Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Da'Vine Joy Randolph has some copper cookware she wants to recommend. Amy hangs with the Oscar-winning actress and talks about what kitchenware is currently on her wish list, how Miss Piggy shaped her, and being up on a ladder with Al Pacino. Host: Amy Poehler Guests: David Freyne and Da'Vine Joy Randolph Executive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-Berman For Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel Lovell For The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat Spillane Original music: Amy Miles Use coupon code ‘EATCESAR10’ at Cesar.com for 10% off This episode is brought to you by Subaru. Love goes the extra mile in a long-range Subaru Hybrid…with up to 597 miles per tank in the Crosstrek Hybrid and up to 581 in the Forester Hybrid. Visit subaru.com/hybrid to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by eBay Live. Here's how it goes. First, you're watching the eBay livestream telling yourself, I'm just looking. And then boom, you see a vintage Rolex go for an absolute steal. Suddenly, a rare Beanie Baby pops up. Adrenaline hits and you're bidding. You might lose that first one, but you bid again and win. And that winning rush? Incredible, because you beat everyone to it. Meanwhile, on eBay Live, you don't just watch the action, you're in it. Download the eBay app to stream and shop live. eBay Live, things people love.

• 0:38Amy Poehler?

  Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We are going to talk today to Devine Joy Randolph, and I am really, really excited. I'm such a fan of her work. And we are going to get into it today. We're going to talk about opera. We're going to talk about musical theater. We're going to talk about how to do a good Boston accent. And we're going to hear how Al Pacino made her cry in a good way. So it's a great convo, and I can't wait to get started. But before we do, we always talk to somebody who knows our guest and has a question to ask our guest. And joining me today is a director of the film Eternity, a film that Devine is in.

• 1:18Amy Poehler?

  And I believe he is calling from another country. He's zooming from another country, another time zone. So let's see, it's David Frayn joining us. David, can you hear us?

• 1:39Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by Zoom. Many of us have been there. The calls where you zone out for one second and miss six key points. The quick check-ins that are anything but quick. Because here's the thing, every conversation creates work. With Zoom, though, the conversation itself can actually move work forward. Zoom is now a full system of action that can actually complete work from the context of your existing meetings, calls, and chats. No more post-call panic, no more inbox avalanche. You talked about it, Zoom got it done. Visit zoomahead.com to learn more.

• 2:24Amy Poehler?

  Hello.

• 2:25Speaker 01

  Hi, how are you?

• 2:26Amy Poehler?

  Hi, so nice to meet you.

• 2:30Speaker 01

  So good to meet you.

• 2:31Amy Poehler?

  We're talking to Devine today and, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's fun because Devine, I have to say, is one of, I really don't know very much about her. We've never met and we have friends in common and people in common, but I've only kind of watched her as a fan and watched her stuff. So I'm interested to get to know her today and to talk about her today. But before we do that, I just wanted to say congratulations on your film.

• 3:00Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 3:02Amy Poehler?

  It's, you know, I'm always looking for comedy in theaters and in film. It's been not, to be very honest, like not always the easiest genre of the last decade to get good things out in the world. And comedy is like music. It's so subjective. It's, people have big, strong opinions about it. How, where did you, where were your comedic influences? Like when you started writing and directing, who were you looking to at the time?

• 3:28Speaker 01

  I grew up loving, like Billy Wilder was my idol. So, and then like, I mean, 30 Rock and Parks and Rec and those, those great iconic kind of TV comedies were, where you get such a high joke rate per minute, which I think we don't get very often. So I always looked to that. I think with Eternity, we wanted to make sure it was like laid down with jokes, just like joke after joke after joke. Because I kind of, I miss really hard comedy. But I think that, like segueing to Devine and My Incredible Cast, that just goes out, you can write as good a script as you want, but that's the delivery, that's the actors. And, and, you know, some, some of the best dramatic actors in the world cannot land a joke. And I think that holy grail of an actor-

• 4:12Amy Poehler?

  Well, they better not. I mean, God is fair.

• 4:16Speaker 01

  You can't do it all.

• 4:17Amy Poehler?

  Before we get to Devine, one last question. And I feel we can always, if it's too personal, of course, we can lose it. But you shared a really- Personal and intense story about your health journey after writing this film that feels like it is completely attached to and tied to the bigger idea that you're writing about.

• 4:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, so in the summer, like about six months ago, I had really bad headaches, which I had during the production as well. Like I would work really hard and then collapse on the weekends. And but I got, they found an apple sized tumor in my head. And that had kind of, kind of broken through my brain and surrounded my optic nerves and carotid arteries. And like, it was, it was a really surreal devastating thing to go through. And, um, at the start, they didn't know if it was going to be kind of operable or malignant. And my, my immediate thoughts were like, I'm not going to get to see Eternity released, which is such a vague thing to say.

• 5:17Speaker 01

  But, you know, after so many years, but, um, you know, the, the, I, I had incredible care and doctors and incredible family and, and my partner. And it's, you know, slowly it's gotten better and I've had a great, great outcome from the surgery. And I will say, having gone through that in the last few months after making a film set in the afterlife, I felt quite contented, like I felt, I felt I was looking at death with a lot more curiosity than fear. I think had, you know, I think I would have been much more afraid had it happened before the film. And I think just the experience of making the film was so fun and joyous.

• 5:58Speaker 01

  And I think the, the, the things we spoke about with, with Divine and the cast and, and my passion, just like as well, like even just, not just the work you want to do, but the people you want to spend your time with and the people you want to work with. And working with good people, kind people, people that share your kind of passions. I think that, that becomes much more important because you don't really have time for our souls.

• 6:22Amy Poehler?

  No, I also don't have time for assholes either.

• 6:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah, assholes are assholes. They're the worst.

• 6:29Amy Poehler?

  So, um, tell me about working with Divine. How does she like to work? Because we're talking to her today and she's quite studied. I mean, she has done a ton of, she's like, like a student in voice and acting. She really knows her stuff.

• 6:45Speaker 01

  Yeah, she's, she's, she's extraordinary. I think, I think what really struck, like me, firstly, I was, we were desperate to work with her and I really wanted her for the role. And then she won her Oscar and I was really bummed because I thought now I won't get to work with her. But thankfully, she still wanted to do the film. But yeah, she's, she's had the most incredibly varied career from opera to theater to, to then finding acting. And, and it does feel like she can do anything. I mean, I, you know, I, we knew, even though the holdover is such a dramatic role, we knew she'd be really funny. But like, she might be the most naturally gifted comedian I've ever worked with. She's extraordinary and it does feel effortless to her.

• 7:30Speaker 01

  Like, it doesn't feel like she has, like annoyingly, she seems to not have any of the anguish and anxiety that most comedians I know have. Like, she just, she just is brilliant and I think she maybe can't kind of slightly know she's brilliant.

• 7:44Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 7:46Speaker 01

  Yeah, she's, she's extraordinary. She has, she comes to set, comes to everything with such a weird level of calm. She's completely unflappable, which I, like, she could come, like, the set could be on fire and she'll just be like, okay, hey, Dave, what's going on? Are we going to evacuate or are we going to shoot? Like, she's just extraordinary, like.

• 8:06Amy Poehler?

  Oh, I want to talk to her about that. That's really interesting.

• 8:10Speaker 01

  Like, nothing seems to, either, either she hides it very well or nothing phases her. Or, which I find fascinating because I'm phased by most things. Yeah, she's, she is, like, she can kind of, she's one of those people that I would put no limits on. I think she can do, I think she can do anything as, as a performer, as an actor, as a comedian. Yeah, it's kind of almost infuriating how good she is.

• 8:38Amy Poehler?

  To be that good of an actor and to also be funny is. It's not nice. It's not nice for the rest of everybody, you know, like.

• 8:47Speaker 01

  It's not fair.

• 8:49Amy Poehler?

  So I would love to ask you, as I have Dave Vine here today, is there a question you think I should ask her? Big or small, specific or, you know, existential, something that, a story that you think she might want to tell? Or something that you have yet to know about her that you'd like to have answered?

• 9:10Speaker 01

  I mean, I really want to know two things is one is where did the calm she has come from? Because it's so admirable to me and I don't, I don't think you can be born with that. It's something else. And the other thing is because she's had such a varied career is when did she know how funny she was? Like, when did she discover she was a comedian? Because it's not like she didn't do sketch comedy, really, or stand up. Like, when did she know she had that gift? Was that later in life that she was like, oh, I'm really funny. Maybe I'll try that. So there are the two things I'd love to know because I haven't got that out of her.

• 9:48Amy Poehler?

  Great questions, both. I love to ask this to people when I'm on Zoom with them and they have books behind them. Will you just randomly pick one book up out from behind you and tell us what the title is?

• 10:02Speaker 01

  What the title is?

• 10:03Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 10:05Speaker 01

  Oh, I'm gonna pick this one because my sister-in-law wrote it, The Boldness of Betty.

• 10:11Amy Poehler?

  Oh, The Boldness of Betty?

• 10:13Speaker 01

  It's an amazing series of kind of YA books. They're beautiful.

• 10:19Amy Poehler?

  Always looking for a new book. Thank you for that, Rec.

• 10:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 10:23Amy Poehler?

  And also I just got to check to make sure those books are real.

• 10:26Speaker 01

  No, I actually can't read.

• 10:30Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 10:30Amy Poehler?

  I can tell. It's just the covers and the inside is.

• 10:33Speaker 01

  VHS inside.

• 10:36Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, perfect, perfect. Thank you so much, Dave. It's such a pleasure talking to you. Thanks for your time.

• 10:41Speaker 01

  Thank you so much. Have a lovely day.

• 10:43Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, you too. Bye bye.

• 10:46Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by Subaru. For me, going the extra mile means taking the long way home. If you're going to grab snacks and the 10-minute trip turns into a two-hour journey, suddenly you're on a new street, then your ice cream is melted in the back and, you know, we've solved the meaning of life. But luckily, in my Subaru Hybrid, that's right, I have one and I love it. That extra mile is built right in with longer range and better fuel efficiency than ever before. The Subaru Forester Hybrid and the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Great cars, I have them both. Love goes the extra mile. Visit subaru.com/hybrid to learn more.

• 11:28Amy Poehler?

  Devine, we're talking about sparkling water. We're talking about water and you love sparkling water.

• 11:33Speaker 02

  I love sparkling water.

• 11:34Amy Poehler?

  Me too, and why can't we drink it anymore? You said we can't drink it anymore.

• 11:39Speaker 02

  My doctor said I'm on the verge of having a hernia.

• 11:41Amy Poehler?

  Because of so much of the like...

• 11:43Speaker 02

  Bubbles and the alkaline, it's salt and stuff in it.

• 11:46Amy Poehler?

  But you said something that you said, "That's my coffee."

• 11:49Speaker 02

  That is my coffee in the morning.

• 11:51Amy Poehler?

  That's my cocktail. That's my cocktail. Like a... When you open up the bottle and it's like...

• 11:59Speaker 02

  I know.

• 12:01Amy Poehler?

  And squeeze a little lime in there.

• 12:03Speaker 02

  And you know what's fascinating? How in Europe, they have percentages of this? Don't even get me started.

• 12:10Amy Poehler?

  Also, how do you feel about your sparkling water? Because I get the big bottles, but then I don't, you only drink like half of it and then it's done. It's dead. A dead sparkling water is my...

• 12:22Speaker 02

  So what I do is I pour it in a fancy like wine glass. So that's funny that you say cocktails. I immediately twist it up.

• 12:29Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, really tight.

• 12:29Speaker 02

  Cover it up.

• 12:33Speaker 02

  Like I was about to cut my fingers. Super tight. Put that bad boy back in the fridge. I put my seltzer waters in a wine cooler chest. I have a wine cool chest. This is how much I revere.

• 12:44Amy Poehler?

  Me too. I completely, completely, to me... In the same way, one would be like, oh, no, I gotta make sure that there's wine in my fridge. I panic if there's not a sparkling water situation in my fridge.

• 12:57Speaker 02

  I know, and some brands are hard to get the boxes of.

• 13:01Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 13:01Speaker 02

  I have fought many clerks in Bristol Farms. Cause they're like, no, no, ma'am, you can't take that whole box. And I'm like, then you shouldn't have had it out here.

• 13:12Amy Poehler?

  Also, have you ever been real bougie and ordered it from, oh, I don't know, like a delivery service? And then all of a sudden, you get the heaviest box that you gotta carry in your house and it's filled with sparkling water.

• 13:24Speaker 02

  What pisses me off.

• 13:24Amy Poehler?

  That's success.

• 13:25Speaker 02

  Is if you're on Postmates and you tell them to get the water for you and you want the 33.5 fluid ounces. And they'll show up with a 22 or a 16. And I'm like, you should have called me.

• 13:37Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 13:38Speaker 02

  Cause then I would have said.

• 13:39Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 13:39Speaker 02

  Don't get them.

• 13:40Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 13:41Speaker 02

  Or how many of the 33 did you have?

• 13:43Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 13:44Speaker 02

  Four? Okay, just get those and then go to the next Bristol Farms and get the other ones.

• 13:47Amy Poehler?

  I found out recently, you can't get light bulbs delivered anymore.

• 13:51Speaker 02

  Why?

• 13:51Amy Poehler?

  They won't take the risk.

• 13:53Speaker 02

  Of what?

• 13:55Amy Poehler?

  They're like, it's gonna show, they're like, it's gonna break. And it's like, what?

• 13:59Speaker 02

  What?

• 14:00Amy Poehler?

  What do you mean?

• 14:01Speaker 02

  People are getting soft down here. I don't like that. Light bulbs? It's not even on.

• 14:07Amy Poehler?

  I mean, I have to say, I do love ordering things and then like putting it out of my mind. And then when a package comes, I'm like, what is this? And I think I'm like, what is it? What is it? What could it be? And then I open it and it's like the best Christmas ever.

• 14:20Speaker 02

  No, it's the best.

• 14:21Amy Poehler?

  It's the spatula that I wanted.

• 14:23Speaker 02

  Yes, exactly.

• 14:26Amy Poehler?

  Two days ago.

• 14:27Speaker 02

  Yeah, and it shows up and you're like, oh, my gosh. I was literally in Costco yesterday and I was going past the mixers. But, right? Like the mixers, what is that, like tableware? I don't know what it's called.

• 14:40Amy Poehler?

  I love kitchenware, tableware.

• 14:42Speaker 02

  Woo!

• 14:43Amy Poehler?

  I could.

• 14:43Speaker 02

  So I went past and I was like, gosh, it's on sale. I want one. And I literally remembered because life is life-ing. No, no, no, babes, you ordered one for Black Friday already. And I literally almost cried with excitement. I couldn't believe it. I was like, I have one already. It was crazy. That's how weird life is right now.

• 15:06Amy Poehler?

  I love kitchen gear so much.

• 15:09Speaker 02

  So much.

• 15:10Amy Poehler?

  It's like a treat. Sometimes I'll go past the wall of gadgets. I'm like, okay, I have a garlic press. I have a wooden mallet. Okay, I have a zester. And I'm like, what do I need for my collection?

• 15:21Speaker 02

  And then I'm big on aesthetics. So the mixer I got, have you seen it? It's like the limited collection from William & Sonoma.

• 15:29Amy Poehler?

  Not a sponsor. Okay, talk me through this. What you got?

• 15:32Speaker 02

  Hunter Green.

• 15:35Speaker 02

  With a dark mahogany wood mixing bowl.

• 15:38Amy Poehler?

  Holy shit. A wooden, oh wow. So we're talking KitchenAid.

• 15:45Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:45Amy Poehler?

  Oh wow.

• 15:46Speaker 02

  Yeah. And I forgot, and I was gonna just a stainless steel one or like the red one in Costco. Like, oh geez, I wish I had one.

• 15:53Amy Poehler?

  Oh, this is very, a very.

• 15:54Speaker 02

  And then I remember that I have that bad boy on this way.

• 15:58Amy Poehler?

  I can't believe you forgot that you ordered this.

• 16:00Speaker 02

  And do you see why I almost cried in Costco? Cause I was like, you're gonna get better than that.

• 16:06Speaker 02

  You're winning.

• 16:07Amy Poehler?

  Before we get into, we haven't started yet, but before.

• 16:09Speaker 02

  But can I also, so then I'm about to really knock your socks off. I've been wanting these pots and pans.

• 16:15Amy Poehler?

  Stand by.

• 16:16Speaker 02

  For generations.

• 16:18Amy Poehler?

  Wait, they're that good?

• 16:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. William & Sonoma. Now.

• 16:22Amy Poehler?

  You're crushing it at William & Sonoma.

• 16:23Speaker 02

  Just put in heritage copper.

• 16:27Amy Poehler?

  Oh, you got me right there.

• 16:28Speaker 02

  Pans? I don't know?

• 16:30Amy Poehler?

  You got me right there.

• 16:31Speaker 02

  It's this Italian company, I think it's with an R.

• 16:35Amy Poehler?

  Copper cookware. Fuck, I love cookware. I could talk about cookware all day long. Um, let's see, what do we got here? Ruffoni?

• 16:43Speaker 02

  Yes, baby.

• 16:45Amy Poehler?

  Okay, for those who don't know, these are, we're looking at a copper pan with a silver stainless steel inside.

• 16:51Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 16:52Amy Poehler?

  Historical hammered copper, 11 piece set.

• 16:56Amy Poehler?

  Guess what? Originally $2,000.

• 16:59Speaker 02

  Babe, I got it.

• 16:59Amy Poehler?

  Our price? $1,549.

• 17:02Speaker 02

  Why would you not buy that?

• 17:04Amy Poehler?

  And, and the price is in red, so I gotta get it.

• 17:07Speaker 02

  I have to get it, because it's about to be sold out and no more. Trust and believe I got that 11 piece. Absolutely.

• 17:14Amy Poehler?

  I'm, I'm, I'm gonna get it.

• 17:15Speaker 02

  I'm gonna pass that down to my children. Like, it's so beautiful. It's made in Italy, like, what?

• 17:22Amy Poehler?

  Anything that's Italian, forget it.

• 17:23Speaker 02

  I got it.

• 17:24Amy Poehler?

  If someone's like, this is an Italian knife, it's like, I gotta get it.

• 17:26Speaker 02

  Okay, no problem.

• 17:28Amy Poehler?

  Dave I enjoy Randolph is here.

• 17:29Speaker 02

  Oh, my God.

• 17:31Amy Poehler?

  We just got right into it. We already have all our cookware for, I'm getting every, and I trust your taste.

• 17:36Speaker 02

  Please do, text it to me. And I wanna see like your first meal. I wanna see your first meal made, and I'm literally tearing up.

• 17:43Amy Poehler?

  Do you love to cook?

• 17:44Speaker 02

  I love to cook.

• 17:47Amy Poehler?

  And I, I talked about this on the podcast a little bit. I came late to cooking. I did not grow up cooking and my mom always is like, I cooked. But my mom was a working mom who, um, are your parents teachers?

• 17:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 17:59Amy Poehler?

  So are mine.

• 18:00Speaker 02

  Yeah, so like she cooked.

• 18:01Amy Poehler?

  But yeah, but it was like, yeah, she didn't cook.

• 18:03Speaker 02

  Like holidays, maybe, then she showed out.

• 18:05Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, and she was busy working, but so I didn't really know how to cook. And I thought in my 40s, I was like, I'm just not gonna be able to cook.

• 18:11Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 18:12Amy Poehler?

  And I learned, and now I love it. Well, actually, this is gonna dovetail into the theme that I wanted to talk to you about today. Because I'm, I'm really impressed. I, I think you're so talented.

• 18:23Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 18:23Amy Poehler?

  And so naturally talented and so, such a good actress and so funny. And those, and, and such a good singer. Like, you do so many things so well.

• 18:32Speaker 02

  Thanks.

• 18:33Amy Poehler?

  And your career is a lot of like, I'm gonna try that. A lot of like, a lot of, maybe I should try that. No, hold on, what's over here? Maybe I should try that.

• 18:45Speaker 02

  Still.

• 18:46Amy Poehler?

  Still.

• 18:46Speaker 02

  Still, cooking.

• 18:48Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 18:49Speaker 02

  Why not?

• 18:50Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 18:50Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 18:51Amy Poehler?

  So, a lot of people know you as an actress, but I don't think as many people know that you first kind of entered the world of arts as a singer.

• 19:00Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 19:01Amy Poehler?

  And that was where, that was kind of like the door you walked through.

• 19:04Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 19:05Amy Poehler?

  I liked it, I like to ask this to people who have beautiful voices. When did you, when did you know you had a good voice? When did you hear it for the first time where someone say, you have a good voice? When was the first time you heard it?

• 19:16Speaker 02

  Yeah, I didn't know. I thought that's what people sounded like.

• 19:19Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 19:20Speaker 02

  And it wasn't until like I started getting training that I was like, oh, there's people out here who can't sing.

• 19:24Amy Poehler?

  When you say started getting trained, what does that mean? Taking voice lessons?

• 19:27Speaker 02

  Yeah, taking voice lessons. So when I was younger, it was like, right, like, family and friends and I thought they're just being nice or whatever because I, I'm a Gemini, like I'm a Taurus Gemini, so like I'm a very focused Gemini that wants all the options. So like even as a kid, it wasn't like, and you are a singer. Like I was the poster child for after school programs. I did it all. And I liked, I so appreciate that, that my parents instilled that and was never like stage parents or like, they were like, whatever you want, lock in, have fun. But even now, I think that's why acting is fun to me. Of like trying on these different people and not staying with one for too, too long.

• 20:12Speaker 02

  But that's also my life. It's people telling me like, no, no. For real though, you really could. Like I thought, I've always thought like, I'm decent. And it's taken people who I've really admired to be like, no, there's something there. And keep going or keep pushing in that direction.

• 20:33Amy Poehler?

  That's amazing. I hear what you mean. Like it takes sometimes like a mentor or someone to say, what you have isn't the same as what everyone else has. Keep working on it. Keep doing it. Like that encouragement can really.

• 20:46Speaker 02

  Like, can I ask you a question? To me, when I watch you work, to me, it seems as if there is a natural ease in what you do. Would you say that that's true?

• 20:57Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for saying that. I think, I would hope that it feels some version of like,

• 21:06Amy Poehler?

  That is, I'm not trying or striving too hard. But it did take definitely like directors and teachers and stuff to be like, no, you're funny. Keep going. Like just the keep going part.

• 21:20Speaker 02

  The keep going part. Yeah.

• 21:21Amy Poehler?

  And, and, and as you know too, a lot of it is like, we know, I know people way funnier than me. I know people way better actor than me, better singer, but half of the battle is just not giving up.

• 21:33Speaker 02

  Yep. And being ready when it presents itself.

• 21:36Amy Poehler?

  Not getting a regular job, not having health insurance, not like just for a long time and being like, I'm just gonna try to make it. It's not easy.

• 21:44Speaker 02

  No, no, no, no, no. It's not easy at all.

• 21:47Amy Poehler?

  So you start, you, you're in Philly?

• 21:49Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm. Where are you from?

• 21:51Amy Poehler?

  I'm from Boston.

• 21:52Speaker 02

  I felt the Northeast 100%.

• 21:54Amy Poehler?

  And I gotta talk to you about your Boston accent. Okay, we'll get there. It was so good.

• 21:59Speaker 02

  Oh, that means so much. Thank you.

• 22:00Amy Poehler?

  It's a hard one and we're tough. So is Philly.

• 22:04Speaker 02

  And that was what was hard for me.

• 22:05Amy Poehler?

  I know, cause they're close.

• 22:06Speaker 02

  They're touching too close.

• 22:07Amy Poehler?

  But Philly has that like, um, they, they, like the O's are real.

• 22:11Speaker 02

  Yeah. Miles Teller does that.

• 22:13Amy Poehler?

  He has a Philly accent?

• 22:14Speaker 02

  Yeah. Hoagie. And I'm like, what?

• 22:15Amy Poehler?

  Hoagie, yeah.

• 22:16Speaker 02

  Uh-huh. Yeah.

• 22:17Amy Poehler?

  And you, and you, yous and then.

• 22:19Speaker 02

  Yous guys. I can't even do it.

• 22:21Amy Poehler?

  Yeah. So Philly, you go to, you start studying music. Your parents are teachers. And you decide to go to school for opera.

• 22:30Speaker 02

  So I'm very competitive. So, are you?

• 22:34Amy Poehler?

  I love competitive people.

• 22:35Speaker 02

  Man, we are literally.

• 22:36Amy Poehler?

  Women. I love competitive women.

• 22:38Speaker 02

  Yeah. Respect all the way. So, um, my dad was like, it's interesting. I, I always think of this, and this is so random. My parents did not, for both of their children, want to know the gender in advance. I feel like that was so cutting edge.

• 22:55Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 22:56Speaker 02

  And my dad really was manifesting and wishing for the first one to be a boy. So, didn't happen, but he had a heavy hand in like sports and competitive and like not backing down. And so literally, I, I was just a competitive. And so there was this girl and like a new girl at my high school that was like, I went to this performing arts school called Interlocken. And my brain went do, do, do, do, do. And I went home.

• 23:24Amy Poehler?

  I will go there. I will dominate at Interlochen. I will win it. I will win it.

• 23:27Speaker 02

  That's literally what I said to my mom. And she was like, okay. I had no idea what this thing was. And I.

• 23:33Amy Poehler?

  Explain what it was like, that camp.

• 23:35Speaker 02

  Oh, my God. Interlochen is one of the most magical places. I'm not even kidding. I would recommend any parent who has a child that has remote interest in any form of the arts. They do theater, music. They have a writing department. It is just like a safe haven for young grade school artists. Like budding. It taught me to respect and revere. You know what I mean? Like in everyday life, it's not, I don't know, maybe now of these generations, it's cool to be an artist. But like me growing up, it was kind of like, oh, yeah, you do that other stuff, too. Do you know what I mean?

• 24:12Amy Poehler?

  It was kind of like, have fun and then find your real job.

• 24:15Speaker 02

  Yes. And so that was a place that I think is so integral for high school age kids particularly. I mean, you can literally go at four years old. But for high school kids to go to, to like, really start to dip their toe into finding themselves as an artist. And it's just so, such a beautiful place in my life. And so that was a moment, a very strong moment, um, because it was classical. And I was like, oh, no, where's the R and B? Uh, that's for me. And so it was all classical.

• 24:49Amy Poehler?

  Whoa. So you were singing classical. And did you, do you, can you read music?

• 24:53Speaker 02

  Now I can. At the time, I just had like a really good ear.

• 24:58Amy Poehler?

  You're a classically trained opera singer.

• 25:00Speaker 02

  And it was because of that. It's, that's what started it. And it was teachers being like, no, you actually have a natural gift. Keep going.

• 25:08Amy Poehler?

  Had you seen any opera before that?

• 25:10Speaker 02

  No.

• 25:11Amy Poehler?

  I know. I feel like opera is this thing that you only see like, what is like a, it just, it's just.

• 25:16Speaker 02

  Field trip.

• 25:17Amy Poehler?

  As a field trip. It's so funny. I, I, I love how we, when we grew up, like, well, you're younger than me. But when I was growing up, like the, the genres kind of crossed at times and it's where you learned about people. And I remember, I was thinking when I was doing, preparing for today, I was like, when did I first know about opera? And I think it was from The Muppets. Because Beverly Sills, who was a very famous opera singer, was sang opera on The Muppets. And, um.

• 25:43Speaker 02

  I'm also obsessed with The Muppets. So that's why my whole face just dropped when you said that.

• 25:46Amy Poehler?

  You love The Muppets?

• 25:47Speaker 02

  Babes, I wanted to be on that show so bad. And they were like, we're not doing humans this year. I said,

• 25:54Amy Poehler?

  No humans.

• 25:54Speaker 02

  What do you mean? They're like, it's like three humans, but it's really them. I was upset. I tried.

• 26:00Amy Poehler?

  Who's your favorite Muppet?

• 26:02Speaker 02

  Piggy. Are you kidding?

• 26:03Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I know. She's the best.

• 26:04Speaker 02

  That lady literally, lady.

• 26:06Amy Poehler?

  That lady, that lady owes me a lot of money.

• 26:11Speaker 02

  I am who I am today because of her.

• 26:13Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yes.

• 26:14Speaker 02

  As a child, to imagine at a young age, that being like instilled in you, like you don't take shit from men.

• 26:20Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 26:21Speaker 02

  You do your thing, be fabulous. You don't change who you. I was like, yep, yep, yep, yep. I literally made my parents buy me a tricycle. So you know she has that skit where she's like with the motorcycle pack? And she's like, get around. And I used to do it all the time. And I used to make my mom give me a leather jacket. Girl, it was a thing. That's my girl. When they told me that thing was coming back, I said, please. And they said, uh-uh.

• 26:43Amy Poehler?

  The other place that I saw opera was, um, Queen in, um, Bohemian Rhapsody.

• 26:49Speaker 02

  Sure.

• 26:49Amy Poehler?

  Like, I was like, oh, I was like.

• 26:51Speaker 02

  I actually think that's a, that's a bridge, like a gateway for a lot of people.

• 26:55Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I think a lot of people were like, what is he singing? How is he singing that way? I was like, oh no, that's what opera sounds like. So you, when did you see your first opera?

• 27:03Speaker 02

  Immense, like, immense. Once I went to the performing arts school, it was like, they completely like slapped me with the culture. And I was like, whoa.

• 27:11Amy Poehler?

  And what, what was your first feeling about it? Like, what did you like about it? Having, like, what made you want to keep pursuing it?

• 27:17Speaker 02

  The power in my voice. That I was like, oh, there's, and also I'm gonna be really honest. They really sold me on the idea that it was a really good life. Like, you're gonna live in Europe and men are gonna drool over you. And you get to wear beautiful gowns.

• 27:34Amy Poehler?

  Throw roses at your feet.

• 27:35Speaker 02

  And eat pasta all day. And you work hard, but not that hard. Like, cause opera singers, they don't, how many, like, even if you're the top of your game, yeah, if you have concerts, but they don't, like, we can do seventeen million shows in a year. They may do like two, three opera. So I was like, this is a nice lifestyle.

• 27:54Amy Poehler?

  It is not a Broadway schedule.

• 27:57Speaker 02

  No, ma'am. Uh-uh.

• 27:58Amy Poehler?

  What, are you, does opera is? Do you have to kind of like pick like a, like an athlete? Do you have to pick your role like?

• 28:05Speaker 02

  The voice part kind of dictates it.

• 28:07Amy Poehler?

  So what is your voice?

• 28:08Speaker 02

  So I'm considered a baby dramatic soprano. Which means like, I don't know, that's what they say.

• 28:15Amy Poehler?

  A baby?

• 28:15Speaker 02

  And I'm always like, well, I always have the baby part even as I get older. I don't know, maybe. But it, it's like, basically, it's like, so Leontine Press, I don't think they would consider her a baby. But dramatic soprano basically means you have the low notes, but you can also get up to the high notes. But instead of like traditionally soprano, the high notes are very like soft and airy, like more like Ariana Grande, like, right? Like really breathy and soft and just like heavenly. And like a dramatic soprano is like you can get up there, but like with some heft.

• 28:47Amy Poehler?

  Baby dramatic soprano. And did you ever do an opera on stage?

• 28:52Speaker 02

  I went to Temple University for the teacher. Quinta went there. Uh, we were there at the same time Quinta Bronson and.

• 28:59Amy Poehler?

  Did you guys, were you friends? Did you know each other then?

• 29:01Speaker 02

  We were in passing because she was like so theater and I was still music.

• 29:05Amy Poehler?

  Ah, and they were still felt separate.

• 29:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, they were very, at that time, now it's like a conservatory and there's a musical theater department. Um, and so, so anyways, I went to Temple and we were doing Aida.

• 29:17Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 29:18Speaker 02

  And, uh, you know, my middle class parents, teachers, like they're not dumb, but it's like if you were to watch Shakespeare for the first time, like they all know what's going on. And so I remember my brain was just like, I want to be able, it wasn't even acted. I want to be able to portray this character. And know this character very well so that it can translate

• 29:43Speaker 02

  for like my family and friends that come see this. I remember that very clearly. I don't even know where that came from.

• 29:48Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 29:49Speaker 02

  And so I remember used to go across the street to the theater department, what was like communications to copy sheet music. And I literally was copying sheet music and it sounded like people were dying in the room next door. And it was a theater class. And so I went up to this teacher afterwards and I was like, hey, I'm working on an opera across the street. Like, could you help me? I want to like bring this to life and it be good.

• 30:12Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 30:12Speaker 02

  Very long story short, the music department got ultra pissed. And they were like, no, no, you can't do that.

• 30:20Amy Poehler?

  You can't cross over there.

• 30:22Speaker 02

  And I was like, I don't want to cross over. I don't want to be an actor. But I guess because it had happened so many times, they were very like territorial over it and they flunked me out.

• 30:31Amy Poehler?

  Ex-squeeze me?

• 30:32Speaker 02

  Yep. And it was my mom that I'm like bawling on the phone. This is like my junior spring.

• 30:38Amy Poehler?

  Oh, no.

• 30:38Speaker 02

  I'm out of here. I'm about to go be in Italy, like live my best life. And my mom was like, go across the street. I'll never, because she talked so, you know how moms are when their child is like devastated.

• 30:49Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 30:50Speaker 02

  And she was like, step one, go across the street. Go speak to the administration.

• 30:55Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 30:56Speaker 02

  You're going to apply to the theater program because most of your credits can transfer.

• 31:01Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 31:01Speaker 02

  And I actually think you might be good at it. That's literally how she said it. It was like, but she knew I needed logic first, like.

• 31:07Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 31:07Speaker 02

  Credit, because I kept thinking, oh, my God, like, I'm about to graduate. I have to now completely find a new.

• 31:13Amy Poehler?

  Right. You're pot committed to this thing and then.

• 31:16Speaker 02

  And I was like, okay. And I remember they tell me to this to this day, that I went to the administration office and I was like, I have to be an actor. And they were like, what? And I was like.

• 31:28Amy Poehler?

  And they're all crying. And they're like, you are, you are.

• 31:32Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 31:36Speaker 03

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• 31:41Speaker 04

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• 31:54Speaker 05

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• 32:30Speaker 03

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• 32:36Speaker 06

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• 33:02Speaker 05

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• 33:14Speaker 04

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• 34:01Speaker 04

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• 34:07Amy Poehler?

  This episode is brought to you by American Airlines. You'd think sitting on a plane with just a couple of hours between you and your vacation would be reward enough, but American Airlines said, "What if we gave them even more?" With the American Airlines Advantage Program, you earn miles not only when you fly, but with thousands of your favorite brands, and then redeem those miles for flights, upgrades, and experiences worldwide. That, and Advantage members also enjoy earlier boarding and free high-speed Wi-Fi in-flight. Join for free and start earning towards your next adventure at aa.com/amy. This episode is brought to you by K-18. You know hair isn't just hair. It's confidence, identity.

• 34:51Amy Poehler?

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• 35:26Amy Poehler?

  And then you got really into Shakespeare, right? You did a lot of Shakespeare?

• 35:29Speaker 02

  Later, yeah, later. So when I got into Yale, I faked it. I did Shakespeare, but I think I did like Titania when she sees Bottom and she's like in love. So I didn't have to really like, you know?

• 35:40Amy Poehler?

  I don't.

• 35:41Speaker 02

  I didn't have to really, meaning like...

• 35:42Amy Poehler?

  Is that more comedic?

• 35:44Speaker 02

  It is kind of more comedic.

• 35:45Amy Poehler?

  That's really interesting that what you're saying is like, there's like, there's Shakespeare and then there's...

• 35:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, like it wasn't me reciting like Hamlet, where it was like, okay, you're just standing there and delivering this speech.

• 35:56Amy Poehler?

  It was...

• 35:56Speaker 02

  It was like this strong... Titania is like, kind of like a Michelle Obama, like a tough girl that's like, got it all together, who now you see gets to be like, she's drunk the Kool-Aid and she's like whimsically like this ingenue in love and just being silly and in love with this like, you know, having like a kind of like teenage middle school moment of like, oh my God, this guy is so cute.

• 36:20Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 36:21Speaker 02

  So it was that. But like, I'm saying in a sense of like, I wasn't doing Hamlet.

• 36:24Amy Poehler?

  Do you want to do Shake, more Shakespeare?

• 36:26Speaker 02

  Absolutely. So I went to... My first year, I was like, I don't know this. Because I was doing another classical art. I don't know this one. And so I went to the British Academy of Dramatic Arts. At Oxford, which I couldn't believe it. We literally ate lunch where Harry Potter ate lunch. Like, I remember walking in there being like, oh my god, I made it. Yeah, and so I was, it was just so cool because I learned Shakespeare, like, by the people who do it. But I love that sense of command that they have over language.

• 36:59Amy Poehler?

  I love how much you have trained.

• 37:01Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 37:02Amy Poehler?

  Like, you are, you really know your stuff.

• 37:04Speaker 02

  Thank you. I really appreciate that. It's fun.

• 37:08Amy Poehler?

  I bet, and it gives, to, to your point, like, it's supposed to be a journey, like, fun. And when you get to try and fail over and over again, and then you get stronger and better.

• 37:18Speaker 02

  It is the best feeling. To me, it's kind of like freedom within form. Like, as long as I know the guardrails are up, I'm gonna bang up against those guardrails. But like, right, in order for me to really be loose and give all of myself, even with comedy, like, I just need to know the parameters. And then I'm just gonna go off. And it allows me to, um, so I guess in a way, the training is like the guardrails. That then when I work, I'm like, whatever. Like, have you ever watched something back of yours? I don't like to.

• 37:49Amy Poehler?

  I don't love to.

• 37:50Speaker 02

  Don't like, ADR is one of the most traumatic.

• 37:53Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah. Also, ADR is, for people who don't know, it's like that moment in the film when you have to kind of go back sometimes and re-record stuff.

• 38:00Speaker 02

  Which for me is my first time of seeing it ever.

• 38:02Amy Poehler?

  Yes, it's often your first time seeing it, and it hasn't been like color corrected or anything. You're just like, wow.

• 38:08Speaker 02

  Why do I look like that?

• 38:09Amy Poehler?

  I guess I'm a hundred years old. Like, it just, it's seeing your face for the first time in a thing that isn't finished. And you have to record new stuff, and it's bru- and it's brutal.

• 38:19Speaker 02

  Brutal. I always, I used to call my mom crying afterward.

• 38:23Amy Poehler?

  And she was like, go across the street.

• 38:27Speaker 02

  You are okay. You are not the character. You serve the character.

• 38:31Amy Poehler?

  Your mom is really good at calming.

• 38:33Speaker 02

  Yeah, she's the one.

• 38:34Amy Poehler?

  When you were at Yale, was there anyone else there that we would know at the time?

• 38:39Speaker 02

  When I was there, when I was a second year, Lupita was a first year. Then after Lupita was Winston Duke. Then after that was, I could be mixing this up because I was now gone, but was then Yaya. Then after that was Mama Do, like it just was.

• 39:00Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 39:01Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 39:01Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 39:02Speaker 02

  That's intense.

• 39:02Amy Poehler?

  That's intense.

• 39:03Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 39:04Amy Poehler?

  And then you go and you go from that to talk about training, being put to the test. You have to open Ghost in the West End with about a week of rehearsal.

• 39:16Speaker 02

  Yeah, which made no so I was, when I graduated, I got an agent and like, you know, I gotta have a survival job.

• 39:25Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 39:26Speaker 02

  So I applied everywhere in New York City and that little Yale degree, even though it's in theater, people were like, you're overqualified. No. And I was like, but it was theater.

• 39:36Amy Poehler?

  You know more than the director and that upsets him.

• 39:39Speaker 02

  Yeah. And so I couldn't get any job. And so I was like, okay, I'm gonna nanny. So I nannied for this amazing family and it was amazing because I worked the system because I was broke.

• 39:51Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 39:51Speaker 02

  And I said, listen, as a curator of arts, your children need to go to five-star hotels and experience what that is like.

• 40:01Speaker 02

  Desserts at really nice places and we need to teach them how to eat out of five, literally. And they were like, okay. And literally, can you imagine two little white boys and me like at a table and they're like, Mr. White.

• 40:19Speaker 02

  Because just in case their friends are here watching, I gotta make this look credible.

• 40:22Amy Poehler?

  That's so smart.

• 40:24Speaker 02

  It was so much fun.

• 40:25Amy Poehler?

  So smart. And then you go.

• 40:26Speaker 02

  I loved that job.

• 40:26Amy Poehler?

  How do you get the job?

• 40:28Speaker 02

  So they were like, oh, this is an audition for the like understudy, understudy is swing. And so they were like, if you get this, you'll rarely go on. No big deal. I go in there because I'm young and I had never auditioned for anything before. Those people told me, so you're gonna do the entire thing? They made me audition for 75% of that musical.

• 40:53Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 40:54Speaker 02

  In the room. Like I had my sides and then they were like, here.

• 40:58Amy Poehler?

  Here's more.

• 40:58Speaker 02

  Cold read.

• 40:59Amy Poehler?

  Wow.

• 41:00Speaker 02

  75% of the musical.

• 41:01Amy Poehler?

  And you nailed it.

• 41:02Speaker 02

  It was just adrenaline.

• 41:04Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 41:05Speaker 02

  But one thing that was a blessing and a curse, I was on a high, like my body was just.

• 41:11Speaker 02

  I said, speaking of belting high, baby, I belted high that day.

• 41:14Amy Poehler?

  Uh-oh.

• 41:15Speaker 02

  And then they wrote it. Because it was an original musical, so they were like, oh, she wants a Belton Affleck.

• 41:22Amy Poehler?

  Never be good at something you don't want to do.

• 41:26Speaker 02

  Pace yourself, because eight shows a night, and they were, ah, basically up there. I was like, no, we're gonna have to bring it down. So I did that audition in like August. I didn't hear anything for two days. I'm not thinking about it. It's the understudies, understudy, understudy. My team then hits me up and is like, you booked it. I'm like, oh, okay, cool. And I was bummed because I was like, I gotta tell these kids. I gotta leave them. And my team was like, are you Chris? It was the lifestyle. I was saying goodbye to the lifestyle. And so they literally, they were like, days later, they're like, why are you not more excited? My team. And I was like, eh, because you, it's just whatever. Like, if everyone gets sick, then maybe I'll go on. They were like, yeah, we lied.

• 42:09Speaker 02

  Um, you are playing Whoopi Goldberg's part. And I was like, come on, what? Why would you do this? So then I'm terrified. And it was literally the, like, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. And so I had never done a job of that magnitude, but I had never done a, like, seasonal job.

• 42:29Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 42:29Speaker 02

  And I really love the holidays.

• 42:30Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 42:31Speaker 02

  So I started crying and I was like, but do I get to spend Thanksgiving with my parents? And you know, ages, are you done? You made it. You're going to West End.

• 42:39Amy Poehler?

  You've worked with so many great people and you talk about them a lot. And you talk about Robin Williams. And I-

• 42:46Speaker 02

  I can't believe that was my first movie.

• 42:48Amy Poehler?

  That's amazing.

• 42:49Speaker 02

  I cannot believe that sadly, that was my first movie and that was his last movie. I cannot believe it.

• 42:55Amy Poehler?

  What was it like to be with him?

• 42:57Speaker 02

  Grateful. There's something that I notice in legendary comedians specifically. Robin had it.

• 43:08Speaker 02

  Eddie had it. I had that experience. It's different, but they have a similar trait. Eddie shows up in Steve Martin for sure, Martin Short. And there's this thing when we talk about when people tap me on my shoulder and be like, hey.

• 43:24Speaker 02

  And I never would think it would be those people.

• 43:26Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 43:27Speaker 02

  In my mind, growing up, I thought, you know, like, they either really stay to themselves, or they're distant, or like, their egos won't ever give you the satisfaction. And Robin was the complete opposite. And he actually talked to me more than anybody else. We just talked for, we, I literally just sat there and listened to everything that that man said to me. And I will, in the moment, while he was talking to me, I was like,

• 43:56Speaker 02

  this is crazy. No one's gonna believe you, so don't even tell anyone. Like, maybe later, you can share a great anecdote, but it was unbelievable. And he just poured into me. And it would just be like, in between the takes. He was just like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then, you know, immediately just go into this thing. But yeah, he would, if I would say career-wise, he was the first person that was like,

• 44:26Speaker 02

  you've got.

• 44:27Amy Poehler?

  What an anointing from someone like that.

• 44:29Speaker 02

  Are you kidding?

• 44:29Amy Poehler?

  And then you worked with Eddie, Adolomite, and, and same thing. Eddie really took you under his wing.

• 44:34Speaker 02

  He really did. He really did. And something that was interesting, so like, differences. Robin was so explosive. It felt like, when people ask, the only thing I can think of is like, you know how in Penn Station, the ticker thing?

• 44:49Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 44:50Speaker 02

  It's like, you can, his thoughts are so loud when he's not talking, that even when you stand next to him, it's like,

• 44:57Speaker 02

  and I'm just like, I can feel like, almost like having coffee, like you just feel this buzz being next to him, and it just was like,

• 45:04Speaker 02

  and with Eddie, something that I learned, and it was interesting to work with him at that stage of his life, and that point of his career. There is a stillness and a quietness when he's not working or in between scenes. And then there's the action and this whole thing comes to life.

• 45:25Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 45:25Speaker 02

  And it was something that in the first, again, supporting actor being like, oh, okay. This is your rhythm and this is how you work that I then like adjusted. And then I was like, okay, so I'm not.

• 45:36Amy Poehler?

  Well, that feels like your musical training comes in there because you're picking exactly what you said. Rhythm and breath and energy, like the dynamics.

• 45:43Speaker 02

  100%.

• 45:44Amy Poehler?

  Of the day.

• 45:45Speaker 02

  The rhythm is the biggest thing, I think, especially with comedy and especially with legends at that. You're right, you want to learn quickly, not ask any questions and observe and like. It feels like jump up of like, I'm jumping in and I'm jumping out, you know what I mean? Learning that kind of pacing and but it was after. That he really kind of prepared me for the industry in that when we did. Like we had a full blown press tour and he was like, she's come, whatever I'm going to, she's coming to all of it. And so like 100% it prepared me for holdovers. I think if I didn't have that, I would be like, what is this crazy machine of things?

• 46:28Speaker 02

  And so in a more chill way, I got to experience it. I got to see what insane fame looks like.

• 46:37Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 46:38Speaker 02

  Which is scary to me.

• 46:39Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 46:39Speaker 02

  That's really intense.

• 46:40Amy Poehler?

  I'll get ready for it, sorry.

• 46:42Speaker 02

  No, no, no.

• 46:44Amy Poehler?

  You mentioned the holdovers. It, I just have to say to you, that film.

• 46:49Speaker 02

  Thanks.

• 46:51Amy Poehler?

  It is in, it is now forever in rotation in as a Christmas film. Because not only is it beautifully acted and beautifully directed by Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti and Dominic. They're amazing. You're, the three of you together are just, it's. But it also captures this melancholy. Like you say, you love the holidays and it's this holiday salty, sweet, sour sadness that happens to all of us.

• 47:17Speaker 02

  All of us, even if you have a house full of people or whatever you consider like.

• 47:21Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 47:22Speaker 02

  A traditional happy Christmas.

• 47:24Amy Poehler?

  Because like the loneliness finds its way in.

• 47:27Speaker 02

  Every time.

• 47:28Amy Poehler?

  I know even with a full house, the way you. Depicted that mother in that movie is one of my favorite cinematic performances. I love you in that movie.

• 47:42Speaker 02

  Thank you so much.

• 47:42Amy Poehler?

  Congratulations on winning the Academy Award.

• 47:45Speaker 02

  Thanks babes.

• 47:46Amy Poehler?

  And so deserved.

• 47:49Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 47:49Amy Poehler?

  And just so first of all, Paul Giamatti.

• 47:53Speaker 02

  Love him, always loved him, always loved him. And like similarly, he's so good at so many things.

• 47:59Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, he is.

• 48:00Speaker 02

  He's really good at playing like that underdog that can't quite figure it out and just like keeps hitting their head against the wall. Oh, he's so good.

• 48:07Amy Poehler?

  I had a fun moment when he hosted SNL when I was there and you know, you're like down under the bleachers, like changing clothes really fast. And at one point I turned to him and I was like, are you having fun? And he was like, this is a nightmare.

• 48:19Speaker 02

  Yeah, inside, everything is painful and he's dying inside.

• 48:23Amy Poehler?

  It was so funny.

• 48:23Speaker 02

  Yeah, even while we're filming and I'm like, wow, we're really doing it. He's like, I hate it. Not he hates like acting, but do you know what I mean?

• 48:31Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, that's why he's so funny.

• 48:33Speaker 02

  That's why he's so good at it.

• 48:34Amy Poehler?

  Because he doesn't.

• 48:34Speaker 02

  He'll put himself in like risky, like inside his anxiety is through the roof.

• 48:39Amy Poehler?

  Yes, and, and we feel it, we feel it with him. And the trio of you three, like unexpected friends.

• 48:47Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 48:47Amy Poehler?

  Like, you know, like a random family.

• 48:50Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 48:52Amy Poehler?

  So good. What kind of prep did you do for that role?

• 48:54Speaker 02

  So it was interesting when, because I love cooking.

• 48:59Amy Poehler?

  Mm hmm.

• 48:59Speaker 02

  Um, I was like, uh, so listen, contractually, I have to cook for real. And for many reasons and due to that time period, I wanted it to be clear that this was actually her job and that she was good at it versus like I first asked Alexander, I said, is she the help or is she a learned chef? And he was like, I actually want her to be a learned, he said, cook. And I said, we're not gonna say that word. We're gonna say chef. If you're saying she has an education in it, she's a chef.

• 49:30Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 49:30Speaker 02

  Um, and so once I knew that's where he was going with it, I was like, okay. So then you're going to have to establish scenes and moments where I'm dealing with the food and facilitating the kitchen to show my prowess over this area.

• 49:48Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 49:48Speaker 02

  Right? And so, and I remember there was like, there was. And he was so down, which was so cool, for someone that acclaimed and lauded to have that much flexibility and collaboration, which I think is another huge reason why that movie just did so well, because he trusted us and we really got to work together. And so like, there was a moment where I was like, you know, to be honest, he had a lineup of extras for people that were going to be in my kitchen, and they were all women of color. And I was like, you're gonna have to put some white ladies in there, too. And he was like, really? Why? And I said, because it, the other ones look like it's my friends that I just brought in. And then this other version makes it again, look like, oh, no, I'm in charge.

• 50:32Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 50:32Speaker 02

  And these are the cooks.

• 50:33Amy Poehler?

  That's right.

• 50:34Speaker 02

  So I ad libbed this line in the movie where I'm like, to the white lady, ah, too much paprika. Because in my mind, I was like, no, no, no, she can taste it and be like, too much paprika. Because I wanted to show, a lot of it had to do with the time period.

• 50:49Amy Poehler?

  That's right.

• 50:50Speaker 02

  That I was like, I want, if you're saying she's a chef, I don't want those lines to be blurred. But in regards to prep, the thing that Alexander was the most-

• 50:59Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for sharing that with me.

• 51:01Speaker 02

  No, yeah, yeah, totally.

• 51:02Amy Poehler?

  Just to take a minute, I love knowing that because you're, I couldn't capture the, what you're, exactly what you're saying, which is a, there's a regalness to her.

• 51:11Speaker 02

  Yes, there's a pride.

• 51:13Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 51:14Speaker 02

  Even if that lady has two cents in her pocket, which is another thing, because he understandably, he wanted her to be in hot pink rollers and that cozy, warm, purple muumuu, the entire, most of the movie.

• 51:28Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 51:29Speaker 02

  Because he was like, it's the holidays. And I was like, no, she has so much pride. She's working.

• 51:33Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 51:33Speaker 02

  She may be, you know, they might be in like, living, shared living quarters, but she's working. She wakes up, this is her job.

• 51:41Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 51:41Speaker 02

  And so it was something that he, we had to like, negotiate for him to realize.

• 51:45Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 51:46Speaker 02

  No, this isn't just auntie with the, you know what I mean?

• 51:49Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 51:49Speaker 02

  With Uncle Buck and whoever.

• 51:51Amy Poehler?

  It gives such incredible tension, because that is her space. And in the scene when she's serving and when, when she, when everyone is eating her food, that she's good at cooking.

• 52:04Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 52:04Amy Poehler?

  And Paul's character's standing up for her.

• 52:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's beautiful. That's one of my favorite moments.

• 52:09Amy Poehler?

  Same.

• 52:10Speaker 02

  Yeah. And it's just a look, she just looks at the kid.

• 52:13Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 52:14Speaker 02

  But she, but you know, the volume in which Paul yelled, she heard it.

• 52:19Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 52:20Speaker 02

  You know what I mean? Like, she wasn't there for it, but she heard that he had his back. And so, the main prep was, Alexander was very keen on smoking. It was almost like an audition question. Do you smoke? And I was like, no, I don't. And he was like, and I was like, you can send a pack on over and we can figure it out. Part of the prep was, learning how to smoke, making it look realistic. It was great that I was in Boston. There's so many smokers in Boston. But I would just watch, like, there is a science. You can tell the level of addiction, or how many years, I'm not gonna say addiction.

• 52:55Amy Poehler?

  It is an addiction, yeah, let's say it.

• 52:57Speaker 02

  How long you've been in the game.

• 52:58Amy Poehler?

  Ooh, tell me what you noticed about how people.

• 53:01Speaker 02

  The loose, the more that it feels like it is literally another finger, they've been doing it for a while.

• 53:07Amy Poehler?

  Right.

• 53:07Speaker 02

  Right? Or it's like, that person is usually like, older men, that like, it's hang. How? I don't even know, it's like that one bead of saliva.

• 53:19Amy Poehler?

  Because a person that has their like, one cigarette a week.

• 53:22Speaker 02

  Tighter, it's tighter.

• 53:22Amy Poehler?

  It's tight and they're like, enjoying every minute. I'm thinking about like, the girls outside the club.

• 53:27Speaker 02

  Sure.

• 53:27Amy Poehler?

  Like, bumming it from someone else.

• 53:29Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 53:29Amy Poehler?

  And, but, someone who's like, oh, there's a hundred more where that came from. It'll fall out, they like.

• 53:34Speaker 02

  Pick it up, whatever.

• 53:35Amy Poehler?

  They're like, I'm gonna light another one right away.

• 53:37Speaker 02

  Yeah, and so, part of my process was like.

• 53:40Amy Poehler?

  So interesting.

• 53:41Speaker 02

  What's her level of addiction? And in certain times, and what she's going through, I wanted the, the smoking to signify what, like, psychologically was going on for her. And then, the big, the biggest, most difficult, the two difficult things, most difficult things about filming and smoking, timing of knowing when to, like, how to pace of, between the talking and when to pull.

• 54:08Amy Poehler?

  Right, yeah.

• 54:10Speaker 02

  And blowing that smoke. So it's not in your face for the camera unless there's some moments where you wanted to get in or not like directing that smoke was tricky.

• 54:20Amy Poehler?

  Ooh, I can't, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna be rewatching this movie again.

• 54:24Speaker 02

  That was the hardest part.

• 54:25Amy Poehler?

  And I'm gonna watch all of your smoking choices.

• 54:27Speaker 02

  We could have a beautifully acted scene. And I was gonna be like, uh-uh, that smoke went in Paul's face, Paul's face, do it again. And then the last thing was the dialect, which he was like, it's fine.

• 54:37Amy Poehler?

  Let's talk about, let's talk about.

• 54:39Speaker 02

  He said it was fine. He was like, you're from Philadelphia, it's cool. And I was like.

• 54:41Amy Poehler?

  Alexander.

• 54:42Speaker 02

  Respectfully.

• 54:42Amy Poehler?

  Respectfully, how dare you?

• 54:45Speaker 02

  No, sir. And he was adamant about it.

• 54:47Amy Poehler?

  And you worked, I can tell, because it was so good.

• 54:50Speaker 02

  Yeah, I worked with Nicole Kidman's dialect coach, who's the best and so down to earth, but yeah, I said, no, no, no, no, no.

• 54:57Amy Poehler?

  So what did you have to learn about?

• 54:59Speaker 02

  For me. Like we said, I'm from Philadelphia. It, it's so close, but yet it's not the same thing. And also it was technically, it's a period piece. And so the biggest reason why I wanted to do the dialect, not only because that is what is the world, I needed something to differentiate and to separate from me.

• 55:20Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 55:20Speaker 02

  And so, um, I needed that dialect. The smoking, yeah, clothes helps, the hair helped a lot, but the dialect was the thing that really allowed me to lock in.

• 55:34Amy Poehler?

  Were there words that helped you lock in?

• 55:35Speaker 02

  Like Mr. Ha, what was his name? Ha, Havah, Mr. Hunnam. Mr. Hunnam, I heard you. It's that first scene.

• 55:43Amy Poehler?

  Mr. Hunnam.

• 55:44Speaker 02

  When they meet and then she's like, Mr. Hunnam, I'm paraphrasing, but she's like, Mr. Hunnam, I heard you had babysitting duty, how'd you manage that? And that was like my key phrase.

• 55:53Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 55:53Speaker 02

  That I would, I could get right in.

• 55:55Amy Poehler?

  Babysitting is a.

• 55:57Speaker 02

  Babysitting, how'd you manage that? What was helpful was the crew was all Boston.

• 56:02Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah.

• 56:02Speaker 02

  So I would literally.

• 56:03Amy Poehler?

  And they're like, eh.

• 56:04Speaker 02

  Yeah, no shame. I was like, did I say that right?

• 56:06Amy Poehler?

  They're like, you didn't get it, because the Boston in me, you know, is, our ears are attuned. It's, to me, it's like the Australian accent.

• 56:14Speaker 02

  For sure.

• 56:15Amy Poehler?

  Is like, you, eh, eh, when it's wrong, it is rough.

• 56:19Speaker 02

  Yeah. And so what I basically said to myself is, I, I worked on it and prepped it a lot. And I told myself, you're gonna have the first day of filming. If you get a lot of feedback on this dialect, either being distracting, or too much, or not right, we're gonna leave it alone.

• 56:36Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, smart.

• 56:37Speaker 02

  And, and, and...

• 56:39Amy Poehler?

  Smart.

• 56:39Speaker 02

  Yeah, it worked. And I was like, okay. But in between still, I literally, in between takes, the gaffer, I'm like, is it smart, smort, smart?

• 56:48Amy Poehler?

  Smart, yeah.

• 56:49Speaker 02

  And they were like, smart. And I'm like, okay, smart, smart, smart.

• 56:50Amy Poehler?

  Speaking of films, we're talking about Eternity, the rom-com that you're in with the hilarious John Early, who we love.

• 56:57Speaker 02

  I think he was one of the last people that they cast. And I knew from the script that I would have quite a bit of stuff with this character. And I kept saying, who, I kinda didn't wanna sign on the dotted line until I knew

• 57:08Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 57:09Speaker 02

  who that person was, and it just didn't work out that way. And I'll never forget, we were in, like, what do they call it? Camera testing. We were camera testing, and I was ear hustling, and I heard them say, and I go, ah! Yes! And they were like, what is wrong? And I'm like, oh, my job just got way better.

• 57:29Amy Poehler?

  So funny.

• 57:29Speaker 02

  And easy, real easy.

• 57:31Amy Poehler?

  You guys are great together.

• 57:33Speaker 02

  He has the stuff that's up there in that brain.

• 57:39Amy Poehler?

  Mm-hmm.

• 57:42Speaker 02

  And it's so much. Do you know, you obviously know what I mean. And you know what I was a little worried about? Cause he's so, so good that I was like, oh, he's gonna be doing the button thing. You know the button thing when you're around funny ha-has? And it's like, the scene is done, and now every funny person in that room is like,

• 58:02Speaker 02

  and then that person goes back, and I'm like, wow!

• 58:04Amy Poehler?

  Oh, my God, I've never heard it said like that. That's, I'm really, I'm really sweating. Because I, I so feel...

• 58:11Speaker 02

  But it's infectious.

• 58:12Amy Poehler?

  It is, you're so right, though. There's an instinct for comedy people to be like, and one more thing.

• 58:18Speaker 02

  Button, button, button. Now person A's gotta do second button.

• 58:23Amy Poehler?

  I feel seen, I feel seen.

• 58:24Speaker 02

  And then it goes, and it just go, and my, always, I'm like,

• 58:29Speaker 02

  very present, but, and that's usually when the camera cuts to me.

• 58:33Amy Poehler?

  Oh, that's so real. And you're right. And then, once someone does a button, someone's like, I gotta button that button. And it never ends.

• 58:41Speaker 02

  And I just sit there.

• 58:44Speaker 02

  But yeah, he didn't have any of that.

• 58:45Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 58:46Speaker 02

  But so, I don't think he ever repeated a joke. I'm just so, so impressed by him.

• 58:53Amy Poehler?

  What is your relationship to rom coms? What rom coms? Are you a rom com person? Do you like rom coms?

• 58:57Speaker 02

  I was when I was in high school.

• 58:59Amy Poehler?

  What did you like?

• 58:59Speaker 02

  Was, let me tell you something. How old is a guy in 10 days?

• 59:04Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah.

• 59:05Speaker 02

  It's perfect. And if you tell me different, I'll fight you. That.

• 59:11Amy Poehler?

  I like how you whispered that.

• 59:13Speaker 02

  My best. Because it's so.

• 59:16Speaker 02

  It's so emotional. Baby, that scene when they're out in Staten Island, Long Island, playing that card game? I'm bawling.

• 59:25Amy Poehler?

  You're really making me want to watch that again.

• 59:27Speaker 02

  It's so good.

• 59:28Amy Poehler?

  Okay.

• 59:29Speaker 02

  And I like it too because it's like, it's a relatable New York couple. You know, some of those New York rom coms, you're like, well, I'm never going to be in that penthouse.

• 59:36Amy Poehler?

  Oh, yeah.

• 59:37Speaker 02

  So, or the boss and the, I love how it was like, they were regular New Yorkers. And that like Staten Island, I forget what one it is, Staten Island, Long Island, uh, family was a really good touch. My Best Friend's Wedding.

• 59:50Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 59:51Speaker 02

  It's so good. I think it's the ones that are really relatable.

• 59:54Amy Poehler?

  I know. And, and, and, and they just dig in and some like, they're like rainy day delicious treats.

• 1:00:00Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:00:00Amy Poehler?

  And, okay, so we have this thing where we talk to people who know our guest. We talk well behind their back. We get a question for them. So we talked to the director of fraternity, David Frain. And we got to talk about how incredible it was working with you. And he, and he was explaining, which I'm, I'm now getting to see in real time, the feeling of there was like, there's a calmness to you when you work. And a confidence that is, he says, like, it just, as a director, it just makes you feel like everything is going to work out. Like everything, you know?

• 1:00:32Speaker 02

  Oh, that's wonderful.

• 1:00:33Amy Poehler?

  And he, he had two questions for you. One was, where do you think you find the calm? Or as he said, the can?

• 1:00:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, the can.

• 1:00:41Amy Poehler?

  Because he had a great accent. Where'd you find the can?

• 1:00:43Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:00:44Amy Poehler?

  But, um, the, um, so that was his first question is like, is that true? Are, are you feeling like when you step in work, there's a calmness to you? Is, do people? People project that on you? Is that real?

• 1:00:55Speaker 02

  I think it's, um, uh, how do I say? It's a little projected. It's all of it, right? So number one, yes, it's part of that, like, preparing to then like have so much fun, like, right? Like within the boundaries, like, I know I did the work. But then I'm very open to what is a direction? What are you giving me? What, you know what I mean? What is it gonna be in this? I know her. Um, and you could tell me we're gonna go on Mars. Great, we're going on Mars. What's that gonna be? So there's that. There's also too, I'm very well aware of like, it's interesting how leads speak of like their role of leadership and da, da, da. I am aware that part of my role is to not say anything out loud,

• 1:01:39Speaker 02

  but to reassure and to like, um, nurture a little, but like create a foundation.

• 1:01:48Amy Poehler?

  That's really interesting.

• 1:01:50Speaker 02

  As, yeah.

• 1:01:51Amy Poehler?

  Um, not to name drop, but I will. I've been name dropping a lot today. Um, Gwyneth Paltrow was in this seat and she, I bet, she said something that I thought was really interesting, which is, you know, we were talking in terms of a codependency and trying to figure out. And when you're in a supporting role in any aspect of life, you have to balance what you talked about, which is knowing what is needed for the room. And she used the term thermometer, like, is the room too hot? Same with every scene. That's a giving, supportive, collaborative person. And then also taking care of yourself.

• 1:02:24Speaker 02

  That's right.

• 1:02:25Amy Poehler?

  It's a, it's a hard balance.

• 1:02:26Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And I think I've gotten really good at that. And I think that's also why I've been able to work with the type of people I've gotten to work with, because I think it's that mixed in with they then feel a reassurance to then be them, their best selves.

• 1:02:42Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:02:43Speaker 02

  Right? And so then I'll have like, it's so cute. And I can't believe I'm even saying this. Steve Martin will literally be like, cause I normally, when I film for Only Murders, they're so kind and with my schedule, they allow me to like shoot out. So I'm doing like in two weeks, like five episodes. And so we get like this kind of like intense two weeks with one another. And, and then I'll be like gone for a year and then we'll catch up for like press and then do it the next year. And he always is like, God, I forgot about this. Feels good. I'm feeling good. And that to me is the greatest, greatest compliment that I can think of. And so.

• 1:03:19Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:03:21Speaker 02

  I think it is a bit of that. And then I think also, there is like, I do still suffer with imposter syndrome in this format. Like when we have to talk about it. But I don't when we're doing it. If that makes sense.

• 1:03:39Amy Poehler?

  That does.

• 1:03:40Speaker 02

  But it's, but it's, but it's a quiet, maybe that's what I mean about that calmness, reassuredness. It's a quiet confidence.

• 1:03:46Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:03:47Speaker 02

  But also at the same time, there's a lot of adrenaline and excitement buzzing through me. And do you ever find sometimes when you perform, this kind of like, sometimes I'll have this moment of like zoom in, zoom out.

• 1:03:59Amy Poehler?

  Yeah.

• 1:03:59Speaker 02

  Where I'm like kind of up overhead.

• 1:04:01Amy Poehler?

  Oh yeah, disassociating.

• 1:04:02Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:04:04Amy Poehler?

  It's great. I highly recommend it.

• 1:04:05Speaker 02

  I love it.

• 1:04:06Amy Poehler?

  You're like, I'm on the ceiling, babe. Nothing can touch me.

• 1:04:08Speaker 02

  Nope.

• 1:04:09Amy Poehler?

  I'm not here.

• 1:04:10Speaker 02

  And we're doing it.

• 1:04:10Amy Poehler?

  I wasn't even there.

• 1:04:11Speaker 02

  Yeah. And I have that sometimes.

• 1:04:13Amy Poehler?

  Me too.

• 1:04:14Speaker 02

  A lot when I'm performing.

• 1:04:15Amy Poehler?

  And it's, and it's, um, what you're saying is like a technique to get past exactly what you said, the fear and adrenaline. And I don't know if you're like this, but I can get nervous after I do something. Like I get through it and then like an hour later, I'm like.

• 1:04:28Speaker 02

  Yeah. Did we do it? Did we get it?

• 1:04:30Amy Poehler?

  And it all starts to shake out because yeah, I wasn't really there.

• 1:04:34Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:04:34Amy Poehler?

  I want to finish with a very quick speed round. If you can give me a sentence or two about this, about some of these people or things.

• 1:04:41Speaker 02

  Sure, sure, sure.

• 1:04:42Amy Poehler?

  And number one is Zoe Kravitz.

• 1:04:45Speaker 02

  The best, and I knew she was extremely talented when I first met her. She was an executive producer. I think that was her first executive producer role. And she went above and beyond. And so when she began starting to direct, I was like, duh, we saw that. I remember one time she literally, and it was so cool because we were the same age. We're like the youngest people on set. And she was literally like, it was a coffee cup. We were doing a scene in a bodega and it was a coffee cup. And she was like, that's not what real coffee cups look like. In New York. Like, why is it, I think it was like red, and you know it's supposed to be like be blue with the blue and the white. And they were like, oh, Zo, because we're young and she's a woman. So they're like, no, no, Zoe, it's fine. And she's like, no, no.

• 1:05:30Speaker 02

  Get it right and we'll wait. In a very polite, but professional and stern way. And I was like, she's got it.

• 1:05:36Amy Poehler?

  Okay, speed round.

• 1:05:38Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'm talking monologue.

• 1:05:40Amy Poehler?

  Al Pacino.

• 1:05:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, so Al Pacino, I was like, you're getting good ones? And you're like, speed round. Al Pacino, on Broadway, stressed out, voice tired, eating soup, in like this little French bistro. He randomly is there. Uh, he goes to checkout and he backs back and like comes and sits down at my table. And we have this like beautiful heartfelt thing. And I share with a stranger, like, it's really hard. I can't talk. Like, you know what I mean? I have no life, the amount that is required for this. Um, and he gave me the most beautiful advice ever. And he uses metaphor of a ladder and said like, as you continue to go up a ladder,

• 1:06:27Speaker 02

  you have to let go of more and more weight and kind of was like, it's nat, what you're feeling is natural. Another moment of someone being like, you've got it, keep going. And it was like, I'll see you at the top of the ladder. Cut to, we do Dolomite, Netflix decides they're now going to start doing magazines, like their own magazines. We get to the shoot and there's a ladder there and I'm like, oh my God, oh my God. Because I knew he was going to be in this shoot because it was like the Irishman and all this. And I was like, yo, if they put me on this ladder, I'm losing. And they're like placing everyone, so they place Al. He's next to the ladder and I said, please, please, please, because he's still got to put like Laura Dern and Scarlett Johansson.

• 1:07:11Speaker 02

  So I was like, yo, I want that ladder. And they put me in the ladder, I'm bawling the entire photo shoot. And I'm like looking down at him and I'm like, Al, do you remember the ladder?

• 1:07:20Amy Poehler?

  Did you ask him and did he?

• 1:07:21Speaker 02

  No.

• 1:07:21Amy Poehler?

  No, no, no.

• 1:07:23Speaker 02

  But I'm like, it's the ladder. And he's like, all right, honey, like, whatever. But in my mind, I was like, full circle. I'm on the ladder and I'm looking at you and you said it was gonna happen.

• 1:07:36Amy Poehler?

  Oh my God, that's a perfect story. And then Stephen Sondheim.

• 1:07:40Speaker 02

  I miss him. I know that sounds so crazy.

• 1:07:43Amy Poehler?

  It doesn't.

• 1:07:43Speaker 02

  But it's like, he was like the modern. He, okay, sometimes that musical theater stuff is a lot for me. Like, I was never kidding. I was like, but, eh, cuz I came into it late and I was just like, well, I'm a vocalist and this is theater. And I had to like find my way into musicals, which is funny that my first gig was a musical. But I just vibed with him so much because it felt like strong story, really good acting, and we just so happened to sing beautiful, beautiful songs. To me, it's like the purest, for me and my taste, one of the purest ways of expressing musical theater. And in college, we did Into the Woods and I played the witch.

• 1:08:23Amy Poehler?

  Oh.

• 1:08:24Speaker 02

  And I was like, okay, I think I like this stuff.

• 1:08:26Amy Poehler?

  Can you sing a little bit of it?

• 1:08:28Speaker 02

  Girl, I sound so crazy.

• 1:08:29Amy Poehler?

  You don't. He's so crazy. This is.

• 1:08:33Speaker 02

  Wait, but what's the song when she's like?

• 1:08:35Amy Poehler?

  Sing a little Steven, anything from Steven sometime.

• 1:08:38Speaker 02

  What is the one, the one that the witch?

• 1:08:40Amy Poehler?

  Want me to get it on my laptop?

• 1:08:41Speaker 02

  But what, I'm gonna look up the lyrics. This is crazy. I sing for no one.

• 1:08:45Amy Poehler?

  And I'm gonna order that Williams Cenobis.

• 1:08:46Speaker 02

  Please do it. Please do it. Please order it immediately.

• 1:08:49Amy Poehler?

  I'm not kidding you. I've thought about it the entire time. You guys, you didn't see it, but it has a wooden bowl.

• 1:08:54Speaker 02

  With a hunter green head.

• 1:08:55Amy Poehler?

  Copper. Okay. What are we looking up?

• 1:09:00Speaker 02

  Where are the clothes? Send in the clothes. Tink's band.

• 1:09:11Speaker 02

  Only for you, literally.

• 1:09:12Amy Poehler?

  Thank you. Thank you.

• 1:09:13Speaker 02

  For years.

• 1:09:15Amy Poehler?

  Oh.

• 1:09:16Speaker 02

  No, year, years.

• 1:09:17Amy Poehler?

  Okay, I appreciate you.

• 1:09:18Speaker 02

  I appreciate you.

• 1:09:20Amy Poehler?

  And, um, the, the world like needs to hear your voice.

• 1:09:24Speaker 02

  No, I know. I gotta work through this stuff. And so that's why I'm gonna figure out. I think honestly, I talk about this a little bit, but I think honestly, um, because the classical thing, like, I feel like there's a lot of people that can like sing like pop and R and B. But I do feel like that's like one of my special little tricks. Like you said, how singing is a trick, but like classical? I think I wanna do a biopic on Leontine Price. And just like, okay, we're doing it. Rip the Band-Aid off.

• 1:09:52Amy Poehler?

  Everybody listening.

• 1:09:53Speaker 02

  Singing.

• 1:09:53Amy Poehler?

  Listening. Everybody listening. Let's make that happen.

• 1:09:55Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:09:56Amy Poehler?

  God, that would be amazing.

• 1:09:57Speaker 02

  I think that'd be fun.

• 1:09:57Amy Poehler?

  And then our, my last question is, because you're so funny, times, and times are stressful. We ask a lot of our guests, um, what they listen to, read, go to, to laugh. What it like, is there anything right now that you're watching, consuming?

• 1:10:15Amy Poehler?

  Like a vi- like a dumb video, a TV show.

• 1:10:19Speaker 02

  You know who really makes me, I did a podcast with Royal Court.

• 1:10:25Amy Poehler?

  Oh, Brittany.

• 1:10:26Speaker 02

  I, to the point where I had to tell my publicist, like, go back and take some things, because I just felt so comfortable and we were just cracking.

• 1:10:35Amy Poehler?

  I saw you on that and you guys were hilarious.

• 1:10:37Speaker 02

  We were cracking up and I was like, oh, she's got, so I think what her podcast is giving people right now is really, really nice. I watch a lot of old stuff. I don't, do you, are you like that? Do you sometimes, sometimes I'm like, oh, I don't want to be tainted or like.

• 1:10:54Amy Poehler?

  I don't watch a lot of comedy. In fact, I mean, one of the reasons why the, the kind of intention behind this podcast is to me, the way for my own mental health was like feeling like chatting and laughing with people.

• 1:11:07Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:11:07Amy Poehler?

  Connection was getting me up out of things.

• 1:11:10Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:11:11Amy Poehler?

  But the actual like watching comedy at home and like sometimes it feels like, oh, if it's good, I'm like, damn.

• 1:11:18Speaker 02

  I can't wa- because I'm judging it. I can't watch contemporary stuff because I'm like, my friend's in that, her hair looks crazy. You know what I mean? Like, why did they do, so I like to watch older things and so, I mean, you can't beat a nineties comedy, which I feel like is a lot of stuff that you've done, but like a nineties comedy is just so good.

• 1:11:37Amy Poehler?

  Ooh, like what? What would you put on like to like run as you were, like, are you talking Friends? Are you talking?

• 1:11:42Speaker 02

  I love Rush Hour.

• 1:11:44Amy Poehler?

  Yes.

• 1:11:45Speaker 02

  It, that's a, one of, one of the best buddy duos that you would never think of and it is oh so good.

• 1:11:53Amy Poehler?

  Let's watch a Rush Hour scene before you go. What scene?

• 1:11:56Speaker 02

  Um.

• 1:12:15Speaker 02

  And isn't it funny how people get so like, you touch the radio? This is not even your car. Don't touch the radio.

• 1:12:21Amy Poehler?

  I mean, also I, I love when people are, give it to, give it to somebody straight and they're like, I don't like you. It really makes me laugh. Nobody ever gets to say that in real life. You never get to say, comedy lets you say stuff you could never say.

• 1:12:34Speaker 02

  Yeah, just deadpan and walk away.

• 1:12:37Amy Poehler?

  She doesn't like you.

• 1:12:40Speaker 02

  Just not into you, sorry.

• 1:12:42Amy Poehler?

  Well, Devine, I love you.

• 1:12:44Speaker 02

  I adore you.

• 1:12:44Amy Poehler?

  And I think we should be friends.

• 1:12:46Speaker 02

  Yes, please.

• 1:12:47Amy Poehler?

  And I think we should buy various things together.

• 1:12:51Speaker 02

  I'm gonna give you my number. I want you to text me when you get the mixer.

• 1:12:54Amy Poehler?

  Great.

• 1:12:55Speaker 02

  I think you should get a pot, just get one of the pots.

• 1:12:59Amy Poehler?

  I gotta get all the pots.

• 1:13:00Speaker 02

  Okay, good, that's what I was hoping for.

• 1:13:01Amy Poehler?

  I mean.

• 1:13:01Speaker 02

  And then, like, when you cook something in there, text it to me.

• 1:13:06Amy Poehler?

  Oh, I would love to.

• 1:13:07Speaker 02

  And I'm gonna text it to you, too.

• 1:13:07Amy Poehler?

  Yes. I mean, what are we, why are we working so hard if we can't buy ourselves discounted copper pots?

• 1:13:15Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm. Black Friday sale, we deserve it. In this economy.

• 1:13:17Amy Poehler?

  You saw what the price used to be?

• 1:13:20Speaker 02

  Why would you, it's the, but it's that red ink that you speak about. There's that urgency of.

• 1:13:24Amy Poehler?

  We gotta get it.

• 1:13:25Speaker 02

  There's only five left.

• 1:13:26Amy Poehler?

  Such a lie.

• 1:13:27Speaker 02

  It gets me.

• 1:13:28Amy Poehler?

  Five left.

• 1:13:29Speaker 02

  There's 50,000 in inventory in the back. Yeah, but I'mma get it and I'mma go pick it up. Um, do you have pasta thingies?

• 1:13:37Amy Poehler?

  Pasta what thingy, what which thing?

• 1:13:39Speaker 02

  Like, so when you get that, you can then also, it's where I think it's like 99.99, get the attachment heads to then make fresh pasta.

• 1:13:51Amy Poehler?

  What? A pasta making machine or the thing?

• 1:13:54Speaker 02

  So you get the Kitchen Made.

• 1:13:56Amy Poehler?

  Thank you for coming. We're gonna get off. End this podcast and we're gonna go shopping.

• 1:14:01Speaker 02

  Kitchen Made, you just take the head off and then attach the pasta, different things. Or, so you could do the one where it's like, so lasagna, then taste that off, macaroni. And then you got endless possibilities.

• 1:14:14Amy Poehler?

  I've never made pasta and I've always wanted to. I'm gonna do it.

• 1:14:17Speaker 02

  I will do it with you.

• 1:14:18Amy Poehler?

  Yeah, I would love to, let's do it.

• 1:14:19Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:14:20Amy Poehler?

  Let's hire a guy.

• 1:14:21Speaker 02

  Just to supervise.

• 1:14:26Amy Poehler?

  Thank you so much, Devine Joy Randolph. You are so fun and I love talking to you and, and, um, I'm so blown away by your talent and your training and, um, so thanks for joining me on the pod. And speaking of talent and training, I just wanna use this polar plunge because we were talking a little bit about Shakespeare and there's a person that I discovered in my phone, where I discover everything, read everything and learn everything. Um, a performer named Michelle Terry and, um,

• 1:14:57Amy Poehler?

  She is, I believe she ran the Shakespeare Globe Theater, or a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and then Royal National Theater. She performed at all those places. She's really good. She's a really good actress. She is a person who continually amazes me and translates Shakespeare to me in a way that feels like no one has for me. So, I don't know. If you're on your phone right now and you want to type her name in, and you're going to see videos of her playing Hamlet and Richard III. Incredible, okay? So if you've never liked Shakespeare before, Michelle Terry is going to get you there. So that's my plunge. Thank you for listening and see you next time.

• 1:15:42Amy Poehler?

  Bye.

• 1:15:45Amy Poehler?

  You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaia McMullin, and Aleia Zaneras. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

• 1:16:11Amy Poehler?

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• 1:16:55Amy Poehler?

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• 1:17:38Amy Poehler?

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