERAPIST,

AND I OFTEN LEAVE THAT DETAIL OUT, BUT

SINCE I'M ON THIS one-on-one Amy

interview, no, I've said it like once or

twice, but usually I leave that part out

for the masses. But, um, no, uh, not

like this. This number one podcast

masses. Um, but no, she was she just

like she kept saying like take a trip by

yourself and I was like why? Like I

don't want to do that. I could go with

friends. Like I don't want and I just

kind of took it as like doctor's orders.

Like I just sort of like I'm doing this

and I like self-propelled myself to the

jungles of Costa Rica.

No, but I wanted to pick somewhere that

it wasn't going to be like honeymooners

and like I wanted to pick somewhere that

was like just like I don't know.

somewhere kind of remote, I guess. So,

it was like very remote. It was in the

Osa Peninsula. You had to take like the

big plane, then you take the smaller

plane, then you take the twohour jeep

drive. I mean, I was going deep out of

society

and each time they were like it was like

Barbara Potty one.

>> Well, no. So, I picked this it was like

this eco lodge thing. So I went there

and um and then it was just like a it

was so there was like these communal it

wasn't like a lot of people there and it

was actually really cool like and I did

meet really cool people and um I met

these two sisters that like at like they

were older but they're like my age right

now but um I mean the age I'm now and

they were sort of like they sort of told

me like the rudimentary

u fundamentals of what is later known as

the secret like did you did I tell you

when I was on this

>> people should know Dr. knew the secret

before anyone knew.

>> So when I and I learned it from the

jungles of Costa Rica from two white

ladies that were from Colorado, but

anyway, so so so they like they were

just weird, you know, cuz you're like

chatting and and I got to say like hats

off to the suggestion cuz I never would

have talked to strangers if I was with a

friend, right? You know, so I'm like

having this conversation and these women

were telling me about like, you know,

basically like what's the law of

attraction, I guess. But they put it

like you know if you if you think on

positive things positive and if you're

if you're focusing on lack you'll

attract lack basically. But then it

almost like the whole thing got like

sealed because then we were on this like

you know you could do like nature walks

or whatever and we were on this like

walk on the beach like with the little

like it wasn't like a group. It was like

whoever's here and wants to go this

thing and um this woman was saying like

there were these like beautiful birds

overhead these like scarlet macaw and

this like way up in the sky and this

woman goes I I want a feather to bring

home for my daughter and I swear like 20

seconds later from like way way up high

this feather starts to just go and it

falls down. We all like kind of see it

like and it lands like right at her

feet.

>> Whoa.

>> Amy doesn't believe in any of this

stuff.

>> I do. I

>> Okay. No, that that's cool. That's cool.

But I have been manifesting.

>> That was cool though. So then I was just

like sold. I'll join your cult. No, but

>> No, but then that Okay, this isn't

anything about Debbie Donner. This is

just other stuff on that trip. But

anyway, but then the Debbie Dunner story

is that when later it was like sitting

at dinner like you're with randos that

are there and um people just making

chitchat and someone said like where are

you from and I said New York and then

they said like oh were you there for 911

and it was like 3 years after 911. It

wasn't like it just happened. It was

kind of out of and then I was kind of

like uh Yeah. And then like it's kind of

like just like in Debbie Down, you had

to like get the conversation back

because it was like vacation times,

>> right?

>> And then like about a week later after I

got home, I was like out listening to

some band, which isn't something I

usually do, but I think that's kind of

interesting because like doing something

you don't usually do and then your brain

is kind of like I don't know, you're not

on your usual channels, I guess. But

then I just had that idea of this kind

of based on that like so like the Debbie

Downer popped into my head of like

>> yes and then which this is kind of just

talking creativity I found at SNL you

couldn't just go in there and like okay

let's think of a scene like it had to be

like moments like that like

>> and to me that only happened like once

or twice a year which is why like you

might sit there at home be like why

isn't there like like SNL man but it's

like thinking of really original

characters that kind of like hit on

something. It's not something you can

>> like steer the ship on. Like to me, like

it has to like

>> vibe out with you. I don't know.

>> Yes. You have to be like you have to to

your point, you have to like keep the

channel open and be like find the muse

and like let it find you. It just can't

be like turned out.

>> Exactly. And how

>> so then I then I took it to Paula Pel

who we wrote with often and is hilarious

and everyone knows Paula now because I

love Paula's like out there more in

front of the camera but um but anyway

and then we were on writing night we

were trying to write it. We set it in an

office and it just kind of wasn't really

flowing. We it just wasn't really jing

and then we were like maybe we need to

put her somewhere really happy. So then

we thought of Disney World of course

happiest place on earth. And then and

then while we were writing it like when

like of course Paula was cracking me up

with these oneliners and everything and

then we started just going like like

just for ourselves and then we were like

what if we put that in the scene with

actual trombone sound. So then for read

through we had I don't remember if we

had like the live person or someone just

had done it but then at read through

like it killed but then you never know

cuz sometimes something can kill at the

table. And then when we were in dress

rehearsal, Jamie and Horatio were kind

of laughing and I was thinking like you

guys like I feel like this could work

like

>> keep it together guys. And then like on

air I just flubbed one of the lines and

then I don't even know. I guess I was

like so nervous.

>> Sure. And then

>> but you were on you but thankfully you

just like like the good Pisces fish like

you just like you went along for the

like it was it's so joyous watching it

because it is just the com it's like

what real live TV is supposed to feel

like.

Okay. Well, you've talked about this and

I've heard you talk about it and really

made me laugh. your for the first sketch

you were in at SNL.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Was

>> when uh you right

>> Yeah.

>> were pregnant in the butt.

>> My character was pregnant.

>> Your character.

>> But it was it's funny because back it up

even to like my first pitch cuz that was

JB Smooth,

>> right? The great performer JB Smooth.

>> The great everything but the best

pitcher.

>> Incredible. And he pitched this thing

where you were pregnant in the butt and

everyone was laughing and I didn't know

that like he's the he just does like

funny pitches,

>> right?

>> And he wrote it.

>> I think and he often he often JB I think

you often pitch stuff that maybe you

weren't going to write.

>> Yes. You know what I mean?

>> I always pitch stuff I wasn't going to

write.

>> That was kind of the thing on Monday

night you would be like um and you just

kind of [ __ ] your way to get a laugh

>> and then you'd be like okay and now I

really have to buckle down. But I think

because the response was so funny JB was

like I should I got to write this.

That's the other thing. and you're like,

I wasn't really going to write that

thing.

>> Yeah,

>> it was my very first sketch.

>> Jason Lee. Jason Lee was a

>> Foo Fighters.

>> Yes. Fighters.

>> Fighters. I did say that. Foo Fighters.

>> I'm so happy that was my first sketch.

>> That was your first sketch. And do you

remember the first like I mean the first

character you have so many, but do you

remember the first one that was a

recurring that you thought was it Target

lady? like where you felt like, oh, I'm

going to get to do this again. Like I

have some kind of

>> I don't know.

>> I know. It might was it A-holes with

Sedakus?

>> It might. It was either A-holes or

Target Lady. Yeah.

>> I mean, for people who don't remember,

um, you know, Kristen has done so many

characters. I mean, we could talk about

them all day, but there was a there was

Target Lady who was of course very very

excited about things getting improved

>> and had an incredible haircut. Great

wigs.

>> Thank you. Um, incredible wig. And then

another great wig and another character

was A-holes, which is Sedakus, Jason

Sedakus. And you and you guys were kind

of like

>> just like the worst people to show up

anywhere.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. And you did a great move where you

would play with your hair and chew gum.

>> Real simple.

>> There's so many funny characters that I

want to talk about, but I won't I won't

embarrass you by going through them. But

I've said this to you before. My

favorite character is the surprise lady.

Thanks. That's one of my favorites. I

love her. I I love her for a million

reasons. I love her because the the the

the way you play her is so funny. I love

her wig. Fantastic wig. Always in a

turtleneck.

>> Always.

>> Well, she had to hide in it.

>> She had to hide in it. That's right.

That's right. Did you Did you write

>> it was in the script that we like that

we pulled it over? Yes.

And when I when I say that was one of my

favorites that comes from doing it.

Yeah. Like I

>> I like being I like being in a sketch

where

there's a lot of people and there are

moments where everyone is looking around

like what is going on? I love that

moment. I love a cut to Kenan just

>> like we got to get out of here. Like

this lady is nuts. I that's my favorite

thing.

>> That actually would be a really good way

to sum up a lot of your characters.

>> Oh yeah. Most of my sketches if you go

back and look like No, you got to cut to

people being weirded out by me to remind

the audience that. But why I love the

surprise lady so much is because there's

a lot of wig in it, I think, because

>> she is

>> nervous but excited

>> and she loves a party

>> and she cannot wait to deliver that good

news. She can't wait. And the

physicality of her and the way so funny.

God, I just watch clips of it all the

time.

I love it so much. It's so funny and

stupid.

>> Yep.

>> Funny and stupid.

>> Yes. Which is the best.

>> Which we know is the highest praise in

comedy.

>> Agree. Like the the more people go.

>> Oh, that's so dumb.

>> Dumb. And you're like, "Yay, I DID IT."

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 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. It's 6,000

seats. I mean, it's it's a huge epic

space.

>> Yeah,

>> we followed Lauren Hill.

>> Sure.

>> 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? 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 this like 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

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 were they 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 that all

that stuff just suddenly worked. So,

>> you're right. And now that I'm

remembering, Lauren Hill had had a

surprise. Incredible performance.

>> Insane. And then

there's like smoke and it was like

>> test test and you guys crush. And that's

what I mean as

>> I did. I knew it was streaming and I

also knew I mean it was really funny

because 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, did they were

just lucky to slip in and just

everything about it was so fun. And so

we're sitting there and uh yeah and 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 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 gonna be rushed

>> and I was like, I'm gonna 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 was just nothing funnier than

high school. And they just kept telling

people to settle.

>> I need you to settle.

I need quiet in the back. Hand goes up,

mouth goes shut. Hand goes up, mouth

goes shut. Just this idea. And 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.

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

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

So stupid.

>> You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by

The Ringer and Paperkite. For The

Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spelain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys.

For Paperkite, production by Sam Green,

Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

really good. Hey